Anti-Depressants and Weightloss

BoomstickChick

I lost a lot of weight back before my thyroid went whacky. I was on prozac. I never gained from it at all, but I did lose about 40 lbs.

graceylou222

I have been wondering the same thing. I just started on Lexapro in July and I have gained back 10 lbs instantly. Wondering if that had anything to do with my weight gain. I have still been counting calories and eating at 1240 cal. I haven't been working out as much as I was bc of school after work now, but I don't think that is grounds for me to gain 10 lbs instantly?

Sarah_LM

No drug pulls fat out of thin air and slaps it onto your *kitten*. It may make you feel more hungry but it's you that puts the food in your mouth. Finding something else to do instead of eat is a win/win situation. You get some exercise away from the food and you burn some calories to help with weight loss. Exercise also increases endorphins which will help with your mood naturally.

No drug pulls fat out of thin air and slaps it on your *kitten*. But:

1. Feeling constantly starving is difficult to ignore and
2. Doctors suspect antidepressant drugs may affect metabolism, although this has not been definately proven or disproven.

Maybe try not having an attitude about a topic you clearly have very little knowledge of.

OP, I have no solutions but I hope that the medication helps you. If you do gain weight, there are many other tablets you could try.

Why would you assume (you know what happens when you *kitten* U ME) that I know nothing about this topic? I agreed it may make you feel hungry and I'll grant you that may be hard to ignore but you CAN eat a bucket of carrots to appease the hunger rather than 2 double Big Macs (not saying the OP would do so). There are ways to deal with drug side effects rather than just going with the "Oh well, it's not my fault" approach.

I assume you know nothing about this topic because if you did you wouldn't be stating information which is incorrect.

Peer reviewed, double blind studies suggest that in some cases, weight gain on antidepressants and other psychiatric medication is because of metabolic changes, for example a decrease in basal metabolic rate, rather than or as well as an increase in appetite.

I am not saying people should say "Oh well, it's not my fault". Where do I say that? But there is no need for you to be so unpleasant based on your incorrect assumptions.

lilfurson

I take generic versions of lexapro & wellbutrin. I exercise 1-2 times a day and need to be very strict on my eating to not gain weight. I can't say it's an issue with the meds or if I just don't control my eating when I'm not strict. I'm the same way with money. If i'm not tracking it I'm spending it and not saving.

Espressocycle

I gained 20 lbs when I went on Celexa. It was very easy for me to lose that weight. It's been a lot harder for me to get and stay below the weight I was before I went on it though. My body really wants to weigh 210. In any case, without Celexa, I would pretty much have to become an alcoholic, and all that booze would be fattening too.

chunkydunk714

I gained when I was on prozac and because of that I stopped taking it. Im now on Wellbutrin and the weight is slowly coming off It doesnt make me obsess about food like prozac did. It was awful.

celadontea

I gained 38 lbs from anti-depressants. I'm finally off them (with my depression back), but it feels like the weight hardly will come off now. They have been shown to reduce the way your metabolism functions.

celadontea

By the way I gained while eating only applesauce, vegetables, and some soup because I was so nauseous I could barley think about food. Try different medications. Count your calories and print your food report and show it to your doctor if they don't believe you.

silvergurl518

i'm on lexapro for anxiety and OCD and it's VERY difficult to lose weight. but truthfully, i need to overhaul my food intake/diet. i work out a lot, but you know what they say: abs are made in the kitchen. weight loss is 80% from diet and 20% from exercise.

jhloves2knit

bump

Mokey41

No drug pulls fat out of thin air and slaps it onto your *kitten*. It may make you feel more hungry but it's you that puts the food in your mouth. Finding something else to do instead of eat is a win/win situation. You get some exercise away from the food and you burn some calories to help with weight loss. Exercise also increases endorphins which will help with your mood naturally.

No drug pulls fat out of thin air and slaps it on your *kitten*. But:

1. Feeling constantly starving is difficult to ignore and
2. Doctors suspect antidepressant drugs may affect metabolism, although this has not been definately proven or disproven.

Maybe try not having an attitude about a topic you clearly have very little knowledge of.

OP, I have no solutions but I hope that the medication helps you. If you do gain weight, there are many other tablets you could try.

Why would you assume (you know what happens when you *kitten* U ME) that I know nothing about this topic? I agreed it may make you feel hungry and I'll grant you that may be hard to ignore but you CAN eat a bucket of carrots to appease the hunger rather than 2 double Big Macs (not saying the OP would do so). There are ways to deal with drug side effects rather than just going with the "Oh well, it's not my fault" approach.

I assume you know nothing about this topic because if you did you wouldn't be stating information which is incorrect.

Peer reviewed, double blind studies suggest that in some cases, weight gain on antidepressants and other psychiatric medication is because of metabolic changes, for example a decrease in basal metabolic rate, rather than or as well as an increase in appetite.

I am not saying people should say "Oh well, it's not my fault". Where do I say that? But there is no need for you to be so unpleasant based on your incorrect assumptions.

Ok, let's get your story straight here expert. Is it "2. Doctors suspect antidepressant drugs may affect metabolism, although this has not been definately proven or disproven." or " Peer reviewed, double blind studies suggest that in some cases, weight gain on antidepressants and other psychiatric medication is because of metabolic changes, for example a decrease in basal metabolic rate, rather than or as well as an increase in appetite. "?

And either way if your BMR decreases then you decrease your food intake or increase your activity. Not rocket science. BMR can decrease for lots of reasons but it still isn't a reason to gain weight. You deal with the issues as they come. If you must know, I was on a medication that was one of the ones that reports weight gain. Yup, because it made me very lethargic and hungry. After 20 lbs I'd had enough of that and stopped taking it while investigating some anti drug approaches which have worked well for almost 10 years now.

dorkof82

I'm on Wellbutrin, Prozac and Buspirone. The Wellbutrin and Buspirone are for anxiety,and the Wellbutrin and Prozac for depression and binge eating. I've been on these the entire time I've been losing weight. I do low carb and exercise 7 days a week, it has been the toughest journey of my life but I'm gettin it done.

KateK8LoseW8

I'm on Viibryd and Doxepin and have lost weight just fine.

pinkraynedropjacki

I have depression, anxiety, ADHD, ODD and a few other issues. I used to take St Johns Wort for it & was all good. Now I take Swisse brand MOOD tablets & am even better.... when I remember to take them. 100% natural & well let's say I love them. They saved my life

admegamo

I have depression, anxiety, ADHD, ODD and a few other issues. I used to take St Johns Wort for it & was all good. Now I take Swisse brand MOOD tablets & am even better.... when I remember to take them. 100% natural & well let's say I love them. They saved my life

I have tried some natural remedies but after awhile they would stop working. I wouldn't mind looking into different types though.

pinkraynedropjacki

I have depression, anxiety, ADHD, ODD and a few other issues. I used to take St Johns Wort for it & was all good. Now I take Swisse brand MOOD tablets & am even better.... when I remember to take them. 100% natural & well let's say I love them. They saved my life

I have tried some natural remedies but after awhile they would stop working. I wouldn't mind looking into different types though.

St Johns wort is a tricky one. If you have taken a particular type of medicated anti-depressant then it can be dangerous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_wort

Great fact sheet here

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/StJohnswort.pdf

snsmyth

I am on Wellbutrin and Effexor and lost weight fairly normally.

BlackPup

I've gained weight on meds in the past and my psychiatrist has worked with me to find some that have the least side effects. I still have 10 kg to lose from my most recent med inspired weight gain.
A couple of points:
Exercise is an awesome antidepressant, but it's really hard to do when you are depressed. You need 30 min once a day to get an effect but it doesn't have to be really intense, going for a fast walk is enough. I ride an exercise bike so that it is not weather dependant and I can do it while my baby sleeps.
As hard as it is to control your eating on meds, counting calories does work. If its too hard to eat at a deficient then just try not to gain for a while.

pinkraynedropjacki

I am on Wellbutrin and Effexor and lost weight fairly normally.

Effexor had a bad reaction with me. It would make me fall asleep within seconds of sitting down, I had no control at all. I went off that cold turkey & felt like I was being zapped all the time.

Best thing I ever did was go off prescription meds.

dmitriunkovsky

I take Zoloft and I still have managed to lose weight recently. Zoloft isn't considered to be one of the major weight gain antidepressants, but I also take Topamax for nocturnal epilepsy, and it might counteract any weight gain I would experience otherwise, as Topamax has that side effect.

I can also inform you that Topamax IS sometimes used as a weight loss tool to counteract antidepressant weight gain. Have you talked to your doctor about medicines like this?