Citalopram/Celexa DOES make you fat!

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  • hkingscott
    hkingscott Posts: 14 Member
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    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
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    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
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    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
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
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    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
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    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
    PrincessStephanie1 Posts: 4
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    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
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    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
    rb16fitness Posts: 236 Member
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    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
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
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    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
    yourfitnessenemy Posts: 121 Member
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    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
    yourfitnessenemy Posts: 121 Member
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    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
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
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    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
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    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
    hannahwhelan Posts: 6 Member
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    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
    asreyes8022 Posts: 23
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    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
    asreyes8022 Posts: 23
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    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
    hollyskyeleary Posts: 1
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    I would love to know what medicine your doctor changed you to please? :)
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
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    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
    kitticus15 Posts: 152 Member
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    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
    noiradle Posts: 5
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    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.

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