Anyone here gained weight on anti depressants?

ToniChansNewLook

Can't say they're 100% responsible (I did practice pretty poor eating and excercise habits.. ) But I can attest that since going on anti-depressants, my weight increased...

My dad (also a doctor) switched me to Viibryd, and with the help of excerising of course, I am managing to lose weight again....

You may want to talk to you doctor about switching to this if weight gain is a concern ^^

dakitten2

If you check your meds on a site like www.drugs.com you can find the possible side effects of the meds you are taking. Some meds will cause loss of appetite, others will cause an increase in appetite.

I've been on Lexapro and Xanax for years plus a number of meds for other conditions. I actually think it was my depression that caused me to gain weight. I would sit down with a bag of chips, cookies, whatever, and just eat mindlessly. Now everything is about weighing and portion control. Mind over matter for me.

A word of caution to anyone who is taking anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety meds. Do not stop any of those meds abruptly. Please see your physician as one must be weaned off these type of meds over a period of time.

gold0362

I've actually been struggling with this the last few days, as I just realized that despite counting and exercising, my weight has gone up 10 pounds in the last two months. I should be losing weight but it isn't happening, so I am going to taper off the meds. I'm on Lexapro, and hopefully the weight will come off when I stop it. I'll come back and update if it makes a difference or not.

laserturkey

When I discontinued Remeron I dropped 50 pounds so fast I started asking the doctor if maybe I had cancer or something! It was just extra weight I had put on because of the medication. I have taken Wellbutrin for many years and have no difficulty losing weight on it.

Espressocycle

Actually, the sudden weight gain from mine was what got me to get serious about weigh loss in the first place. I gained 15 lbs within three months, but I've lost 30 since joining MFP and I'm aiming to lose another 15 before I'm done. I do have to say, my metabolism is way slower than the standard estimates on this site for height/weight/age/activity level, but I don't know if it's the meds or not.

Aviendha_RJ

I gained 30lbs from Cipralex.

I've peeled almost all of that off.

Oh... & it took a WHILE for it to start coming off... don't be discouraged, just because it hasn't started coming off, doesn't mean it won't.

kkchristine

I gained about 25 lbs. while I was on Citalopram (successfully weaned myself off --- day 10 w/ no medicine). I wouldn't say the medicine was the main cause of my weight gain. Poor diet and exercise both took part in the gain. The medicine slowed down my metabolism, so that made it worse, but being lazy and not eating properly definitely had a bigger part of it, for me at least.

skinnybitchbarbie27

I am on wellbutrin *spelling* and the doctor told me that it is a pretty weight neutral pill. I have been on it for two months now and my weight loss hasn't stalled.

One of the side affects I get however is my appetite goes away. You'd think this was a good thing but I have to be on top of it or I could go 8-9 hours without eating.

jhunny31

I'm really on and off with Lerazepam as I read online somewhere that it does put some weight on you and lord knows I don't need the extra push for that. I'm supposed to take it once a day for a month but I'm never consistent, just don't want to gain the weight. Hang in there.

professorRAT

I have no experience with anti-depressants, but I have had to take prednisone for years at a time. This also often causes weight gain because a) it actually alters how the body metabolizes fat and carbs AND b) it makes you ravenously hungry. I am not sure what the reason is for weight gain with anti-depressants, but I thought my experience might be helpful.

Most people gain 30-60 pounds taking prednisone long term. I gained 8 lbs in 3 years. My doctors were amazed by this. Here is what I did:

1) regular exercise (weight lifting and some cardio 5 times a week)

2) **this is the important one** - I cringe when I hear people say "listen to your body" and/or "eat when you are hungry". Hormones, when out of whack (yes, that is a technical term), can send false hunger signals to the brain. So, I knew prednisone would make me hungry even when I did not need more food for nutrition or energy. Therefore, I ate an amount of food that was consistent with how many calories I knew my body needed. I did not use hunger as a sign to eat, I used my brain to tell me how much to eat. This is solely what prevented me from having a huge gain while taking prednisone. You can re-train your behavior and ignore hunger if you realize it may be false. It takes a bit of self control and, of course, knowledge about how much you should eat. I did this BEFORE joining MFP; so I think with logging it would be even easier and I probably could have avoided the small gain I did have if I had been logging then.

Good luck!

MrsPong

Hi.
I was switched to Abilify last year this time from being on a different med for 2 years... I gained 20 lbs in 2 months. I was taken off it and back on the old med... I stayed around the same weight and even dropped a few lbs.

I was then switched to another anti-depressent and gained about 20 more lbs in a few months. I was taken off it, and now I'm on something else. Its been maybe 2 months...? I really havent noticed much a diference in weight gain so I'm hoping I'll b able to lose all this weight.

Good luck, its a very common side effect they downplay to not being very important....If your dr downplays it get another Dr to help you. I've gone to almost 5 in 3 years because I was not happy with them or the meds.

tinytasha7

Almost 11 years ago I was put on Effexor (venlafaxine ) and I gained 120 lbs in 4 months. I knew at that time something was very wrong but since the side effect sheet didn't (and still doesn't) claim extreme weight gain as a side effect, I was not believed. I took my calorie intake down as far as 1000 calories but still could not lose.

2 years ago I was referred to a weight program at one of the local hospitals where they told me that Effexor was known to cause excessive weight gain, and the moved me to Cymbalta (similar medication, but metabolized differently) which was supposed to be weight neutral. Every time they increase my dosage, I gain more weight (usually between 10 and 25 lbs within a 6 week period), so I'd hardly call it weight neutral, but it's certainly better than Effexor.

I have been trying for more than 10 years to dump this weight, and now it's finally coming off. I am using Visalus shakes, and though I know there's some controversy about them on the forums, they are definitely working for me way better than not using them did.

It's still a slow road....but so far in 3 weeks, I'm down 14 lbs and 25 inches

jennaworksout

I was on celexa and lost 10...., then when I went off them, I gained 15 back, still trying to lose that weight...ugh ,can't win

jennaworksout

I was on celexa and lost 10...., then when I went off them, I gained 15 back, still trying to lose that weight...ugh ,can't win

I think the weening off of it, which too about a month or so caused the weight gain

kathrynlouiseellis

And just to correct myself it wasn't the tablets that made me gain weight, it was post natal depression, but its true in that time I didn't care I was eating a block of chocolate a night because it made me feel better, eventually I went to a mums and bubs group fitness class and I lost the weight I put on, exercise helps me and I'm no longer on them for a couple years now, when I don't exercise I feel low, so I know it helps me to be healthy and active.

Ortax

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I'm not blaming the meds themselves for me gaining weight. I regret not eating well and not exercising when I was first put on them. But all I can do now is to begin exercising and cutting calories which I know I have the willpower and motivation to do. Wish me luck

Mike91184

I am on Celxa and I noticed a decrease in appetite, I've also been working out at the gym.

SarahAFerguson

Just starting on Cipralex and find my self feeling very ho-hum about exercising. Actually I feel that way about everything which is a huge change from my normal stressed out self so I suppose it is working the way it is supposed to. I think I'll have to be more intentional about diet and exercise and maybe get an accountability partner.

funsiiz

Yes....started exercise...helps with depression and weight...good luck to ya

sunshine_gem

I've tried a few but none of them made me gain weight. If anything, I lost weight. Was on Gabapentin for a while last year and I put on 60lbs. It made my appetite increase to the point where I had to sit on my hands and suck ice cubes to stop myself from eating. Not on it anymore and my appetite went back to normal but the weight isn't shifting. I also have M.E. which makes it difficult but I'm trying. I think everyone just reacts in different ways.

aweber73

Yes, I take something called Remeron - - just a couple times a month for bouts of anxiety and insomnia and can attest to the powerful effect they have on my appetite! It's the extra eating that does it for me (versus something about the medication itself messing with my metabolism). I can't stop eating sweet carbs - - I ate an entire bag of Smores Goldfish in one day last week! Getting enough sleep and exercising earlier in the day usually helps with the intense cravings.

Good luck!