pain killers/muscle relaxants and weight gain

[lannerjarv]

i have been on percocet and cyclobenzaprine since Monday due to a shoulder injury and i've gained 3 lbs.
other than retaining water.. i really can't see why i have gained weight.

has anyone else experienced this?

[JaxMama]

Re: pain killers/muscle relaxants and weight gain

If your clothes still fit you probably didn't gain anything, just water. Sorry about your shoulder injury. I take it that means you stopped working out too?

I'll be interested to see what others share about their experience. I've never been on those meds.

I hope you get better real soon!

[mizski]

Re: pain killers/muscle relaxants and weight gain

i have been on percocet and cyclobenzaprine since Monday due to a shoulder injury and i've gained 3 lbs.
other than retaining water.. i really can't see why i have gained weight.

After major surgery (and subsequent pain killer meds) last fall, my weight was all wonky for around a month where the scale "suddenly" showed a large drop. I think I was losing all along but my traumatized body wasn't showing it on the scale.

This could be what is your case on a smaller scale. Without knowing exact scientific explanations, I believe that an injured or sick body is doing all kinds of things to heal itself. Fluid retention is probably part of that. Rx meds also wreak havoc sometimes with weight loss. My suggestion is to continue eating on plan and get some physical activity when you can. I think the gained weight will come off when your body is ready to get back to losing weight (which may be slower as you are so close to goal...congrats on that! )

[bizzlekitty]

Re: pain killers/muscle relaxants and weight gain

When I've been on pain killers and/or injured myself (bursitis a couple of times), my weight would be all over the place until I got back to normal. Your body will typically retain water when in pain or injured, or in response to certain medications. The key is to keep eating right, as well as remember you're not exercising as much as you used to or at all. I typically lowered my net carbs to compensate, but made sure those net carbs were mostly good nutritious veggies to make up for it.

Oddly enough, when I got shots of cortisteroids the last time for my shoulder bursitis, I lost like 5-6 lbs of "water" weight. My guess is that it was water from inflammation that my body had been holding on to (I also have arthritis). Then I stalled for 3-4 weeks.

Just give it time until things get back to normal.