Just put on lexapro for anxiety... fearful of how it will affect weight loss and progress

Brocksterdanza

Anyone have experience with this? I've read reviews online that say some have gained 20-30 pounds on this drug.. but unfortunately, I need it.

cmriverside

Log your food. I think the biggest problem people find with SSRIs is that they have more energy and feel better, so many people are likely to eat more and have a livelier social life which often means more meals out or at parties etc.

If you keep track of your intake, you'll be okay. The drug itself won't cause weight gain, it's eating more.

LisaEatSleepRun

cmriverside wrote: »

The drug itself won't cause weight gain, it's eating more.

This 100%
Whenever I have started SSRI's in the past, I have been severely depressed & highly anxious with poor sleep habits & little appetite. After feeling better and gaining weight I blamed the drug. However, feeling better meant eating more & living again, hence the weight gain. I have been on Effexor (an SNRI) for 5 years and have lost 33 kg's (72 lbs) over the past year by eating less & moving more. Just log accurately & try to exercise for mental & physical health benefits & you will be fine.

Sara2652

cmriverside wrote: »

If you keep track of your intake, you'll be okay. The drug itself won't cause weight gain, it's eating more.

^This.

If you need it, take it and give it a chance. If you decide its not working do NOT just stop taking it...like I did. Rough three weeks

macgurlnet

I actually find it suppresses my appetite for a little bit. That wears off after a week or two.

Track your intake as accurately as possible. Give yourself 4 weeks of taking the medication to see how you feel. If the negative effects outweigh the positive, tell your doctor and ask about other options. You may have to try a couple to find the one that works for you.

~Lyssa

kdavid1987

Love the advice here. Meds definitely can affect our appetite and moods, but in truth, the meds themselves do not cause us to gain weight. Keep tracking your food and exercise and be honest with it and you'll do great. I hope the new med helps with your symptoms! Good luck friend

VintageFeline

I do also think there's an element of if you're told/read a med causes weight gain there's an element of it becoming a self fulfilling prophecy.

The side effect is often appetite increase which leads to weight gain. I feel like I should start a campaign that weight gain not be listed as a side effect but appetite increase which can lead to weight gain being on there instead. It's a shortening for ease but it leads to questions like this every day on the boards and mental health forums, groups etc also not really realising that it's always calories.

JBWILLOW

I was put on lexapro for anxiety. And it has changed my life completely for the better. So I do highly recommend it if your suffering from anxiety. However, I did gain 30 pounds. BUT, it is because I gave into the cravings and stuffed my face, and quit exercising(lexapro might make you super sleepy for a few weeks). I wish I could go back in time and control myself better. So my suggestion is that you watch yourself VERY good while on this medication. Continue logging and exercise. Because it can make you want to eat more. By if you watch what you eat, you should be fine. I do find it a little harder to lose the weight on the meds tho

NorthCascades

Check the listed side effects. Some antidepressants increase the appetite, sooner diminish it.

aubyshortcake

I took it years ago. I don't remember it affecting my weight any, but I had to stop taking it because it caused me to get these weird purple lumps on my fingers. I don't think that's a common side effect though lol

earlnabby

Brocksterdanza wrote: »

Anyone have experience with this? I've read reviews online that say some have gained 20-30 pounds on this drug.. but unfortunately, I need it.

Many psychoactive drugs will affect your brain's hunger signals, but they can either increase or decrease appetite. Often the same med will cause one person to feel more hunger where the next person can feel less. The important thing is to assume nothing will happen but recognize it if it is happening to you and adjust for it. Make sure you are logging accurately and that you don't fall into the "my drug wants me to eat so I will" trap. it is frequently used as an excuse and is not what is really happening. The only absolute is that you will NOT gain weight unless you eat more than you burn.

I found it easier to lose weight while taking an antidepressant (weight neutral) and antipsychotic (known for increasing hunger) because my anxiety and moods stabilized. When i am comfortable in my head, I can do anything I set my mind to.

MegaMooseEsq

NorthCascades wrote: »

Check the listed side effects. Some antidepressants increase the appetite, sooner diminish it.

And lots of drugs cause some people's appetite to increase and other people's to decrease. It's all very idiosyncratic. I think it's best to primarily focus on which drug is working for your mental health issues and keep an eye on any appetite change on the side, not try and pick a drug based on the effect on your appetite.

ETA: I started on fluoxetine (prozac) this year and it actually helped kick my weight loss into gear because it cleared up a bunch of mental energy that had been going towards being anxious all the time. It certainly causes some people to gain weight, but that wasn't a problem at all for me.

kimcalica

I lost 130 lbs all while on lexipro.. as long as you can manage your life routines, exercise, and use the education mfp gives you on macros and calories, you will be able to do it! The bigger issue is that you are still in the Guinea pig stage of your mental wellness, which can be a very tough time to lose weight. Because weight loss is all about your psychological ability to cope and the ability to see over the painful hump that starting out with fitness can feel like. Sometimes, it's just impossible for us to see that. Don't fret! Keep trying every single day! The more good you do, the more good it feels! It's really more simple than we make it. And remember, calories make us gain weight, not pills. The only weight a pill can ever put on us is water. What pill can do is aggravate your coping, making you lose your inhibitions and that's when we go to our comfort foods.