Anti-depressants and weight loss?

Anng1988 · January 2014

Hey everyone,
I'm wondering if there are any woman out there who are on any type of anti depressant who has managed to lose a lot of weight. I'm on paxil, and I need to lose 120 lbs but I big side effect of the medication has been weight GAIN, and I can't switch meds. Just looking for support or success stories from people who have dealt with this.
Thanks!

ldyalivad1 · January 2014

I am on 20mg do Prozac and I have currently lost 41lbs in the last 100 days! I have been eating 1200 calories a day, doing 30-40 minutes of cardio a day and drinking 100+ oz of water a day! I also quit smoking 5 months ago! It can be done! Less calories + more moving = weight loss! I intend to lose another 80lbs for a total of 120 lbs loss in a year (October) YOU CAN DO IT!!!

GlutenFreeWench · January 2014

Even with my weight loss, I'm still on my meds. Crazy pills and all.

So I feel you. I will say that you definitely have to track your exercise and make sure you get in enough water to compensate for that additional hunger the meds add in - it'll make you feel more full and more satiated.

Watch every bite you eat- try to get in more macronutrients:) Don't cut anything crazy out:)

You can do it though:) Don't go into it with a negative mindset:) And start out small. Like a small snowball rolling downhill:)

smaugish · January 2014

Are you a mental health worker?

Synchronicity · January 2014

No offense... but telling someone to "get off the pills" is irresponsible. You have no idea what her medical history is.

@OP,

You can do it. It's hard, but possible! Good luck.

anaconda469 · January 2014

I take 200 mg Lemictal, and I have been losing. Being on Paxil it will be slow, but you will make it.

Kevalicious99 · January 2014

I have been on anti-depressants for most of the last 20 years and well .. this September I stopped taking them. Why .. cause exercise is my new drug. I just don't need the anti-depressant anymore. Totally agree with the above .. it can be done.

But honestly .. I think that the anti-depressant doesn't make you gain weight ... it is the depression working its magic and usually combined with bad eating habits that causes the weight gain, and it gets blamed on the pill.

holly1283 · January 2014

If you are clinically depressed DO NOT go off your meds. Bad advice. Talk to your doctor. I have been on antidepressants for the last 20+ years. celexa worked for me, now I'm on lexapro. If you really have a chemical imbalance in your brain you need those meds. I had lost 77 lbs. while on these meds. My thyroid caused more problems than the depression this last year and gained some back. It can be done.

Vegan_85 · January 2014

I explain this more on the bio on my profile, but I gained 35lb on Seroxat (Paxil). I managed to lose the weight between August and June the following year. Most of the time, I stuck to a net intake of 1,200 calories. I only exercised for the first few months, though it was 70 minutes a few times a week, on the rowing machine.

However, I stopped Paxil that November, since it was making my symptoms a lot worse. I'd been on it for two years at the time. My appetite gradually went back to normal a few months later, so I'm certain that Paxil made me feel abnormally hungry during the beginning of the diet. I used caffeine as an appetite suppressant, so you could try that.

A few weeks ago, I started lithium. It's also associated with weight gain. This time, however, I'm watching what I eat. Rather than gaining, I've actually lost weight. For the first year or two on Paxil, I ate whatever I felt like, since I'd never had a problem with my weight before. That was really the problem. The medication itself can't make you gain weight; eating an excessive amount of calories will.

* I was on the highest dose of Paxil (60mg here), and my appetite increased with the dose.

StephyGetsHealthy · January 2014

This.

Anyways, to the OP.
I'm on antidepressants, and although I haven't lost a lot of weight (yet), I've been losing steadily. It's possible.

holly1283 · January 2014

Vegan_85 · January 2014

Prozac isn't associated with dramatic weight gain. Paxil works differently to the other SSRIs, and is generally used when other medications have been tried and failed.

jld1675 · January 2014

If a mental health professional prescribed anti-depressants, she should take them. To tell someone to just stop taking them is irresponsible and dangerous. It also implies that depression isn't a real disease, which it most definitely is.

nomeejerome · January 2014

Lifestyle changes (improved nutrition, increased exercise and other behavioral changes) can be positive for people who have mild or situational depression, but in some scenarios, medication is needed for daily function. Depending on the med, it can be potentially dangerous to make such a blanket statement.

OP:
It is still possible to lose weight on medication, but you will have to work extra hard at it, while you are facing symptoms.

funkyspunky872 · January 2014

Says someone who's probably never dealt with severe depression...

SusieQLondon · January 2014

I'm on 10 mg of Cipralex and am able to lose weight when I follow my diet (1200 calories/day) and walk to/from work every day (1 hr. of walking total at medium intensity). I've found my mood does improve with the daily walk and so I feel less urge to eat "emotionally" (ie. comfort myself or binge). I would not go off my medication without consulting your doctor, if I were you. I've stopped my medication at times and been hit with mood swings and high irritability and anxiety all over again. I believe you can lose weight even on medication and when you feel ready to decrease your meds, do so with the advice of your doctor. Something else that will help your moods is to take a good daily vitamin supplement and Omega-3 fish oil and vitamin D supplements. If you read a good book on food nutrition, you will find advice on nutrients that will help your body naturally manufacture more serotonin and dopamine. Unfortunately most shrinks (and mine is no exception) don't bother to advise you on the importance of good nutrition and exercise for mental health, I had to find this out for myself. Good luck! Susie

Vegan_85 · January 2014

Lamotrigine is different since it's both a mood stabiliser (not SSRI) and generally doesn't cause weight gain. I'm glad that it's working for you. I tried that one before lithium, but a single pill resulted in a trip to A&E to get steroids through a drip, after my lips became swollen, I couldn't swallow and developed a full-body rash. It's a safe drug for a lot of people, but they have no idea who'll have a serious allergy to it. If the OP for some reason decides to switch to this, she should ask them to start her on a very lose dose.

While I don't agree with the "Get off the meds! Diet and exercise are better!" post, I do agree that there are medications that are equally effective and less associated with weight gain. You could ask to switch to another type.

LVCeltGirl · January 2014

No experience on Paxil (Paxil made me sleepy, nothing more so it didn't really work for me) but experience on Prozac. And I've lost (and gained because I wasn't serious about keeping it off) something like 50 lbs on Prozac, around 10 years ago. I did learn that as I lost weight, I was able to lower my dosage and get off the anti-depressants all together. It is true that exercise is actually one of the best anti-depressants out there.

Track everything, as a matter of fact, consider pretracking, meaning that you decide what you're eating the day before (or if that's too tough, then the day of). This will minimize your "untracked" snacks because they weren't there in the first place. You're going to have to find some exercise that you don't detest that you can do daily. There are also foods to stay away from if you suffer from depression, according to different researchers. I cannot remember which ones (I do think it was carbs) and I wasn't willing to eat that way at the time I'd learned this so I haven't pursued the research to find out the validity of it.

It can be done. See if you can find out from your prescribing doctor if there is anything that can be done about the weight gain with Paxil. Also, as you lose weight, and as you exercise more, check in more frequently with your prescribing doctor to make sure that you don't need to adjust the strength (usually lower) or even wean off of it.

BTW - I'm a firm believer in doing all you can to get off the pills, know your depression triggers (so I always have a counselor during the times that I've been on Prozac so we could address the trigger that sent me over the edge and help me to get it back under control) and go natural, ie through diet (the foods you eat) and exercise to treat the depression. But I know that is me and my desire to not have to take pills so I try not to force that opinion on others, do what's right for you.

Lesa_Sass · January 2014

The pills will not make you gain weight, the eating does. Yes, weight loss is very possible when on these drugs. Eat the right amount of calories and exercise when you can, it will come off and you will feel loads better. :flowerforyou:

And these drugs help people that can not create the necessary chemicals in their brain on their own. Telling people to go off of them or shaming them for taking them is the kind of crap that kills people! So some of you guys need to STFU!

lenoradegen · January 2014

You probably know this, but advice like "get off the pills" is up there with "snap out of it" and "stop feeling sorry for yourself". It's ignorant.

I've been on anti-depressants for 17 years and have tried (with a doctor's help) to lower the dosages and/or remove one of the meds over the course of treatment. In spite of therapy, yoga practice, spiritual practice, meditation, and excellent eating habits, I remain clinically depressed without the help of medication.

That's all there is to say. I could beat myself up for being "weak" or I could thank God every day for the availability of control for this horrible depression and live my life.

Many people with no true idea of depression (it's not a few sad days, you guys!) are too eager to throw hurtful advice to others.

Best of luck! You can become the size and shape you desire.

AnninStPaul · January 2014

Funny, you don't look like Tom Cruise.

Extra fun with Paxil - it has a short half-life, so missing a day can send a person into a rebound depression. When and if it comes time to discontinue use, please talk with your health care professional about how you should titrate off in order to avoid that rebound.

jen2607 · January 2014

This isn't always true. Three years ago, I started really paying attention to what I was eating as well as adhering to a daily workout schedule. Yes, it did help to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle...for a little while. However, hormonal circumstances changed and a year later I found myself experiencing anxiety attacks and more depressed as a result than ever . It was a vicious cycle. I started taking Cymbalta and actually dropped a quite a bit of weight. Anyways, point is...yes it is possible to lose weight on an SSRI /SNRI and yes it is possible for a healthy lifestyle alone to not be enough to not need medication.

jen2607 · January 2014

This isn't always true. Three years ago, I started really paying attention to what I was eating as well as adhering to a daily workout schedule. Yes, it did help to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle...for a little while. However, hormonal circumstances changed and a year later I found myself experiencing anxiety attacks and more depressed as a result than ever . It was a vicious cycle. I started taking Cymbalta and actually dropped a quite a bit of weight. Anyways, point is...yes it is possible to lose weight on an SSRI /SNRI and yes it is possible for a healthy lifestyle alone to not be enough to not need medication.

haroon_awan · January 2014

For some yes it can be, but for others it is simply not the case. Depression is like a moving target. It's different for everyone, and understanding it rather than making generalisations about people is a major step towards helping those with depression.

funkyspunky872 · January 2014

Anyway... to the OP: You might be over-thinking this. Weight gain /and/ weight loss are both common side effects, but generally they are caused by other side effects. (If that's making any sense...) For example, the antidepressant might have an effect on your appetite, your energy level, and (hopefully) your mood, but it's not going to magically make you gain weight.

If I were you, I would find the antidepressant that tackles your depression first and worry about the side effects later. You'll have time to adjust things to fit your goals in the future.

cdh1102 · January 2014

I'm on Abilify which has weight gain as a side effect, and I was wondering this as well. Started the new year off right and I want to make sure I have nothing holding me back from my goals!!

Mr_Bad_Example · January 2014

Thanks, Dr. Oz.

Quite possibly the worst advice I've seen in the forums today... or this week for that matter.

Phrick · January 2014

For bipolar disorder I take Lihium and Abilify daily, both noted weigh gainers. In the past I have taken Zyprexa, Seroquel, Risperdal, Dalmane (flurazepam), Somnote, Geodon, Depakote, Lamictal, as well as taking all of the SSRIs plus Wellbutrin and Serzone (pre diagnosis), just to name some. Almost all of them are notorious "gainers" and gain I did to the tune of 100+ pounds. However I believe it to be due to primarily appetite increase, perhaps with some "don't give a frack" thrown in. Now that I do indeed "give a frack" and pay attention to my calories, the weight loss is steady and fairly easy. It definitely can be done!

Athijade · January 2014

You are full of it. You also have no right to say that people should stop taking a medication they need.

I am so sick and tired of the ill informed BS from people like this. When you hear people constantly say "get off the pills" or "you don't need meds" or "meds are bad" it makes a person ashamed to be on them. Well guess what? Sometimes people need them. Yet they might not get the help they need because it is stigmatized so badly in society still. It is disgusting.

Mr_Bad_Example · January 2014

^^ This. Absolutely and completely this.

mike_ny · January 2014

One of the side effects of Paxil is weight gain in some people. Lots of meds, especially SSRIs have that though many people seem to say Paxil is more so.

The bottom line is that even though it may be harder to lose weight and get in shape on some meds, that it would be still be worse or even impossible trying to do if without the meds you need to function normally.

Whatever you do, don't stop taking any SSRI without first going through your doctor to taper them off gradually or you'll likely have much worse side effects than weight gain.

Anti-depressants and weight loss?

Replies

Categories