Why do certain medications cause weight gain?!


Question: Why do certain medications cause weight gain!?
It has been documented that anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-convulsants, steroids, and birth control pills can cause patients to gain a significant amount of weight!.

My question is how!?
Does it increase your appetite, or slow down your metabolism, or change the way your body breaks down fats!?

Thanks for your help :DWww@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Each of these classes of medications has a slightly different mechanism for causing weight gain!.

Evidence shows that antidepressants and antipsychotics can cause weight gain, but exactly how is unclear!. Most studies point to a combination of metabolism changes and possible hormonal shifts leading to an increased appetite!. But the real answer is "we don't exactly know!."

Anticonvulsants are known to cause hyperinsulinemia, which results in an increased appetite!. High levels of insulin also increase testosterone secretion, which causes (among other things) weight gain, mostly muscle and bone mass!.

Anabolic steroids have the same effects as testosterone - primarily an increase in lean muscle mass, which is why athletes use them!. But they also come with a whole range of detrimental side effects, especially to the cardiovascular system!.

Finally, birth control!. Birth control also causes weight gain through hormonal mechanisms!. They can affect appetite, and unlike testosterone, trigger fat deposition (basically they fool with the same pathways used during pregnancy and hence cause some of the same effects)!. These hormones can also cause some water retention, which is another source of weight gain!.
I hope that helps :)Www@Answer-Health@Com





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