Citalopram/Celexa DOES make you fat!

daybehavior

You are incorrect. My father is a noted psychiatrist, dual board certified in internal medicine. He specializes in psychopharmacology and has an additional certificate on that subject. He also teaches courses on psychopharmacology to medical students. He says that ADs affect people differently depending on a whole host of various chemical and genetic characteristics and interactions. That is why most antidepressants include both insomnia and somnolence in the list of possible side effects, ditto for weight gain/loss. Some people, for example, metabolize drugs at different rates than other people do. This is well documented fact.

Also, most studies are fairly short term. Weight gain sometimes doesn't start to kick in until several months have passed.

I never said SSRIs don't have the possibility to make people gain weight. For the 50th time, people are claiming they are gaining weight WHILE BEING ON A DEFICIT, which is impossible. I don't know why this is so hard for everyone to understand.

rachaelbeech

hi just wondered if anyone can help I have been on citalopram 20 mg for a few months. I started on 1200 calories a day for a few eeks and lost nothing. so I downed it to 1000 a day and still no weight loss. I lost 5 stone a few years ago and lost that quite easily. unfortunately through pregnancy I put 3 stone back on. I have read that citalopram can slow metabolism? is there anything I can do as it is making my anxiety worse not being able to shift anything

smittybuilt19

You are incorrect. My father is a noted psychiatrist, dual board certified in internal medicine. He specializes in psychopharmacology and has an additional certificate on that subject. He also teaches courses on psychopharmacology to medical students. He says that ADs affect people differently depending on a whole host of various chemical and genetic characteristics and interactions. That is why most antidepressants include both insomnia and somnolence in the list of possible side effects, ditto for weight gain/loss. Some people, for example, metabolize drugs at different rates than other people do. This is well documented fact.

Also, most studies are fairly short term. Weight gain sometimes doesn't start to kick in until several months have passed.

I never said SSRIs don't have the possibility to make people gain weight. For the 50th time, people are claiming they are gaining weight WHILE BEING ON A DEFICIT, which is impossible. I don't know why this is so hard for everyone to understand.

I too wonder how one can gain weight while in a deficit.

For the 50th time, I have been on Citalopram for about 5 months and have gained weight steadily the entire time, I have also been over my calorie goal nearly every day for the past 5 months. Coincidence?

Or, is it just the med making me gain?

DaniJeanine

If it helps anyone, I've been on Celexa (20 mg) for about 1 year and I have not gained any weight. Well, allow me to rephrase...any fluctuation in pounds was not gradual or out of my control. I am in control of my weight depending on diet and exercise. Everyone's body is different, but overall, and in my experience with friends who are also on it, Celexa seems to be pretty weight neutral. My doctor also told me this. In contrast, she told me that Paxil is the AD that seems to make people gain the most.

leahraskie

I only used citalopram for a month, it did nothing for me depression/anxiety wise and I got the rare side effects which sucked, so I switched. My doctor suggested that it would aid in weight loss for me, but I think a lot of it depends on your mentality at the time of dosing.

I was switched to venlafaxine/Effexor, not sure I'd recommend that to anyone unless they got the extended release. It works well until you accidentally forget a pill or run out and don't have time to get more. The withdrawal is the worst. It's fairly weight neutral but sides more with losing weight rather than gaining. It does cause you to feel like not eating for a week or two.


I was just switched to bupropion/Wellbutrin yesterday, anorexia is not common as a side effect but weight gain is unheard of unless used as a smoking cessation aid.

To find a good pill for yourself you may need to look at multiple different pills over a period of at least 1 month for each, if one is making you gain weight then go to your doctor and ask for a different SSRI or SNRI. SSRI's are "supposed" to be less serious side effects, but they have a more influence on your weight.

autumnfireflys

It does NOT make you fat. YOU make you fat.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/276128-celexa-and-weight-loss-side-effects/

heatherdonovan1

I was on Citalopram for anxiety for exactly 1 year 3 months before I started to wean off. It was great the first 5 months. I lost weight, I felt great and I thought -- wow, this is a magic pill! Then, month 6 came and the weight started piling on. I've noticed a lot of people making remarks that month 6 was when it all began for them too. Weird....

I will say that I am an organic health nut, I do drink alcohol (it's my guilty pleasure but it's always in moderation) and I only was eating junk 1 meal a week (and barely at that).

Originally 125 pounds, I ballooned to 150. I was shocked. And it literally was over the course of 2-3 months. I lost my entire self esteem...I had always identified with being a relatively thin girl. Then all of a sudden none of my clothes fit and I'm embarassed to leave the house. Mind you, I had gotten married the summer before so I'm sure my husband (who has dated me for 10 years) was like what the heck happened to my wife?! For those who swear it's not the medication, you are SO wrong. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. My thyroid was fine, everything checked out... and my doctor agreed, it was 100% the medication.

Surprisingly, I barely had any side effects going off the medication (I was on a low dose... maybe I never even needed it?). Now 1 year later, I've been off 100% and am down 18 pounds but I had to fight like hell to get to this point (even though I was exercising like a mad woman and eating 100% HEALTHY). Another 5 or so to go.. but I feel like it's SO MUCH tougher than before. It definitely did something to my metabolism. I used to lose weight so easily.

Now I feel like I need to go back on medication and I'm so stuck. I liked citalopram but I swore I'd never go down that road again. Afraid how bad the others are...

smittybuilt19

I was on Citalopram for anxiety for exactly 1 year 3 months before I started to wean off. It was great the first 5 months. I lost weight, I felt great and I thought -- wow, this is a magic pill! Then, month 6 came and the weight started piling on. I've noticed a lot of people making remarks that month 6 was when it all began for them too. Weird....

I will say that I am an organic health nut, I do drink alcohol (it's my guilty pleasure but it's always in moderation) and I only was eating junk 1 meal a week (and barely at that).

Originally 125 pounds, I ballooned to 150. I was shocked. And it literally was over the course of 2-3 months. I lost my entire self esteem...I had always identified with being a relatively thin girl. Then all of a sudden none of my clothes fit and I'm embarassed to leave the house. Mind you, I had gotten married the summer before so I'm sure my husband (who has dated me for 10 years) was like what the heck happened to my wife?! For those who swear it's not the medication, you are SO wrong. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. My thyroid was fine, everything checked out... and my doctor agreed, it was 100% the medication.

Surprisingly, I barely had any side effects going off the medication (I was on a low dose... maybe I never even needed it?). Now 1 year later, I've been off 100% and am down 18 pounds but I had to fight like hell to get to this point (even though I was exercising like a mad woman and eating 100% HEALTHY). Another 5 or so to go.. but I feel like it's SO MUCH tougher than before. It definitely did something to my metabolism. I used to lose weight so easily.

Now I feel like I need to go back on medication and I'm so stuck. I liked citalopram but I swore I'd never go down that road again. Afraid how bad the others are...

On a 100% serious note (because I too have gained since being put on celexa), how was your intake ratio during the gaining process? Calories in vs. Calories out. I am curious to know, btw I am at the 6 month point.

daybehavior

On a 100% serious note (because I too have gained since being put on celexa), how was your intake ratio during the gaining process? Calories in vs. Calories out. I am curious to know, btw I am at the 6 month point.

Please don't mention calories in vs calories out in this thread or you will get dog piled like I did. It's just easier let them believe some voodoo priestess in Haiti is conjuring up fat cells for them while they sleep.

osteological

I've been on both escitalopram/Cipralex and citalopram/Celexa, each for about a year - I switched from Cipralex to Celexa because I was even lower energy than I was when I was depressed taking Cipralex. When I started Celexa at the 20mg dosage, I started getting terrible headaches - they disappeared when I was swapped down to the 10mg dosage. I have mild depression and anxiety, and neither of the drugs seemed to cause an issue with my metabolism -- but I was and am taking very low dosages!

I'm sure it's been said on here already, but one of the problems i had with both of these drugs is something I think is 'emotional flattening', where I experience less excitement and energy over things I used to enjoy. I also started taking the Celexa at night because of how drowsy I got right after taking it. The low energy definitely made me want to eat more, and when compounded with a higher dosage of the drugs it doesn't surprise me that the most commonly reported side effect of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications is weight gain.

zarelcl

No doctor can say a drug will or will not make you gain weight. Everybody is different and will have different experiences with it. For me it made me gain weight. I am very active, running 50+ miles a week and eat very clean. My diet and exercise did not vary when I got on celexa, but I put on 20lbs. Very frustrating. Especially when you are doing everything right with eating and exercising. Slowly weened myself off of it and stopped taking it all together yesterday. Hopefully, I will see some results.

smittybuilt19

On a 100% serious note (because I too have gained since being put on celexa), how was your intake ratio during the gaining process? Calories in vs. Calories out. I am curious to know, btw I am at the 6 month point.

Please don't mention calories in vs calories out in this thread or you will get dog piled like I did. It's just easier let them believe some voodoo priestess in Haiti is conjuring up fat cells for them while they sleep.

Lol. I am having a great deal of trouble wrapping my head around weight gain while in a deficit.

nicola8989

I'm on 20mg of Citalopram and my weight gain did start when I started taking it.

Previously when I lost weight it just dropped off me without too much effort - I don't know if part of that is getting older though. Or maybe I'm just remembering it wrongly!!!

Anyways, this time around it's really hard to shift. I'm coming off Citalopram now, first a lower dose then coming off completely, so I guess I can report back.

I do take on board what people have said about how we eat more/less depending on if we're happy or not. I'm happy at the minute and just want to eat like a pig!

cherys

It DOES cause weight gain in a significant number of people. It's listed as a rare side effect in the paperwork that comes with the packs of meds. (1 in 1000 people report weight gain.) The reason is that it slows you right down. You move more slowly and less often. The metabolism almost hibernates in some people. I rate this drug very highly as relief from severe depression. I'd go back to it like a shot as it is so effective, But I gained 20lbs on it. After years on it I weaned myself off over summer. Suddenly noticed I was moving faster - if I ran upstairs my body felt less heavy. My running partner can't keep up with me. This is without any change in diet or exercise regimes. On Citalopram (Celexa) I felt as though I was carrying a heavy backpack - it was impossible to rebound. I've only lost a tiny amount of weight since stopping. About 5lbs. But was on it for years.

daybehavior

smittybuilt19 wrote: »

I was on Citalopram for anxiety for exactly 1 year 3 months before I started to wean off. It was great the first 5 months. I lost weight, I felt great and I thought -- wow, this is a magic pill! Then, month 6 came and the weight started piling on. I've noticed a lot of people making remarks that month 6 was when it all began for them too. Weird....

I will say that I am an organic health nut, I do drink alcohol (it's my guilty pleasure but it's always in moderation) and I only was eating junk 1 meal a week (and barely at that).

Originally 125 pounds, I ballooned to 150. I was shocked. And it literally was over the course of 2-3 months. I lost my entire self esteem...I had always identified with being a relatively thin girl. Then all of a sudden none of my clothes fit and I'm embarassed to leave the house. Mind you, I had gotten married the summer before so I'm sure my husband (who has dated me for 10 years) was like what the heck happened to my wife?! For those who swear it's not the medication, you are SO wrong. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. My thyroid was fine, everything checked out... and my doctor agreed, it was 100% the medication.

Surprisingly, I barely had any side effects going off the medication (I was on a low dose... maybe I never even needed it?). Now 1 year later, I've been off 100% and am down 18 pounds but I had to fight like hell to get to this point (even though I was exercising like a mad woman and eating 100% HEALTHY). Another 5 or so to go.. but I feel like it's SO MUCH tougher than before. It definitely did something to my metabolism. I used to lose weight so easily.

Now I feel like I need to go back on medication and I'm so stuck. I liked citalopram but I swore I'd never go down that road again. Afraid how bad the others are...

On a 100% serious note (because I too have gained since being put on celexa), how was your intake ratio during the gaining process? Calories in vs. Calories out. I am curious to know, btw I am at the 6 month point.

*crickets chirp*

FormerSuperHero

I have been on citalopram for almost a year and in this year I have been very active and training but it's more sluggish feeling and I have been craving high sugar foods like never before. So this year I have gained 40lbs and even when I'm watching my food and eating right I still can't lost it. So I have taken myself off the pills and I want to see how this impacts the weight loss

Elsie_Brownraisin

Everyone's different and you have to consume surplus calories to gain weight in the first place. As I understand it, if you're feeling depressed, lethargic or the medication increases your appetite, it's likely to 'cause' weight gain.

I didn't gain weight on citalopram, but I lost the ability to have an orgasm. So yeah, that one was no good. I gained a buttload on mirtazpine and went whackadoodle on venlafaxine and lost 2 stone in about 3 months. They all affect people differently.

I usually overeat when I'm depressed, so not sure if the anti-depressants I have tried in the past added to this or it's what I would have put on anyway.

define__us

Okay, I was freaking out because my doctor just prescribed me celexa today. I was worried that it would make me gain the weight I lost. I guess all I have to do is try it & see what happens!