Antidepressants and weight loss success

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.

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...

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

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 :-)

wellbutrin has not hindered my weight loss.......gained most of this on Paxil......ugh.

Hope this helps....smile

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!