Antidepressant weight gain and how to lose it
7 Ways to Lose Weight Gain Caused by Medication
Antidepressants and steroids like prednisone often lead to extra pounds.
People living with issues like autoimmune diseases, from Crohn’s to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or mood disorders like depression have powerfully effective medications out there to help minimize or eliminate their symptoms so that they can live comfortably.
Yet some of the common drugs for these issues — like prednisone and other corticosteroids, and paroxetine (Paxil) and other antidepressants — have less-than-desirable side effects. One major side effect of these drugs is weight gain.
And while you should go easy on yourself — you’re battling an illness, after all — it can be a frustrating adverse effect.
Read on to find out the best ways to lose unwanted pounds brought on by medication you need.
Antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers are common drugs that have the most potential to increase weight gain. All 12 of the leading antidepressants, including fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), make gaining weight more likely.
With approximately 13 percent of Americans currently taking antidepressants — and without medication options that don’t cause fluctuations in weight — a lot of people can’t avoid being put at higher risk for unhealthy weight gain.
Steroids like prednisone may also have similar effects. Alanna Cabrero, MS, a registered dietician at NYU Langone Health’s IBD Center, says steroids are often “used to tackle inflammatory conditions like IBD, Crohn’s, arthritis, lupus, and osteoarthritis.”
For some of these medications, nearly 70 percent of users reported weight gain as a side effect.
You might assume that you’d notice the pounds sliding on right away if your body is sensitive to this side effect. But a recent study found that isn’t the case. People taking antidepressants are most at risk for weight gain two to three years into treatment.
Medications that cause weight gain include:
- Antidepressants, such as:
- selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including fluoxetine
(Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), citalopram (Celexa), and paroxetine (Paxil) - serotonin-norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitors,
including duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine
(Effexor) - tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), including desipramine
(Norpramin)
- selective
- Corticosteroids, such as:
- budesonide, including Pulmicort
and Symbicort - prednisone
- methylprednisolone
- budesonide, including Pulmicort
- Drugs commonly
prescribed for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, such as:- olanzapine
- risperidone
- quetiapine
Drugs like corticosteroids alter the body’s electrolyte and water balances, as well as metabolism.
“Drugs like steroids decrease the body’s flushing out of sodium,” explains Cabrero.
Many people taking steroids report increased fat in the abdomen, face, and neck. Even if you can control the steroid-driven weight gain, it’s possible to look heavier because of redistributed fat.
Antidepressant-induced weight gain is tied to appetite changes. “With medications for depression, increases in appetite occur. Generally, then, anything becomes a little bit more appetizing — and our cravings usually don’t fall under fruits and vegetables,” Cabrero points out.
If you want to lose a few extra pounds that you’ve put on since taking a weight gain-inducing medication, you’re already on the right track.
Armed with that knowledge that gaining weight is a potential side effect, you can make more conscious choices when it comes to meals and exercise.
“If you know that these medications have the potential side effect of weight gain, you can take the appropriate steps to be prepared,” says Cabrero.
Here are seven ways she recommends you take off — or fight off — unwanted pounds.
Avoiding too much sodium in your diet is smart for anyone looking to eat healthier. But patients on steroids or antidepressants might want to consider paying extra close attention.
That means avoiding processed foods, canned foods, and fast foods, since they’re often packed with sodium.
“Eight percent of our sodium intake comes from these foods,” says Cabrero. “The general population in the U.S. has 3,300 to 3,500 mg of sodium per day, when it should fall more around 2,300 mg. Reduce these foods that have naturally a ton of sodium.”
Cabrero recommends you learn how to read nutritional labels in order to understand what’s in your food.
To curb weight, use the same strategies you’d use to
control weight with or without the added effects of medication. Choose
low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, eat fiber-rich and
slow-to-digest complex carbohydrates, and drink lots of water.
People taking antidepressants should also be aware of hyponatremia, which is low sodium in the blood. This is especially important in the first 28 days of starting antidepressants, as low sodium levels can lead to more severe health problems.
If you’ve been newly prescribed an antidepressant, your doctor should monitor you for signs of hyponatremia, including:
- dizziness
- nausea
- lethargy
- confusion
- cramps
- seizure
Your doctor can help you avoid hyponatremia.
Eating a potassium-rich diet is great for people who are looking to lose weight gained because of medication — potassium flushes out sodium. And a potassium-rich diet is linked to other health benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, protection against stroke, and osteoporosis prevention.
Potassium-rich foods include:
- bananas
- sweet potatoes
- avocados
- coconut water
- spinach
- black beans
- edamame
- potatoes
- beets
Managing your condition is a priority, so there may not yet be any options that cause little to no weight gain.
Still, ask your doctor if there are any alternative medications or treatments that would maintain your health without the extra pounds.
For people on steroids, ask if going on the shortest, most effective dose is a possibility.
If you’re taking antidepressants, bupropion (Wellbutrin) may be less likely to cause weight gain.
Your appetite can increase while taking specific medications, so you may be tempted to eat more.
Instead of having three massive meals throughout the day, breaking up your food into smaller, more frequent meals can make you feel like you’re consuming more calories because you have little time between snacks to be hungry.
It’s recommended to stave off hunger by eating six small meals a day versus
three large ones.
Cabrero suggests you try to integrate nonstarchy veggies, or what she calls “volume-rich foods,” into your diet. “They’re nutritious and don’t have a lot of calories,” says Cabrero. Experiment beyond cut-up carrots: try veggie soups and salads.
Staying active is important for overall health as well as weight loss or maintenance. Depending on your level of health or current symptoms, you may want to consult your doctor first.
“Depending on what other symptoms are going on, physical activity is something to be sure to do,” says Cabrero. “You might not be as active as you were before, but light yoga, walking, or something along those lines helps to keep you mobilized and improves overall health.”
For people who have come off medication, intermittent fasting can be an effective way to lose weight, provided it’s recommended by your doctors.
“I usually suggest a gut rest. This is a 12-hour window when you don’t eat, which should start about 2 to 3 hours before bed,” says Cabrero. “A lot of times after dinner we end up snacking on foods that are not nutritious, nor are even related to hunger.”
A good night’s sleep can do wonders when you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you’re taking steroids for any condition.
“With steroid use, patients find that they won’t sleep well, and that increases your appetite for sugary foods because you need that energy burst,” says Cabrero.
Here are 10 ideas for natural ways to sleep better.
Meagan Drillinger is a travel and wellness writer. Her focus is on making the most out of experiential travel while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Her writing has appeared in Thrillist, Men’s Health, Travel Weekly, and Time Out New York, among others. Visit her blog or Instagram.]
7 Ways to Lose Weight Gain Caused by Medication
Antidepressants and steroids like prednisone often lead to extra pounds.
People living with issues like autoimmune diseases, from Crohn’s to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or mood disorders like depression have powerfully effective medications out there to help minimize or eliminate their symptoms so that they can live comfortably.
Yet some of the common drugs for these issues — like prednisone and other corticosteroids, and paroxetine (Paxil) and other antidepressants — have less-than-desirable side effects.
One major side effect of these drugs is weight gain.
And while you should go easy on yourself — you’re battling an illness, after all — it can be a frustrating adverse effect.
Read on to find out the best ways to lose unwanted pounds brought on by medication you need.
Antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers are common drugs that have the most potential to increase weight gain. All 12 of the leading antidepressants, including fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), make gaining weight more likely.
With approximately 13 percent of Americans currently taking antidepressants — and without medication options that don’t cause fluctuations in weight — a lot of people can’t avoid being put at higher risk for unhealthy weight gain.
Steroids like prednisone may also have similar effects. Alanna Cabrero, MS, a registered dietician at NYU Langone Health’s IBD Center, says steroids are often “used to tackle inflammatory conditions like IBD, Crohn’s, arthritis, lupus, and osteoarthritis.
”
For some of these medications, nearly 70 percent of users reported weight gain as a side effect.
You might assume that you’d notice the pounds sliding on right away if your body is sensitive to this side effect. But a recent study found that isn’t the case. People taking antidepressants are most at risk for weight gain two to three years into treatment.
Medications that cause weight gain include:
- Antidepressants, such as:
- selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including fluoxetine
(Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), citalopram (Celexa), and paroxetine (Paxil) - serotonin-norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitors,
including duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine
(Effexor) - tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), including desipramine
(Norpramin)
- selective
- Corticosteroids, such as:
- budesonide, including Pulmicort
and Symbicort - prednisone
- methylprednisolone
- budesonide, including Pulmicort
- Drugs commonly
prescribed for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, such as:- olanzapine
- risperidone
- quetiapine
Drugs like corticosteroids alter the body’s electrolyte and water balances, as well as metabolism.
“Drugs like steroids decrease the body’s flushing out of sodium,” explains Cabrero.
Many people taking steroids report increased fat in the abdomen, face, and neck. Even if you can control the steroid-driven weight gain, it’s possible to look heavier because of redistributed fat.
Antidepressant-induced weight gain is tied to appetite changes. “With medications for depression, increases in appetite occur. Generally, then, anything becomes a little bit more appetizing — and our cravings usually don’t fall under fruits and vegetables,” Cabrero points out.
If you want to lose a few extra pounds that you’ve put on since taking a weight gain-inducing medication, you’re already on the right track.
Armed with that knowledge that gaining weight is a potential side effect, you can make more conscious choices when it comes to meals and exercise.
“If you know that these medications have the potential side effect of weight gain, you can take the appropriate steps to be prepared,” says Cabrero.
Here are seven ways she recommends you take off — or fight off — unwanted pounds.
Avoiding too much sodium in your diet is smart for anyone looking to eat healthier. But patients on steroids or antidepressants might want to consider paying extra close attention.
That means avoiding processed foods, canned foods, and fast foods, since they’re often packed with sodium.
“Eight percent of our sodium intake comes from these foods,” says Cabrero. “The general population in the U.S. has 3,300 to 3,500 mg of sodium per day, when it should fall more around 2,300 mg. Reduce these foods that have naturally a ton of sodium.”
Cabrero recommends you learn how to read nutritional labels in order to understand what’s in your food.
To curb weight, use the same strategies you’d use to
control weight with or without the added effects of medication. Choose
low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, eat fiber-rich and
slow-to-digest complex carbohydrates, and drink lots of water.
People taking antidepressants should also be aware of hyponatremia, which is low sodium in the blood. This is especially important in the first 28 days of starting antidepressants, as low sodium levels can lead to more severe health problems.
If you’ve been newly prescribed an antidepressant, your doctor should monitor you for signs of hyponatremia, including:
- dizziness
- nausea
- lethargy
- confusion
- cramps
- seizure
Your doctor can help you avoid hyponatremia.
Eating a potassium-rich diet is great for people who are looking to lose weight gained because of medication — potassium flushes out sodium. And a potassium-rich diet is linked to other health benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, protection against stroke, and osteoporosis prevention.
Potassium-rich foods include:
- bananas
- sweet potatoes
- avocados
- coconut water
- spinach
- black beans
- edamame
- potatoes
- beets
Managing your condition is a priority, so there may not yet be any options that cause little to no weight gain.
Still, ask your doctor if there are any alternative medications or treatments that would maintain your health without the extra pounds.
For people on steroids, ask if going on the shortest, most effective dose is a possibility.
If you’re taking antidepressants, bupropion (Wellbutrin) may be less likely to cause weight gain.
Your appetite can increase while taking specific medications, so you may be tempted to eat more.
Instead of having three massive meals throughout the day, breaking up your food into smaller, more frequent meals can make you feel like you’re consuming more calories because you have little time between snacks to be hungry.
It’s recommended to stave off hunger by eating six small meals a day versus
three large ones.
Cabrero suggests you try to integrate nonstarchy veggies, or what she calls “volume-rich foods,” into your diet. “They’re nutritious and don’t have a lot of calories,” says Cabrero. Experiment beyond cut-up carrots: try veggie soups and salads.
Staying active is important for overall health as well as weight loss or maintenance. Depending on your level of health or current symptoms, you may want to consult your doctor first.
“Depending on what other symptoms are going on, physical activity is something to be sure to do,” says Cabrero. “You might not be as active as you were before, but light yoga, walking, or something along those lines helps to keep you mobilized and improves overall health.”
For people who have come off medication, intermittent fasting can be an effective way to lose weight, provided it’s recommended by your doctors.
“I usually suggest a gut rest. This is a 12-hour window when you don’t eat, which should start about 2 to 3 hours before bed,” says Cabrero. “A lot of times after dinner we end up snacking on foods that are not nutritious, nor are even related to hunger.”
A good night’s sleep can do wonders when you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you’re taking steroids for any condition.
“With steroid use, patients find that they won’t sleep well, and that increases your appetite for sugary foods because you need that energy burst,” says Cabrero.
Here are 10 ideas for natural ways to sleep better.
Meagan Drillinger is a travel and wellness writer. Her focus is on making the most out of experiential travel while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Her writing has appeared in Thrillist, Men’s Health, Travel Weekly, and Time Out New York, among others. Visit her blog or Instagram.]
Taking antidepressants can cause weight gain!
news
Taking antidepressants can cause you to gain weight
A new British study shows that you are more likely to gain weight if you take antidepressants.
The discovery surprised mental health experts.
"It's been ten years now that psychiatrists have known about it, written articles about it, and heard about it from their patients all the time," says Dr.
Brian Keefe, psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Zucker Hills Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, who did not participate. in conducting research.
During the experiment, according to scientists, it turned out that the risk of gaining 2-3 extra pounds in patients who took at least one antidepressant is 21 percent higher than in other subjects.
According to the lead author of the study, it was not possible to prove the existence of a direct causal relationship between the use of antidepressants and weight gain - all that can be said is that there is some connection here, and studying it can help explain the accumulation of fat in the human body .
“It is important to emphasize the following: no patient should stop taking medication because of this. If a person experiences any side effects from taking the drug, they should talk to their doctor or pharmacist about it,” says Dr. Rafael Ghafoor, a psychiatrist at King's College London, who led the study.
According to him, the peak of the likelihood of gaining weight falls on the interval from 2-3 to 6 years of continuous use of antidepressants.
Gafur says that while scientists do not know why the weight begins to grow precisely from the 2nd year of taking the remedy, and not earlier.
However, during this period of time, many people manage to gain excess weight or even become obese - when taking antidepressants, the risk of such an outcome increases by 29%.
Researchers say that in people who were already overweight before starting antidepressants, these drugs also increase the risk of obesity by 29%.
According to one of the American doctors, treatment with antidepressants always affects the form of his patients in different ways.
"I've seen some people not gain weight, some people put on a lot of extra pounds, and some even lose weight after taking antidepressants," says Dr. Jamie Kane, director of Northwell Health Hospital's Weight Management Center. Syosset Hospital, New York.
In his opinion, those patients who, while taking antidepressants, notice that their weight begins to increase, should try to adjust their diet and start exercising more often.
In addition, antidepressants, according to Kane, have alternatives - psychotherapy and increased physical activity.
Between 2004 and 2014, Gafur and his team recruited approximately 300,000 men and women to conduct the study, 20% of whom were taking antidepressants.
For investigators, a weight gain of at least 5% of previous body weight was significant in any of the study participants.
Research has shown that 11 out of every 100 people who take antidepressants gain weight in a year. Among those who do not take medication, about 8 out of 100 people gain weight.
Those who took antidepressants had an approximately 46% higher risk of gaining more than 5% of their body weight at 2-3 years of medication than those who did not take such drugs.
The study looked at 12 common antidepressants: Remeron, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Effexor, Citalopram, Flucosetine, Escitalopram, Desyrel, Elavil, Paxil, Pamelor, and Protiaden.
As with any medical procedure, Keefe says doctors and patients must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of taking these drugs.
“Untreated depression always causes suffering and stress for the patient and can lead to disability or even suicide,” he says. "Finding the right drug to relieve sadness or anxiety is often a top priority for people with this condition."
The research report was published May 23 in BMJ.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20180524/study-says-antidepressants-may-lead-to-weight-gain#1
Study: antidepressants lead to weight gain
May 25, 2018, 2:58 pm
Widespread use of antidepressants may contribute to rising rates of obesity in developed countries. The risk of becoming overweight in those who take drugs to combat depression for a long time is 21% higher. This conclusion was reached by doctors at King's College London. The work was published in the medical journal The BMJ. This is reported by The Independent.
"The widespread use of antidepressants may be one of the reasons for the long-term increase in the weight of the world's population," said one of the co-authors of the work, Martin Gulliford.
The study showed that the risk of weight gain increased after 2-3 years of taking antidepressants. The risk of developing obesity and the appearance of extra pounds in such patients was 29% higher.
As noted by the authors, the findings suggest that antidepressants should be used less often in the treatment of mild forms of depression. In such cases, cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise should be a priority.
The study was based on health data from 300,000 British patients between 2004 and 2014. Information included data on patients taking antidepressants and their body mass indexes (BMI). The researchers adjusted for other factors that could influence weight, such as age, chronic illness, smoking, and other medications.
Weight gain of 5% of body weight or more within a year was 8.1% among patients not taking antidepressants. Among those who took medication to combat depression, the figure was 11.2%. After 3 years of taking antidepressants, the risk of gaining 5% of body weight per year increased to 46%.
The study showed that the risk of becoming overweight is highest in the second and third years of taking antidepressants. In the next 6 years, the risk also remains elevated.
Researchers analyzed the effects of 12 common types of antidepressants on body weight. Thus, the drug mirtazapine (another name is remeron) in half of the cases led to an increase in the weight of patients by at least 5% of the body weight before taking the drugs. The drug citalopram increased the risk of weight gain by 26%.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the highest number of antidepressant users are in Iceland. For every 1,000 Icelanders, there are 118 people who take drugs to fight depression. The top five also included Australia, Portugal, Canada and Sweden. In the sample of the OECD study, 35 member states of the organization are noted.
Meanwhile, in the World Happiness Report ranking of countries in terms of happiness, the states of Northern Europe, Australia and Canada have also been in the lead for several years.
