ABSTRACT
Medications may provoke weight gain. This chapter highlights what is known about weight gain associated with certain medications in common classes of drugs. These groups include anti-hyperglycemic drugs, corticosteroids, sex hormones, psychotropic drugs, antiseizure drugs, antihistamines, and beta-blockers. When a drug with a weight-gaining propensity is taken for a chronic condition, weight gain can be evident within several weeks. Therefore, monitoring weight and body composition is a critical component of medical management. It is preferable to identify a weight-neutral or weight-losing drug in the same pharmacologic class if one exists. Another strategy which may be appropriate is to add a weight-losing drug to a medication with known obesogenic properties. This approach has been used when there are few FDA-approved clinical alternatives to an established obesogenic drug for chronic disease management, for example, antipsychotics in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Drug-induced weight gain may therefore be averted or reversed. Lifestyle changes continue to be important, including regular physical activity and nutritional modifications.
