You probably know that most drugs, especially those used to treat high blood pressure, can cause weight gain, but does newer beta-blockers, such as carvedilol cause weight gain?
If you’re taking Carvedilol for anxiety, hypertension, and high blood pressure, we understand that you’re probably worried about weight gain. However, newer beta-blockers such as Carvedilol do not cause weight gain as a long-term side effect. You may gain weight when starting the medication but after the body tolerates the medication in a few months, there is no more weight gain.
With more than one-fourth of the adult population being obese, weight management has become a priority for many patients. The risk of residual effects from some antihypertensive drugs such as beta-blockers (e.g., carvedilol) is well known, so it’s no surprise that many patients try to avoid at all costs.
But what if there was a drug that could treat hypertension and help with weight loss? That is exactly what Carvedilol does! In this article, we explore how Carvedilol can be used in an antihypertensive treatment, how it works, and its side effects.
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Does Carvedilol Cause Weight Gain?
Most people who take Carvedilol for anxiety or high blood pressure do not experience any weight gain except in treating heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction where fluid retention occurs which shows a worsening condition. In fact, Carvedilol is sometimes prescribed to help with weight loss. The majority of people who experience weight gain while taking carvedilol do so during the first few months of use.
The reason for this is that carvedilol is used to lower blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. In order to reduce your risk of heart disease, your doctor may prescribe carvedilol
However, if you’re overweight or obese, this may lead to weight gain. While the majority of people experience short-term weight gain due to carvedilol, long-term weight gain is less common.
What might help when gaining weight on Coreg
If you are experiencing weight gain while taking carvedilol and your doctor confirms that your blood pressure is in a healthy range, there are some things that you can do to help minimize this side effect.
The first thing that you can do is talk to your doctor. While most people will experience short-term weight gain while taking carvedilol, it’s possible that there’s another underlying issue that’s causing you to gain weight.
If your doctor determines that there isn’t another factor involved, there are some things that you can do to help minimize your weight gain. But the doctor will also rule out the worsening of the heart failure or your condition.
The doctor may decide to change the medication if there is a worsening of the condition. If not one thing that you can do is eat a healthy diet.
While you shouldn’t deprive yourself of all of your favorite foods, you may want to reduce your intake of high-calorie foods while taking carvedilol. You should also consider increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, as these are low in calories and nutritious.
Is It Safe To Workout On Carvedilol?
Coreg is not only safe to exercise while on beta-blockers such as carvedilol but also critical to ensure you lower your stress level, reduce anxiety, and keep your blood pressure in check. Exercise is also important to ensure you do not gain weight when having hypertension since it can cause more problems.
Carvedilol is used in the management of hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, it has been used to treat obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2.
It has also been used for many years for the treatment of migraine headaches and has been found to be a very good antihypertensive drug which does not cause tachyphylaxis in contrast with prazosin, carazolol, propranolol and bisoprolol.
Now a day, beta blockers are being used in all sporting activities including football, basketball, hockey, tennis, and most of all in boxing. They are also being used in weight lifting and body building.
When you work out, your body produces a hormone called adrenaline. When you take carvedilol, it blocks the action of adrenaline. Carvedilol improves blood flow to the heart and reduces the risk of heart attacks and cardiac arrest in people with heart disease
It also helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. That’s why carvedilol is used by athletes, body builders and weight lifters. The side effects are few and mild.
How to lose weight on beta blockers
New generation beta blockers are carvedilol, metohexalol, bisoprolol, and nebivolol. They have little or no effect on weight and therefore can be used for weight reduction.
Carvedilol is not only a beta blocker but also a vasodilator. It lowers the blood pressure by reducing the heart rate, your body’s metabolic rate, and your blood’s ability to clot. Carvedilol is the only beta blocker that has been shown to be effective for weight reduction.
If you’re overweight and taking carvedilol, you may be able to lose weight by changing your diet and increasing your exercise. You can also try taking one of the following supplements:
- Garcinia Cambogia – this supplement contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which helps to reduce your appetite and increase feelings of fullness. It is also thought to prevent fat storage.
- Carb Blocker – these supplements reduce your appetite by blocking the enzyme that breaks down the carbohydrates in your body.
- Carb Blocker and Garcinia Cambogia – both these active ingredients are used in these supplements.
Other ways to lose weight on older beta blockers include:
1. Optimize Your Water Intake
Weight reduction and health may both be aided by consuming adequate water daily. You should try to consume water regularly throughout the day to help you lose weight and detoxify your body. Water can be one of your greatest allies if you consume enough of it each day.
The lemon water you have in the morning may assist you in boosting your metabolism and detoxifying your body. When you do not consume enough water, your body goes into survival mode. Even slight dehydration can lower your metabolism and hinder toxin elimination. Getting enough water is one of your greatest daily objectives.
Your metabolism may be lowered and toxins flushed out less adequately if you consume alcohol as it lowers your blood pressure. Drinking alcohol, in particular, can dehydrate you quickly, lowering your blood pressure.
You may also notice if you want to hydrate by looking at the color of your urine. If it appears yellow or brown, you should drink more water. You can set electronic reminders or write down your goal for consuming a glass of water every hour.
Therefore, it’s important to drink water regularly. It’s an easy habit to establish and remember!
2. Get Moving/ exercise
Exercise is crucial for optimal health, but it’s not a secret. Even if you have health issues that require medicine, exercise can greatly aid your health. You may find it difficult to incorporate physical activity into your routine if you’re taking medication for a health condition.
Exercise will boost the energy in your cells, enabling you to burn excess calories. The objective of this is to get your heart pumping by exercising. You will be able to eliminate excess calories by increasing your metabolism with exercise. By increasing your heart rate, you’ll be able to increase your metabolism by exercising.
Sitting around has been shown to increase the risk of health problems and lower metabolism by relaxing your biggest muscles. When you have a desk job, you can move around more by getting an adjustable standing desk.
A standing desk that adjusts is a great alternative if you have a desk job, allowing you to move around and keep your blood flow. If you have a desk job, it’s simple to add a few squats throughout the day to boost your metabolism.
To boost your metabolism, you can add a few squats throughout the day. Even small treadmills and exercise bikes can be placed under your desk to move while you work!
3. Eat natural balanced meals
By giving your body the proper nutrients, such as protein, fiber, potassium, and magnesium, which are found in unprocessed, clean foods, your metabolism can be enhanced.
Some of these natural foods include nuts, oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Foods like cabbage, onion, garlic, salmon, cinnamon, and even dark chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain and body.
To lose weight, you can drink beet juice because of its low-calorie content and ability to improve blood flow, circulation, and stamina—all of which are important for maintaining metabolic stability on a beta-blocker.
It is critical to maintain a healthy weight. It is vital to maintain a balanced diet. You must choose a diet that will help you lose and control your body weight. The calorie deficit can also cause a low metabolism.
Foods To Avoid While On Coreg For Losing Weight
The foods that can cause weight gain are common for those taking carvedilol or not. The foods to be avoided are foods rich in carbohydrates and fats but also taking large quantities of food is not recommended.
You should avoid foods that are high in sugar, fats, and carbohydrates. Sugary drinks, alcohol, and candy are bad for your general health and promote weight gain. Cereals with high amounts of sugar and frozen meals with high carbohydrates and salt should also be avoided.
Eating a balanced meal as per your nutritionist’s recommendation will ensure that there is no weight gain. It should be noted that Carvedilol does not increase the appetite nor does it increase cravings for carbohydrates and sugar-rich foods that is seen in most medications for anxiety.
4. Lower Your Stress Levels
Having too much cortisol due to stress can hinder weight reduction or even cause weight gain. A variety of stressors may negatively affect our metabolism rates. Too much cortisol is detrimental to our metabolism and can also increase our appetite including cravings for carbs and high-sugar foods and drinks.
Stress can come in several forms, including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Beta-blockers can help you lose weight and lower your high blood pressure, as well as lowering your stress levels. During treatment, the newer beta-blockers help lower stress and blood pressure, resulting in weight loss. You may want to consume less sodium and eat more fruits and veggies.
You can increase your weight loss by:
- Herbal teas like ginger, ashwagandha, and green tea
- Getting enough sleep and rest. Your hormones and metabolism can be disrupted by inadequate sleep, which results in weight gain.
- Massage for anxiety and stress: A massage can markedly lower the stress levels in the body.
- Chinese medicine like acupressure and acupuncture.
What is Carvedilol?
Carvedilol is a medication used for treating high blood pressure, heart failure, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Sometimes, it is prescribed for people with anxiety. It works by blocking the action of certain chemicals in your body (such as adrenaline) that can cause blood vessels to contract.
By blocking these chemicals, carvedilol can reduce the workload on the heart and help to treat high blood pressure. Carvedilol is similar to other beta-blockers, but it has fewer side effects, allowing patients to take smaller doses of the drug.
It is a nonselective beta blocker that is used for hypertensive emergencies, acute heart failure, chronic heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and hyperthyroidism. It is also used in heart transplant patients to prevent graft vasculopathy.
It is administered orally as a double dose per day or in divided doses. The most important fact is that within 30-60 minutes of administration the blood pressure is already lowered.
Carvedilol Half-life: why is carvedilol dosed twice daily
This simply means that they target the beta receptors in different ways. Carvedilol has a plasma half-life range from 7 to 10 hours compared to other beta-blockers like Metoprolol (5 hours) or Bisoprolol (9 hours). The extended half-life is the reason why carvedilol is dosed twice daily.
It also makes carvedilol less likely to cause side effects like fatigue and dizziness from a sudden drop in blood pressure at the end of the dose.
The medication takes 4 and 5 half-lives to be cleared from your system thus meaning it will take 28 hours and 50 hours for you to fully be clear of carvedilol in your body.
Bottom line
Carvedilol is a beta blocker that is commonly used to treat hypertension and heart failure. As a member of the beta-blocker class, it’s often assumed that carvedilol will cause weight gain. However, it’s important to consider the specific mechanisms of action of this drug.
For example, while other beta blockers like propranolol and nadolol may directly affect metabolism, carvedilol instead acts primarily on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and ENDogenously manufactured nitric oxide. These actions tend to have a systemic effect rather than a localized metabolic one.
Additionally, compared to other beta-blockers like metoprolol and bisoprolol, carvedilol l has less risk for side effects like hypotension or adrenal suppression. Therefore, it’s not surprising that most studies suggest that carvedilol does not cause weight gain.
Citations:
- Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Beta blockers: Types, Uses, and Side Effects. [online] Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22318-beta-blockers ‌
- Mayo Clinic. (2022). Can beta blockers cause weight gain? [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/beta-blockers/faq-20058385
- Anon, (2022). Perceived Exertion (Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale). [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/exertion.htm‌‌l
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5566644/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/drugs/carvedilol-oral-tablet
