The medicine you take to make your life better could also be making you fatter.
Some of the most popular prescription drugs have a hefty secret side effect: weight gain.
Lindsey Marshall, staff pharmacist at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, says added weight is one of the most common complaints she hears.
Blood pressure medicines and diabetes drugs can cause some patients to pack on pounds, she said. Steroids, hormones and contraceptives can also make people thick around the middle.
Marshall recommends switching medications if you have trouble.
"Sometimes, even drugs within the same class can cause less weight gain than what was prescribed," she said.
This is particularly true of antidepressants, some of which can cause dramatic weight swings.
Marshall said the best way to prevent gaining weight with a new medication is simple: Ask your doctor questions up front.
