weight gain...is it my meds????

[eye2dry]

hello to all.

I have been treated for RA and sjogrens since 2010. In the course of these past 5 years I have gained

30-35 pounds. I have looked up all my meds and they either said it could cause weight gain or weight loss.

My long time prescription meds are...plaquenil , methotrexate , synthroid , Cymbalta.

I just recently started and stopped sulfasalazine (stomach cramps & diarrhea) and started doxycycline

6 weeks ago for ocular rosacea.


I realize that I am a post menopausal woman , not as active as I once was....but to just balloon up !!!!

I am small framed and 5' 3" and everyone in my family is normal weight or thin.

My thyroid has been checked and it is alright. I know what I eat and it is less than 5 years ago.

My husband has noticed and said that I do not eat much.


I wouldn't care so much but I know this extra weight is making me feel so much worse. It's harder

to move around with extra weight and I know it's bad for my joints, esp. my knees. I just recently

on March 4th quit working but my fast weight gain really began approx. 2 years ago.

EVERY summer I have had to buy new summer clothes....same every winter now...new pants..etc...



What do you folks know/think about these meds? Looking them up and reading med insert is not helpful.

I just know the companies and drs. are playing the weight results down b/c they want people to take their meds.


shelly

[CMNK12]

Shelly
When I took mtx I gained weight no matter what I ate or how little. When I stopped it because of a reaction to it, I lost the weight. I am not sure about the others because I have not personally taken them.


Sometimes our meds are just a necessary evil and we just do our best. I gained some weight after a job change also and becoming much more sedentary. It really does make a difference. Aging is really not for the faint of heart! Lol CK

[grammad97]

For what it's worth Cymbalta made me again weight also.

[Chris]

I gained on cymbalta....

[susie]

I have not any experience with your drugs, but have my own that I know have made me gain at least 35 pounds in the last few years. Lexapro is one, carbamazepine another, plus a host of other meds. So I just wanted to tell you I feel your pain. Plus I am the same height. lol  Susie

[Deb 27]

I am in the same boat with weight gain. Mine has been very slow and sneaky though. I have low thyroid but take antidepressants. It's almost impossible to get the weight off when you are so tired. I feel being sedentary for a lot of my weight gain. Being post menopausal doesn't help either.

[Navigator]

I find that I have to really restrict my food intake. I eat a yogurt and berries for breakfast, no lunch and a limited dinner, no bread, and walk at least 4 miles a day to keep my weight down.  It is amazing how little we need to eat.    It is not easy getting older. 

It doesn?t take much to gain that weight.  Seven pounds a year (a pound is an excess of 3500 calories over what your body is burning) is just 470 extra calories a week..that is one deli sized muffin extra a week. Who would notice that!!!

I just get used to the feelings of hunger, drink iced water with lemon a lot and distract myself by knitting and keeping my hands busy.

[Nomad]

My GP told me that I should eat 900 super healthy calories a day and do whatever exercise I can, plus avoid sweets and flour and drink a lot of water....in order to lose weight.  I'm 5'2" and over 50 years old, hypothyroid and on some meds that cause weight gain.

I wanted to do most of this anyway, because I was hoping it would help with fatigue (it does).

I use my fitness pal phone  app to record my calories.

I've been doing this since mid January and I've lost twelve pounds. Actually, it was a little more, but I binged this weekend and gained two pounds. But, I'm back on my diet today.  I actually don't wish to lose much more.

I have learned to enjoy super healthy food. Sure, I'm human and have splurged here and there for various reasons.  And my exercise is very limited.  It's all ok.  I love the phone app. It keeps me honest.

For breakfast, I often make a green veggie drink with kale, spinach etc. Sometimes, I'll get one from Whole Foods.  Some times I'll make a scrambled egg with lots of veggies thrown in.  Lunch is often a very large salad.  Sometimes with a little feta cheese or chicken. Dinner is often a small amount of meat or fish and a very large portion of vegetables.  Sometimes I have a veggie burger.  I usually don't have dessert, but if I do, it's fruit or popcorn and once in a great while a Greek Yogurt (100 calories)  or half of a chocolate covered protein bar like Kind peanut butter/protein bar (a rare treat).another great snack is a handful of almonds.  I also drink lots of water.  I also take a lot of supplements. I'm usually not hungry, but sometimes feel it. I too try to distract myself.

I suppose I have a special interest in all this because years ago, in another lifetime, I use to sort of be in this "industry" for awhile. 

If it is a special occasion, like for Easter, I had my usual meals for breakfast and lunch (probably a little smaller portion though)  but had a great big dinner and someone made an Oreo cheesecake and I had a nice big slice of it!!!! But the next day, it was back to my mega veggies and counting calories on my APP.

Try not to get discouraged. Sure it's a bit harder, but not impossible. I'm glad my doc leveled with me re the calories. 

Motivating me more than anything is that I feel better. Seeing the scale move slowly but surely is a nice feeling too.

Soon I'll be able to go to maintenance mode and true, it (my calories) probably won't be a very high number....but I've accepted that.

Don't give up!