Anti depressants

starsybyll

Has anyone else had a reaction to SSRI anti depressants that caused them to gain weight? I'd been 125 all my life until I took Zoloft and the last 2 months have been impossible trying to lose the weight it made me put on in 1-2 months. My doctor is trying to find a way to help and now I'm on Wellburtrin but he said it could take up to 3 months before all the Zoloft is out of my system! How long after you got off Zoloft were you able to start getting back down to your old weight?

mr_mitch

I was on SSRIs for a while (citaloprap) andit really made no difference to my weight, I wasn't watching what I was eating at the time.

numinousnymph

i've been on zoloft and lamictal for about ten years (crazy i know). i've been able to lose weight on them, so i guess they haven't been affecting my weight if i've been losing weight. however, my friend gained about 70 lbs from lamictal (but he also was not eating mindfully and healthfully and not working out). when he stopped the lamictal he did lose weight again without changing his habits too too much (he's a natural ectomorph and was always skinny, so the lamictal really did do a number on him).

starsybyll

It was a very rare reaction, even my doctor was surprised and said that that kind of extreme thing only happens in 1% of the people who take Zoloft. I was on Paxil before (the biggest offender when it comes to SSRIs and weight gain) and switched to this so I could take an anti-anxiety medication that was stronger/better than Paxil but the anti-anxiety meds (inderal and klonopin) are also clinically linked to increased appetite! So I was gaining a pound a day while being starving on my old 1400-1600 kcal diet!

I've been dieting for two months and have barely lost anything and all of it I lost after I started taking raspberry ketones and hydroxycut, which Im not happy about.

dk2bfit

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

raccooten

I don't think so. It kinda depends

ravenmiss

Never gained on SSRIs and lost 50lb once whilst taking prozac. They never affected my appetite much.

starsybyll

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

I had to see 3 different doctors, get tested for hypothyroid 3 different times with 3 different complete blood workups, saw a nutritionist and a personal trainer for over a month, who both eventually just called me a lair, more or less, because I was eating an extremely low amount of calories and working out and not losing a pound before I finally had a doctor look into my medication as a cause. After the others ruled out hypo they said I must have been eating nothing but cakes all day. Even if I was (I was eating a normal 1600) it's not normal to gain a pound a day.

In my experience, and not just with this but anything medically that's ever happened to me, you need to see another doctor. If one doctor is calling you a liar, tell them you're getting a second opinion because their's is crap. It's negligence. SSRIs have been clinically linked to weight gain of over 10lbs in up to 25% of users. Usually that happens over a long period of use. My case was unique because I had just switched and after a month of use it caused my metabolism to almost completely shut down.

I think its important to have this discussion here on MFP because I see a lot of people's troubles with weight loss getting brushed off like there's no such thing as chemical or hormonal imbalances, which I've even seen multiple people here say don't exist. Millions of people are on SSRI anti depressants and 25% of those people experience problems with weight. Chances are good there are people struggling to lose weight and being told running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories or less is "not trying hard enough" or that they're straight up lying and secretly gobbling cakes and egg McMuffins like pelican. It makes me very frustrated because people said stuff like that to me when I first came here before I found out what the issue was.

LaneB89

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

I had to see 3 different doctors, get tested for hypothyroid 3 different times with 3 different complete blood workups, saw a nutritionist and a personal trainer for over a month, who both eventually just called me a lair, more or less, because I was eating an extremely low amount of calories and working out and not losing a pound before I finally had a doctor look into my medication as a cause. After the others ruled out hypo they said I must have been eating nothing but cakes all day. Even if I was (I was eating a normal 1600) it's not normal to gain a pound a day.

In my experience, and not just with this but anything medically that's ever happened to me, you need to see another doctor. If one doctor is calling you a liar, tell them you're getting a second opinion because their's is crap. It's negligence. SSRIs have been clinically linked to weight gain of over 10lbs in up to 25% of users. Usually that happens over a long period of use. My case was unique because I had just switched and after a month of use it caused my metabolism to almost completely shut down.

I think its important to have this discussion here on MFP because I see a lot of people's troubles with weight loss getting brushed off like there's no such thing as chemical or hormonal imbalances, which I've even seen multiple people here say don't exist. Millions of people are on SSRI anti depressants and 25% of those people experience problems with weight. Chances are good there are people struggling to lose weight and being told running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories or less is "not trying hard enough" or that they're straight up lying and secretly gobbling cakes and egg McMuffins like pelican. It makes me very frustrated because people said stuff like that to me when I first came here before I found out what the issue was.

Well, the reason that doctors would suggest people aren't being truthful about their food intake is that, as far as I know, there are zero studies linking antidepressants to a significant slowing of metabolism. There are studies linking them to weight gain, but the primary method of gain is thought to be an increase in appetite and greater pleasure derived from food which leads to a higher food intake. Somebody who was actually eating 1200 calories and running 5 miles a day would probably not even be able to do that for very long before their body was no longer capable of maintaining itself. I don't think there's a metabolic condition in existence that could stop you from losing weight at 1200 calories if you actually ran 5 miles a day. People seem to think that metabolic conditions can just slow your metabolism to a snail's pace and make it impossible to lose weight, and that's really not how it works. Certain health issues can slow your metabolism by a few hundred calories and make it harder to lose, yes, but no health condition or medication side effect that I know of can make it literally impossible to lose weight.

corinne1977

Hi, I have been experiencing the same thing. I'm on Zoloft and have gained about 20 lbs in less than a year. No matter how much I exercise or count calories, the weight doesn't budge. I actually just went for bloodwork a little over a week ago because my doctor wants to check for hormonal imbalances, thyroid, etc. because of the weight gain. He was very surprised to see how much weight I had gain and did mention that it could very well be the Zoloft. He mentioned perhaps putting on Prozac depending on what the results show. I will keep you updated.

starsybyll

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

I had to see 3 different doctors, get tested for hypothyroid 3 different times with 3 different complete blood workups, saw a nutritionist and a personal trainer for over a month, who both eventually just called me a lair, more or less, because I was eating an extremely low amount of calories and working out and not losing a pound before I finally had a doctor look into my medication as a cause. After the others ruled out hypo they said I must have been eating nothing but cakes all day. Even if I was (I was eating a normal 1600) it's not normal to gain a pound a day.

In my experience, and not just with this but anything medically that's ever happened to me, you need to see another doctor. If one doctor is calling you a liar, tell them you're getting a second opinion because their's is crap. It's negligence. SSRIs have been clinically linked to weight gain of over 10lbs in up to 25% of users. Usually that happens over a long period of use. My case was unique because I had just switched and after a month of use it caused my metabolism to almost completely shut down.

I think its important to have this discussion here on MFP because I see a lot of people's troubles with weight loss getting brushed off like there's no such thing as chemical or hormonal imbalances, which I've even seen multiple people here say don't exist. Millions of people are on SSRI anti depressants and 25% of those people experience problems with weight. Chances are good there are people struggling to lose weight and being told running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories or less is "not trying hard enough" or that they're straight up lying and secretly gobbling cakes and egg McMuffins like pelican. It makes me very frustrated because people said stuff like that to me when I first came here before I found out what the issue was.

I don't think there's a metabolic condition in existence that could stop you from losing weight at 1200 calories if you actually ran 5 miles a day. People seem to think that metabolic conditions can just slow your metabolism to a snail's pace and make it impossible to lose weight, and that's really not how it works. Certain health issues can slow your metabolism by a few hundred calories and make it harder to lose, yes, but no health condition or medication side effect that I know of can make it literally impossible to lose weight.

Hi. I'm right here. It happened to me. I was actually eating much less than that and cycling 12 miles a day, 5 days a week. 2 months later I didn't lose a pound. There is a lot of research that suggests it does slow metabolism because many users report being unable to lose any weight even on strict doctor-regulated diet and exercise routines.

starsybyll

Hi, I have been experiencing the same thing. I'm on Zoloft and have gained about 20 lbs in less than a year. No matter how much I exercise or count calories, the weight doesn't budge. I actually just went for bloodwork a little over a week ago because my doctor wants to check for hormonal imbalances, thyroid, etc. because of the weight gain. He was very surprised to see how much weight I had gain and did mention that it could very well be the Zoloft. He mentioned perhaps putting on Prozac depending on what the results show. I will keep you updated.

All SSRIs are linked to weight gain but it's worth trying to switch because each SSRI affects each person differently. There's also Wellbutrin which has been linked to weight loss.
It really is terrible! I hope you find out what's wrong soon.

LaneB89

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

I had to see 3 different doctors, get tested for hypothyroid 3 different times with 3 different complete blood workups, saw a nutritionist and a personal trainer for over a month, who both eventually just called me a lair, more or less, because I was eating an extremely low amount of calories and working out and not losing a pound before I finally had a doctor look into my medication as a cause. After the others ruled out hypo they said I must have been eating nothing but cakes all day. Even if I was (I was eating a normal 1600) it's not normal to gain a pound a day.

In my experience, and not just with this but anything medically that's ever happened to me, you need to see another doctor. If one doctor is calling you a liar, tell them you're getting a second opinion because their's is crap. It's negligence. SSRIs have been clinically linked to weight gain of over 10lbs in up to 25% of users. Usually that happens over a long period of use. My case was unique because I had just switched and after a month of use it caused my metabolism to almost completely shut down.

I think its important to have this discussion here on MFP because I see a lot of people's troubles with weight loss getting brushed off like there's no such thing as chemical or hormonal imbalances, which I've even seen multiple people here say don't exist. Millions of people are on SSRI anti depressants and 25% of those people experience problems with weight. Chances are good there are people struggling to lose weight and being told running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories or less is "not trying hard enough" or that they're straight up lying and secretly gobbling cakes and egg McMuffins like pelican. It makes me very frustrated because people said stuff like that to me when I first came here before I found out what the issue was.

I don't think there's a metabolic condition in existence that could stop you from losing weight at 1200 calories if you actually ran 5 miles a day. People seem to think that metabolic conditions can just slow your metabolism to a snail's pace and make it impossible to lose weight, and that's really not how it works. Certain health issues can slow your metabolism by a few hundred calories and make it harder to lose, yes, but no health condition or medication side effect that I know of can make it literally impossible to lose weight.

Hi. I'm right here. It happened to me. I was actually eating much less than that and cycling 12 miles a day, 5 days a week. 2 months later I didn't lose a pound. There is a lot of research that suggests it does slow metabolism because many users report being unable to lose any weight even on strict doctor-regulated diet and exercise routines.

You should hit up a research center and let them run studies on you, because you are likely the only person who has ever eaten so little while exercising so much and not losing weight. The truth of the matter is that no combination of metabolic problems and medications could make your TDEE THAT low. There's a limit to how efficiently your body can run itself, and beyond that your metabolism literally can't decrease more. Also, I see none of this "research" you're alluding to, so if you could point me in the direction of a peer-reviewed scientific study about metabolism and SSRIs, I'd be happy to read it.

starsybyll

About 2-3 years ago, I lost 20-25 lbs, then I was put on lamictal, and i have since gained 30 lbs. I work out 4-5x a week, i don't eat badly. I lift and I do cardio religiously for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am still the same. I have run two 5ks with my daughter. BUT I cannot seem to lose this weight, and my meds manager is adamant that it is not the meds that are making me fat. She says just to watch my diet and exercise (which I have been doing all along). But I'm not sure what else it could be. I have never felt this discouraged. I am also on zoloft. I was on trazadone, but recently switched to doxepin for insomnia.

I had to see 3 different doctors, get tested for hypothyroid 3 different times with 3 different complete blood workups, saw a nutritionist and a personal trainer for over a month, who both eventually just called me a lair, more or less, because I was eating an extremely low amount of calories and working out and not losing a pound before I finally had a doctor look into my medication as a cause. After the others ruled out hypo they said I must have been eating nothing but cakes all day. Even if I was (I was eating a normal 1600) it's not normal to gain a pound a day.

In my experience, and not just with this but anything medically that's ever happened to me, you need to see another doctor. If one doctor is calling you a liar, tell them you're getting a second opinion because their's is crap. It's negligence. SSRIs have been clinically linked to weight gain of over 10lbs in up to 25% of users. Usually that happens over a long period of use. My case was unique because I had just switched and after a month of use it caused my metabolism to almost completely shut down.

I think its important to have this discussion here on MFP because I see a lot of people's troubles with weight loss getting brushed off like there's no such thing as chemical or hormonal imbalances, which I've even seen multiple people here say don't exist. Millions of people are on SSRI anti depressants and 25% of those people experience problems with weight. Chances are good there are people struggling to lose weight and being told running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories or less is "not trying hard enough" or that they're straight up lying and secretly gobbling cakes and egg McMuffins like pelican. It makes me very frustrated because people said stuff like that to me when I first came here before I found out what the issue was.

I don't think there's a metabolic condition in existence that could stop you from losing weight at 1200 calories if you actually ran 5 miles a day. People seem to think that metabolic conditions can just slow your metabolism to a snail's pace and make it impossible to lose weight, and that's really not how it works. Certain health issues can slow your metabolism by a few hundred calories and make it harder to lose, yes, but no health condition or medication side effect that I know of can make it literally impossible to lose weight.

Hi. I'm right here. It happened to me. I was actually eating much less than that and cycling 12 miles a day, 5 days a week. 2 months later I didn't lose a pound. There is a lot of research that suggests it does slow metabolism because many users report being unable to lose any weight even on strict doctor-regulated diet and exercise routines.

You should hit up a research center and let them run studies on you, because you are likely the only person who has ever eaten so little while exercising so much and not losing weight. The truth of the matter is that no combination of metabolic problems and medications could make your TDEE THAT low. There's a limit to how efficiently your body can run itself, and beyond that your metabolism literally can't decrease more. Also, I see none of this "research" you're alluding to, so if you could point me in the direction of a peer-reviewed scientific study about metabolism and SSRIs, I'd be happy to read it.

This is why I hate MFP. You people think that everyones body chemistry is identical. Well, it happened to me and I've read dozens of reports from other people who had the exact same issues. I don't know what else to tell you. If it makes you feel better to think that everyone who has difficulty losing weight is really just a liar who eats cakes all day, go ahead and believe what you want. But I've been there. Ive read all I can on it and I've talked to other people who've been there, so I know it's true. As for the research, there isn't much being done on it. Look at the 2003 Cleveland Clinic study. Because patients gained weight even with healthy diets, there is at the very least a correlation between metabolism and SSRI use. It's hard to do research on medication though because the people who tend to fund it are drug companies and drug companies aren't going to fund studies that could damage their reputation and sales.

s_pekz

I have been on anti-depressants for about six years now. I gained weight due to my depression and then maintained for a while when I started teh SSRIs. Eventually as my depression lessened I gained weight due to an increase in appetite and finally enjoying social things again which in turn meant I didn't go to the gym. At one point a doc double my SSRI dose over night and I bloated like crazy for two months. I literally looked swollen. I was also sleeping 16 hours a day. After I stopped the doubled dose things settled down. I have been put on a different combination now and I am losing weight slowly but surely.
As someone who has been dealing with depression for over ten years I can tell you that mental health issues can impact your weight based on your level of activity or inactivity and changes in appetite, increase in social eating and social events, as well as deriving more pleasure from food. That being said if you count calories properly (measure, weigh etc) and I working at a proper calorie deficit (not too extreme but appropriate for your size and weight) and getting regular exercise if should come off slowly. If it isn't you need to see a doctor because something is wrong.

oedipa_maas

I gained like crazy on Seroquel and Paxil. Luckily my doctors helped me out by trying different meds without that side effect. There are a lot of options out there. I didn't have any weight gain with Zoloft, but boy I sympathize with you!

corinne1977

Ok folks, I got my bloodwork back and its not what I thought. My doctor made me go for more bloodwork today to test for Lupus. Not sure what all of it means but this what came back. My thyroid checked out ok along with glucose and cholesterol. Everything I've read and from asking the doctor, is that Zoloft doesn't cause a positive ANA result. Unfortunately, I do have a sister and 2 cousins with Lupus so I guess its not impossible. So if anyone has any thoughts, ideas on this I would love to hear them. Thanks.

ANA - positive Speckled 1:80 titer (high)
Red Blood Cell Count - 6.15 (high)
Hemoglobin 17.4 (high)
Hematocrit -52.2 (high)

adopp062715

I have been on generic zoloft for about a year now with a 4 month break in there. I upped my mgs from 25 to 50 and gained 30 lbs with nothing changing. That's when I stopped for a while. I'm back on the 25 mg zoloft, feel good, and am starting to lose weight again. It's going to take awhile but you can lose weight on it after gaining.

MarkR_2013

Citlopram (Celexa) caused carb cravings, but It's the only SSRI I can tolerate. I can lose weight, but it's not easy. No change in actual metabolism.

ravenmiss

There is a lot of research that suggests it does slow metabolism because many users report being unable to lose any weight even on strict doctor-regulated diet and exercise routines.

Please can you link me to these studies.

Thanks

epf82061

I wasn't logging when I was on Zoloft, but when I look at my pictures I cam see that I was heavier. Zoloft also made me very sleepy. One I switched to Wellbutrin I have more energy and it seems easier to lose weight. That's not proof of anything, though.