hi everyone i have an appointment with the nurse at the start of november but wanted peoples opinions on here.
i was wondering if anyone had any weight gain with the following medications:
-methotrexate
-sertraline
-folic acid
-hydroxychloroquine
i take these on a daily basis and i was wondering if anyone had any issues with their weight whilst being on them and if there were any alternative medications i could try that don’t interfere with weight? i think it may be my antidepressant but i’m not too sure. i’m forever stuck between taking meds to make me feel better and looking fat in the process. i eat a lot better and exercise more than i did before however i’m still sad and upset with my appearance no matter what i do. i know i need to prioritise my meds over my appearance but it’s so hard hating the way you look everyday.
i don’t think i’ve gained anything massively, my thighs and bum seem to be the worst and i’ve noticed some stretch marks too.
if anyone has any advice that would be great
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oliviagodfreyxx
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Sorry I don’t know about the effect of the meds you’ve posted but steroids have made me put on weight. I’m trying to get off Prednisolone because of weight gain now Rituximab is working well for me.
thankyou i heard steroids have that affect but it’s no frustrating having to tip toe around meds and weight gain 😫😫
Mtx definitely caused weight gain for me. When I was first diagnosed I was still very active lots of walking and fitness classes always on the go. I watched what I ate but I still put about a stone and a half. Since my disease became more active I’m less active started etanercept in January and gained another 2 stone. My nurse thinks our drugs can play apart in weight management either way 🥺
Now I found the opposite with MTX. Food doesn't seem to taste the same and the nausea associated with it would make me lose weight if I didn't take anti sickness tablets. In fact anorexia is listed as a side effect of MTX. Apparently the Pregabalin I take can cause weight gain, but I think if I could exercise regularly, which coronavirus and pain are preventing right now, then that would have more influence on my weight than anything I'm currently taking.
I take three of those and they haven’t caused me to gain weight. Steroids and being much less active caused me weight gain. Sorry it’s not much help to you but I assume you’ve looked at what you’re eating/calories ? Just a query too, I hope you’re not taking mtx daily as you say?
Sertraline (and other SSRIs) are well known to cause weight gain in up to 25% of people who take them. It's ironic that they are there to help with depression, but weight gain can be a huge *cause* of depression.
Trying a different anti-depressant *may* help, but it also may not make a difference. Most of them cause weight gain in some people...no way to know until you try. And if the sertraline is working well for your depression, its a very big decision to switch to a different medication that potentially may be less effective, and still have the same side effects. It's a very hard place to be, especially as many doctors ( and people in general) will refuse to believe its the medication and may accuse you of closet eating, or lying to yourself (and others) about your lifestyle and eating habits.
Be kind to yourself, know that you are doing all you can to control your weight. And know that the weight gain is *not* your fault. Maybe talk it through with your doctor, hopefully she will be sympathetic, and you can weight up the pros and cons together. Wishing you the best.
I don’t think the folic acid would have any impact on weight, I take mtx but like others work carefully at my diet. I Did take hydroxychloroquine years ago but didn’t affect weight for me. I aim to eat my supper at 6pm & don’t have anything to eat after that, I drink water, green tea etc, then I have my breakfast at 10am there after (so I get 16 hrs of fasting,) not for everyone but it works for me..,
I eat around 4/5 pm and don't eat again until breakfast around 9 am. I've found not only is my gut much improved, less irritable, less feeling hot, but I've lost weight too.
Like you Mmrr I have a long fasting period. I eat my main meal at 4.30-5.30 then have breakfast about 10 am small lunch about 2 pm normally one piece of bread with chicken and salad filling or toast and fruit then my main meal always home cooked with portion control.. still problem with weight 🥺
Yes I do the same, I don’t eat for 16 hrs at least, this I find very beneficial but the hot thing still continues. I have watched a lot of drs on YouTube re the benefit s of fasting it’s incredible how it can affect us..
I've been on methotrexate and folic acid for ten years. No apparent effect on weight.
Having said that, active Rheumatoid arthritis made me lose weight and methotrexate reversed that trend - so you may put weight back on more easily if the medication is working!
probably the antidepressants - I have taken similar medications for the prevention of migraines which worked like magic for the headaches but cause me to gain over half a stone in a matter of 2 weeks. Having an inlfammatory arthritis and being overweight is not a good combination so I stopped - that was a few months ago and I went back to my normal weight very quickly.
I now take methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine and for some reason probably not connected to those drugs I am now losing weight. I'd be delighted if I had needed to lose weight but am beginning to look a bit 'pinched' in the face. Still it's only been happening for a few weeks so it might normalise again soon. the GP told me that ALL of his RA patients are either slim or underweight and that the disease when it's active, uses up a lot of energy causing weight loss and also muscle wastage, adding to the issue.
The migraine specialist suggested recently that I try Nortryptiline as a preventive - they are given in very low doses for pain and rarely used for depression any more, but I must be super sensitive or something because I've had that one in years gone by and I remember it making me feel really low and making me put on weight although I wouldn't have been bothered at the time. It stopped working after a few months so I stopped taking it and have steered clear of all related drugs since. Pizotifen was the last one I tried and it's original use is for anorexics to put on weight! It's very effective!
it’s irritating having the balance out the pros and cons, maybe it’s just a little weight from being in lockdown etc but whatever it is it needs sorting because i don’t like the way i look at the minute 😂
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