Prescription Drugs Linked with Unnecessary Weight Gain

Prescription drugs or medications consumed by majority of Americans for diabetes, high blood pressure, mood disorders, and other chronic illness can have a negative side effect like weight gain. Though other options are there for some kinds of drugs, modifying medications is not just a matter of changing over, according to chief pharmacy officer of Houston,Ryan Roux.

During late 1990s, a research was conducted by Dr. Lawrence Cheskin on obesity and the prescription drugs. Dr. Cheskin said, “some medications make an early and obvious difference, this resulted in making the patients very hungry, while changes are delicate for others. You have gained almost ten pounds after taking them for few months”. To increase the awareness, Roux and his group have put together a list of weight loss and weight promoting drugs.

Antidepressants normally enhance weight gain, they include Zoloft, Paxil,Elavil and Remeron. Bupropin (Wellbutrin) and fluoxetine (Prozac) are considered wieght loss or weight neutral medicines. Cheskin said, “normally, antidepressants of early days are typically known to bring weight gain when comared with newer ones”.

Mood disorder medications can add weight, they include Clozaril, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperal. Carbamazepine, valproic acid and Lithium can also increase the weight.

Antipsychotics and steriods, which are drugs with hormonal effects are the main culprits in weight gain problems, according to Dr. Cheskin. He said, “they influence brain, and appetite control is mainly a function of brain. They get you extremely hungry”. According to both the experts, less than appropriate attachment to prescribed drugs is common, no matter whether they affect weight of the patient or not.

Roux talking about antipsychotic medications said, a challenge is that when people feel good they may completely stop taking them. But another restriction to treatment attachment is that when drugs such as Zyprexa used in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder lead to weight gain of around twenty pounds or more.

Blood pressure drugs that can lead to weight gain include Clonidine, Tenormin, Inderal and Lopressor. According to Chesin, dietary modifications can help compensate the effects of such medications. He said, he recommends increasing content of fiber and water, and reducing the density of calorie. Try to spread out calories upon various meals, instead of consuming it all for dinner.