Does actemra cause weight gain?

They say life is a battle. And while that may be true, sometimes it feels like we’re stuck fighting never-ending wars within our own bodies. One such battlefield is weight gain – an issue that plagues millions of people worldwide. Weight gain can happen for various reasons, from genetics to a sedentary lifestyle to medication side effects. Speaking of which, one drug that has been dragged into this fight is Actemra – a medication used to treat some autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and cytokine storm syndrome.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Does Actemra cause weight gain? To answer this question, let’s go down memory lane and revisit how drugs work in our body.

Getting High on Science (Pharmacology)

Without getting too technical (or attempting humor with an unnecessary drug reference), every medicine you take works by interacting with certain receptors or enzymes in your body to achieve its therapeutic effects. In simple terms: think of these biochemical reactions as puzzle pieces fitting together; they create different outcomes depending on which “puzzle” piece you use or leave out.

Now, imagine solving dozens of puzzles at once – each one affecting another piece until every single cell sings harmony perfectly… well ok not singing more like properly functioning but who doesn’t love an analogy where puzzled cells are collaborating choir members?

Enter cytokines- proteins produced by white blood cells responsible for regulating immune responses—including inflammation— throughout the body. These tiny messengers might seem insignificant,but they harmonize cellular activities involved even within activities like growth and repair processes ranging from injury recoveryto everyday maintenance tasks.

In auto-immune diseases or infections caused by viruses such as COVID-19 there are cases when healthy cytokine production increases dramatically (cue alarm bells) Alarm Bell Sound effect here That leads to what’s called “cytokine storm”.

This is where Actemra comes in- as an IL-6 receptor inhibitor it can reduce cytokine levels and associated inflammation. This drug has helped many people but, like all medicines, come armed with a list of potential side effects, with weight gain included among them.

Did Someone Say “Weight Gain”?

Well YES! I’m glad you asked,and no need to check the calendar – today isn’t April Fools’ day (better not be because there are definitelyn’t anywho knows if i’ll get fooled) ….

One possible effect of taking Actemra could indeed be weight gain.

But pause that mic near your mouth before dropping it just now…!

The chance of gaining those extra pounds from Actemra varies depending on several factors: patient demographics such as age/sex/BMI,baseline disease activity/symptoms and concurrent medications taken.

In other words: Weight goals aren’t going to say goodbye after popping a single pill; rather additional contributory factors should also consider while considering any medication’s impact on human physiology.

Call these missing puzzle pieces – like understanding degrees of cytokine involvement or how much active enzyme capacity exists before introducing IL-6 inhibitors. With more relevant context we can realistically quantify the chances for putative side-effects including who’s affected with what intensity.So nothing’s been thrown away yet folks.For people struggling with mobility issues caused by chronic autoimmune disorders this prospect might induce worry(and even invite binge-eating episode). So let’s look at some real granular data

Weighing In On The Actual Evidence

Clinical Trial Results

Several clinical trials have studied Actemra regarding its potential effect on body mass index (BMI) and found mixed results;

These differences make sense though,the correlation between BMI and body composition notwithstandingbecause every individual responds differently to different medicines henceforth making their therapeutic outcomes variable too.

Year Study Name No of Participants Study Duration Weight Gain (%)
2014. ADACTA 163- Abatacept/Anti-TNF naives with moderate to severe RA(former group on MTX therapy) 24 weeks -1.06(in Actemra group) -0.49 (non-Actemra Group)
2015. FUNCTION Over 4200 pre-existing reports of Rheumatica Arthritis patients failing alternate treatment pathways culminating in Metabolic Suppression Therapy for a minimum of 12 months [Initial study period]:6 months upto[Average follow up(2 years)]21.9(Lower Limit)-26(High Upper). For Two-year follow-up data,+3 kg higher increase after the first year and smaller(<1kg!) but still persistent gains by end of second year
2017 SURPRISE 464 individuals with systemic sclerosis spectrum diseases who were assigned to receive either placebo or intravenous tocilizumab infusions every four weeks for 48-week duration. 48 Weeks:YES(>10% gain); Not enough data available(no change <10%; loss didn’t occur).
2021 [TWEAK] 45 newly diagnosed Systemic JIA participants “Predominantly Childhood population age<15” treated for Periods ranging from Months up to several Years;Scale used:Z-Scores calculated against A national reference chart”(NHANES II).” “Loss” of weight observed in some participants while Average decline(~0.15 z-score change)beyond 24 weeks was too small to be clinically significant.

Data is displayed from across several studies, and differences between sample size or study design could explain discrepant treatment outcomesFurther investigation into each publication may be necessary for those interested.

Why Actemra might lead to Weight Gain

Doctors are still figuring out the exact mechanisms that cause weight gain after taking Actemra, but there are a few theories.

Theory #1: Food Cravings

Lil-Einstein-types often euphemistically refer to IL-6 as an “appetite-suppressor” which indeed it does – suppressing food intake by altering soil pH levelsthus selectively interacting with hypothalamic neurons controlling hunger cues/ satiety measures.

Actemra blocks these activities -potentially leading someone who used to feel full eating smaller amounts now eating more before noticing satiety.As a result calorie intake excess causes gaining extra pounds around waistline (aka Gluttony).

Some patients report increased appetite alongside their treatments so this idea isn’t without merit.

Theory #2: Fluid Retention

Another potential reason Actemra could cause you to pack on the pounds is fluid retention. Remember what we said about cytokines being involved with all sorts of processes throughout the body? Well, inflammation can sometimes cause water retention – Thinkabout how swollen your fingers or ankle(s) can become after jamming them… Yeah gross I know! – Similarly Inflammation affecting any organ including myostable microorganisms,dysregulated metabolism homeostasis which resultantly induceswater retention..

If anti-inflammatory medications like Actemra help reduce inflammation effectively , thenby default water inside tissues is also liberated thus thereby showing up on your scale!

The Bottom Line

So ultimately,it’s logical to question does Actrema boost fat cells(adipocytes as they’re more scientifically labeled) or cause your muscles to shrink under adipose burdon(shout out to sarcopenia!); it appears that,more research is needed to establish any conclusive claims regarding Actemra and bodyweight changes.

But let’s not forget how one shoe size would never fit heartily. In the absence of context/individual health history,taking medications shouldn’t be held solely responsible for weight gain or any kind of adverse reactions without first considering wider contributing factors such as exercise routines, diets, and underlying medical conditions.

So while “Actemra” might sound like an unknown hero with close proximity or links in some comic book universe capable of adding a pound here &there…..adding weight pounds- well we need to know much more before jumping to final conclusion.

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