I now know the cause of my sudden weight gain. I thought about this possible reason only a few days ago and it was confirmed by my doctor today.
Since July I have been taking 3 types of medicines and one of them is this drug called dexamethasone. As listed in the linked Wikipedia page, the top two side effects are:
1. Stomach upset, increased sensitivity to stomach acid — which I have been experiencing a lot lately (never had this before in my life).
2. Increased appetite leading to significant weight gain — BOOYAH!
Another one that I am experiencing is: Fluid and sodium retention — which explains my bloated new look that makes side effect no.2 appears worse than it already is.
I asked the doctor today, “Can any of the medicines that I’ve been taking cause weight gain? ‘Cause… as you’ve probably noticed, I’ve gained 10kg since I first came here”.
She first smiled, and then coyly answered, “Yes, the one you take in the morning can increase your appetite and also cause water retention.” She then went on a long lecture to justify her prescription of the drug — in an attempt not to upset the now fat man sitting in front of her. However, she later agreed that I should stop taking it.
I was left with some sense of justice and plenty of relief. For one, it was not entirely my doing that I have grown bigger than I wished. At times, I was convinced that the fat genes I didn’t know I had had kicked in because no matter what I did, my weight kept creeping up. Secondly, I know that this is reversible.
