Worried about antidepressants and weight gain

Phoenixflame

Hey guys!

Despite my bubbly picture, I've been diagnosed with depression. For those that know me a bit better, please know that my depression is not severe, and I have never considered harming myself or others. It's basically a combination of genetics and a very stressful year. However, I have been prescribed antidepressants.

Specifically, Lexapro.

While my mental health is my first concern...I'm worried. I worked so hard to lose 18 years of bad habits, excessive weight, and all their negative accompaniments. The depression itself has not done anything to my appetite. It's made me a bit less motivated to work out, but my physical activity levels are still pretty good--strength 2 or 3 times a week, 20-minutet jogs 3 times a week, and 1 intense HITT or Spin session.

I do not want to lose any more weight. If anything, I'm trying to put on a few pounds of MUSCLE. But I'm scared that the antidepressants are going to make me pile a bunch of fat back on.

So, a few questions:

- Do antidepressants make you gain weight because of eating more, or because they damage your metabolism? I can control my eats. But the thought of my metabolism getting knocked freaks me out.

- Anyone been on Lexapro or other seratonin drugs?

- Any tips for not gaining weight on antidepressants?

gemiwing

Generally speaking, weight gain from anti-depressants (AD's) aren't as bad as some other psych meds, however there are some that are more notorious for it than others.

What I would recommend is going to a Depression message board and asking there. Not because people on MFP wouldn't know- rather that you will get more in-depth answers on a Depression board.

Personally, I've had much more weight gain from other meds than Lexapro- but I wasn't on it very long at all because it simply didn't work for me. Your mileage may vary.

Look up your drug info on www.drugs.com and www.crazymeds.us and read the information there.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

amicklin

I have taken Seroquil, Lexapro and am currently taking Abilify. In my experience it is not the drug 'damaging' your metabolism that causes weight gain but that in the beginning stages of it you may feel lethargic and so even doing normal daily tasks you do them with less effort and are just generally sluggish so using les energy. Adn what weight I did gain the first two months (4 pounds) I think it was more water weight with my body adjusting to the medication. Once I got adjusted the weight went back to my normal range. Now since I would eat because of depression it did help me to eat less and I also noticed less of an emotional roller coaster feeling with food. Which helped me with the bad eating habits as well. I hope that helped and not just me rambling.

tori_anne

I've never taken lexapro, but abilify made me gain thirty pounds, and it wasn't even because I was eating more, I think I was eating less than I usually do but my metabolism slowed down.
Of course, as soon as I got off of it, I lost all the weight.

gemiwing

I've never taken lexapro, but abilify made me gain thirty pounds, and it wasn't even because I was eating more, I think I was eating less than I usually do but my metabolism slowed down.
Of course, as soon as I got off of it, I lost all the weight.

Abilify has an anti-psychotic ingredient and those are notorious weight gainers. Sorry it didn't work for you!

tori_anne

I've never taken lexapro, but abilify made me gain thirty pounds, and it wasn't even because I was eating more, I think I was eating less than I usually do but my metabolism slowed down.
Of course, as soon as I got off of it, I lost all the weight.

Abilify has an anti-psychotic ingredient and those are notorious weight gainers. Sorry it didn't work for you!

Oh really? I didn't know that. Definitely a good thing to know though!
also besides the weight gain it was completely ineffective at treating my symptoms haha! I got off of it immediately but not before it took a toll on my body.

It's funny though becuase I'm on an actual anti-psychotic right now and I haven't experienced any weight gain... luckily!

Sarah_LM

I've been taking Citalopram, which is an SSRI, for about 3 years. Tthe citalopram did not make me put on any weight at all, I stayed a steady size 12-14 until I was diagnosed with bipolar and given anti-psychotic meds. I really don't think any of the SSRI's will make you put on very much if any weight unless you eat more, which when you are depressed it can be hard not to comfort eat. Good luck with the medication, I hope it helps and you feel better soon.

dclarsh

Here's a question... do you really need the medication?

I too was diagnosed with depression almost two years ago. For me, it stems from a social anxiety disorder, that when left unchecked basically spiralled into a disaster. I fought my doctor about going on anti-depressants and although I struggled hard for about six months, I eventually worked my way through it and have had no major relapses. I still have days/weeks where I can feel that I'm slipping, but I know now how to recognize it and what to do about it so that I don't end up in that very dark place again.

I'm no doctor, and I'm not you, so I can't say that the way I went about it is the right path for you. But it seems that by not being on medication, it forces us to identify the underlying issue of the depression and deal with it head on. It gives us the tools to keep our ships upright all on our own.

I know it's a hard road, and I wish you the best of luck.

mskellyw

When I was diagnosed with depression years ago my doctor prescribed Lexipro. I took it for about a week and it made me absolutely nuts. I had panic attacks, hot flashes, hallucinations, etc. I even started writing numbers backwards and wasn't able to figure out why they looked wrong. When he wanted to switch me to Paxil I ran out of the office and started looking for alternatives.

The two things that worked really well for me were acupuncture and a book called "Depression Free Naturally" by Joan Matthews Larson. The acupuncture had nearly an immediate effect and continued to keep my symptoms at bay until I figured out how to repair my screwy brain chemistry. "Depression Free Naturally" is what I feel finally *cured* me of my depression. It helped me to identify the fact that I have a gluten allergy and recommended supplements to help correct my imbalances. I did Larson's program about five years ago and my life-long, very severe depression has been totally gone since.

I've read a few of your previous posts and it seems like you try to avoid chemicals when possible. SSRIs are pretty potent poisons that can really screw with your body (google SSRI withdrawal to find thousands of horror stories). If you do decide to take the drugs I'd definitely recommend seeing them as a (very) short-term crutch to get you though the time you need to figure out what's really going on with your body. Also, you may want to ask your doctor why he prescribed Lexipro and not something like Prozac that has far fewer withdrawal symptoms. If he can't give you a good reason (other than the Lexipro reps sending him on vacation if he prescribes enough of it--not to be cynical but it's a fact of our effed up medical system) ask for something with less of a risk of long-term dependency.

Good luck to you and feel free to email me if you want anymore info on natural treatments for depression--I've tried them all.

trifitness

Hi. i am on lexapro also. i have been on it for a few years. it has not made me gain weight. contiue to eat well and continue to exercise and you should be okay. it does effect people in different ways. if you do gain weight, talk with your doctor and they can change your meds. good luck.

Shelley130

I have run the cycle with antidepressants as well. So made me lose weight (wellbutrin) and some made me gain (abilify). Your doctor will know which one to put you on if you tell him you do not want a weight gainer. Mine was very supportive when working with me on this. Every drug works different for every person. At one point I was on a cocktail of 3 different meds. Be patient eventually you will find what works best for your body. One rule of thumb- if it works for a few days and then tapers off = right drug wrong dose.

Fit4Vet

Please research what you are taking BEFORE you decide to stay on it for 5 years...I'm tapering off Effexor XR now - against doc's wishes, but I have an experiment going! (I have gained 70 lbs in those 5 years - now, I won't say it's all due to the med -doc says 5 lbs maybe - I think way more, but that's the basis of my experiment)

Not that my mental health is an experiment, however, I do know that docs are PAID to write scripts & I don't like that idea at all!

My nutritionist says all things can be controlled through nutrition. I'll let you know what I think after our visit on Wednesday. (first visit)

Good Luck!

renae77

I took Lexapro for a while myself and I gained 40 pounds back that I had lost a few years before hand. Then I decided to go from them upping my medication to going off of it cold turkey and started having some weird body symptoms so please be careful. I don't take anything now and I feel so much better. I would research everything you take and look into alternatives for your problem. There may be something out there better for you than those medications. Good luck to you!

twinkletoes2

I was on Prozac for about 3 years and gained a ton of weight.

I was advised by my doctor that antidepressants cause weight gain through stimulating your appetite. BUT he told me this only happens after being on them for long periods of time.

As far as natural remedies for depression, I've read that decreasing sugar intake and regular exercise help.

farfalla_americana

I have been diagnosed with OCD and have been taking an SSRI for 2 years now.
There is a concern about if you should really be on all these psych meds. Everybody is different. For me, an SSRI + behavior therapy 1x week helped a lot. I did that for 1 year, But now I am on the minimum dose of Prozac SSRi, without the therapy, and it works great for me.
I have heard of many people having trouble with Lexapro and Effexor and feeling really really sick when they try to go off it.
I don't know who prescribed you the Lexapro, but you might want a second opinion from another doctor, especially a psychiatrist that specializes in depression. Ask your GP for a referral.

Ask for weight gain, I gained about 15 pounds, but I'm not sure that it came from the drug- maybe it came from me seeking refuge from my OCD and depression by eating?

Also, since exercise releases endorphins, this will help a lot with your depression AND help reduce the weight gain.
I started taking tennis lessons and my weight went down and my psych got better! :happy:

Phoenixflame

Thanks guys! You've made me feel a lot better.

I am also receiving counseling. It was the therapist who highly recommended I see a psychiatrist for antidepressants. Believe me, I don't take meds unless there's a good reason.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see. It's only my third day on them. I've been keeping careful track of my side effects. So far...

- Mild, occasional queasiness
- Slight dry mouth
- Random hour-long "trippy time" while shopping. I suddenly felt disconnected, like an actress on stage. It was like being stoned on weed but without the "WOOHOO!" aspect. But it went away pretty quickly and it wasn't severe.

As I said, if I "comfort eat," it's veggies. And not potatos! A bowl of steamed broccoli with a bit of lemon juice...mmm! But I'm more concerned by reports of people packing on pounds regardless of exercise or food.

beckyi88

I took Lexapro for 2 years with wonderful results. The best thing about Lexapro is that it is very fast acting. You should feel results within a week to ten days. The opposite is also true. If you have a negative experience, it clears out of your system just as quickly.
I also have taken Wellbutrin and it did help me lose weight. In fact then new *magic* diet pill that has been in the news recently is a combination of bupropion (wellbutrin) and another medication. One word of caution, generic bupropion is notorious for not working, stick to the name brand.
I also had an incredibly stressful summer a few years ago and I was taking Wellbutrin in the AM and Prozac in the PM. Due to the stress, not the meds, I lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. Once I was on the double meds, things calmed down.
I am in a good place now and have been med free for a year. But I won't hesitate to go back on them if necessary. Depression is a chemical imbalance, not a sign of weakness.
Good for you for getting the help you need:flowerforyou:
This is the best way I can describe the benefits of the meds....they allowed me to be *me* without having to work so hard at it. I didn't have to exhaust myself pretending everything was okay . I could *BE* the person everyone thought I *WAS* without the extreme effort and charade.
Good luck!
Becky

Katy009

I recently made a couple of posts about this. I was on Zoloft for almost 4 years and when I started gaining weight, didn't even consider it was due to the medication. The last two years I have been working my butt off trying to lose it with no luck. I finally researched it and discovered that antidepressants can cause weight gain by increasing your appetite and reducing your metabolism. It doesn't affect everyone the same way, of course, but in my case, I gained weight, couldn't take it off, was constantly bloated, felt tired ALL the time, and had many other side effects that I just didn't relate to the medication.

I have been off now for a little over two weeks and have already lost three lbs. I haven't done anything different other than stop taking the medication.

I strongly suggest you follow it closely and do your own research rather than relying only on your doctor. Good luck.

roseblack

There a really good web site about meds www.crazymeds.us. Its a good web site.