Anti-Anxiety Meds and Weight Loss

kamazza

I'm on a low dose of Effexor, I take 75mg a day and have been for a solid two + years now for GAD.

I have an appt in July to discuss coming off this medicine with my doctor for a number of reasons.

Does anyone else take medicine like this and find that they gained weight taking it, lost weight taking it, gained or lost coming off of it?

I think the exercise is going to help me keep the anxiety under control, or at least, that's my plan

Vespyr

I was on celexa for almost 2 years. I gained 20lbs and I blamed the drug and my final year of university. It's been 7 weeks since I stopped it (holy hell that was hard and still is) and I've gained an additional pound. I haven't found exercise to be helpful for my mental health either, at least not yet.

TinaDay1114

I've been on a low dose of an anti-depressant (first Paxil, then Zoloft) for about 12 years. I felt like I did gain weight / held onto weight while on Paxil, and somewhat less so while on Zoloft. But then again, in those first 8-10 years I was newly married, a new mom to 2 kids, and was working through a lot of childhood junk with a therapist. I can't really tell if my weight was a direct factor of medication, or just life and stress taking priority for a while. I also had a thyroid issue after having children, so that probably didn't help.

It's so hard to tell what factors (life, stress, meds, hormones, etc.) may / may not be affecting us and our weight. It's such a complicated equation.

I would definitely check and see what your doc thinks. Maybe you could also try a different anti-anxiety med that may fit you better, if you don't like the Effexor, or the effects it has on you.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

monkey_la_femme

I am on a very high dose of Avanza for depression, anxiety and some compulsive behavior. I have found over the years that any change to dosage, up or down, leads to a week or more of mindless eating. Not increased appetite, but a simple inability to stop; I don't feel right unless I am chewing. That did lead to weight gain until I wised up and learnt to put something healthier in my face than the simple sugars I was craving (a well known trick of SSRIs).

A friend on a high Effexor dose has suffered very similar problems. I think it comes down to the fact that both these meds and the conditions that warrant them alter your brain chemistry, sometimes severely, and what are hunger or cravings to eat if not chemical?

Be on your guard against the cravings, but remember that you will be very vulnerable emotionally while you are adjusting to a lower (or no) dose so above all be kind to yourself and understanding if you over eat.