Losing Weight While on Antidepressants?

onlyconnect

Was wanting to hear from anyone with experience losing weight while on antidepressants. I was experiencing clinical depression, with the one positive side effect being that I had no appetite and burned off lots of calories with anxiety. I reached my goal weight but was a wreck.

So my doctor put me on Zoloft, which improved my mood dramatically...but also added 20 pounds to my 5'2" frame. After the pounds piled on my doctor admitted that antidepressants increase appetite and slow metabolism. This would have been useful information to have beforehand, but now I'm 20 pounds heavier, none of my clothes fit, and I'm terrified of what it would mean emotionally/mentally to get off the meds. Since the weight gain has caused a separate side-depression in and of itself, I'm trying to get rid of those pounds.

Has anyone here lost weight successfully while on antidepressants? Could really use some encouraging success stories on this front. I feel like the weight is just stuck and I can't get it off. Thanks for any input!

Sarah

drkay40

Yes I have. I gained it back but for other reasons ( mainly because I got depressed again)but it was possible to lose.

leekopp

I have yo-yoed for years while being on anti-depressants, but it is possible! You just have to really work at it-hard! I'm trying to lose weight again, but thankfully have the encouragement of family. I'm on Zoloft right now but was on Paxil for many years. I think Zoloft is quite a bit better than Paxil as far as hunger, weight and other side effects go. I wish you luck!

britachu

I am currently on antidepressants (Effexor, and something else that helps me sleep). I gained about 15 lbs when I started them, and I'm just starting to try to lose weight now (past 2 weeks or so). So far I have lost 3 lbs.

sarahrobin

You're not alone! I have been on antidepressants for 3 years now. Currently I am on Wellbutrin. I have been successful losing weight while on them. In the last 3 years I've been on Celexa, Prozac and now the Wellbutrin. My weight has gone up and down since going on them, but not because of the antidepressants. Mainly because I haven't been consistent in trying to lose weight. In the past 8 weeks, I have lost 13 pounds. It can be done! Don't lose hope and don't go off of your meds! Just keep trekking along on your weight loss journey. I would rather be 20 lbs heavier than go back to the darkness that was my depression. If you ever need to talk, I am more than willing to listen. Depression is a tough and lonely journey. It's always nice to have someone who understands. *hugs*

LeonaB17

I've been on antidepressants for the past 4 or 5 years.I took Lexapro for a couple years, then switched to Prozac b/c it's cheaper with my insurance. Honestly I never saw either of them affect my weight that I can recall. Depression and anxiety would make me want to eat more and starting a weight loss regimen would often be difficult b/c I couldn't use food to feel better. So if anything anti -depressants helped. Long story short - unless you have some medical issue that would cause you not to lose weight while taking Zoloft - I dont see any reason you can't.

bamber119

martazazpine is a nightmare to live with in terms of weight gain, I switched from prozac to those and balloned in weight, but have to admit this calorie counting has really paid off!! feeling fine!!

bcmallwalker

I can completely relate to your post. I was in treatment for clinical depression for 15 years and have been on about every antidepressant there is available. A few years ago my diagnosis was changed to bi-polar II. I had been losing weight, I was working at it and when my depakote prescription was increased and then doubled, I gained back all of the 35 lbs that I had lost and then some.

Depakote causes carb & sugar cravings like you wouldn't believe. I finally told my psychiatrist that I wanted off of the depakote. She fought me on it, but I told her I wouldn't take it any longer. So she finally gave me a prescription for welbutrin and lamictal instead. I was able to start losing weight again because the horrible cravings were gone. That was in October of 2009 and I have been able to change my eating habits since then and lose almost 95 lbs.

I would talk to your dr. many of the antidepressants do cause weight gain, but there are some that aren't as bad as others. Hopefully, you will be able to find one that will treat your depression without causing any more weight gain. I wish you the best, losing weight is tough enough without having to deal with depression.

There is hope! hang in there! :flowerforyou:

Debbie

mamalissa

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ItsLessOfMe

I am bipolar and for 11 years have been in and out of hospitals. I put on 80 lbs. I also had 2 children but my weight gain wasn't from that.For 10 years I had only had meds for mania. After my second child I got depressed and they put me on an antidepressant on top of my mood stabilizers.

So now I'm taking all of that medication and I've lost 35 lbs since september. I calculated all my meals and plan. It take alot of will power but it can be done. When I have an episode and get hospitalized I usually gain about 20 lbs. I've had 5 hospitalization. I know how you feel. Especially cause after loosing all this weight I could just get hospitalized and be back at ground zero

But I cant and wont give up. Its just unhealthy. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

divadebz

Hi there, I posted pretty much exactly the same thing. I am on effexor, a pretty high amount. I too lost weight when I had severe post natal depression 5 years ago. I have put on about 20kgs. During that time tho I just ate because it became my way of coping so I can't put it all down to the medication. I have read that a side effect of my meds (and prob others too) can be loss of appetite or increase in appetite. I have been intentional about what I have been eating the past two weeks and have lost over 9lbs and I am continuing to go down at steady pace. I am not a medical expert however but I can testify that I am losing the weight Yay!!! The exercise is a must. Mental health have always been telling me how essential it is because it releases endorphins which help to lift our mood. Must admit to not liking to exercise but boy, I should have been doing this a long time ago because I am sleeping well. I too have had to have sleeping medication because a side effect for me has been insomnia. Besides losing weight which I believe is totally do-able, is the benefit of feeling more energised and my general mood while dieting has shown consistent improvement. I must add that when I say diet I mean a healthy balanced diet. The other thing that has helped the weight loss and general well being has been my huge increase in water intake. We all know that we get the dry mouth horrors and I for one was terrible at drinking enough. Be encouraged, you can lose weight AND feel great and more energised. I do recommend that anyone who is currently on anti-depressents should be consulting with their usual doctor so they can monitor medications, especially when weight is altered. All the very best. Phew, that was long winded but hope this helps some.

treadingpurple

I am on Lexapro and have noticed that it is similar to Zoloft in terms of having trouble losing weight. I get really frustrated with this because it has helped with depression a lot, but has made it to where I feel like I constantly want to eat (even after drinking a lot of water before eating). I wish that side effect was not common in antidepressants, because not being able to lose weight because of them is sometimes causing the depression in me!

treadingpurple

I can completely relate to your post. I was in treatment for clinical depression for 15 years and have been on about every antidepressant there is available. A few years ago my diagnosis was changed to bi-polar II. I had been losing weight, I was working at it and when my depakote prescription was increased and then doubled, I gained back all of the 35 lbs that I had lost and then some.

Depakote causes carb & sugar cravings like you wouldn't believe. I finally told my psychiatrist that I wanted off of the depakote. She fought me on it, but I told her I wouldn't take it any longer. So she finally gave me a prescription for welbutrin and lamictal instead. I was able to start losing weight again because the horrible cravings were gone. That was in October of 2009 and I have been able to change my eating habits since then and lose almost 95 lbs.

I would talk to your dr. many of the antidepressants do cause weight gain, but there are some that aren't as bad as others. Hopefully, you will be able to find one that will treat your depression without causing any more weight gain. I wish you the best, losing weight is tough enough without having to deal with depression.

There is hope! hang in there! :flowerforyou:

Debbie

My mom was on Depakote for epilepsy and complaied of the same problem that she constantly craved sugary snacks and couldn't lose weight on it. She balooned quite a bit when she was on that, but as soon as she was taken off of it and put on a different seizure medicine, the weight started to go down rather quickly.

MissTomGettingThin

Have just switched from Prozac to Zoloft (Fluoxetine to Sertraline)
Haven noticed cravings after just 3 days.
I'm trying to to have too much I shouldn't and hope if I can control the cravings I'll control any gain it might fuel.x

kaitimae

I have been on Lexapro, Prozac, and Celexa (basically Lexapro) in the past. I have also been, and am now back on, Wellbutrin.

With the first three, they all either didn't work well for me, or made me gain weight - especially the Lexapro/Celexa. Wellbutrin is the only med I've found that both treats my depression and helps with weight - it is actually often prescribed for patients with weight problems! I don't automatically lose lots of weight on it, but it does give me the energy and motivation to exercise and track calories! So, I'm a BIG FAN of Wellbutrin.

If I were you, I would talk to my doctor about it! If you are unhappy with your current meds, there is no harm in trying out other ones! As many have posted here, they have been on several things before they found the drug and dose that was right for them. Good luck! I hope you find something that works well for you.

DebiP10

I was put on citalopram in january 2010 for 11 months and didnt gain any weight. since coming off them i gained 13lb in about 4 months.

amfaery

I take Lexapro now it has a side effct of decreased appetite as well as wellbutrin, I know "skinny" people who had to stop taking it because of too much weight loss. I know people who gained on Zoloft you should work wit you doctor to see if another drug can treat your depression without the side effect of gaining weight since it bothers you so much. I eat a lot when I am depressed so I ma different than you.

People's body's respond differently to all medication so tryign new ones is ok just give yourself slack while you are coming off one and adding another for example I cannot take Wellbutrin it causes major insomnia for me I would only sleep 1-2 hours anight

It takes about 4 weeks to fully get an old med out of your system and a new one to reach levels that are therapeutic for depression

Vcaser

Hi, Sarah - I was on antidepressants for 16 years until I got sick of the side effects and tapered off. I still take anxiety meds occasionlly, though. I lost over 30 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2005 while still on Lexapro. I was put on Zoloft in 1995 at the age of 24 but I actually LOST weight at first until the appetite suppression wore off. My weight did start very gradually creeping up (I'm 5'10", so the effects are always slower to show) after that and when I got a sit-down office job, it only worsened. The trigger - I found myself at 193 and was just horrified. I was NOT gonna weigh 200 pounds! Got on the WW, and it fell off in about six months.

Fast forward to 2011 - I have gradually gained back about 20 pounds of what I had lost. Not sure if the meds were to blame, or just the apathetic way they made me FEEL toward everything and everyone in my life! I just didn't care for a while, there. The antidepressant was keeping me a little bit anesthetized and I didn't even realize it. After weaning off Cymbalta, which was a horrible choice of drug for me to begin with, I am "feeling" again and it's like I've been asleep for 16 years and woke up in a fat suit! My motivation came back and I've begun taking care of myself again. The scale has not moved much yet, but I only started at the beginning of April. The benefits of getting moving again for my mood cannot be overstated - it's worth going to the gym three times a week for that alone.

Hang in there, Sarah - you'll figure it out!

maletac

uhm i cant believe im admitting to this over the webz.... but here it goes...

wellbutrin or bupropion (generic form) is like the holy pill lol... its ssri type...

its the only one i know of that doesnt affect your sex drive. it makes you happy .. helps you stop smoking.. and helps with weight loss.... at least thats what i know about it...

it was amazing when i first started... two notes though... uhm make sure you only do extended release... i roller coastered on the quick release ones... and second is i lost a weeks worth of sleep when i first started...

kelsw

Smiley , I am so happy to hear that you were able to get help for depression. You may want to speak to your MD about antidepression meds that are weight neutral. Great success can be had by increasing activity that is what I am doing I haven't seen the weight come off yet but I find my depression is even less. Good luck.

Lleldiranne

According to my doctor, most mood stabilizers mess with the appetite centers in your brain, which is why you tend to gain weight. She said that the good ol' law of thermodynamics still applies: calories in vs calories out.
Her advice when I complained about gaining weight was to monitor my eating more closely (because I had to totally retrain my brain) and to exercise regularly. Not only does exercise increase your metabolism, it generally releases endorphins and other "feel good" hormones, so it's a good way to manage your mood. I actually found that, in general, regular exercise was more effective for helping keep my moods even than the drugs (But DON'T stop taking medication without dr.s involvement, it can be dangerous!)

littlemissanguissette

I am on welbutrin as well. I was on Zoloft, then paxil, and my sex drive was gone which is absolutely unacceptable to me, so I switched back to welbutrin [why they switched me in the first place? who knows]. I am also on lamictal.

It is sometimes hard to lose weight while on anti-depressants, but it can be done. However, some medications it is downright impossible to lose weight. Serequel, for example. I did everything I could, and still was gaining weight while on it, so I got off it because I refused to go buy a new wardrobe because of a medication.

There are always other alternatives, you don't HAVE to stay on that one pill, usually. People with Bi Polar however it is hard, because Lamictal and Lithium are the only FDA approved drugs to treat that.

kaitimae

uhm i cant believe im admitting to this over the webz.... but here it goes...

wellbutrin or bupropion (generic form) is like the holy pill lol... its ssri type...

its the only one i know of that doesnt affect your sex drive. it makes you happy .. helps you stop smoking.. and helps with weight loss.... at least thats what i know about it...

it was amazing when i first started... two notes though... uhm make sure you only do extended release... i roller coastered on the quick release ones... and second is i lost a weeks worth of sleep when i first started...

I am SO GLAD you said that about the quick release! I was on those for awhile and it gave me crazy anxiety. I had to pretty much demand to be put back on the extended release - Kaiser didn't want to do it because they didn't have it in their pharmacy... eventually my doc wrote a prescription for me and now I get it at Costco. It's worth it to me to pay a little extra for the extended release though... hated the quick release ones.

julia23

Hello, i'm sorry to hear you're going through a ruff patch.
I was put on anti-depressants and within a month i gained over a stone. They do have the tendencies to increase your appetite but you have to remember that it is the tablets and not you actually being hungry. Though it does depend on the anti-depressant, some people don't change or they loose weight.
Along as your committed you will be able to sustain your weight loss, but if it gets ridiculous go back to your GP and see if there's a similar one you could try! Good luck.

maletac

uhm i cant believe im admitting to this over the webz.... but here it goes...

wellbutrin or bupropion (generic form) is like the holy pill lol... its ssri type...

its the only one i know of that doesnt affect your sex drive. it makes you happy .. helps you stop smoking.. and helps with weight loss.... at least thats what i know about it...

it was amazing when i first started... two notes though... uhm make sure you only do extended release... i roller coastered on the quick release ones... and second is i lost a weeks worth of sleep when i first started...

I am SO GLAD you said that about the quick release! I was on those for awhile and it gave me crazy anxiety. I had to pretty much demand to be put back on the extended release - Kaiser didn't want to do it because they didn't have it in their pharmacy... eventually my doc wrote a prescription for me and now I get it at Costco. It's worth it to me to pay a little extra for the extended release though... hated the quick release ones.

wallmart has 150mg extend release for i think 20 a month... its the cheapest... its their attempt at promoting stopping smoking... and yeah i was supposed to take it twice a day and man oh man was i over the top... id be soo happy then 3 horus later be so sad and miserable lol

ashleigh2311

Have just switched from Prozac to Zoloft (Fluoxetine to Sertraline)

ditto.

i was on fluoxetine for years, starting when i was first admitted to hospital for anorexia.
I came off for a little while (not on doctors orders though oops) but am now back on them, this time on sertraline.

Compared to when i had my eating disorder, and wasnt on any anti-depressants, i am noticing so much of a difference.
It is so much harder to lose weight than it ever has been.

Even though i am hypothyroid, so dont expect weight loss to be particularly easy, it was so much quicker when i wasnt on them.

the weight loss when i was at the same calorie intake and exercise level previously was so much greater than it is now.

Thanks for bringing this up though, it is a huuuuge concern for me, but is slightly comforting to know that i am not alone in my struggle to lose weight whilst on them.

tracylee1980

I have been taking Zoloft for 9+ years now & I haven't noticed it affecting my weight much. I do seem to have a harder time loosing weight since I've been on it though. Thanks for the post! Very interesting.

Lisone

I'm on neurontin for pain management for my neuropathy due to Diabetes.. but, my doctor told me that Neurontin also helps people who suffer from slight to severe depression. It hasn't made me gain weight (I used to be on Zoloft years ago and it DID make me gain and it didn't really help with my depression.. )

fitnessjch

I am on Prozac as we speak (have been for 2 months) and have lost 16lbs in that time

ludeo

would love some friends who are also on anti depressants, need the motivation and understanding . i have noticed weight gain significantly after upping my meds.

dawnee68

I am on a cocktail of 5 different meds for bipolar and have gained around 25 kilos. My metabolic doctor has just started me on metformin which is said to help reverse weight gain in people who take antipsychotic meds etc. would love some friends in the same boat so feel free to add me.