Antidepressants and weight loss success

rosenogc
rosenogc Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I was wondering if anybody on here has had success losing weight while taking an antidepressant. My doctor prescribed me Celexa to try out, but after reading different articles about gaining weight I'm scared to start them. I need to lose about 50 pounds and do not want to complicate the weight loss process. Has anyone had weight loss success while taking an antidepressant or a story that how I shouldn't take it because it will affect my weight.

Replies

  • cgrooms676
    cgrooms676 Posts: 27 Member
    I take a generic of Prozac for anxiety and depression and haven't had any issues losing weight while taking it. If I did, I'd be even more depressed! :)
  • 1jlazymom
    1jlazymom Posts: 197 Member
    I take Wellbutrin XL and have no problems losing weight. If I did I would definitley have to consider something else. I know that a lot of anxiety/anti depressants have side effect of weight gain.
  • LaLouve_RK
    LaLouve_RK Posts: 899 Member
    God I've been on lot of these!!!

    1jlazymom: BTW & FYI Welbutrin is more of a activant than a depressant, you are not suppose to see any difference weight-wise.

    Weight gain is a DEPRESSANT side-effect. You might have it, you might not. It is a 50/50 gamble.
    The depressants I was on had this side-effects, included the one that worked for me: Paxil. I made the maths after a colleague said to check this out since I gained weight without changing any habits. Here it was:::: When I trained a lot, it made my weight plateau for a year. I stopped, it raised.

    I then talk about it to my doc and ask for something else, she tried me on Welbutrin, didn't fit me at all, my stress symptoms were worst. I cut it all cold turkey.
    I now try to manage myself, like my doc always wanted me to do. I plan to try acupuncture soon.
  • DietandVlogsense
    DietandVlogsense Posts: 48 Member
    Hi,

    I was wondering if anybody on here has had success losing weight while taking an antidepressant. My doctor prescribed me Celexa to try out, but after reading different articles about gaining weight I'm scared to start them. I need to lose about 50 pounds and do not want to complicate the weight loss process. Has anyone had weight loss success while taking an antidepressant or a story that how I shouldn't take it because it will affect my weight.
    I've been on Citalopran (Same stuff) for over 6 years and I always attributed my weightgain to that. Have been on between 20 - 40mgs for a long, long time.

    I WAS FOOLING MYSELF.

    I am still on 30mgs a day, actually INCREASED my dosage at around the same time I started using MFP and I have lost 30lbs whilst following the MFP plan for 2 months.

    People tend to read the "side affects" leaflet and then too easily put their gain in weight down to the drug. I am now the first to jump up and say that the weight gain is NOT from Celexa/Citalopran, but from the fact that as you depression eases, you tend to eat more, exercise less and not worry about it.

    I WILL loose 70lbs whilst I continue to take Citalopran and do not believe the leaflets, because if you got every side affect listed, you would be in a worse state than you were before you started taking it...
  • rosenogc
    rosenogc Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for the feedback. I am going to go ahead and start taking them while doing MFP and see what happens. At this point, my emotions are so across the board that I'd rather take the risk.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    I managed to lose 30 lbs a few years ago while I was on Wellbutrin and a couple other things (treating bipolar disorder) and I didn't really feel like it made the weight loss more difficult. I put it all back on, but because I went back to eating like crap, not because I was on medications :)
  • MissTomGettingThin
    MissTomGettingThin Posts: 776 Member
    I take a generic of Prozac for anxiety and depression and haven't had any issues losing weight while taking it. If I did, I'd be even more depressed! :)

    This
  • amielizabeth1
    amielizabeth1 Posts: 57 Member
    I have taken Celexa for 2-3 years. The only thing that has affected my weight is exercising and calories! Good luck! I weighed about 20 pounds more when I started on the drug :-)
  • stefanie1208
    stefanie1208 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, I gained weight taking Paxil so I was switched to Effexor and so far have been losing weight. I just have to stick to it and exercise but I would much rather take them as I now have the energy and desire to change my poor eating and exercise habits, whereas before I was depressed and didn't much care to put forth the effort. If you are concerned, I would ask your MD but good luck to you whatever you decide!!
  • Tex_Zen
    Tex_Zen Posts: 10
    wellbutrin has not hindered my weight loss.......gained most of this on Paxil......ugh.

    Hope this helps....smile
  • iLose2Gain
    iLose2Gain Posts: 138 Member
    My doc wanted to give me a sample of anti-anxiety meds but I read that they can decrease your ability to have an orgasm!!! Now THAT would have me depressed!!!! :explode:
  • Corryn78
    Corryn78 Posts: 215
    All I know is in the last year, I've gained 30 pounds. My mom tells me that when she went off of prozac, she LOST 30 pounds, without changing her behaviors. Going to speak with my Dr this Friday about switching to something different, or trying to taper off for a while.
  • BrazenHarpy
    BrazenHarpy Posts: 81 Member
    I think depends on the antidepressant. When I was on Effexor, I had no problems with weight. Zoloft, on the other hand, caused me to gain weight all over the place. Once I got off Zoloft my weight went back down.
  • reojames
    reojames Posts: 96
    I started Lexipro about 10 years ago and BLIMPED OUT! I went from about 150 to 210! But I was also eating everything in sight and drinking a lot of beer. Since then, I'm lost most of the weight (thanks to MFP!). So it can be done. I don't drink anymore and am down to a 'maintenance' level of Lexipro now (just 10ml). So, getting over the depression made me hungry, but a bit of discipline has helped drop the weight.
  • Maddi_InBetweenDays
    Maddi_InBetweenDays Posts: 177
    I was put on Trazadone, and that didn't effect my weight one bit - I actually think it helped. The side effect of a better nights sleep is a big bonus to. But of course talk to your doctor to see what they would suggest, and really highlight how important the weight effect is to you.
  • kndlkai1
    kndlkai1 Posts: 103 Member
    I've been on and off various depression meds for years. As long as you follow some sort of eating plan (not the eat all you want plan lol) and attempt some form of exercise, you should be ok. There's definitely a spiral effect to it - when you do well, you feel better, then you do better. When you stumble and falter, then you don't feel so good, then you start to question a lot of things and feel worse. Good luck with whatever you choose.
  • gibsy
    gibsy Posts: 112
    wellbutrin has not hindered my weight loss.......gained most of this on Paxil......ugh.

    Hope this helps....smile

    Wellbutrin actually tends to help with weight loss, rather than cause it. It's an NDRI, not an SSRI so it works differently. I don't think it's doing especially much to aid my weight loss, but for those it does, I think the reason is that it can suppress the appetite a little bit. I do find that at least when I am really hungry, I don't feel as terrible so I don't reach as fast for the comfort food. That said if you have significant anxiety as well as depression, I wouldn't recommend Wellbutrin as a first choice. It helps my depression but it does not even touch my anxiety (some people find it exacerbates it) so I suspect I might get even more benefit from an SSRI.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    Ive been on a few different ones. I started with Topmax (treating mood disorder) and I also started to workout n watch what i ate....weight was coming off great. and then added Wellbutrin and weight kept coming off. About a year and half after i started they wanted me off Topmax. Switched me to Abilify and i GAINED 20 lbs in 2 months., They switched me back to Topmax and lost a little of it and put it back on (probably due to me moving and not working out ) I then was forced off Topmax again to Geodon, I've gained 12 lbs in about 2-3 months...I'm also finding it REALLY hard to lose the weight so I don't know if I should go off it or stay on it longer.... I guess time will tell.

    Good luck.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    Celexa didn't cause a weight gain for me. I was on Prozac from age 9-18 and as soon as I came off it I lost 30 pounds in 3 months.
  • laurels12
    laurels12 Posts: 54 Member
    To be honest, I've succeeded in losing weight because of my antidepressants! I was in a really bad place and eating constantly. Finally broke down and went to the Doctors who prescribed Citalopram, a few months later I was feeling much more focused, my head was clearer and I felt energised and ready for anything! I started MFP and the rest is history!!
  • Krismarie24
    Krismarie24 Posts: 25
    Just another thought - one study (and maybe there have been more since) that Duke University did found that exercise was just as effective as medication at relieving symptoms of depression and the effects actually lasted longer, too.

    I'm not saying there's never a time for the drugs, but keep in mind doctors are in the drug business, not in the whole-person, lifestyle business (not all doctors though!). They may not give you that other perspective, but you should be aware of it and make your own informed choice.

    Here's some links...

    http://today.duke.edu/2000/09/exercise922.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11020092

    Best of luck to you!

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