Weight Gain from Antibiotics

By Kai Colvin - Senior Medical Research Editor | April 30th, 2012

Do you often wonder if the side effects of antibiotics or other prescription drugs dampen your life more than the original ailment?

From amnesia, bleeding, blurry vision and confusion to painful ulcers, hallucinations, and hair loss—antibiotics can seem overwhelming.

One major side effect that is leisurely left off the list is obesity. Overdosing on antibiotics, according to New Scientist, could be a prompting trigger for massive weight gain.

Excess weight can lead to heart disease, liver problems, diabetes, and asthma.

While antibiotics are beneficial for treating common disorders, it can also be packing on the pounds in a hurry.

Just what are antibiotics and when are they necessary? Antibiotics are drugs given to eliminate pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria.

A few studies involving mice have concluded antibiotics at levels comparable to those given to farm animals are much heavier than mice not on antibiotics at all. So, what’s the link to the human body?

The studies for antibiotics fed to mice are at similar intervals to what children receive when they battle an infection. In fact, New York University microbiologist Martin Blaser, fed mice diminutive sequences of antibiotics similar to those that children receive and what he found was extremely concerning. The antibiotic-fed mice had lower levels of T-cells, which control our body's immune response. Obesity has been connected to low levels of T-cells.

Another study originated by the International Journal of Obesity led researchers from Denmark to similarly discover children introduced to antibiotics were overweight by age 7. The study asserted 28,000 babies, and within seven years, having monitored the children's weight and development, the children who were given antibiotics within six months of birth were more likely to be overweight by age 7 than the children who did not received doses of the drugs.

Under ordinary conditions, hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin, signal when the stomach is full. However, if these are killed off by antibiotics, individuals have a harder time indicating whether they reached their capacity.

The problem here— a person will overeat unintentionally.

Should you stop taking antibiotics? No. Always research and further question your doctor about the antibiotics you are prescribed and make sure to be an advocate in your own healthcare.

Other Drugs and Weight Gain Facts:

1. H1 Antihistamines- Most common addition to weight gain. Zyprexa and Remeron, for example are a strong-to-potent antihistamines that leaves you feeling hungry.

2. Serotonin 5HT2C Antagonists- Drugs that interfere with serotonin will prompt weight gain. Zyprexa, Prozac and Seroquel, for example will lead you to pack on the pounds.

To learn more about the link between obesity and weight gain, speak with a doctor in your area.