What antidepressant doesn't make you gain weight ?

Debbiedebbiey
Debbiedebbiey Posts: 824 Member
edited December 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I really need to be on one, as I have a very stressful life, chronic neck pain and worry about EverythinG ! I've tried several over the years. Some made me hungry, or sadder, or sleepy, or sleepless, or agitated more so. So my doc said get 30 Mins of cardio every single day,and that would be the same as taking a pill. she said you wouldn't skip taking your medicine (if you could tolerate it) so do not skip a day of cardio. I totally agree. I'm off work now but will attempt going back to a new job sept 1. Then what to do? For those days I just can't find time. (which is a major stressor in itself- finding time now-has to be in the a.m.) maybe just go on a pill ? Anyone have success with not gaining on them? Thanks for any help you can give.
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Replies

  • Treesy72
    Treesy72 Posts: 230
    Welbutrin
  • NoahandPresleysMom
    NoahandPresleysMom Posts: 763 Member
    Wellbutrin. I lost 150 lbs after having my son while taking it, and im on it now!!!!!
  • EAlexandraB
    EAlexandraB Posts: 98 Member
    I take Cymbalta, and it has been weight-neutral for me (my doctor prescribed it for that reason!)
  • HulkDiesel77
    HulkDiesel77 Posts: 219 Member
    Working out 5 days a week...........no drugs required :)
  • MissySho
    MissySho Posts: 126 Member
    my son's doctor says that abilify isn't supposed to make you eat more or gain weight but he is wrong.....i also know of a couple more from personal experience that don't help with not gaining weight. They are for mental health issues, paxil, geodon, and celexa.....I have been on all four of these over the past 2 years and have gained 100 pounds during that time....now i'm no longer taking them and am finally losing weight.
  • FlyByJuly
    FlyByJuly Posts: 564 Member
    Working out 5 days a week...........no drugs required :)

    ^^^^This is what works for me, without fail.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    I lost 25 lbs on Wellbutrin without even trying.
  • SRR15
    SRR15 Posts: 23 Member
    I've been on celexa for about 2 years now. I was gaining weight because of eating crap while I was depressed, so once my mood stabilized, I started to eat healthier and lost a good amount of the weight. The worse side effect I have is the drug makes me so tired and sleepy! My doctor suggested I take it before bed instead of the morning and that's made a ton of difference! Good luck!
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
    I take Cymbalta, and it has been weight-neutral for me (my doctor prescribed it for that reason!)

    My husband lost 20 lbs after starting cymbalta. Part of it also has to do with it taking away his pain, so he could actually move and do things again. He has seen great results with it.
  • purdieang
    purdieang Posts: 43
    zoloft seems to be weight nuetral for me
  • serhioramos
    serhioramos Posts: 59 Member
    I absolutely have to be on antidepressant for OCD and anxiety as well as depression and have found I can't function without my meds. I've been on various medications for almost 10 years (I started on them when I was 10) and have found that various medications will have various impacts on different bodies. Most side effects only occur in a certain percentage of those who take the medicine, so you never really can be sure how a certain medicine will effect you until you try it yourself.

    I wouldn't avoid taking medications because you're afraid of weight gain. Talk to a doctor who is willing to test out different medicines and find one that works for YOU. I've gone through about 5 different meds before settling on Cymbalta, which does have terrible withdrawals if you skip a day but works find besides that.

    The important thing is to be patient and willing to try out different options. It'll be worth it in the end when you're happier.
  • stephanie_pephanie
    stephanie_pephanie Posts: 24
    exercise
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a PCP? Don't listen to people who don't know you about what pills are best. Some of the pills will be the wrong fit for you.

    Exercise does not do it for me when it comes to managing my anxiety. The only thing that did was the right anti-depressant.
  • CMKinMI
    CMKinMI Posts: 2 Member
    I absolutely have to be on antidepressant for OCD and anxiety as well as depression and have found I can't function without my meds. I've been on various medications for almost 10 years (I started on them when I was 10) and have found that various medications will have various impacts on different bodies. Most side effects only occur in a certain percentage of those who take the medicine, so you never really can be sure how a certain medicine will effect you until you try it yourself.

    I wouldn't avoid taking medications because you're afraid of weight gain. Talk to a doctor who is willing to test out different medicines and find one that works for YOU. I've gone through about 5 different meds before settling on Cymbalta, which does have terrible withdrawals if you skip a day but works find besides that.

    The important thing is to be patient and willing to try out different options. It'll be worth it in the end when you're happier.

    Awesome answer.
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
    Yep. Wellbutrin.
  • capriciousmoon
    capriciousmoon Posts: 1,263 Member
    I would have another talk with the doctor, tell her that you're trying to go back to work and that the stress of that and possibility of not having time to exercise is making things worse. You'll probably have to try things out yourself to figure out what works best.

    The antidepressant I am taking isn't making me gain, but I am actually taking it as a sleep aid so it probably wouldn't help you.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    Wellbutrin has quite literally changed my life. One of the major side effects for many people is actually decreased appetite. It is often prescribed under another name for smoking cessation (zyban), which makes sense if I think of it in terms of helping to minimize some of those otherwise undeniable urges.

    Here's the thing, Wellbutrin doesn't make you lose weight. What it did for me is help to quiet the part of me that was thinking about food all the time. As soon as that part of me stopped obsessing about food and eating, I was able to take control. I count my calories, I avoid too much processed food, I am moving more because I feel better and have more energy. Those are things I HAVE TO DO MYSELF. but the Wellbutrin absolutely helped me to change the way I was thinking, the way I was looking at food and exercise, and even though I still have over 100 pounds to lose, I can see my potential for the first time in many years.

    I went from feeling like I had no control, to making good choices and logging everything I eat almost immediately. I am not one to promote a magic pill, there are no magic pills, I still have to make good decisions, but it makes it a lot easier.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    The reason I ask if you are seeing a psychiatrist is because different pills have different effects, and some antidepressants can actually worsen anxiety. Wellbutrin has been suspected to be one that increases anxiety. (And some studies have shown that it helps anxiety.) I would sit down with someone who specializes in psychiatry and review your medication history and what medications caused what.

    Most antidepressants are unlikely to cause a big weight gain. There are classes of meds that do, but these in general aren't the standard antidepressant. Not that it isn't possible, of course. There are also medications that are shown to help with anxiety but are overall mild. You have a lot of options, but explore them only with people who really know you and know the meds, too.
  • momof4ts
    momof4ts Posts: 118
    Cymbalta works for me :flowerforyou:
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    The reason I ask if you are seeing a psychiatrist is because different pills have different effects, and some antidepressants can actually worsen anxiety. Wellbutrin has been suspected to be one that increases anxiety. (And some studies have shown that it helps anxiety.) I would sit down with someone who specializes in psychiatry and review your medication history and what medications caused what.

    absolutely. regarding the anxiety, I did experience a surge in anxiety for the first 2 weeks (but then I felt so good about everything else that it balanced itself out!) I see a therapist once a week, so I was able to address that with her. Wellbutrin definitely isn't the kind of thing you just ask your Dr for a prescription for and then go months without additional visits. Like any drug, only your doctor(s) are going to know if it's right for you.

    and I totally admit to being a bit of an evangelist because when I think about the person I was 2 months ago vs today, I could cry from the relief
  • Valentinakj2011
    Valentinakj2011 Posts: 12 Member
    bump
  • totallydevious
    totallydevious Posts: 309 Member
    Personally, I am on more than one anti - depressant right now, and I've noticed some weight issues, I gained 30 pounds in 6 months after starting medicine back up after my suicide attempt, I have been on so many in my life and honestly, the only way you will know what works for you is to try it, talk to your doctor or therapist, [ I see both so I didn't know about you ] and give one a try, if you feel it isn't working within 7 - 10 days of taking it, go back to your doctor and switch, it is a long process to find which one works but it is worth it in the end, before my suicide attempt, I was on Zoloft now I am on an anti - depressant, anti - psychotic and an anxiety pill, I don't have the names right now but if you would like to know, just send me a message and I'll find out for you. :) I hope you find something that works for you, I've been in your shoes before and now, I am just so much better because I found the right combination of medicine that works for me! :flowerforyou:
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
    Talk to your Dr. Don't take advice from anyone else. It's fine to share experience's but everyone is different.

    Every topic I see about medications ends up having very dangerous advice from people who have no idea what they are talking about.
  • Keirasmama06
    Keirasmama06 Posts: 2
    I took Welbutrin for a few years and I did lose about 10-15 pounds at first. Mostly from being nauseous. After a few months though the symptoms went away. I did eventually gain the weight back. I'm off all meds now by choice and dealing with my depression through exercise and healthy diet. I can't say I won't ever have to take meds again, but for now I'm managing. Good luck to you! Everyday is a challenge.
  • Melanie_RS
    Melanie_RS Posts: 417 Member
    I'm sure it's not the medicine itself, it's how it makes you feel and then how you react or change your lifestyle/eating habits as a consequence.

    If you were constantly stressed and didn't eat and then started taking one, you relax, you eat, you may gain weight.

    If you were depressed and binged or just didn't care and laid in bed all day and were jello, you take one, and then feel great and get moving...you might lose weight.

    but it's rare that the actual medicine itself will make you lose or gain weight...it's the fact you'll have a behavior change (good or bad) after you take it and feel the effects.
  • ekking69
    ekking69 Posts: 44
    I absolutely have to be on antidepressant for OCD and anxiety as well as depression and have found I can't function without my meds. I've been on various medications for almost 10 years (I started on them when I was 10) and have found that various medications will have various impacts on different bodies. Most side effects only occur in a certain percentage of those who take the medicine, so you never really can be sure how a certain medicine will effect you until you try it yourself.

    I wouldn't avoid taking medications because you're afraid of weight gain. Talk to a doctor who is willing to test out different medicines and find one that works for YOU. I've gone through about 5 different meds before settling on Cymbalta, which does have terrible withdrawals if you skip a day but works find besides that.



    The important thing is to be patient and willing to try out different options. It'll be worth it in the end when you're happier.

    Awesome answer.

    Seriously an awesome answer. You have to try them out. My husband and I were both put on Citalopram for a temporary high-anxiety situation. We both gained a lot of weight on it. When we saw our doctors recently and complained, mine switched me to Wellbutrin, which has worked well for me. It did not work for my husband. It also didn't work for my mother. So you can't assume that it will work for you. Yes, you probably wouldn't gain weight on it, but would it work for your situation? Talk to your doctor. And work through the meds.. You will find one that works for you.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Some meds really can contribute to weight gain and loss, but sometimes it is the behavior change.

    Not knocking anyone who loves Wellbutrin or any other drug that works for them--that's awesome! I just don't want OP to get her heart set on that one because it may not be right for her. OP, remember that if one drug fit all, there would only be one on the market (or endless generics of the same formula). They really do affect people differently.
  • lcn1220
    lcn1220 Posts: 124 Member
    Working out 5 days a week...........no drugs required :)

    Ditto. Was on all kinds of antidepressants. Working out hard 6 days a week did more for me than any of the drugs...and added bonus I dropped some weight. :)
  • healthychanges1
    healthychanges1 Posts: 110
    Wellbutrin has been fabulous. I gained weight on Paxil, Lexapro, and Lamictal. I stayed the same on Prozac, but since adding Wellbutrin I actually lost weight (minimal, but still).
  • thedancingleper
    thedancingleper Posts: 158 Member
    Wellbutrin. I lost 150 lbs after having my son while taking it, and im on it now!!!!!

    I second this. It has no affect on weight at all.
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