Full Answer
Which drugs make you gain weight fast?
Which Drugs Cause Weight Gain? 1 Antidepressants. 2 Antihistamines. 3 Antipsychotics and Mood Disorder Treatments. 4 Antihypertensives (beta blockers) 5 Birth Control. 6 Corticosteroids. 7 Diabetes Medications. 8 Anticonvulsants and Mood Stabilizers.
Which antidepressants do not cause weight gain?
Other antidepressants have been associated with less weight gain as a side effect. These antidepressants include: escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex), an SSRI duloxetine (Cymbalta), an SNRI bupropion (Wellbutrin, Forfivo, and Aplenzin), an atypical antidepressant nefazodone (Serzone), a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor
What medications can cause weight gain in type 2 diabetes?
Some drugs used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes can lead to weight gain and fluid retention. Certain oral medications for type 2 diabetes, such as glyburide (DiaBeta), glimepiride (Amaryl) and glipizide (Glucotrol), members of the sulfonylurea class, can lead to weight gain.
Do bipolar medications cause weight gain?
Do all bipolar medications cause weight gain? Bipolar disorder can be treated with a number of medications. Some of these medications can increase your appetite or cause changes in metabolism leading to weight gain. Whether a certain medication will cause weight gain or other side effects varies from person to person.
Which antipsychotic medication has the least potential of causing weight gain?
Ziprasidone caused the least amount of weight gain. A meta-analysis by De Hert et al observed that the newer antipsychotics asenapine, iloperidone, paliperidone and lurasidone caused significant weight gain. Clinically significant weight gain of more than 7% was caused by all the drugs except lurasidone.
What medications cause you to not lose weight?
Among the medications that may cause weight gain in some people are:Medications used to treat type 2 diabetes (such as sulfonylureas)Antipsychotic or schizophrenia medications, including chlorpromazine (such as Thorazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), and olanzapine (Zyprexa)More items...
Which drug causes a decrease in weight?
Four weight-loss drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for long-term use: Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave) Liraglutide (Saxenda) Orlistat (Xenical)
How do you take medication and not gain weight?
Here are some ways to lose weight gained due to medication use:Switch to a different medication. The first strategy to consider involves changing medications. ... Lower medication dosage. ... Limit portion sizes. ... Exercise. ... Eat more protein. ... Talk to a dietitian. ... Avoid alcohol. ... Get enough sleep.More items...
Can Zoloft help weight loss?
Weight gain is a common complaint of patients receiving antidepressant drug treatment. The antidepressant sertraline, a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor, has been reported to promote weight loss.
What antidepressants help with weight loss?
Most antidepressant medications are more commonly associated with weight gain, but there are three that have been connected to weight loss:Bupropion (Wellbutrin)Fluoxetine (Prozac)Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
Can I lose weight on antidepressants?
The bottom line. Weight changes can be a concern with antidepressants. While more antidepressants typically cause weight gain, a few can reduce appetite, and cause nausea, vomiting, or weight loss. This might be temporary until your body gets used to the medication.
What is the best injection for weight loss?
Saxenda® (liraglutide) injection 3 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used for adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) who also have weight-related medical problems or obesity (BMI ≥30), and children aged 12-17 years with a body weight above 132 pounds (60 kg) and obesity to help them lose weight and keep the weight ...
Does Prozac cause weight loss?
Altered appetite: In some cases, Prozac may reduce appetite and lead to significant weight loss. However, this is not a positive side effect of this medication. Sudden changes in weight or lack of appetite need to be reported to health care providers.
How do antipsychotics prevent weight gain?
The main approaches to managing weight with antipsychotics are: Ensure that the risk of weight gain, and other side effects, are considered when choosing an antipsychotic. Wherever possible use drugs with a lower risk of weight gain. Monitor weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) during antipsychotic treatment.
Which causes more weight gain Prozac or Zoloft?
That being said, one study published in 2016 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that Zoloft can lead to an overall greater weight gain than Prozac when taken long-term. The study found that people taking Prozac for two years gained an average of 4.6 pounds.
What is the name of the drug that you apply to your skin?
levomilnacipran (Fetzima), an SNRI. vilazodone (Viibryd), a serotonergic antidepressant. vortioxetine ( Trintellix ), an atypical antidepressant. selegiline (Emsam), a newer MAOI that you apply to your skin, which may lead to fewer side effects than MAOIs taken by mouth.
Why are TCAs not prescribed anymore?
TCAs were some of the first drugs approved to treat depression. They aren’t prescribed as often anymore because newer treatments cause fewer side effects. Weight gain was a common reason people stopped treatment with these types of antidepressants, according to a 1984 study.
How long does fluoxetine last?
Long-term use is considered treatment that lasts longer than six months.
Does phenelzine cause weight gain?
Of the three MAOIs listed above, phenelzine is the most likely to result in weight gain, according to a 1988 review.
Is Mirtazapine an atypical antidepressant?
Some atypical antidepressants. Mirtazapine (Remeron) is a noradrenergic antagonist, which is a type of atypical antidepressant. The drug has been shown repeatedly. Trusted Source. to be more likely to cause weight gain and to increase appetite than other drugs.
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
If you do gain some weight while taking an antidepressant, the drug may not actually be the direct cause of the weight gain. An improved mood while taking an antidepressant, for example, may increase your appetite, leading to weight gain.
Can you gain weight on an antidepressant?
Not everyone taking an antidepressant will gain weight. Some people will actually lose weight. Experts emphasize that worries about gaining weight shouldn’t influence the choice of antidepressant for most people. There are other side effects and factors to consider when choosing an antidepressant.
Why does diabetes medication cause weight changes for some people?
Diabetes medications cause weight changes by affecting how sugar is used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to turn sugar from food into energy for your cells. Insulin helps sugar move from your blood into your cells. This movement lowers your blood sugar.
Is weight gain or weight loss a more common side effect of diabetes medication?
Neither weight gain nor weight loss are more common with diabetes medications. There are several different types of diabetes medications available. They work in different ways to help lower blood sugar. The risk of weight gain or weight loss depends on the medication.
Which diabetes medications can cause weight gain?
There are four main groups of diabetes medications that can cause weight gain. A feature they all share is that they work by affecting insulin in the body. As mentioned above, medications that affect insulin levels in your body can cause weight gain.
Which diabetes medications can cause weight loss?
There are four types of diabetes medications that can cause weight loss. These medications each work differently from those already discussed.
Which diabetes medications are likely to have little or no effect on your weight?
Not all diabetes medications affect body weight. Some medications have little to no effect on weight for most people. Healthcare providers sometimes call these “weight-neutral” diabetes medications.
Can weight gain or loss from diabetes medication be prevented?
Weight changes from diabetes medications may be preventable. Diet and exercise play an important role in managing diabetes. These healthy lifestyle changes can help lower blood sugar and lower weight. It’s best to discuss with your healthcare provider what changes would be best for you.
The bottom line
Diabetes medications are important for lowering blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. But some medications can cause weight gain or weight loss. Insulin tends to cause the most weight gain. On the flip side, GLP-1 agonist medications tend to cause the most weight loss.
What medications cause weight gain?
Do all bipolar medications cause weight gain? 1 Mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). All of these medications are known to increase the risk of weight gain except lamotrigine. 2 Antipsychotics prescribed for bipolar disorder include olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole (Abilify), ziprasidone (Geodon), lurasidone (Latuda), cariprazine (Vraylar) and asenapine (Saphris). It appears that aripiprazole, ziprasidone, lurasidone and cariprazine are more weight neutral than the others, but that can vary from person to person. 3 Antidepressants along with a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic may be used in treating bipolar disorder, though antidepressants alone could cause mania or rapid cycling in people with bipolar disorder. Some antidepressants may be more likely to cause weight gain than others, but this can vary from person to person. Talk with your psychiatric care professional if you have concerns. 4 Antidepressant-antipsychotic combination medication works as a depression treatment and a mood stabilizer. The medication Symbyax combines the antidepressant fluoxetine and the antipsychotic olanzapine and is associated with weight gain.
How to help weight gain?
If weight gain is an issue, ask your psychiatric care professional for advice on strategies to manage it. Healthy eating, keeping physically active and getting psychological counseling (psychotherapy) can all help.
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
Antidepressants along with a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic may be used in treating bipolar disorder, though antidepressants alone could cause mania or rapid cycling in people with bipolar disorder. Some antidepressants may be more likely to cause weight gain than others, but this can var y from person to person.
Does Symbyax cause weight gain?
The medication Symbyax combines the antidepressant fluoxetine and the antipsychotic olanzapine and is associated with weight gain. Some of these medications may be less likely to cause weight gain when taken alone, but many people need more than one medication to control bipolar symptoms.
Antidepressants that can cause weight gain
MAOIs affect neurotransmitters that communicate between brain cells, preventing an enzyme called monoamine oxidase from removing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine from the brain. This allows these neurotransmitters to remain in the brain for a longer time, thus elevating your mood.
Antidepressants that do not cause weight gain
According to current scientific research, antidepressants that are least likely to cause weight gain are:
What to do about unwanted weight gain from antidepressants
If you’re experiencing unwanted weight gain because of antidepressants:
Why do antidepressants cause weight gain?
According to a 2015 study, weight gain that occurs with psychiatric drugs are caused by changes at the cellular level, including hormonal changes and changes in the metabolism of glucose ( sugar) and lipids ( fats ).
Are there other options for treating depression?
Regardless of whether antidepressants are causing unwanted weight gain or not, it is always helpful to have multiple treatment options.
Top Which Antidepressants Cause the Most Weight Gain? Related Articles
Antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are medication treatments for depression. Learn about side effects, interactions, and brand names for MAOIs, TCAs and other antidepressants. Find out how antidepressants work and why they are useful in fighting depression.
What are the side effects of lamictal?
The more common side effects of Lamictal in people treated for bipolar I disorder include: 1 nausea 2 sleeping trouble 3 sleepiness or extreme tiredness 4 back pain 5 rash 6 runny nose 7 stomach pain 8 dry mouth
What is mood stabilizer?
As a mood stabilizer, it helps lengthen the time between extreme mood episodes in bipolar disorder. It’s used for long-term treatment of the more severe type of bipolar disorder, called bipolar I disorder.
Is lamictal good for bipolar?
If Lamictal is not the right drug for you and weight gain is a concern , talk to your doctor .
Can bipolar affect weight?
Bipolar disorder and weight gain. Continued changes in mood from bipolar disorder can affect your motivation to exercise or follow a healthy meal plan. If you’re concerned about weight gain during your treatment for bipolar disorder, your doctor can refer you to a nutritionist. Working with a nutritionist can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Does lamictal cause weight gain?
Unlike most mood stabilizers, though, Lamictal is less likely to cause weight gain. In clinical trials, less than 5 percent of those taking Lamictal gained weight. If you take Lamictal and have gained weight, the weight gain may be an effect of the disorder itself. Bipolar disorder can increase your appetite or change your metabolism.
Does mood stabilizer cause weight gain?
Most mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder are known to cause weight gain. The way a mood stabilizer affects your weight depends on many things, such as how severe your disorder is and what other conditions you have.
Can mood stabilizers affect weight?
Continued changes in mood can not only affect your weight but may also be a sign that the drug you’re taking isn’t working as well as it should be. If you have continued changes in mood during therapy for bipolar disorder, tell your doctor. A mood stabilizer’s effectiveness differs from person to person.
Lexapro and Weight
Many antidepressants can affect weight. Some people may be more likely to gain weight than others. One study found that risk factors for weight gain include having a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, or eating a diet high in carbohydrates, processed meats, and dairy. 1
Lexapro and Depression or Anxiety
Both depression and anxiety can affect a person’s appetite. For example, some people may feel too anxious to eat. This can cause someone to have less of an appetite or find less pleasure in eating. Other people may find comfort in food and develop binge eating habits.
Managing Weight on Antidepressants
Medications can affect people very differently. Some may experience significant changes in their weight, while others may see no changes at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each person is unique, so there is no way to tell exactly how much weight you may gain while taking Lexapro. There are many factors that can influence weight gain, such as lifestyle choices or other health conditions. Not everyone who takes Lexapro will gain weight.
Summary
While Lexapro is effective at treating depression and anxiety disorders, it may cause unwanted weight gain or loss. The medication affects the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is involved in weight control. As your symptoms improve, you may also notice changes in your weight. Not all weight changes are bad.
A Word From VeryWell
Changes in your weight are a potential side effect of taking Lexapro. Some people may experience only slight increases or decreases, while others may have bigger fluctuations. It’s generally a normal part of managing your condition with Lexapro.