Citalopram/Celexa DOES make you fat!

hkingscott

Ladies, I'm very distressed about this. I'm in the navy and love sports, I take citalopram to help with very bad PMT! Very bad! I got weight three months ago before starting this med and I weighed 11.13 (stones n lbs) I now weight 13.5! I'm traumatised! I exercise but all I want to do is eat! My brain is not telling me I'm full, I constantly fight with my thought process about food! It's bloody horrendous! Need to get off it quick x

QuietBloom

I have to disagree. Some medications may make you more hungry, thus leading to over eating. Or may cause you to move less. But I highly doubt they actually change your metabolism. It still all comes down to calories in, calories out.

SLLRunner

General question: is there something in the medication that makes a person gain weight or is it because the medication makes a person hungry and therefore eat more?

I ask because my friend takes a medication for depression and she gained weight on it but appears to eat the same as she always has.

daybehavior

Yeah I don't know. While I was on Lexapro (a derivative of citalopram) I was still able to lose forty pounds. So no, I wouldn't say it makes you fat. It's all up to your drive and determination in the end.

SLLRunner

I have to disagree. Some medications may make you more hungry, thus leading to over eating. Or may cause you to move less. But I highly doubt they actually change your metabolism. It still all comes down to calories in, calories out.

This is what I'm wondering as well.

For example, some women say birth control pills cause weight gain but I did not experience that. My weight stayed about the same when I was on them whether I was overweight or not.

PrincessStephanie1

I have taken Lexapro for years and due to insurance I had to get on Citalopram for 6 months when I was not covered since I could not afford Lexapro. I gained 50 pounds! I had maintained a 185 pound weight loss for 10 years and then this. I am happy to be on my Lexapro again.

What I wonder though is if the binders used in the pills are not different in different countries. Some countries report weight loss and others weight gain? I take a liquid Lexapro since I malabsorb and need it to get going in my system quickly LOL

QuietBloom

I have to disagree. Some medications may make you more hungry, thus leading to over eating. Or may cause you to move less. But I highly doubt they actually change your metabolism. It still all comes down to calories in, calories out.

This is what I'm wondering as well.

For example, some women say birth control pills cause weight gain but I did not experience that. My weight stayed about the same when I was on them whether I was overweight or not.

Birth control weight is likely mostly water in my experience. And it drops off as soon as you stop taking them. This could also be another mechanism at work for people who experience weight gain on certain medications.

rb16fitness

Ladies, I'm very distressed about this. I'm in the navy and love sports, I take citalopram to help with very bad PMT! Very bad! I got weight three months ago before starting this med and I weighed 11.13 (stones n lbs) I now weight 13.5! I'm traumatised! I exercise but all I want to do is eat! My brain is not telling me I'm full, I constantly fight with my thought process about food! It's bloody horrendous! Need to get off it quick x

What's your doseage?

I'm presently on 30mg of Citalopram per day and losing 1lb a week. I've found its stopped the emotional eating but hasn't so far improved my depression . It's altered my appetite generally so no longer get joy from food which is great with regards to sticking to calorie limit but it does feel like something is missing. I may have to request increasing to 40mg but concerned about the weight gain issues people have mentioned. I'm wondering if there's a tipping point?

Maleficent0241

General question: is there something in the medication that makes a person gain weight or is it because the medication makes a person hungry and therefore eat more?

I ask because my friend takes a medication for depression and she gained weight on it but appears to eat the same as she always has.

I'm not sure there is a solid answer for this yet, and it certainly will vary depending on the medication. Many meds screw with appetite, but there are some that really do appear to throw everything out of whack at a deeper level. Some of the AAPs like Zyprexa have become somewhat of a poster child for these changes in metabolism, insulin response, etc.

yourfitnessenemy

I've been on every SSRI/related antidepressant under the sun, and none if them caused me to gain weight (Paxil caused weight loss). I did take Seroquel (atypical antipsychotic) briefly and it is the ONLY med that caused an increase in appetite (I gained about 20lbs in less than a summer's time).

yourfitnessenemy

This is all very interesting, though; I know Citalopram is often prescribed because it's thought of as a "clean" drug (not a lot if side effects). Hmm. Issue with generics?

moya_rargh

I don't think that it's any coincidence that my weight loss accelerated as soon as I came off Fluoxetine. SSRIs make you fat, m'kay?

Kevalicious99

I gotta say...stay AWAY from Remeron (mirtazapine).

I was on Mirtazapine for many years .. and gained probably 30+ lbs, including lots of abdominal fat. But I don't blame the drug entirely .. as I had a bad diet and ate poorly. But was it a factor .. yes probably. So be careful what you take.

hannahwhelan

Psych meds affect everyone differently so this argument is kind of redundant. Some lose, some gain, some stay the same. Lots of different factors at play.

asreyes8022

I'm a nerdy pharmacist and read a lot of drug articles.
As with most drugs, adverse effects are different for everyone. Every BODY is different, which is why there are so many drugs in each class.

Anyway, this is from an SSRI study: Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2001 February; 3(1): 22–27.
PMCID: PMC181155
SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability
James M. Ferguson, M.D.

Like sexual dysfunction, weight gain was infrequently reported during premarketing clinical trials of the SSRIs.
Uncontrolled studies have reported mean weight gains of 15 lb (6.75 kg) for sertraline (Zoloft), 21 lb (9.45 kg) for fluoxetine (Prozac), and 24 lb (10.80 kg) for paroxetine (Paxil) after 6 to 12 months of therapy.20,21 Although studies to date suggest that citalopram (Celexa) is less likely to cause weight gain, one clinical series of 18 patients reported 8 patients with mixed anxiety and mood disorders who had an average weight gain of 15.7 lb (7.1 kg) after receiving citalopram for 5 weeks.

That being said, you are all right. Some will not be affected, and some will. Don't judge.

asreyes8022

I gained 25 pounds in 7 months after starting Lexapro. When I stopped taking it (weaned off), I lost 6 lbs without changing diet or exercise.

I appreciate you stating that you weaned off.
Don't wanna give anybody ideas of stopping cold turkey- NOT a good idea. (I am a pharmacist)

hollyskyeleary

I would love to know what medicine your doctor changed you to please?

arrseegee

It has different results for different people, although a psychiatrist I know said that it doesn't change your metabolism but rather because you are feeling so much more relaxed or not-depressed then you can be eating more and generally enjoying life without being so worried about weight gain. Another issue that people find a problem is carbohydrate cravings. I experienced both issues with both citalopram and paroxetine, which is why I'm on here again.

Venlafaxine (effexor) is meant to be a bit better in that it doesn't make you eat like you've got Prader Willi syndrome, but after my experiences I am doing everything possible to avoid having to take anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications again.

ETA: Paroxetine was amazing for my brain but I did gain 25% extra body weight. Yes, 25%, in 18 months.

kitticus15

the leaflet that comes with sertraline stated that it slows down thyroid function, so I would say if the drug manufacturer says it slows thyroid function then it is altering metabolism, plus the half life of these drugs is quite long causing a fair old build up in your system.

quotes from the leaflet

low sodium can occur taking sertraline.
blood glucose levels may be altered due to sertraline.

common side effects include anorexia, increased appetite (seems it covers both weight gain and weight loss)

uncommon side effects include high blood pressure, hair loss, osteoarthritis, weight decreased, weight increased.

after marketing sertaline (this is to say all those above were known before giving the drug to the public) following side effects have been reported:

decrease in white blood cells, decrease in clotting cells,LOW THYROID HORMONES, endocrine problems,low blood salt, problems controlling blood sugar, INCREASE IN BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS (DIABETES), stomach bleeding, pancreatitis, serious liver function,

so therefore it does change metabolism, it also can cause diabetes and high blood pressure, its just a shame as patients we are not told the full information before we start taking these meds, but then again the drug companies win, as the will provide the thyroid drugs, blood pressure drugs and diabetes drugs...
just a thought, maybe these drugs are causing more harm than good that we do not see straight away...

the information is from the information leaflet for sertraline by ranbaxy uk ltd, leaflet was last revised April 2012

noiradle

All these people saying they gained weight while watching what they eat... That just sounds silly to me. Is 20mg of this stuff really enough to defy the simple law of calories in and calories out? No offense, but If you're not counting calories AND have a very educated idea of your TDEE, then you WERE NOT "watching what you eat" enough to blame weight gain on a pill.

That said, the general changes in mindset and lifestyle from such a pill can easily cause one to gain (or lose) significant weight. That however is a much different scenario than suggesting that you can actually burn more calories than you're eating in a day and still gain weight.

rayneoverme

I've never noticed Celexa (citalopram) or its close relative Lexapro (escitalopram) affect my metabolism at all. I took Celexa for about 6 months before being moved to Lexapro during this last year. I gained weight because 1. I wasn't exercising and 2. I wasn't controlling my ED.

These are both excellent medicines. It deals with anxiety and depression and wouldn't recommend people staying away from them just because of fear of weight gain. They've made a HUGE difference in my life and it wasn't the scale.

Just my two cents.

catmb3

Reading this thread made me really scared to try citalopram but i decided to give it a go - started about 4 months ago. So far i think I have lost weight. I always exercise a lot but i think i may be getting more out of my workout, i have more energy to put into it. This may just be coincidence but my abs all the sudden tightened up more than ever before! I think Im slightly less interested in food as well. I still have an appetite but im not eating for entertainment as much. I dont know what my weight is but Id say i look like ive lost around 10 pounds - people keep saying i look too thin -and i havent been trying to loose weight. Anyway, my mood is much much better, for me its been amazing. There is a lot of negative stuff on the web about citalopram but I think people are more likely to write about a negative experiences. For many the drug really does help and often does not affect weight. I'd also like to add that citalopram has not made me feel numbed or lethargic, I do notice less interest in food yes, but i'm also noticing an increased interest in a lot of other things, like hanging out with friends etc.

PinkyFett

It's different for everyone. This is why it says it can cause weight gain or loss on the papers that come with it.

janf15

From WebMD

"Antidepressants and Weight Gain: What Happens and Why

Although there are a number of theories as to why antidepressants lead to weight gain, Sussman believes that both appetite and metabolism may be affected.

"I have had patients who swear that they are not eating any more, but still gaining weight, so that tells us there is some kind of metabolic influence going on; I have also had patients tell me that they are not only more hungry and eating more, but that the medicines are encouraging a carbohydrate craving that is hard to control, so we know appetite also plays a role," he says.

Fincham says antidepressants may also simply help us to rediscover pleasure in our life -- including food.

"It might be a situation where someone feels so much better when taking an antidepressant that lots of things suddenly start feeling more pleasurable to them, and food is just one of them. So in this instance they may actually be overeating and not even realize they are doing so, says Fincham.

Findings from a group of Italian researchers published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggest that the simple act of recovery from depression may play a role in the weight gain."

The posting is one view. The other view - we live in a society where we want a quick fix to a problem, i.e. a pill and that is how problems may be solved. Many of us have found that with a healthier life style the need for medication to help depression and anxiety are no longer needed ( I haven't been on any - but I think I speak for others).

Kevalicious99

Sorry .. I don't buy it. I have been on anti-depressants for 20+ years and recently Mirtazapine (people say it causes weight gain too). Well guess what ... the pill doesn't cause weight gain .. the depression does.

When people are depressed .. they eat more. When I was depressed .. I ate junk food and drank pop. Guess what .. I got fat. Pretty simple .. eating more causes weight gain. So unless you actively do something about it while you are depressed .. you will probably gain weight.

Not rocket science, but the pill does make a easy target as it cannot complain about being the victim here.

unilass

i really only signed up to MFP because of reading these threads about people putting on weight and struggling to lose it.

I was on citalopram for 18 months (I never agree that the doctor shouldve put me on them in the first place they just didnt want to give me counseling which is what I really needed) and put on 42 pounds.

I've struggled with my body image all my life having grown up watching my mum battle with her weight going on and off diets (which she still does by the way) and so have been on every diet possible since the age of 12. In high school, I came to terms with the fact that I'd never be skinny and that my weight was at its best at 11st. I never ate badly (due to eating the food my mum cooked for her diets) and between the ages of 11 and 17 did at least 20 hours of intense exercise a week (I was a keen dancer and gymnast) yet I was still not lean like I ought to have been.

When I went to uni i put on 2 stone in my first year (I know exactly why because I was only eating junk) but in my second year I got ill and lost it again within 6 weeks (I couldnt keep any food down). Until I started taking citalopram I managed to maintain this weight with my obsessive calorie counting however as soon as I went on the meds, my weight crept up even though I'd started doing cheerleading and going to the gym 5 times a week. Throughout this time I tried every diet under the sun yet never managed to even maintain a weight.

By the time i got to 200 lbs I decided that the drug was doing more harm than good and with the doctors constantly telling me to lose weight and feeling the pressures of living with 2 skinny minnies (even though one of them ate like a mammoth and still stayed a UK size 6!) I came off the citalopram. Within the first two weeks I had crippling withdrawal and came close to collapsing dozens of times. My appetite completely disappeared so i was only eating 1 tiny meal every day yet still gaining weight (even though I was still managing to keep up my exercise regime).

I found a thread that said the only way to lose weight during and after citalopram is to go on a low carb diet. So I did my research and even though everything was telling me not to do it, my desperation to lose weight got the final say and I went for it.

Within the first few days the scales were telling me I'd lost almost a stone and measurments of my legs, hips, arms and waist showed I had lost a little. Obviously this was just water weight as within the next few days, it continued to creep back up (at this point I was doing 15+ hours of intense exercise a week as well). I've lost all hope that I'm ever going to lose this weight which is awful because my body image is the lowest it's ever been!

I've got a doctors appointment in 3 weeks but I know exactly what he's going to say (the whole diet and exercise shpeel) but I can go in knowing I have done everything I can myself to shift this weight.

unilass

It's good to hear that there is scientific proof of weight gain and that all the people that haven't experienced this and just say that people who gain weight on SSRI's are just lazy are actually wrong and that it CAN affect people in this way. Some people will gain weight due to laziness but I'm the most active person I know yet my weight gain since being on citalopram is insane. All you people calling people lazy can go suck lemons

SharonCMach

I have never been on Celexa/Citalopram so can't help you there. I have been on Effexor XR 250mg for the past 2.5yrs. I have never had any problems with this medication making me gain weight. I did gain weight while on it but it was b/c I was eating alot, drinking alot & not exercising. Recently I noticed the Effexor not working as well so my doctor lowered my Effexor dose to 150mg and put me on 150mg of Wellbutrine. Iv been taking this now for 2wks and I have noticed my appitite has increased which is weird b/c 1 of the side effects is weight loss or loss of appitite. I go back on Thursday to talk with the doctor again.

smittybuilt19

I just posted this in another Celexa thread.

I figure it wouldn't hurt to ask here as well..




I have been put on Celexa and have wondered the same thing about weight gain. I've only been on it for two weeks so definitely not long enough to notice weight gain or loss.

My serious question is...Can these medications actually change the calorie in/out equation? Or do they possibly make you more hungry or less hungry causing either gain or loss.

smittybuilt19

Check yes or no...


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