rapid weight gain

[Afib_girl]

anyone else have rapid weight gain on metoprolol or Eliquis? I have been on medication for 6 months and have gained 15 lbs. so far. I exercise regularly (run, spin, elliptical rower etc) talking 4/5 days a week… I am still rapidly gaining. I don’t eat poorly or any excess sweets. I’m very frustrated. I’m over weight to begin with so 15 lbs right is a lot.

[BobD Volunteer]

Unlikely to be the anticoagulant but beta blockers are often blamed for weight gain.

[jeanjeannie50]

What dose of Metoprolol are you taking and have you felt more tired since taking it?

Jean

[Afib_girl in reply to jeanjeannie50]

50mg once a day

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Afib_girl]

Do you feel more tired since starting to take it?

[Afib_girl in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Yes I always seem to fall asleep in the afternoon wo meaning to.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Afib_girl]

It's certainly sounding like it could be the tablet. Have you ever had your thyroid hormone levels checked? This could be another reason for your tiredness. I used to sleep afternoons too until I discovered that mine was underactive. I also had a gallbladder problem and because of this cut all fat out of my diet (I had pain if I didn't) and over a year lost a stone in weight. Of course having AF is certainly a reason for feeling tired. Has your weight only gone on since being diagnosed?

Jean

Jean

[Afib_girl in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I’ve had my thyroid check multiple times… I have been stable in my weight for years this is suddenly gaining 15 lbs since Jan.

[doodle68]

Hi Afib girl I actually lost 1.5 stone when striating Eliquis and a beta blocker, the shock of diagnosis of AF and the prospect of a life time of medication made me make a permeant change my lifestyle and that include reducing my food consumption.

I don't drink alcohol now, it is empty calories (except home made Kombucha which contains a tiny amount of alcohol ) made I am most of the time vegetarian, I eat my main meal at lunchtime so I am active after my main meal not sitting around and I don't eat or drink anything after 5pm until breakfast time except water.

[mav7]

I have gained about 10lbs over the past year on Metoprolol and Eliquis but also attribute that to reduction in exercise.

If you are exercising regularly, look at your diet and possibly changing your exercise regiment without over doing it.

And of course, consult with your doctor. Being at a healthy weight is an important AFib deterrent.

[Squidgybod]

I put on 21 lbs in 21 days when I was put on Rivaroxaban (Xarelto). The extra weight was caused by water retention in my subcutaneous fat. Rivaroxaban has a reputation for weight gain which is difficult to reverse. I haven't had any problem with Eliquis so far. I've been on it 6 weeks.

[Ppiman]

There was one study I read that showed that metoprolol seemed to be the culprit, but rapid weight gain is, I should think, mostly caused by fluid retention since fat must surely takes quite a while to form. You might ask your doctor about this, perhaps?

Otherwise, you could try methodically eating slightly smaller portions of everything for a couple of weeks and see if some weight loss results. If it does, then it is not fluid but calorie intake.

Steve

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

HiCould be the metropolol.

With fatigue and no energy I hated the med and got off it, made me breathless.

NZ are changing their minds about A.F and now use Bisoprolol.

I gained .5 kilo. But I knew I shouldnt be there.

Now on CCB Diltiazem 120mg CONTROLLED.

cheers JOY 73. (NZ)

[RoyMacDonald]

Slight weight loss on Eliquis, but I am cycling a lot and very hard, putting out 189 watts average for well over an hour. It's very hilly locally.

All the best.

Roy

[stargazer52 in reply to RoyMacDonald]

I’ve found with larger dose of bisoprolol I’m very breathless very fatigued and feel terrible, yet basically been told I have to live with it!!!

[RoyMacDonald in reply to stargazer52]

Well it's always your choice what to do. I started off on Bisoprolol but did not like it so I stopped taking it with my consultants consent.

All the best.

Roy

[Ducky2003 in reply to RoyMacDonald]

Same here. Bisoprolol made me feel dreadful so I begged my consultant to put me on Diltiazem instead, which he did.

[Ducky2003 in reply to stargazer52]

I would query other meds. I did and was put on Diltiazem instead and felt instantly better.

[Auriculaire]

I have read lots of posts on drug evaluation sites from people complaining about weight gain on Eliquis. It is more likely to be the beta blocker though. Someone posted here that beta blockers interfere with the conversion of T4 to T3 which would slow the metabolism. If you are following the same diet and taking the same amount of exercise as before starting the meds then I think the finger points at them.

[stargazer52]

I didn’t put weight in with apixaban but in last 2 months have had bisoprolol increased from 1.5mg to 7.5. I’m still not out of a fib but have put on 7kg with no change in my diet. Was told it was water retention. I’m waiting on diuretic s to try and reduce it.

[shiftcolors]

I’ve gained 40 pounds on Metoprolol and now it’s also causing tiredness and a cough.

[Afib_girl in reply to shiftcolors]

Did the cougar start right away? I just developed a cough but I have been on metoprolol for 7 months. Gained 15 lbs and going

[shiftcolors in reply to Afib_girl]

My cough did not start right away. Several months to develop. Weight gain started pretty quickly however. At first I thought that was my thyroid meds but it was not.

[DawnTX]

Hi. I am not sure what medicine was doing it but I was on metropolol and Multaq I am now off of both and the weight is sliding off again. I have never been a Barbie doll but last October I was really happy with where I had gotten to and it was easy. Then I moved to Texas and had a crazy life going on. I didn’t think I was eating bad but my clothes got tighter and tighter and I ended up gaining 40 pounds. I have been beside myself with this because no matter what I tried it would not budge. For every med that helps us there seem to be side effects that are negative to us. Hang in there and hopefully he will be allowed to stop taking your meds eventually and the weight will drop again. It’s so frustrating when we try to do the best we can and get nowhere. Best of luck.

[Hidden]

Beta blockers have this issue but they seem to want to pretend they don’t. I didn’t have weight gain on the atenolol, but just prior to starting it I had lost quite a bit of weight, and I have more to go and it had been near impossible to take any more off. I now am finally seeing some budge after weaning myself of the beta blocker.

[BobbyGee]

doodle68's disciplined diet sounds very sensible. I've put on weight gradually since being diagnosed with Afib, and I have to take Eliquis and Bisoprolol. In my inexpert opinion, excess weight contributes to the Afib condition.

[Nigel2000]

Beta-blockers really hit me hard. Weight was NEVER an issue for me before I started treating the afib. It’s hard, I think, for working people who like to be active to decrease calories enough to compensate for the lower metabolism AND exercising through the fatigue and breathlessness was extra hard. I had to stop them except for the pill in the pocket. But then I had a stroke and then dofetilide and then 2 ablations. Still on dofetilide, eliquis and a statin. I feel much better now but still can’t shift the weight. It’s WAY better to be a bit heavy than to have symptomatic afib and way better than having another stroke. But I do mourn the cost of health to my vanity.