How can lyrica cause weight gain

As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs. Can Lyrica potentially cause weight gain? Stacy Wiegman, PharmD. Some very effective medications have an unfortunate drawback: They may cause weight gain. It is used to relieve nerve pain. Lyrica works by decreasing the number of nerve signals. It also calms down the oversensitive nerves.

It is also used to treat partial seizures. Lyrica is a capsule taken in two divided doses daily. As you all know fibromyalgia patients are the victims of extreme pain. It was seen that Lyrica did great job in relieving their pain. But a lot of people are complaining that Lyrica is causing weight gain. And this weight gain was associated with increasing the dose of Lyrica. Well apart from its side effect like weight gain, it does excellent job in reducing pain. So the weight gain factor can be successfully overcome by some healthy habits.

Lyrica Pregabalin is considered above opioids for treating pain and in some countries it is also used to treat anxiety disorders. It is still not fully understood how Lyrica causes weight gain. Many researchers have been done on this. Further research needs to be conducted to better understand how Lyrica could induce weight gain via hormone changes. Motivational deficit : Since this drug decreases activity in the central nervous system, and tends to cause sedation and fatigue, it may cause your motivation to plummet.

This may mean that you have a difficult time getting sufficient exercise. When motivation levels drop as a result of a medication, this often indirectly leads to weight gain. Slower metabolism : This drug is classified as a CNS depressant, meaning it slows activity within the central nervous system.

This is partially how it works to help with various types of nerve pain. Dining out frequently can lead to you eating bigger portions and unhealthier foods than you did in the past — which will ultimately cause weight gain. Taste improvement : For those that notice an improvement in mood and functioning after taking Lyrica, an improvement in taste may follow suit. If you notice that food tastes better, it could be due to the fact that the drug helped clear up your depression.

It also could be a result of neurochemical changes elicited by the drug. Water retention : Some people have hypothesized that a lot of the weight gained on this drug may be a result of increased water retention.

Although it may be tempting to use a diuretic to deal with the increase in water retention, this is not recommended as the effects of diuretics can be fatal. Dosage If you experience weight gain on this medication, it could be a result of your current dosage.

Duration of treatment There is a large body of research suggesting that there are different timelines over which people gain weight on Lyrica. Other medications Another important thing to keep in mind is whether you are on any other medications, supplements, or use drugs. Genetics While we do not have the full technology to determine exactly how Lyrica is interacting with your genetics, some speculate that certain genetic variations may be responsible for weight gain on medications.

Did you gain weight from Lyrica? Previous Comments. Sue September 17, , am. It is hard to estimate with precision how many people are susceptible to Lyrica and weight gain. The official prescribing information presents data from a number of clinical trials.

I have gained so much weight just in my stomach only. As the day goes on my stomach gets worse and more bloated. I hate to leave my house because people are always coming up to me asking me how far along I am.

That is just what any girl wants to hear, right? I thought that I was just 36 and my body was changing. I started working out and making sure I eat healthy food.

For a few months it seemed to be working. However, the nerve pain came back and the GP increased the dose. I was never told about the side effects of the drug. I was experiencing weight gain for no reason, dizziness and loss of balance, itches all over my body and incontinence day or night.

As far as we know there are no antidotes to the weight problem. Some experts recommend a healthy diet and exercise. No one should ever stop Lyrica suddenly! The withdrawal symptoms can be daunting.

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