Kristi King, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – It’s not just indulgent snacking and skipping the gym that can lead to weight gain. Some medicines can pack on the pounds, as well.

Dr. Louis Aronne, a weight-loss expert at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center tells Readers Digest some drugs affect appetite and metabolism, and others cause weight gain for reasons that can’t be fully explained.

There are a number of drugs that can cause people to pack on extra pounds or derail efforts to shed pounds, according to medical experts. But there are also “skinny” alternatives to be discussed with doctors.

For example, taking corticosteroids orally to treat asthma, allergies or inflammation can lead to more weight gain than inhaling them.

Another allergy drug that could cause weight gain is diphenhydramine, which is common in Benadryl and Alka-Seltzer Plus Allergy. Alternatives that are less likely to cause weight gain are loratadine and cetirizine in Claritin and Zyrtec, respectively.

Some other medicines that can alter weight gain treat high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, schizophrenia and insomnia. Birth control pills containing high doses of progesterone cause weight gain so reliably they’re often prescribed to help AIDS and cancer patients.

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