5 Migraine Medications that may cause Weight Gain
sodium valproate (Epival)
paroxetine (Paxil)
metoprolol (Toprol-XL)
divalproex sodium (Depakote)
amitriptyline (Elavil)
DO NOT stop taking medication without talking to your doctor.
DO talk to your doctor if you’re gaining weight – there are options available.
These are medications that are often used as migraine preventatives – and often help – but that are also notorious for contributing to weight gain in some people. Obviously there are other examples. (Note: I just included one brand name for the sake of space. These medications are included in various other brand names.)
I appreciated the recent post from Diana-Lee – Avoiding & Coping With Migraine Medication-Related Weight Gain and Kerrie’s thoughts in Migraine Preventives & Weight Gain, so I thought I’d add some specifics to the conversation.
Have you experienced weight gain with any of these medications? What about others – topiramate? Propranolol? What else?
MissBoo80
20 May 2013 @ 10:33 am
@migraine_blog very true, amitriptyline caused me to put on 2 stone :0(
Migraine and exercise | Gravity's Rainbow
17 June 2013 @ 4:57 pm
[…] if you had to start over every few months. If you fell back several steps every few weeks? If your medication made you gain weight regardless of activity levels? If exercise intense enough to cause an endorphin high instead […]
11 April 2019 @ 10:27 am
Several years ago l was on Paxil for over a year, not for migraine, but for depression, and l gained nearly 20 pounds! When l finally wanted to stop taking this drug l found it to be really hard to get off of. l tapered off slowly but couldnt quite stop taking that last tiny bit, so just had to stop “cold turkey”, and felt really bad for several days after my last dose. Fortunately, as l am pretty active, l was able to lose the weight after l stopped taking the drug, but it took awhile. l have to admit that taking Paxil helped me through a rough spot, but l dont think that l would want to take it again.
30 November 2022 @ 11:11 am
What is the difference from taking Paxil and paroxetine I suffer with migraines often I need something that works it works but sides effects
Such as weight loss*
Them I read weight gain *
Being less Hungary*
A big weight loss headaches *
I do not need medications that cause s me not to eat or weight loss I want to feel more aniexity