Updated March 16, 2015.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Could your medications be interfering with your goals? The short answer is yes. But you're not doomed if you need to take prescription drugs. Find out five medicines that can interfere with fat loss and athletic performance. And what to do if you need to take them.

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Here’s an interesting fact: Over 1/3 of my male coaching clients are taking some type of prescription medication when they first start working with me.

That’s a lot of guys.

But it’s not surprising. Especially if you consider that in any given month between 2007-2010, almost 50% of Americans had used a prescription drug, and often more than one.

What do my male clients take? I’ve compiled a longer list, but the top five include:

• Anti-hypertensives
  
• Statins
  
• Anti-depressant/anti-anxiety meds
  
• Insulin/glucose management drugs
  
• Stomach – PPI meds.
  

Of course, these drugs can be lifesavers. So don’t stop taking them if your doctor has prescribed them!

In fact, you should always discuss possible medication changes with a health care provider.

At the same time, some of these medicines can make it harder to lose weight, gain muscle, or improve your athletic performance.

And understanding these side effects can make it easier for you to recognize what’s going on with your body and take control.

Here’s a closer look.

Anti-hypertensives

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may have warned you that it increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Hypertension rarely causes bothersome symptoms.

But just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you.

The various anti-hypertensive drugs work in different ways. Some dilate your blood vessels; others change the way your body regulates fluids and electrolytes; others affect cardiac regulation. Any of these medications has the potential to produce side effects, including:

• Gastrointestinal problems like upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, jaundice
  
• Dizziness.
  

For most folks, feeling sick or dizzy means a lousy workout.

Statins

Statins lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of cholesterol your liver produces.

High cholesterol puts you at greater risk for hardening of the arteries. Yet cholesterol is actually crucial to every cell in your body. That’s why changing cholesterol balance can have far-reaching effects.

In particular, statins may cause:

• Headache
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
• Constipation and diarrhea
  
• Weakness and muscle pain.
  

That last side effect is probably one that will trouble you if you’re hoping to gain muscle or improve strength. It’s particularly noticeable with increasing age. Remember, most doctors consider muscle pain or muscle weakness to be an unacceptable side effect from statins. If you are having this problem, talk to your doctor to see if a different statin might be worth trying, or if it's time to stop statins altogether and use a different strategy to manage your cardiac risk. 

 

Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications

Many of the drugs used to treat mental health can also contribute to weight gain. So if you’re trying to lose weight, taking these drugs may make it harder.

Other possible side effects include:

• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, appetite or taste changes
  
• Dizziness, tremors.
  

Insulin/glucose management drugs

These are drugs like Metformin. They’re typically prescribed to Type 2 diabetics or other folks with poor insulin or glucose control.  Unfortunately, they can sometimes contribute to weight gain themselves.

Other common side effects include:

• Upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and gas.
  
• Dizziness.
  
• Nutritional imbalancesleading to a weak immune system, low energy, anemia, tiredness.
  

It probably goes without saying that if you’re tired, workouts are going to be a lot tougher.

 

Stomach – PPImedications

Along with statins, proton pump inhibitors (often known as “acid reducers”) are one of the most-prescribed drugs in North America for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Unfortunately, they can wreak havoc with the rest of the GI tract — and might even make things worse.

Among the most common side effects are:

• bowel irregularity
  
• aggravated constipation
  
• frequent burping
  
• diarrhea
  
• changes in appetite
  
• nausea/vomiting.
  

Enough said!

What to do

If your doctor has advised one of these medications, or another one not listed here, and you’re noticing side effects like the ones I’ve listed, don’t despair.

Instead, give yourself a break from exercise if you find it tougher to achieve improvements to fitness or performance. And be an informed patient and consumer.

Research your medication choices and talk to your pharmacist. Sometimes a slight change is all you need. There may be options available. For each of these five conditions, the basic goal of treatment should be to reduce your symptoms (or your cardiovascular risk) without causing significant side effects.  So, if you think you may be experiencing side effects that are sufficient to keep you from your fitness routine, you need to talk to your doctor or your pharmacist about the problem. Often, adjustments can be made, either in dosage or by switching to a different treatment, to eliminate side effects and get you back to your exercise routine.

Be patient. Sometimes, side-effects are temporary.

Experiment with different kinds of exercise to find one that works for you now.

Eat a healthy diet of mostly whole, unprocessed foods.

Consider coaching. Exercise and good nutrition alone can sometimes help you reduce or get off medications. But you may want some help at the start.  

(For example, check out Precision Nutrition Coaching. A good coach can help work with your current medications to help you get the best possible results for your body.

In short, don’t let medications keep you from better health. There’s no reason you can’t improve, no matter where you start. 

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Looking for the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle advice for you? Download this free guide: Fitness for men: The busy man's guide to getting in shape and living better.

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And for more about Dr. John Berardi, including links to his latest men's health articles, click here.