Can we lose successfully while on antidepressants?

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Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    wjbennett1960 wrote: »
    I'm on sertraline and zoplicone. I'm struggling to lose weight

    I use zoplicone - gotta love the self-induced coma! - no trouble losing weight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    fiveminutes wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    Thanks @snickerscharlie , I'm taking cipralex for my anxiety majorly along with pentoxol m which is an anti phsycotic. They have increased my appetite to a great extent . I'm trying to cut down my calories now by counting exactly with the help of this app. I hope I stop craving sweets as I'm hating myself :(

    Majority of SSRIs (what you're on) cause around 25% of people to gain weight when they use it long term. I'm currently on Wellbutrin and it's acting as an appetite suppressant for me. I have to remind myself to eat. I'm just not hungry. I was put on Wellbutrin because when I spoke to my GP, I specifically expressed that one of the reasons I didn't want to go on an anti-depressant was because of the potential to gain weight - and typically with me, if a side effect is listed, I get it :/. I would definitely talk to your GP to see if you can try another medication. Not all SSRI side effects will affect you the same way. Do some research prior to your GP visit and look up some weight-neutral anti-depressants and read the reviews of the people taking them. That way you can go in with a list and you can discuss the different options with your GP. FWIW - I'm dealing with dysthymia (now called persistent depressive disorder) and PTSD.

    Ahan , well actually u r right about wellbutrin, I did some research and found out that wellbutrin helps in losing weight! I'm definitely trying this ,after discussing with my doc ofcorse . Thanks :)

    I've been on Wellbutrin (as a stop smoking aid = Zyban) and I can attest that yes, I did lose weight because I was so freaking nauseous all the time I was on it. I also got *extremely* anxious on this med and had to quit using it.

    Not saying for a second that you would have the same results, but I do think that it's waaaay more important that you find the right medication to treat your anxiety and depression, first and foremost. If you happen to find you're eating more due to increased appetite, that should not be a reason to switch off of meds that are otherwise working for you.

    Just my 2 cents, and worth what you paid for it. :)

    Of the three types of Wellbutrin, the non-sustained released one did make me jittery, I felt off with the XL (maybe nauseous?), but the SR is just right.

    Previously, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft all had side effects I couldn't live with.

    Fen/phen was the best. Sigh.

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Yep! No problem.
    300mg Wellbutrin, 75mg lyrica, and the occasional tylenol 2's... still losing.
  • Sarahasn87
    Sarahasn87 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks everyone for your kind replies , I really appreciate that , and it's surprising how so many ppl are on antidepressants! Well good luck everybody I hope u guys are successful in whatever goals u have . Mwuah .
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    fiveminutes wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    Thanks @snickerscharlie , I'm taking cipralex for my anxiety majorly along with pentoxol m which is an anti phsycotic. They have increased my appetite to a great extent . I'm trying to cut down my calories now by counting exactly with the help of this app. I hope I stop craving sweets as I'm hating myself :(

    Majority of SSRIs (what you're on) cause around 25% of people to gain weight when they use it long term. I'm currently on Wellbutrin and it's acting as an appetite suppressant for me. I have to remind myself to eat. I'm just not hungry. I was put on Wellbutrin because when I spoke to my GP, I specifically expressed that one of the reasons I didn't want to go on an anti-depressant was because of the potential to gain weight - and typically with me, if a side effect is listed, I get it :/. I would definitely talk to your GP to see if you can try another medication. Not all SSRI side effects will affect you the same way. Do some research prior to your GP visit and look up some weight-neutral anti-depressants and read the reviews of the people taking them. That way you can go in with a list and you can discuss the different options with your GP. FWIW - I'm dealing with dysthymia (now called persistent depressive disorder) and PTSD.

    Ahan , well actually u r right about wellbutrin, I did some research and found out that wellbutrin helps in losing weight! I'm definitely trying this ,after discussing with my doc ofcorse . Thanks :)

    I've been on Wellbutrin (as a stop smoking aid = Zyban) and I can attest that yes, I did lose weight because I was so freaking nauseous all the time I was on it. I also got *extremely* anxious on this med and had to quit using it.

    Not saying for a second that you would have the same results, but I do think that it's waaaay more important that you find the right medication to treat your anxiety and depression, first and foremost. If you happen to find you're eating more due to increased appetite, that should not be a reason to switch off of meds that are otherwise working for you.

    Just my 2 cents, and worth what you paid for it. :)

    I definitely agree..it may be the right medication for you or it may not. My friend takes it and it helps her a lot, whereas I had a very bad experience with it when I was on it. However, I was still considered an adolescent when I took it, and I think they warn about being extra cautious with adolescents, so that may have contributed to the negative experience I had.

    I currently take Prozac (generic, Fluoxetine) and I find that I am frequently hungry on it, but I'm not sure if that's a result of the medication or not, since I've been on it for so long.

  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    fiveminutes wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    Thanks @snickerscharlie , I'm taking cipralex for my anxiety majorly along with pentoxol m which is an anti phsycotic. They have increased my appetite to a great extent . I'm trying to cut down my calories now by counting exactly with the help of this app. I hope I stop craving sweets as I'm hating myself :(

    Majority of SSRIs (what you're on) cause around 25% of people to gain weight when they use it long term. I'm currently on Wellbutrin and it's acting as an appetite suppressant for me. I have to remind myself to eat. I'm just not hungry. I was put on Wellbutrin because when I spoke to my GP, I specifically expressed that one of the reasons I didn't want to go on an anti-depressant was because of the potential to gain weight - and typically with me, if a side effect is listed, I get it :/. I would definitely talk to your GP to see if you can try another medication. Not all SSRI side effects will affect you the same way. Do some research prior to your GP visit and look up some weight-neutral anti-depressants and read the reviews of the people taking them. That way you can go in with a list and you can discuss the different options with your GP. FWIW - I'm dealing with dysthymia (now called persistent depressive disorder) and PTSD.

    Ahan , well actually u r right about wellbutrin, I did some research and found out that wellbutrin helps in losing weight! I'm definitely trying this ,after discussing with my doc ofcorse . Thanks :)

    Wellbutrin isn't an SSRI. It has different chemical actions and risks than SSRIs, and might or might not be appropriate for you. I've lost weight while taking Celexa, which is an SSRI, similar to Lexapro. My understanding is that the older, less selective SSRIs, like Prozac and Zoloft, are more likely to be associated with weight gain.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    While some anti-depressants can increase your appetite, that doesn't mean you HAVE to gain weight. You need to take control of your eating habits, and only then can you start losing weight. I'm on Wellbutrin, and I've lost weight. It actually helped in that it helped me keep a more positive attitude about things. A more positive attitude = feeling better about myself = giving me better control of my habits.

    What I did was start small. Logged for a week while eating normally, just to see what my baseline was. Then, I made one change and gave myself time to get used to it. After a couple weeks, I adjusting something else. Thing is, when I made that adjustment and could stick with it, that helped make me feel better about what I was doing and helped me keep on track. Small goals, but all part of a big whole. It's perfectly ok to make small milestone goals within your big one. That will give you a sense of accomplishment, which helps when things get hard.
  • fiveminutes
    fiveminutes Posts: 30 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Just know that it might not have that effect on you. I was really hoping for the appetite suppression myself, but alas, it was not to be.

    The appetite suppression comes and goes with me as well. The last couple of days, I've had to remind myself to eat, because I wasn't getting the hunger indications. Today though, I'm sure I could have eaten a whole cow!
  • fiveminutes
    fiveminutes Posts: 30 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    fiveminutes wrote: »
    Sarahasn87 wrote: »
    Thanks @snickerscharlie , I'm taking cipralex for my anxiety majorly along with pentoxol m which is an anti phsycotic. They have increased my appetite to a great extent . I'm trying to cut down my calories now by counting exactly with the help of this app. I hope I stop craving sweets as I'm hating myself :(

    Majority of SSRIs (what you're on) cause around 25% of people to gain weight when they use it long term. I'm currently on Wellbutrin and it's acting as an appetite suppressant for me. I have to remind myself to eat. I'm just not hungry. I was put on Wellbutrin because when I spoke to my GP, I specifically expressed that one of the reasons I didn't want to go on an anti-depressant was because of the potential to gain weight - and typically with me, if a side effect is listed, I get it :/. I would definitely talk to your GP to see if you can try another medication. Not all SSRI side effects will affect you the same way. Do some research prior to your GP visit and look up some weight-neutral anti-depressants and read the reviews of the people taking them. That way you can go in with a list and you can discuss the different options with your GP. FWIW - I'm dealing with dysthymia (now called persistent depressive disorder) and PTSD.

    Ahan , well actually u r right about wellbutrin, I did some research and found out that wellbutrin helps in losing weight! I'm definitely trying this ,after discussing with my doc ofcorse . Thanks :)

    I've been on Wellbutrin (as a stop smoking aid = Zyban) and I can attest that yes, I did lose weight because I was so freaking nauseous all the time I was on it. I also got *extremely* anxious on this med and had to quit using it.

    Not saying for a second that you would have the same results, but I do think that it's waaaay more important that you find the right medication to treat your anxiety and depression, first and foremost. If you happen to find you're eating more due to increased appetite, that should not be a reason to switch off of meds that are otherwise working for you.

    Just my 2 cents, and worth what you paid for it. :)

    Of the three types of Wellbutrin, the non-sustained released one did make me jittery, I felt off with the XL (maybe nauseous?), but the SR is just right.

    Previously, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft all had side effects I couldn't live with.

    Fen/phen was the best. Sigh.

    I'm currently on XL. At first it made me feel like I was always light headed, but that went away after a couple of days. I'm still on the testing phase with it though. Not quite sure how I feel about it though, so I might b changing meds in October

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