Weight

[nick-the-turk]

quick question i can't lose weight or control my weight could this be due to taking pregabalin and codeine phosphate long term as have health conditions that might improve if I lost a little weight

[SueJohnson]

Pregabalin can cause weight gain due to an increase in appetite, but if you have been taking it long term you would have noticed this shortly after you started it. On codeine the Mayo clinic and other sites say it can cause weight loss while other sites say opioids can cause weight gain.

If you really think it is the pregabalin you might want to try switching to gabapentin. Although they are basically the same drug except you need to divide the doses, and the side effects are basically the same, some people find that the side effects that bother them on one don't bother them on the other. Multiply the pregabalin amount by 6 to get the correct dose. If you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. If you take magnesium, even in a multivitamin, don't take it within 3 hours of the gabapentin as it reduces the absorption of the gabapentin. If you take calcium don't take it within 2 hours for the same reason.

What other medicines are you taking? Perhaps one of them is the problem. If you list them I can check them out and perhaps suggest a substitute.

[nick-the-turk in reply to SueJohnson]

There the only meds im on and maybe since taking them have gained a few stone im a postperson and walk 12 to 15 mile a day so get the steps in

[Joolsg]

Pregabalin and gabapentin cause increased appetite and water retention for many people.If it becomes difficult to lose weight on them, it may be better to discuss with GP and consider a switch to a long lasting low dose opioid.

[nick-the-turk in reply to Joolsg]

maybe it would be worth a visit to doctors to discuss

[Joolsg in reply to nick-the-turk]

Go armed with the information you need. The Mayo algorithm does mention low dose opioids if pregabalin/gabapentin are contraindicated - it mentions weight.Good luck.

[HappyGreenBean]

Along with what others have said make sure you mention how much you walk to your GP and any other activity you undertake.

It could be helpful to also track your calorie intake. I don't know if you have or do menstruate but depending on age it could be peri/menopause. You could also ask your GP to run some basic tests like glucose tolerance/fasting glucose/HbA1c, thyroid function test.

Starting from the point that you'd like to lose weight and get as much info together as possible to help you achieve that. Knowing roughly how many calories per day you're consuming and burning, prioritizing weight lifting over strict cardio can go a long way to getting you to where you want to be.

All of this is on top of the advice you've already been given here.

Best of luck!

[Jumpey]

I have taken low dose opioids for many years,including codeine , with no weight gain whatsoever.

[Eryl]

There's an excellent forum on here called "Weight Loss Support" but the key to weight loss is much the same as the key to eliminating your RLS, i.e. avoid refined seed oils and avoid carbohyrdates especially refined ones. If you follow this diet you'll probably eliminate your RLS which will allow you to stop the medication which may be a driver of the appetite which is driving the weight gain. Forget counting caloriesas not all calories are metabolised the same, calories from fats which are not used will normally be passed through in the stools whereas calories from carbohydrates which are not burned raise insulin which triggere the energy storage process and energy hich can not be stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen are then turned into trigycerides in the liver leading to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease.

To join "Weight Loss Support" click on 'My hub' at the top of the page and then click on 'Find a community'.

[nick-the-turk in reply to Eryl]

I watch what I eat and walk anything between 12-15miles a day cycle to and from work always weighed in around 11 and a half stone but now much heavier trying to find out why thank you anyway

[Eryl]

As we age bad foods take their toll and our metabolism changes so that we can no longer get away with what we used to in our youth and the food landscape has changed over the last fifty years e.g. fifty years ago we would have used lard and butter for cooking but these days we use suposedly healthy refined seed oils and margarine. The fact that you suffer from RLS indicates that your diet hasn't been optimum for a while.

[Nanpat]

I immediately put weight on with pregabalin, no increased appetite, eat like a bird 🙂

[nick-the-turk in reply to Nanpat]

I think its the pregabalin because I'm the same no increase in appetite not eat rubbish food and today I've walked 25.5km and 36000 steps 1400 calories burnt off strange but ill continue dieting