Starting Effexor today after 10 months on Zoloft-gained 35 lbs on Zoloft! Anyone on Effexor?!

tinab24

Hi everyone!

For 17 years of my life to date I have hate anxiety/depression issues. I was on Lexapro a large chunk of my life, but after time it stopped working, and I felt very lazy on it. Last December I decided it was time to get back on a anxiety/depression med after having my son, and working crazy hours as a nanny, while bringing him along, as my husband worked third shift. Third shift is horrible! We never saw him, and I really was a single mother raising my son alone. We ended up moving further away from family further this time, so I really didn't and still don't have family to help out weekdays, so I make my son pretty much run every errand/doctor appointment....etc...

Well Zoloft made me gain 30-35 lbs! Listen I like sugar stuff never did before, but I eat one time a day. In this time there is no way I'm eating close to 2,000 calories. I'll have a big bowl of total cereal and skim milk, or a sandwich. I do eat at night after work, but I know that cannot be the reason for the weight gain. This medicine has to have had a role in this much weight. Mind you I am on my feet all day. I nanny 3 kids 13 hours a day. The weekends I clean my house like every other parent that works. We don't go out to eat often at all, or over take out. I have an ice cream bar or bowl on the weekends. I switched to light milk and stevia no calorie sugar years ago. I don't drink soda.

Well, anyways today I start Effexor. I am new to this medicine. I strictly let this new doctor I saw I cannot have a medicine that cause weight gain, like this is unhealthy. He said this will work, with my additional xanax when needed. My old doctor who was a pychatrist gave me Klonopin, this new doctor made it sound like klonopin was the worst drug in the world. I thought it was a life saver when needed if I had a panic attack, and especially helpful for insomnia which I have had for as long as I known. He now wants me on Xanax. From all the reading I do, I thought Xanax was the drug to not be on. ????????? It's like two completely separate doctors telling me two things. Like aren't they suppose to know what they are handing out.

Anyways!!!!! Sorry I can go on and on.....I really would like some SUPPORTIVE members who have been or are currently using Effexor help me. Please tell me side effects, and any other information that can be useful. I have read way to many different stories about weight loss to weight gain. Does this medicine curb your appetite, does it cause sugar cravings? Does it cause you to feel completely sick? I'm not scared of all that I lived through detox, and stopping and starting and restarting medicines. So, just any info you can share about this drug. I just need some support right now. On top of being depressed, this weight gain was just a slap in the face that just has made me cry since yesterdays appointment. I knew I put on some weight, but 30 lbs is ALOT. Like I feel so disgusted about myself, I feel like my husband thinks I'm nasty, and we have our own personal marriage problems too. My son is 3 and sees me cry and just hugs me and tells me he loves me. God Bless children. There love and innocence is just a blessing.

Thank you all! I'm so sorry for the super long, and probably off topic half the time post. LOL

MichelleSilverleaf

As someone who's struggled A LOT with anxiety and depression in the past, I think you need more than just meds. Therapy would probably help a lot in helping you get to the root of various issues, instead of just trying to deal with the symptoms. Not to say meds are bad, they do help a lot of people but sometimes using them in conjunction with therapy can help further. I would push your doc to get you a referral to someone for anxiety and depression. My doc before he retired stressed to me that meds wouldn't fix the problem, and I believe in most cases he was right. Meds won't entirely fix your problem, and it sounds like depression is hitting you HARD. I will say though, I was on lorazepam for my panic attacks for awhile, for the same reason you have klonopin. Yes it helps with panic attacks and that's great, the problem with those meds is that you can gradually get used to them and they start to lose their effectiveness. Lorazepam in my case also had the potential to be addictive, and that freaked me out. Therapy gave me better tools to deal with my anxiety.

This has a breakdown of Effexor: https://www.drugs.com/effexor.html Thing you have to be careful with, when hearing other peoples' experiences is that they could be attributing a side effect to the wrong cause. And, as unpleasant as it may be to think about, without tracking what you were eating you could still very easily be overdoing it. Start tracking to get an idea, that's the first steps to figuring out the solution.

RodaRose

Are you seeing a general practitioner or a psychiatrist?
Are you logging your food everyday?
Do you get enough sleep? Not sleeping can mess up hunger signals and help cause weight gain.

jasummers76

For me working with a therapist and pdoc who wasn't just a pill Pusher. Through therapy I was more able to be aware of a depression setting in and would use some of my coping skills or up my dosage for a few days. This will usually stop it for lasting very long. The higher my dosages are the easier it is for me to gain weight.

jasummers76

Xanax is a great medication to use for a accute panic attack. Xanax does not last long in the body however and is usually not prescribed for generalized anxiety disorders. If he has you taking Xanax daily as your main anxiety medication find a new doctor. Over time with daily use you will build up a tolerance and it will not work as intended.

Nony_Mouse

I was on Effexor a few years ago, and hate to tell you, but I gained weight. Fast. But, that's because I was a complete slug who ate too much and didn't move. I didn't even attempt to counter that, so if you are being mindful of what goes in your mouth, that won't necessarily happen to you. I don't actually think the medication increased my appetite, I just made horrendous food choices because I didn't care enough not to. I do think it made me less inclined to move, which didn't help to counter all the pizza.

Effexor can have some pretty nasty side effects, especially at higher doses (and coming off a high dose can be a b*tch), but that is always going to be an individual thing. I was on a low dose, but even that, the first week (on half dose) I felt stoned out of my wee gourd, and not in a nice way. No issues coming off (I tapered slowly), and once I actually paid attention to my diet the weight came off easily (actually started losing, because I was tracking, when I was tapering, and don't recall any horrendous appetite issues).

Alatariel75

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

I was on Effexor a few years ago, and hate to tell you, but I gained weight. Fast. But, that's because I was a complete slug who ate too much and didn't move. I didn't even attempt to counter that, so if you are being mindful of what goes in your mouth, that won't necessarily happen to you. I don't actually think the medication increased my appetite, I just made horrendous food choices because I didn't care enough not to. I do think it made me less inclined to move, which didn't help to counter all the pizza.

Effexor can have some pretty nasty side effects, especially at higher doses (and coming off a high dose can be a b*tch), but that is always going to be an individual thing. I was on a low dose, but even that, the first week (on half dose) I felt stoned out of my wee gourd, and not in a nice way. No issues coming off (I tapered slowly), and once I actually paid attention to my diet the weight came off easily (actually started losing, because I was tracking, when I was tapering, and don't recall any horrendous appetite issues).

Unfortunately, I have to mirror this. I went on Effexor and gain a hell of a lot of weight, very fast. It made me a slug, and I just ate and ate. But forewarned is forearmed. It's not the medication itself that makes you put on weight, its the way you behave while taking it, so you'll just need to be vigilant about how you eat and move on it.

dwilliamca

I take Effexor and Abilify. Can't remember how long, but seems about a year or so. Been on so many over the years. Can't say that I gained any more weight on one than the other, as I've been gaining steadily for years. I went off Depakote for shaking and I think that is when I started these two. Can't think of any side effects I've had. I'm stabilized (bipolar depression and anxiety attacks). Now I'm on MFP I'm losing weight at a good pace, so don't think I can blame anyone or thing but me and my overeating.

jasummers76

dwilliamca wrote: »

I take Effexor and Abilify. Can't remember how long, but seems about a year or so. Been on so many over the years. Can't say that I gained any more weight on one than the other, as I've been gaining steadily for years. I went off Depakote for shaking and I think that is when I started these two. Can't think of any side effects I've had. I'm stabilized (bipolar depression and anxiety attacks). Now I'm on MFP I'm losing weight at a good pace, so don't think I can blame anyone or thing but me and my overeating.

You are right in a sense about the medication not being the sole reason for weight gain "some medications are clinically shown to make you gain weight" but I too am Bipolar and when I wasn't on the right meds those depression episodes would zap my energy and I could care less about what I ate and then I just wanted to sleep too escape the depression. During the manic episodes I would want instant gratification and go for the best tasting and usually not the healthiest foods.

darlamiller

Well I have taken them all !! I get used to them fast and they have to switch me !! I am now on Wellbutrin and Effexor and have been for 2 years that’s a long time for me!! They haven’t caused me weight gain !! And I take Xanax for panic attack’s!!
Now I will tell you I felt good on ability but it packed it on soon as I went off without changing anything I dropped the weight !! What I like about Effexor is it’s more upbeat it doesn’t make you feel tired and draggy!!!
Good luck!!!