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Drugs increasing weight?

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Wonkylegs

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I lost 4 and half stone over 2 years ago and have managed to keep it off and keep my weight steady for those 2 years. Then this year I’ve had to give in to taking PREGABALIN for my MS and seizures. I’m trying everything but my weight has crept up by 8lb over the last year, 3 of them in one week as I had to increase my meds. I know low carb is a good therapeutic treatment for my conditions but it’s not enough on its own and I need the drugs. But mentally I’m falling apart with the increase.
Up until I found low carb I yo-yo’d for years by up to 6 stone and this set back feels impossible to overcome. I just don’t know how to cope mentally or how to change this increase physically. Any advice is very welcome? Has anyone had the same type of thing happen. My GP just doesn’t get the way the weight gain affects me mentally as he sees it as “well the meds make you hungrier so it’s up to you to control your appetite”. But I know that’s not true as my diet has been the same for 4 years now but he still makes me feel guilty. I’ve checked for carb creep and I’ve cut out a meal so just 2 meals a day now but it’s not helping yet. Anyone had similar happen.
 
I feel for you @Wonkylegs . I too fear weight gain and the guilt, and I think your doc just doesn't understand the difficulties we've faced for years when eating carbs, unknowingly.
All I can say is try going even lower carb, look into changing your eating times, and to changing your exercise, either intensity or duration. There's so many variables that I'm sure something will work for you.

I also have a suspicion that our bodies get used to us eating one way and start to hoard weight again, at which point we have to 'shock' it again by mixing up what and when we eat.
For example fasting for 24 hours one day a week may work better for you than 2 meals a day.

At least it keeps life interesting, this diabetes lark!
 
MrsA2 said:
I feel for you @Wonkylegs . I too fear weight gain and the guilt, and I think your doc just doesn't understand the difficulties we've faced for years when eating carbs, unknowingly.
All I can say is try going even lower carb, look into changing your eating times, and to changing your exercise, either intensity or duration. There's so many variables that I'm sure something will work for you.

I also have a suspicion that our bodies get used to us eating one way and start to hoard weight again, at which point we have to 'shock' it again by mixing up what and when we eat.
For example fasting for 24 hours one day a week may work better for you than 2 meals a day.

At least it keeps life interesting, this diabetes lark!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out. There’s some really good tips there, exercise is difficult when you have MS but the rest sounds like a really good idea. I’ll try mixing things up a bit and see what happens.
 
Wonkylegs said:
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out. There’s some really good tips there, exercise is difficult when you have MS but the rest sounds like a really good idea. I’ll try mixing things up a bit and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Wonkylegs, looking at the potential side effects of Pregabalin, "weight changes" are note, amongst lots of other things, including bloating, constipation and a plethora of gastro challenges.

Could your weight be bloating at all, or have any of your other functions changed? Is your clothing tight? If so, where?

I have a lived with constipation long term, made worse by hypothyroidism, so I can see my weight vary quite a bit, just because of what I have "on-board". Ahem.

Don't be too hard on yourself. In the scheme of things, 8lbs isn't a huge gain, but I do totally appreciate you don't want that trend to continue or be established.

Edited to add the url for the BNF listing: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/pregabalin/#side-effects
 
AndBreathe said:
Wonkylegs, looking at the potential side effects of Pregabalin, "weight changes" are note, amongst lots of other things, including bloating, constipation and a plethora of gastro challenges.

Could your weight be bloating at all, or have any of your other functions changed? Is your clothing tight? If so, where?

I have a lived with constipation long term, made worse by hypothyroidism, so I can see my weight vary quite a bit, just because of what I have "on-board". Ahem.

Don't be too hard on yourself. In the scheme of things, 8lbs isn't a huge gain, but I do totally appreciate you don't want that trend to continue or be established.

Edited to add the url for the BNF listing: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/pregabalin/#side-effects
Click to expand...
Thank you for taking this time for me I guess like a lot of us I am very hard on myself . I have noticed some other things too so I guess I may wait another week or so and then maybe talk about changing drugs.
 
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