Some medications such as antidepressants, antiallergics or corticosteroids, especially when used long-term, can cause side effects that, over time, can cause weight gain.
The causes of weight gain caused by these medications are not yet fully understood. However, it is believed that they are related to increased appetite, fluid retention or the appearance of excessive tiredness that impairs the practice of physical activities.
Although they can cause weight gain, the use of these medications should not be stopped on your own, and you should always consult your doctor to assess the possibility of switching to another type or changing the dose. It is also possible for a medicine to cause weight gain in one person, but not in another, due to the body’s different responses.
The main medications that can cause weight gain are:
1. Antiallergics
Some antiallergic drugs indicated for the treatment of allergy symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy eyes or skin, for example, can cause weight gain.
This happens because some antiallergic drugs reduce the effect of histamine in the body, a substance that is responsible for allergy symptoms, but which also helps regulate appetite. Therefore, when taking an antiallergic drug, the action of histamine is also blocked, which can cause an increase in appetite and weight gain.
Anti-allergy drugs that make you sleepy can reduce your willingness to exercise, which can also cause weight gain.
Main antiallergics: cetirizina, fexofenadine, dexclorfeniramina, bilastina, desloratadine, hydroxyzina, levocetirizina, promethazine and clemastina.
2. Antidepressants
Antidepressants can cause weight gain during treatment, especially when used for a long period of time, as these medications alter the levels or action of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine or histamine, causing an increase in appetite.
However, if the person experiences weight gain, they should consult their doctor to re-evaluate the treatment and, if necessary, change the type or dose of the antidepressant, for example. You should never stop taking antidepressants on your own.
Some antidepressant options that do not cause changes in weight are fluoxetine, bupropion or duloxetine, for example.
Main antidepressants: clonazepam, amitriptyline, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, imipramine, escitalopram, trimipramine and paroxetine.
3. Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics are one of the types of medications most linked to weight gain. This effect happens because antipsychotics increase a brain protein known as AMPK and, when this protein is increased, it blocks the effect of histamine, an important substance for regulating the sensation of hunger.
However, antipsychotics are very important for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and, therefore, should not be stopped without medical advice. Some antipsychotic options that typically have less risk of causing weight gain are ziprasidone or aripiprazole.
Main antipsychotics: olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, oluzidone, haloperidol and zuclopenthixol.
4. Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are medicines used to alleviate the symptoms of inflammatory diseases such as severe asthma or rheumatoid arthritis, for example. However, when they are used for a long time, they can cause the body to retain more salt, which in large quantities increases fluid retention, causing weight gain.
Furthermore, corticosteroids also cause an increase in appetite and alter metabolism and the way the body deposits fat, leading to an increase and redistribution of body fat, which can accumulate mainly in the abdomen, face and behind the neck, as occurs in Cushing’s syndrome, contributing to weight gain.
Main corticosteroids: prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, budesonide, fluticasone and hydrocortisone.
5. Antihypertensives
Although it is rarer, some antihypertensives, which are medicines used to lower and control blood pressure, can also cause weight gain.
This weight gain happens because the common side effect of beta blockers is the appearance of excessive tiredness, which can reduce physical exercise, increasing the chances of gaining weight.
Main antihypertensives: propranolol, nadolol, atenolol, timolol, carvedilol, labetalol, metoprolol e bisoprolol.
6. Oral antidiabetics
Some oral antidiabetics used to treat diabetes stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas, rapidly decreasing blood glucose levels and increasing them within the body’s cells. Glucose inside cells functions as a source of energy, however, when it is not used, this glucose is stored in the form of fat, causing weight gain.
Furthermore, when blood sugar levels become very low, you may feel more hungry as the body tries to compensate for the lack of sugar, causing weight gain.
Main oral antidiabetics: glipizida, gliclazida, glimepirida glibenclamide, glimepirida, repaglinida, nateglinida, acetoexamida, clorpropamida, tolbutamida, tolazamida e gliquidona.
7. Contraceptives
Contraceptives, such as combined pills, contraceptive implants or contraceptive injections, are hormonal medicines indicated to prevent pregnancy or treat some health conditions, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome or even acne, which can cause fluid retention in the body, which It can cause swelling and result in weight gain.
However, these medications do not increase the amount of body fat, and weight change may occur in some women due to fluid retention, while in other women, there may be no change in weight or it may even cause weight loss.
Main contraceptives: Diane 35, Depo-Provera, Implanon, Cycle 21 or Microvlar, for example.
How to know if it’s the medication’s fault
To know if the medicine is causing weight gain is when this increase begins during the first month in which you started taking a new medicine, when you have not made any changes to your diet that could be causing weight gain.
However, there are also cases where a person only starts to gain weight some time after taking medication. In these cases, if the weight gain is more than 2 kg per month and the person is maintaining the same exercise and diet rhythm as before, it is likely that they are gaining weight due to some medication, especially if fluid retention is occurring. .
Although the only way to confirm is to consult the doctor who prescribed the medication, it is also possible to read the medication leaflet and assess whether increased weight or appetite, or fluid retention, is one of the side effects.
What to do if there is suspicion
If you suspect that a medicine is making you gain weight, it is advisable to consult the doctor responsible for the treatment so that the treatment can be evaluated, the possibility of reducing the dose or changing to another medicine with a similar effect but which has a lower risk of causing weight gain.
Under no circumstances should you stop treatment on your own, it could be more harmful than weight gain.
How to avoid weight gain
As in any other situation, the weight gain process can only be stopped by reducing calories in the body, which can be achieved through physical exercise and a balanced diet. Therefore, even if a medication may be making you gain weight, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so that this increase is small or non-existent.
Furthermore, it is also very important to inform the doctor immediately or go to all review appointments, so that the effect of the medicine can be re-evaluated and the treatment can be adapted according to each person’s needs.
See an example of the diet you should maintain during treatment with a medicine that can make you gain weight.
