Could Diabetes be "induced" by medications?

Kim_in_TN · #1 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008, 11:09 PM

I know that prednisone and other steroids wreaks havoc on blood sugar, that is a given. However, I am questioning whether or not other medications can influence, if not cause, us to become diabetic? I was always very thin all of my life until I started on anti-depressants. Through the course of trying many different ones, I gained weight. Finally when finding the one that worked best for my emotional health, it unfortunately made me gain LOTS of weight!

I first gained some and then once my need for a dosage increase occured, I gained much more. Ever since that time, I have gotten bigger and bigger and hence became diabetic.

I'm not saying that Celexa made me become diabetic but I am wondering if being on a medication that puts lots of extra weight on you and rapidly, could force your body into metabolic syndrome and diabetes? Any thoughts on this "theory"?

BlueSky · #2 (**permalink**) 05-21-2008, 03:54 AM

Drugs that increase the production of adrenalin cause insulin resistance and raise glucose levels. A study found that anti-depressants increase the risk of T2 by 200%-300%. I think this is the one Antidepressants Can Increase Diabetes Risk in Certain Cases (press release).

Kim_in_TN · #3 (**permalink**) 05-21-2008, 09:16 AM

WOW! I knew it! I swear that is what happened to me! I never had a weight problem until I started on anti-depressants. No one in my family has a history of diabetes. What a double whammy! So I can choose to be emotionally happy and stable or thin and physically healthy. *sigh*

BriOnH · #4 (**permalink**) 05-21-2008, 10:32 AM

Absolutely. Like Mark mentioned Antidepressants and other drugs have shown to express the type 2 gene causing diabetes from certain medications. Try to look up the Prescribing documentation of the drug in question. It will list the number of patients in the population that got diabetes while being treated on that med.

I have seen a few commercials on TV recently that stat that the drug being advertised may cause diabetes.

I don't believe that Celexa has the rep of causing Diabetes, but it doesn't mean it didn't. Other drugs have a high percentage of causing diabetes onset.