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Hello,
I am currently taking the Blood Pressure Medicine Valsartan 160mg each day. I was 240 pounds when I started taking the medicine two years ago and have not changed my diet at all and have been gaining weight each year. I am currently 270 pounds. I am 6ft 2inches and 54 years old. I exercise four times a week for 30 minutes and I work 12 hours a day. 11 hours of my day consist constant walking on a production floor at work. I am really frustrated and depressed because of the weight gain. I consume approximately 2,600 calories a day, do not drink, do not smoke and feel fine for the most part. I was taken off my prior Blood Pressure Medicine because it caused me to have constant coughing. My Doctor then prescribed Valsartan at 160mg each day. Can this be the reason I have gained so much weight? I would be very thankful for any information or suggestions you have to help me. Thank You!
Hello,
I am currently taking the Blood Pressure Medicine Valsartan 160mg each day. I was 240 pounds when I started taking the medicine two years ago and have not changed my diet at all and have been gaining weight each year. I am currently 270 pounds. I am 6ft 2inches and 54 years old. I exercise four times a week for 30 minutes and I work 12 hours a day. 11 hours of my day consist constant walking on a production floor at work. I am really frustrated and depressed because of the weight gain. I consume approximately 2,600 calories a day, do not drink, do not smoke and feel fine for the most part. I was taken off my prior Blood Pressure Medicine because it caused me to have constant coughing. My Doctor then prescribed Valsartan at 160mg each day. Can this be the reason I have gained so much weight? I would be very thankful for any information or suggestions you have to help me. Thank You!
You've come to the right place. You are going to hear from people that it's all about calories in and calories out and they are right up to a point. You say 2600 calories a day so I assume you keep track. You say you exercise and that should help but still you gain weight and by the way, exercise does not help that much with weight loss unless you're a long distance runner or something like that. If you were to not eat would the BP meds still make you gain weight? I don't know but I seriously doubt it. Could it be the type of food you eat?
Hello,
I am currently taking the Blood Pressure Medicine Valsartan 160mg each day. I was 240 pounds when I started taking the medicine two years ago and have not changed my diet at all and have been gaining weight each year. I am currently 270 pounds. I am 6ft 2inches and 54 years old. I exercise four times a week for 30 minutes and I work 12 hours a day. 11 hours of my day consist constant walking on a production floor at work. I am really frustrated and depressed because of the weight gain. I consume approximately 2,600 calories a day, do not drink, do not smoke and feel fine for the most part. I was taken off my prior Blood Pressure Medicine because it caused me to have constant coughing. My Doctor then prescribed Valsartan at 160mg each day. Can this be the reason I have gained so much weight? I would be very thankful for any information or suggestions you have to help me. Thank You!
Are you under a great deal of stress? That can lead to weight gain. Otherwise, it may be age-related. I started to gain a bit after menopause at age 52 and have ten pounds that are hanging on for dear life no matter what I do. I sympathize but don’t have many suggestions. I have tried cutting calories and increasing fiber to feel full, but it’s an uphill battle. I walk on my treadmill about four hours per week in addition to walking my dogs (walking them is more aimless meandering than it is exercise for me).
Don’t quit trying. If nothing else, exercise will help keep you healthier and may keep you from gaining more. Could you walk on a treadmill while watching tv instead of sitting? (ETA: I know you said you walk while working, but a treadmill may feel different.)
Hello,
I am currently taking the Blood Pressure Medicine Valsartan 160mg each day. I was 240 pounds when I started taking the medicine two years ago and have not changed my diet at all and have been gaining weight each year. I am currently 270 pounds. I am 6ft 2inches and 54 years old. I exercise four times a week for 30 minutes and I work 12 hours a day. 11 hours of my day consist constant walking on a production floor at work. I am really frustrated and depressed because of the weight gain. I consume approximately 2,600 calories a day, do not drink, do not smoke and feel fine for the most part. I was taken off my prior Blood Pressure Medicine because it caused me to have constant coughing. My Doctor then prescribed Valsartan at 160mg each day. Can this be the reason I have gained so much weight? I would be very thankful for any information or suggestions you have to help me. Thank You!
As we age we need less calories. It may be your medication or your age or a combination of the two.
I would write everything down that you eat either by hand or at a website like Myfitnesspal or Sparkpeople. You will be amazed at how much you do actually eat and how caloric things are.
From there you can decide on how you want to proceed.
Last year I lost 70 lbs on purpose. As a result, my blood pressure dropped to around 100/60 and so my doctor took me off of my medications. In the next few months I lost another 10 lbs with the only significant change being the absence of my BP medication (was taking Diovan).
And so I'm going to tell you that the medication must have a moderate effect on metabolism. I would also suggest that you should reduce your average daily consumption by ten percent. My favorite advice for adult men is to follow a 2,000 calorie per day diet for six months and see where that gets you. That's a healthy amount of food, allows for plenty of enjoyable options and provides flexibility for those times when you just want to indulge without guilt.
Formerly obese person here who is also hypertensive.
As others have said, 2600 calories may be too much even at your height, activity level and being male. You are middle aged, too. You probably should be in the 2000-2200 range, and maybe a bit less for weight loss. Download an app like LoseIt or MyFitnessPal.
Hypertension meds do have "weight gain" as a side effect, but it isn't all that common. You may have something causing fluid retention. Most rapid gain is due to fluid. Discuss your concerns with your doctor, who may prescribe a diuretic like HCTZ. You can also ask him/her to put you on another medicine. I experienced several side effects to the "pril" meds, so now I take Losartan and HCTZ and have had no weight gain. I actually don't experience any side effects at all.
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