Aa
why
Why take meds if all they do is make you gain weight?
Yeah... that question really depends on what type of medication you are talking about.
The side effect question is something that is not a black and white sort of thing. Side effects can sometimes be minor and sometimes be major... but, if a medication works, sometimes, the benefits of taking a medication can outweigh the cons such as even some terrible-side effects.
An example... if someone had Type 1 Diabetes... they would NEED to take medication because Type 1 Diabetes is LETHAL without insulin. Someone with diabetes would actually DIE without their medication. BUT! A side-effect of insulin CAN be weight-gain for SOME people. But... many people who have diabetes can manage this side-effect with proper exercise and by experimenting with their family doctors or their diabetes specialists to find a type of insulin (there are many different types) that does not have noticeable side effects or maybe has tolerable side-effects. But, still, what it comes down to, is that for someone with Type 1 Diabetes... without their medication, their insulin, regardless of side-effects such as weight gain, they would DIE. So, it's a pretty simple answer... they take their insulin so that they don't die!!! Not taking their medication, assuming that they understand their condition and how to treat it, would be like committing suicide.
Now... sometimes medications that have a side effect such as weight gain that aren't actually medications that are life-or-death medications. But... the purpose of all medications, if they don't specifically save life, is that they improve the quality of life. So, then it becomes a balancing act between what the medication is giving you vs. what it might also be taking away from you in terms of quality of life. For example... this doesn't have to do with weight gain... but... a popular seizure medication has the side effect of giving some people kidney stones... and, as everyone knows, kidney stones are VERY PAINFUL!!! Now, not everyone who takes the seizure medication will get kidney stones, only a few people will. Also, it is possible to lower the chances of getting kidney stones by increasing your intake of water while on the seizure medication, especially while taking a dose of the seizure medication (like, drinking 2 cups of water when you take the seizure medication). Now, if someone who had seizures and responded incredibly well to this specific medication took it, the probably would never get kidney stones. But, if they did, they might still choose to stay on the medication if no other seizure medication worked as well for them or if they were deathly allergic to other kinds of seizure medications. Because, for them, the quality of life improving by not getting seizures daily (which actually can be life threatening in some situations) might actually be worth having to experience kidney stones every 3 to 5 years. But... some people take the same seizure medication for chronic pain, because it helps with chronic pain for some reason. Now, it seems like putting yourself at risk for getting one of the most painful experiences ever, kidney stones, wouldn't be worth taking this seizure medication if you are already in chronic pain... but, many people who suffer chronic pain cannot work, or do anything but scream all day... many end up committing suicide because they cannot stand being tortured all day. So, for them, again, the small group of people who might experience extremely painful kidney stones every few years... for them, experiencing a few weeks of painful torture every few years might be worth it if they stopped experiencing painful torture on a daily basis and were actually able to go back to work and hang out with their friends and spend time with their family again.
One last example, anti-depressants may not seem like a life-or-death medication like insulin for diabetes either. BUT! Remember that depression can lead to suicide and often the reason that people are prescribed anti-depressants is because they suffer from severe depression or severe mood disorders. A personal example here, a long time ago I was very suicidal because I found out that my boyfriend had been cheating on me with many people for a long time and I had not known about it. When I found out, I sunk into a deep depression... and even with therapy I was not able to get out of that depression. I was so depressed that I was suicidal. And, as a last resort, after we had tried therapy, my doctor put me on anti-depressants, because it was a serious situation and seriously, I could have killed myself if someone had not intervened and I had not received medical care. Now, the anti-depressants had some side-effects. But, mostly it was finally getting off them after a few years, once my doctor and I decided that I didn't need them anymore, that was the hardest and was the biggest side-effect of all. They were a particularly strong anti-depressant and the withdrawal symptoms were absolutely awful. They were some of the worst physical feelings I have ever felt in my entire life other than the headaches I get. It was like the worst flu I have ever had and uncontrollable tremors. It was hell on earth. BUT! The fact of the matter is... in the end, that medication saved my life. I was depressed. Clinically depressed. And suicidal too. There is a high chance I would have killed myself. So, even though the withdrawal symptoms were terrible... I am still alive today, and that is SO WORTH IT!! :) :) :) !!! People often forget that depression actually can be a life-or-death medical condition, but... because severe untreated depression can so often lead to suicide, it really can be a life-or-death situation that must be medically treated so that the patient can stay alive in order to become well again.
So... meds don't only make you gain weight... they improve the quality of life for a patient and often they save the life of the patient.
BUT!!! With that said, if YOU feel like the side-effects of your medication OUTWEIGH the pros of the medication then you should talk to your doctor about finding a more suitable medication with less side-effects. So, please talk to your doctor so you don't feel like your medication is pointless. No one should feel like they are taking pointless medication. Although... sometimes it takes a little while for medication to start working... depending on how long you have been taking the medication for? Or sometimes medication might stop working too, if you have been taking it for a long time... you might need to switch to a new medication. So, really, talk to your doctor... your medication shouldn't feel pointless. Your doctor can probably prescribe something better, and probably find something with a lower side-effect profile.
The side effect question is something that is not a black and white sort of thing. Side effects can sometimes be minor and sometimes be major... but, if a medication works, sometimes, the benefits of taking a medication can outweigh the cons such as even some terrible-side effects.
An example... if someone had Type 1 Diabetes... they would NEED to take medication because Type 1 Diabetes is LETHAL without insulin. Someone with diabetes would actually DIE without their medication. BUT! A side-effect of insulin CAN be weight-gain for SOME people. But... many people who have diabetes can manage this side-effect with proper exercise and by experimenting with their family doctors or their diabetes specialists to find a type of insulin (there are many different types) that does not have noticeable side effects or maybe has tolerable side-effects. But, still, what it comes down to, is that for someone with Type 1 Diabetes... without their medication, their insulin, regardless of side-effects such as weight gain, they would DIE. So, it's a pretty simple answer... they take their insulin so that they don't die!!! Not taking their medication, assuming that they understand their condition and how to treat it, would be like committing suicide.
Now... sometimes medications that have a side effect such as weight gain that aren't actually medications that are life-or-death medications. But... the purpose of all medications, if they don't specifically save life, is that they improve the quality of life. So, then it becomes a balancing act between what the medication is giving you vs. what it might also be taking away from you in terms of quality of life. For example... this doesn't have to do with weight gain... but... a popular seizure medication has the side effect of giving some people kidney stones... and, as everyone knows, kidney stones are VERY PAINFUL!!! Now, not everyone who takes the seizure medication will get kidney stones, only a few people will. Also, it is possible to lower the chances of getting kidney stones by increasing your intake of water while on the seizure medication, especially while taking a dose of the seizure medication (like, drinking 2 cups of water when you take the seizure medication). Now, if someone who had seizures and responded incredibly well to this specific medication took it, the probably would never get kidney stones. But, if they did, they might still choose to stay on the medication if no other seizure medication worked as well for them or if they were deathly allergic to other kinds of seizure medications. Because, for them, the quality of life improving by not getting seizures daily (which actually can be life threatening in some situations) might actually be worth having to experience kidney stones every 3 to 5 years. But... some people take the same seizure medication for chronic pain, because it helps with chronic pain for some reason. Now, it seems like putting yourself at risk for getting one of the most painful experiences ever, kidney stones, wouldn't be worth taking this seizure medication if you are already in chronic pain... but, many people who suffer chronic pain cannot work, or do anything but scream all day... many end up committing suicide because they cannot stand being tortured all day. So, for them, again, the small group of people who might experience extremely painful kidney stones every few years... for them, experiencing a few weeks of painful torture every few years might be worth it if they stopped experiencing painful torture on a daily basis and were actually able to go back to work and hang out with their friends and spend time with their family again.
One last example, anti-depressants may not seem like a life-or-death medication like insulin for diabetes either. BUT! Remember that depression can lead to suicide and often the reason that people are prescribed anti-depressants is because they suffer from severe depression or severe mood disorders. A personal example here, a long time ago I was very suicidal because I found out that my boyfriend had been cheating on me with many people for a long time and I had not known about it. When I found out, I sunk into a deep depression... and even with therapy I was not able to get out of that depression. I was so depressed that I was suicidal. And, as a last resort, after we had tried therapy, my doctor put me on anti-depressants, because it was a serious situation and seriously, I could have killed myself if someone had not intervened and I had not received medical care. Now, the anti-depressants had some side-effects. But, mostly it was finally getting off them after a few years, once my doctor and I decided that I didn't need them anymore, that was the hardest and was the biggest side-effect of all. They were a particularly strong anti-depressant and the withdrawal symptoms were absolutely awful. They were some of the worst physical feelings I have ever felt in my entire life other than the headaches I get. It was like the worst flu I have ever had and uncontrollable tremors. It was hell on earth. BUT! The fact of the matter is... in the end, that medication saved my life. I was depressed. Clinically depressed. And suicidal too. There is a high chance I would have killed myself. So, even though the withdrawal symptoms were terrible... I am still alive today, and that is SO WORTH IT!! :) :) :) !!! People often forget that depression actually can be a life-or-death medical condition, but... because severe untreated depression can so often lead to suicide, it really can be a life-or-death situation that must be medically treated so that the patient can stay alive in order to become well again.
So... meds don't only make you gain weight... they improve the quality of life for a patient and often they save the life of the patient.
BUT!!! With that said, if YOU feel like the side-effects of your medication OUTWEIGH the pros of the medication then you should talk to your doctor about finding a more suitable medication with less side-effects. So, please talk to your doctor so you don't feel like your medication is pointless. No one should feel like they are taking pointless medication. Although... sometimes it takes a little while for medication to start working... depending on how long you have been taking the medication for? Or sometimes medication might stop working too, if you have been taking it for a long time... you might need to switch to a new medication. So, really, talk to your doctor... your medication shouldn't feel pointless. Your doctor can probably prescribe something better, and probably find something with a lower side-effect profile.
It depends on how they are helping as well. Weight gain is one side effect that can be managed through dieting and weight management. You could be referred to a nutrionist as well. Of course the best thing to do is have your doctor find a more helpful medication in the same class that doesn't cause weight gain or has less of a potential to do that.
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