What antidepressant doesn't make you gain weight ?

Re: What antidepressant doesn't make you gain weight ?

exercise!

Quoting Legally Blonde:
"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands."

My doctor took me off Seroquel because I gained 80lbs. I am currently on Lithium and Trazadone (for sleep) and I have absolutely no appetite at all.

yoga.... meditation.... walking at the beach.... writing down everything you feel ....

but well for me, Im always positive because I don't worry on the things I can't change...
I just let God carry my troubles, because there's no point on worrying for something that
is beyond our control... We rather jst sit and worry and cry ourselves to sleep or act and
do something about it.. If there is no solution, then why worry about it?

I've been taking Prozac for several months since my release from the psychiatric hospital, and I haven't noticed any weight gain caused specifically by this antidepressant.

But, I would still suggest talking to your doctor about this. It's always better to have a real experts opinion.

Good luck!

Hi I am Mark's wife and currently a pharmacy student. There aren't any anti-depressants out there they won't make you put on the weight. All of the drugs in that class (Prozac probably being the worst) are also meant to be anti-anorexia drugs. They don't for instance make you eat, but your body responds by causing possible weight gain. Sorry

As others have already said, the effects of the medication are very specific to the person.

For myself, I am on both Effexor and Wellbutrin... I didn't gain weight when I started them and I'm currently losing weight at about 1.5-2 lbs per week. However, I did gain weight when I took Paxil mailnly because it was making me too sleepy, I think. I was able to lose most of the weight but gained it back when switching from Paxil to Effexor as I had to withdraw from the Paxil completely and my depression spiked resulting in more sleeping, and more eating.

Most of the anxiety/depression medications generally don't cause much fluctuation in weight by themselves (unless it modifies behaviour such as having more/less energy to exercise and such). Medications for bipolar and schizophrenia, however, do tend to have a much greater effect on weight gain, unfortunately.

Working out 5 days a week...........no drugs required

^^^^This is what works for me, without fail.

That's all well and good for some, but please don't discount the fact that some people need medication.

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!

This exactly!

Also agree with this... the time when you take the medication can have an effect... discuss with your doctor what options you may have. For me, I have found that taking them in the morning works best for me but everyone is different!

Okay, for all the people saying "exercise" - you're not doing anyone any favors. Yes, exercise is great for your mood. But when you are depressed to the point where you can barely get out of bed every day, someone telling you to exercise is unhelpful at best and exacerbating at worst - one more thing to feel guilty about because you don't have the energy/motivation to do it. Taking an antidepressant can help someone to improve to the point where they can take care of themselves in other ways.

^^ This!!! :flowerforyou:

Okay, for all the people saying "exercise" - you're not doing anyone any favors. Yes, exercise is great for your mood. But when you are depressed to the point where you can barely get out of bed every day, someone telling you to exercise is unhelpful at best and exacerbating at worst - one more thing to feel guilty about because you don't have the energy/motivation to do it. Taking an antidepressant can help someone to improve to the point where they can take care of themselves in other ways.

I second this. I absolutely despise taking medication, but I know it's necessary for my situation. Self-medicating via exercise can be enough for some people, but for others it simply isn't.

As for the OP, please speak with your PCP about getting a psychiatrist referral if you don't already have one, or look up provider's online who will take your insurance. Taking medical advice from an online forum may not be the best option. Good luck and try to be patient, as it may take a few switches to find what works best for you.

Great advice.

Exercise is a great antidepressant in many cases; however, if you are clinical... it will not be sufficient. From your post I am supposing that your depressive mood has been sufficient to affect your ability to be a productive employee.. that it is affecting your quality of life. If you have been dealing with it through a general practitioner, I would recommend seeing one who specializes in mood disorders... Psychiatrist. In some cases counseling is the best answer... In other cases, it is a combination of medication and counseling... Exercise works really well as a mood enhancer in those with mild depressive symptoms or merely "the blues". However, as I suspect you are aware, there is a difference between the blues and clinical depression. If you simply cannot shake that bad mood or those feelings of anxiety then getting the professional help is indicated. As others have said, the action of the different medications work differently on different people; hence, somebody with knowledge in this area is best able to help you determine what is best for YOU... I have known people with great results with Wellbutrin (as many have attested) however, I also know one person who was on it, lost their job and had pervasive thoughts of suicide. That can be a risk with this medication. Also a professional mental health practitioner can help differentiate the related mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, major depression, disthymia, seasonal affective disorders, etc. All these disorders are treated differently. Whatever the case, make sure you get the help you need.

I take Celexa AND work out 6-7 times a week; I have a highly stressful job. I feel great and by taking the meds at night I experience no real side effects such as tiredness. I stopped taking it for a while and gained weight. I don't like pills but I am a much happier and productive person taking them and it is much nicer for other people to be around me. :bigsmile:

prozac helped me lose about 40 pounds, but i feel like a tolerance built up and it didn't work as well

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.

as always, pills affect people in different ways.

Depression makes me gain more than an anti-depressant. When I needed an antidepressant and wasn't on one, I couldn't get my *kitten* off the couch.