I have put on nearly 2 stone in the last 18 months!!,  combination of not being able to exercise like I did and stuffing my face with "high fat foods"!!  I have lost some of it by being uber disciplined about sweeties. But I am never going to be skinny again (and that might not be a bad thing!)

Oh my gosh I have gained almost 25lbs. I've been on Tec for just over a year... Any doctor I've asked kind of just scoffs at me and doesn't take it seriously. It's really a concern for me because I'm trying to stay as healthy as I can while managing MS. Have you gotten any answers?

Hi @michellelawrence and welcome.
Many moons ago, I raised the question of medications causing weight gain to my medical team. I was curtly told that weight gain was down to diet and lack of exercise.
And, MS can affect the amount of exercise that we can get in a normal day.........

Thank-you, @Stumbler! 
I am still a very able-bodied person and I find that MS does not really have too much of an impact on my daily life yet. Aside from exhaustion, which is my biggest symptom and I have just learned to live with it. I see a personal trainer, I am eating well... And yes, I do know the argument that muscle weighs more than fat, but that isn't what I'm experiencing. I don't know quite what it is that is causing me to fairly steadily gain weight, but it's very frustrating. Not only because I actually haven't been able to wear my jeans in a few months, but it does have an impact on my energy levels and just how I feel in general. Maybe the Tec just doesn't like me! =P

I put on 10lbs in the first 7 weeks... I've been super disciplined with my food again and lost 3 of those horrors  but had a couple of set backs with my exercise recently (2 partial dislocations in shoulder)! I do feel that the weight gain is because to try stop the severe flushes I chose to eat fatty foods and carbs that are really my enemy! I still flush badly every single dose even with fats and carbs but it's worse when eating clean! Might have to go back on high strength antihistamine because it's playing havoc with my life! 

I have gained weight also on Tec but I also take cipralex for my mood and they are famous for weight gain..I am a chocoholic....;-( 

Hi I have almost gained nearly 10kgs because of usage of steroids 10months ago. I was on Avonex for 8months and this caused me several sideeffects like body aches especially in spine and knees. I changes to techfidera a month ago and now I am getting headache daily after started using the Techfidera. Also I am gaining the weight still. I am very frustrated because of my weight gain. I have tried diet and exercise but this didn't work good for me. I don't know what to do but I want to reduce weight :(


I started tecfidera in September 2013 and put on 40lbs. over the next 18 months. To be fair,  part of that was no longer being able to run but my workouts prior to tecfidera were only once or twice a week and I've always watched what I eat. Beginning in January of 2016 I have been working out several days a week with a personal trainer to rebuild endurance and be able to run again. We're now 8 months in and I've only lost 20lb & 2 dress sizes; that just doesn't seem normal with the amount of time and energy going into it. 

i started tec a few months ago and cycle 40 miles a week and cant lose any weight whatsoever, 14st and a bit and i used to be 12st 2. just joined the gym today so we will see if that can shift any as i want my old body back

I've gained weight steadily over the past year and it is quite frustrating.  The additional weight just further reduces my energy levels and endurance and aggravates the bursitis in my foot.  I had to adjust my eating to help with the burning, itching and tingling of my skin throughout the day, but not to the point to put on almost 50 pounds.  I have not had anyone say to me that weight gain is a definite side affect of the medication, but something is clearly happening.

I have also gained weight but I didn't know if it is the Tecfidera or my bouncy thyroid.  It goes up and down all of the time so it can't be treated with medicine.   Potter

I started it just over a year ago and have the opposite story. My weight was fairly unmoved for the first few months despite essentially giving up alcohol (it was on the high side caused by lack of activity and comfort eating), but I've lost 50lbs since the turn of the year. 

Ugh...my weight is up again. About 3 kgs. Really frustrating. 6 weeks in. 2 weeks at full dose. I am on Epilim but am weaning off. I've started exercising and no longer have to eat as much when taking the pills. I had hoped the weight gain would drop off when I returned to eating smaller amounts...

It's the most frustrating thing. I am on a 16:8 intermittent fast, tried a very high protien low carb diet, paleo  you name it  

I simply cannot loose the weight. I started tecfidera this January. Over a period of 2 weeks I put on 3kg. And I simply cannot loose it. I'm even thinking of testing myself by starving myself for a week. If there's no loss then something really is wrong! Perhaps I should get my thyroid checked out or something. 

Oh by the way, I'm 7kg more than my normal weight and I HATE IT. 

I'm 2014 I got really sick. I was diagnosed with MS. My gallbladder had to be removed. On the plus side I lost 60 lbs.  It was wonderful. I always have struggled with weight. Then I see an MS specialist. He puts me in Tecfidera. It all went down hill. I didn't have the GI issues the said I would. But I did feel like my head and brain was on fire. I also went from 170 lbs to 230 lbs. It blame the Tec. I stopped taking it in May on my own along with ever other medication I was on. I haven't lost any weight but I feel so much better. I tell the Dr and she were super mad that I stopped it. Acted like it was the worst decision of my life. Then says well what do you plan on doing? Told me to go home a research different meds and get back the them if I want o try something different. Never told me what my options were. Or gave any recommendations. Has anyone had any luck losing weight after stopping Tec?

I have recently given up on tec! Feeling so much better, I feel trimmer too but the scales don’t show any weight loss 

Gained a lot of weight also,  I have been on Tec for over 4 years so I have lost track how much.    Potter

Hey all. I just posted this on the 'positive thread' link but yesterday I sealed the deal on losing 19 pounds since summer and I've been on Tecfidera for 8 months. I put on weight whilst awaiting diagnosis through comfort eating. I'm not sure Tec added to it, but it certainly didn't help. Anyways, I lost it through the Keto diet which I was totally sceptical about before starting it as I could not see how a high fat diet could make you lost weight. Anyway, it does and I have. I feel the happiest I've felt in years, because we all know what it's like when you can fit into old clothes again, right? I haven't increased my exercise either. BUT what I've found is that now I have more energy I am more likely to exercise and stick to it daily. Keto required planning and discipline but if you can get through the first two weeks, your appetite starts to suppress and it's easy. It was harder for me as I m veggie and meat and fish are an important part of this diet. The bottom line is, if I can do it, anyone can.

Weight has been an issue for me because of another condition I have which I only very recently became aware of and began treating. I started the treatment for that a month before starting Tecfidera. I lost a stone in that first month but have struggled to stay at the same weight since starting Tecfidera. I am very much hoping that I will continue with the weight loss when the Tecfidera settles down but I am not feeling so optimistic after reading everyone's comments! A part of me wonders if it would be worth stopping the Tecfidera to lose all the weight I need to lose and then go back on Tecfidera?

I have put on 5-6lbs since staring Tec 2 weeks ago! Has anyone else he weight gain? The thing is I haven't added anything to my diet and eat just the same as I always have ?

Tecfidera and weight gain!