What has been your experience with meds causing weight gain?

[Hekate]

First, let me say I'm so delighted that I stumbled on this group tonight! :hi: I scanned some of the threads and recognized my own dilemmas hither and yon. Just thought I'd start out with this one post before departing to catch a little sleep, and will check back tomorrow.

Second, I never thought this would happen to me, but here I am needing to lose 50+ pounds. (I’m 5’4") At this point I know quite well that I am flirting dangerously with Type II diabetes. My younger brother has it, as do several cousins, and several deceased aunts and uncles, so I need to get this under control before I find myself checking my blood multiple times a day.

To cut a long story short, I have tried a variety of methods, but in the past 10 to 13 years the situation has seriously gotten away from me, and a lot of it is due to sugar-cravings and binges.

I’ve beat myself up a lot for it, but I’ve also tried to analyze it. For the longest time I never considered my prescription meds — most of which list side effects that include constipation and weight gain. It wasn’t until I got completely blocked up that I asked my doc which of my meds could cause constipation and he said all of them. Even then it took me a couple more years and a visit to a gastroenterologist to make the connection for myself: if the constipation is this bad from all the meds, might they also be responsible for the out-of-control sugar cravings?

The medications are for conditions that won’t go away, like fibromyalgia, and I don’t know that there are any substitutes that won’t have side effects of their own. So the question is — have any of you had a similar problem/made a similar connection, and if so, how have you handled it? Any input would be appreciated.

Hekate

[Droopy]

1. Yeah, meds can make you put on weight

I've had that problem over the last couple of years. The only thing that changed was being put on meds. I didn't change the way I eat or live my life. But as soon as I started exercising and cut out the fast food the weight started falling off me very quickly. I've lost 13 pounds in the last 5 weeks.

On edit: I also rarely eat sweets now. I keep a pint of ice cream in the freezer just in case I absolutely must have something sweet to eat. And if that happens I just eat one serving which is about 300 calories. That doesn't hurt too bad and I rarely even eat that. It came in handy when I quit smoking as well.

[lavenderdiva]

2. Hey, Hekate!

I'm so glad you found us! First of all, you must feel miserable! What with the fibromyalgia, the complications from your meds, and the weight gain. I want to let you know that my mother-in-law also suffers with fibromyalgia, but to my knowledge doesn't have the complication of constipation. I am going to ask her what medications she takes for this, and that way you can see if they are different from yours. She is VERY knowledgeable about pharmaceuticals, and their effects. She is out-of-town for the weekend, but when she gets back, I will get the information for you, and post it back here, ok? Hopefully, it will help you. She has had no weight gain either.

:hi:

[Systematic Chaos]

3. I gained almost 30 lbs. of water weight earlier this year

Due primarily to heavy doses of anti-inflammatories (prednisone and indomethacin). Among other things, those medications can destroy your heart and kidneys, but luckily for me I got off with just severe edema and a leg ulcer. :eyes:

I will never take those medications again. EVER.

[Hekate]

4. Thanks for your replies and welcomes

I'm doing okay with the fibromyalgia -- I responded well to the medication. I think the gold standard is still a low dose of a tricyclic antidepressant at bedtime: for some reason it improves sleep and unsurprisingly that improves the pain. I've been taking it for over 15 years. Other meds kicked in later -- cholesterol, etc. (A dear friend of mine doesn't respond well at all -- even a subclinical dose leaves her groggy, so she just lives with pain and unsurprisingly is a cranky person.)

Other, unrelated, chronic pain comes from calcifying tendinitis in my shoulders; I had arthroscopic surgery 10 years ago, but in 5% of cases there's a recurrence... so here we go again. :-(

This year my sleep has improved dramatically in another way: thanks to some in-depth articles in the LA Times my husband diagnosed me with sleep apnea. I went to a sleep disorder specialist, spent the night hooked up to a bazillion electrodes, and boy oh boy am I apneic: I think I stopped breathing 110 times in two and a half hours before the technician woke me up and put the CPAP mask on my face. I was prescribed and given a CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) that whooshes room-air into a nose mask all night, and I just keep breathing. It looks funny as hell -- all I've got to say is it's really nice to sleep with someone who loves you enough to think sleeping next to such a device is a Really Good Thing. The sleep disorder specialist is very pleased with my enthusiasm -- not everyone adjusts, but I feel a lot better. :-)

I went to a social evening with friends tonight (oh, last night -- I should go to bed soon, shouldn't I?) and scarfed cheese and chocolates. SIGH. I know I need to start a food diary again. Writing it all down creates accountability.

Hekate

#Why won't the Chickenhawk cross the road?"

[u4ic]

5. Hi Hekate!

I have Fibro too...I gained about 15-20 lbs on the Desyrel I took a few years ago for sleep. It gave me such horrific nausea when my stomach was empty that I had to keep something in it constantly.

I found other meds for sleep and dropped the Desyrel. My pain is liveable unless I do too much (which really is minimal, as I have CFIDS as well). I just ride it out.

I'm glad the CPAP and tricyclics works for you. :-)

I hope you found reference to the fitday.com site, an online journal. It's an amazing resource.