Weight-Gaining Drugs

Pharmaceuticals and fat

About 70 percent of people in the United States are overweight and, in a cruel catch-22, many of the drugs used to treat obesity-linked conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression can themselves cause weight gain.

"Patients and doctors need to be more aware of thisit's an under-recognized driver of our obesity problem," says Lawrence Cheskin, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore.

Here are 13 drugs that could cause you to gain weight. But don't stop taking your (possibly life-saving) medicine! There are strategies for keeping off the pounds.

Paxil (paroxetine)

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) generally don't cause weight gain because the antidepressants boost serotonin, which helps you feel full. Paxil is an exception.

Paxil is one of the best anxiety treatments, but if you gain weight while using it you could talk with a doctor about switching to a more weight-neutral SSRI such as Prozac or Zoloft, says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, in New York City. (Dr. Aronne is a consultant for the maker of Paxil.)

Depakote (valproic acid)

Depakote is used to treat bipolar disorder and seizures, and prevent migraines.

A 2007 study of epilepsy patients found that 44 percent of women and 24 percent of men gained 11 pounds or more while taking Depakote for about a year. The drug affects proteins involved in appetite and metabolism, although it's not clear why it appears to affect women more than men.

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Weight-Gaining Drugs