Meds That Cause Weight Gain?

Jan 2, 2013

Heather D.

I've been on a cocktail of meds for a few months. Muscle relaxers, codeine before Tylenol, Zoloft, ambien, and a few Korean things. Its all for migraines and neck/back spasms. Initially I gained 5 lb but now I gained about 13 the last few weeks. I can't even fit in my wardrobe. Anyone experienced this?

Jan 2, 2013

Taryn T.

I take zoloft, works fine with me :)

Jan 2, 2013

Natalie T.

A short while back I had terrible spine problems from 2 majorly ruptured discs and severe sciatica where I couldn't even walk... The year or so that this went on (before major surgery) they gave me a variety of muscle relaxers(flexeril, somas, diazapam/valium), tylenol with codeine, some amped up versions of naproxen and other prescription strength anti-inflammitories(diclofenac, etc), valium as a muscle relaxer (didn't work as a relaxer, but helped my insomnia a tiny tiny bit and my server anxiety a little so I kept taking it), Percocet, and even cortisone epidural injections directly into my spine.

I was too severely hurt and internally damaged for physical therapy and I couldn't even do basic things like walk! so I was terrified I was going to gain a bunch of weight from the lack of exercise (I was't very active before, just basic walking and riding my bike to school) and overload of "necessary" medicines. And I did gain a bunch of weight =(

I eventually lost all the weight I gained and then some because I moved into a house where I refused to use the kitchen or eat anything that came from it. I know that is really unhealthy though. I have really weird obsessive compulsive tendencies and phobias, and the kitchen in the house was in terrible shape when we moved there so I never got over it after I cleaned it up. I also started going to the YMCA and just floating around in the water and doing relaxing laps since it took ALL the pressure off my back, so that probably made me lose some weight too. I eventually had to go up to my parents house (they wanted my surgery in NYC with big fancy doctors, where they live instead of in GA where I live). They took care of me and fed me great food and monitored my medicine and tried to get the doctors to change a lot of things around. So I lost even more weight when my parents helped me go to the doctor and figure out a more compact and effective pharmaceutical plan. And the weeks after my surgery when I was on strict bedrest and TONS of medicine, I didn't eat much because I was sleeping all the time and I got severe panic attacks when I had to sit up (it was really weird). So my weight went up and down through out the whole thing, but due to the severe amount of pain, I really didn't care too much.

I just hope they are working for you and you feel better! Its really hard trying to regulate these things when you don't feel very well. I think its kind of a matter of trial and error, but when pain is an issue trying to feel better is definitely the top priority so its not easy to get motivated to switch medications or anything. But my weight has always fluctuated so I have tons of clothes in a variety of sizes, but that year I went through all of these I bought a range of clothes in approximately four different sizes! It is expensive and frustrating =(