Antidepressants and weight gain.

TheUnwritten

Anyone on antidepressants and gained some weight? I've been on 60mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and amitriptyline 25mg at night for about 6 months. During that time I've put on 40lbs! I'm now feeling really depressed about my weight now. My co workers are now noticing my weight increase which add more stress. During my work week I eat around 2,000 calories and try to be more active when I can. I'm a janitor at a college and at times it can get pretty busy with a lot of bending and moving around. On the weekend I do binge to be honest. I pretty much eat what I deprive myself of during the week. I tell myself in my head that I eat good during the week and I should just enjoy life during the weekends. These are excuses I know. I remembered before I was on any antidepressants I did the same thing during the weekends and just had the usual bloat and water weight for a few days. Having a one year old baby and the daily stress may have added to more emotional eating on those days maybe but I'm at a point where I wanna call my doctor and ask for a different medication option.

lainy1979

I've been on different combinations of meds for many years and it isn't until recently I believe my weight may have been affected. I've been on Mertazapine for around 3 months now and I can honestly say i've noticed a gain of around 14lb but i started taking them in December just before Christmas so that could be down to overeating!

My GP did tell me that weight gain is a major side effect and the prospect terrifies me. My fear was made worse by googling it and reading post after post by people who have gained tremendous amounts of weight and can't shift any of it despite calorie counting and being active.

Well I've managed to lose 10lb so far so it can be done. Out of every type of medication I've been prescribed the benefits of Mertazapine are far too great for me to try an alternative so I'm prepared to risk battling with my weight for the foreseeable future. I suppose you should also look at the pros & cons and how your medication helps you to overcome your issues?

kshama2001

TheUnwritten wrote: »

Anyone on antidepressants and gained some weight? I've been on 60mg fluoxetine (Prozac) and amitriptyline 25mg at night for about 6 months. During that time I've put on 40lbs! I'm now feeling really depressed about my weight now. My co workers are now noticing my weight increase which add more stress. During my work week I eat around 2,000 calories and try to be more active when I can. I'm a janitor at a college and at times it can get pretty busy with a lot of bending and moving around. On the weekend I do binge to be honest. I pretty much eat what I deprive myself of during the week. I tell myself in my head that I eat good during the week and I should just enjoy life during the weekends. These are excuses I know. I remembered before I was on any antidepressants I did the same thing during the weekends and just had the usual bloat and water weight for a few days. Having a one year old baby and the daily stress may have added to more emotional eating on those days maybe but I'm at a point where I wanna call my doctor and ask for a different medication option.

Sure, you could try a different medication. I hated Prozac and love Wellbutrin. However, you'll still need to revise your thinking about the weekends. Maybe also ask your doctor for a referral to someone who does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is the most effective therapy for binge eating.

TheUnwritten

Thank you a lot for the information. I've got to get help for this eating I do.

RespectTheKitty

I firmly believe I would not have had a weight problem were it not for the antidepressants I had to take. I used to be skinny, but since starting medication my weight just started to go up and up and up, until there I was at 255 pounds. Unfortunately, I think it's because these medications increase your appetite quite a bit, so I just ate and ate and ate. Since I started rethinking what I put into my mouth and really watching calories, I've been able to take off a little weight, and I'm still working on it. My doctor switched my meds to something that has a lesser chance of weight gain (Latuda) as well, which helps, I think.

I've been on seemingly every dang medication for depression and bipolar there is in the last 20 years. Some made me gain, some made me lose, one made my hair fall out which was just lovely. There are now certain medications I will refuse to take because I know they caused significant weight gain (I'm looking at you, Abilify). I will have to be on some sort of meds the rest of my life, so I really need to be careful about what I eat and also make sure I exercise.

momo_t90

I'm on 200mg Lamictal, 60mg Duloxetine (Cymbalta), and 37.5mg Trazadone. I just recently got off Abilify (following my doctor's order) and I strongly believed it caused me weight gain. From the time that I started it I gained 34 lbs. The problem was it was making me hungrier than normal making me feel the need to eat more. I also wasn't keeping track of what I was eating, so I guess that's also partly to blame. I've been off of it for about a week now, and I started watching what I eat. I've lost 3 lbs -- the start of a long journey to better health.

I'd say definitely work with your doctor and consider changing medicine. The first time I experienced depression I was put on cymbalta and abilify. This time around I have a different doctor and she put me on the other medications, and eventually we found the abilify to be unnecessary.

VintageFeline

Psych meds caused me to put on the majority of my weight and I was already overweight. They increase your appetite so it becomes essential to keep a grip on what you're eating, easier said than done though. You can try different meds but most psychoactive medications have increased appetite as a side effect so it's really going to come down to addressing how you deal with the increased appetite, whether it's finding ways to distract from the hunger or switching to volume eating lower calorie foods so that you can stay satisfied within your calorie goal.

ames105

Please consult with your doctor. When I experienced this side effect, they were able to change me to a different med that typically suppresses appetite. Of course, it all depends on what works for you, your brain chemistry. And, that doesn't mean the weight will drop back off either.

Depression makes it very hard to be interested in anything, including a diet and exercise, even when you feel at your worst. So start small. Just go for a walk every day, even if its ten minutes (30 would be better). Stick with it, no matter what, for 3-4 weeks. Those natural endorphins will start kicking and will help alleviate the depression. Make more small changes then or you may actually start to feel like sticking to a diet and exercise kind of program. Don't overwhelm yourself though, that happens easily with depression. Hang in there!! Good luck.

beanaj

I feel your struggle! I gained 50lbs in 6months after starting Prozac. I had just lost 25lbs and was so happy about it, only to double the gain back. I talked to my doctor and was put on Wellbutrin, which stopped the speeding gain, but left me stalled no matter what I did. I decided the weight gain was making my depression 10x's, no 1000x's worse so I stopped taking all meds (talk to your doctor first!!) and now use exercise as my antidepressant. It's still hard, and I know not everyone can do this, and I still have to put up with bad days or strings of bad days, but to me it's worth it. It took me 2 months of not taking any medication to finally see a small change in my weight and feel happy on my up days. Good luck. I know the pain and it's real.

wannabtight

momo_t90 wrote: »

I'm on 200mg Lamictal, 60mg Duloxetine (Cymbalta), and 37.5mg Trazadone. I just recently got off Abilify (following my doctor's order) and I strongly believed it caused me weight gain. From the time that I started it I gained 34 lbs. The problem was it was making me hungrier than normal making me feel the need to eat more. I also wasn't keeping track of what I was eating, so I guess that's also partly to blame. I've been off of it for about a week now, and I started watching what I eat. I've lost 3 lbs -- the start of a long journey to better health.

I'd say definitely work with your doctor and consider changing medicine. The first time I experienced depression I was put on cymbalta and abilify. This time around I have a different doctor and she put me on the other medications, and eventually we found the abilify to be unnecessary.

I'm on cymbalta 120mg trazadone 200mg and Abilify and I put on over 40lbs. I am working hard to get it off, exercising and eating better and the weight is coming off. When i was on Wellbutrin I never gained any weight. Think I should talk to my Dr too!

Squirrel698

Wellbutrin is recommended. When I was on it, I lost a bunch of weight without even trying. Currently I'm med free.

Beautiful baby, by the way. Congratulations.

TheUnwritten

Thanks everyone. I do feel much better after reading the post you people wrote. Tells me I'm not alone. I'm gonna call my doctor tomorrow.

martanner

Antidepressants can do that. I've been on all kinds. I also lost weight when I got off Prozac and onto welbutrin and zoloft. Then after a proper diagnosis they took me off zoloft and put me on abilify which is a mood stabilizer and I gained weight again. IF YOUR MEDS ARE WORKING DON'T STOP. so many times in my life I stopped taking my meds but I really do need them. Id rather be happy above all else, even if I do have to work harder to be fit.

momo_t90

If you ask your doctor to try other meds be prepared for an experimentation phase and the possibility of them not working. If you don't want to face the possibility of experiencing worsening depression for a temporary amount of time, then don't change your meds. It's basically a gamble. The good thing is if Prozac works for you, and nothing else does, you have the safety net of going back on Prozac. My doctor tried me on welbutrin because it can help you lose weight, but I had a bad experience on it, so I was taken off of it. Not everyone reacts the same way to all medication. The only way of knowing is by trial and error under a doctor's supervision. (This means more frequent doctors visits.)

Good luck and I wish you the best!

CrazyMermaid1

I'm on Geodon and Wellbutrin. Geodon is supposed to be weight neutral and a side effect is appetite suppression.

Sabine_Stroehm

You all have my utmost respect. Cheers on combining weight loss with meds that make it harder.

I say that as someone who recently discovered that a prescription med has, as a side effect, significant weight loss. I've opted to stop it, as maintaining in menopause is hard enough.

cheers!