antidepressants and weight loss?

i asked the same question awhile back. i have been taking fluoxetine for about 3 years, and actually lost weight when i went on it inititally. i cut back 10mg for a few weeks to see if i would see a weight change, didn't go well (and no change in weight), so now i am back up to my full dose.

when i first was diagnosed, however, i took celexa. celexa helped immensely but i also gained weight immensely! i found that fluoxetine was a better match for me, but i have found that i'd much rather have a couple extra pounds and be able to function normally!

i think it really just depends on your own biochemistry and how your body reacts to drugs!

I have been taking Wellbutrin it has worked fairly well for me with the added bonus of being an appetite inhibitor. I know most anti-depressants come with weight gain. Which kind of sucks.

Abilify is what made me fat in the first place. I gained like 50 pounds within 3 months of starting taking it, but I got a medication change after that and have lost almost all the weight I gained.

I've noticed that since I've been off all the drugs- celexa, klonopin, trazodone- its been much easier to lose weight. But I guess you have to balance it out for yourself. Therapy and eating right worked better for me better than any drug I've ever taken. My cousin is still on celexa and xanax and has trouble getting below 200 pounds.

Among other things , I have also been diagnosed with GAD and PMDD. Origionally I took prozac, and later, when meds were being adjusted and I couldn't figure out why I was gaining weight, a doctor finally told me people usually gain on Prozac. I was switched to wellbutrin, and as you can see I have had some success with my weight loss.

Occasionally, I do get hiccups, but the ladies I met in a PMDD post quickly added each other, and during my hiccups, I get the support I need to get back up and stop freaking over such a little bump in the road. Sometimes it is a struggle, but I have learned that by using a pedometer (I have a fitbit, but any will do), I can take those periods of time where I feel myself slipping away, and focus on walking to a preordained number of steps for the day. (I hope this makes sense.)

I have also noticed, that between the weight loss and chiropratic appointments, I don't need my 'as needed xanax' anywhere near as often. I am hoping that if this continues, I will be able to lower my dose of wellbutrin too.

For someone who mentioned it above, I used to forget quite often, so I bought those SU-SA pill boxes, and I don't usually forget to take them (or forhet if I took them already or not).

Again, I hope this makes sense. Feel free to add me if you'd like. Good luck on your quest. :flowerforyou:

Let's see.... I've suffered from Post-Pardum depression, depressed WHILE pregnant, and S.A.D. for years. Mild depression, but got much worse last November.

Finally decided to try Anti-depressants. I tried citalopram and initially gained about 10 lbs in about 2 months, which is a clothing size on me. (made me 'not care' so much that I was overeating) Dr. had me try Prozac, which made me super irritable and snappy at my kids. (I was on it for 3 weeks). Back to Citalopram, with mixed results. Dr. suggested Wellbutrin for extra energy & potential weight loss. I HAVE GAINED 15 lbs in 2 months on Wellbutrin. I am now heavier than I have been all year. I found Wellbutrin gave me energy, but also reduced the amount of sleep I was getting (averaged about 5 hrs a night on Wellbutrin). It TREMENDOUSLY increased my appetite. I was constantly looking for carbs, snacks, could eat entire bags of chips, etc. This is out of the norm for me and is directly caused by the Wellbutrin. I have stopped Wellbutrin and am going to the Dr. next week for advice on what to do next.

FYI - I was on 150 ml Wellbutrin XL.

I'm on 20mg of Citalopram and I've found it harder to lose weight since being on the medication but I'll get there eventually x

Atypical Antipsychotics such as Abilify, Seroquel, & Zyprexa can cause weight gain. In some cases extreme. However, every patient is different and the side-effects one experiences is greatly dependent on your body. Furthermore, the weight gain may not be a side-effect of the drug itself but the disorder revealing more issues. In studies Abilify has a lower rate of weight gain among participants.

When suffering from any kind of depression, mania, or other generalized mental disorders weight gain or loss is often a symptom of the disorder itself. One must remain hyper vigilant in regards to the moods and those behaviors that accompany them.

The short of it is meds can make you gain weight or lose it and the major factor in either is where you are at in your treatment and how your body takes to the drug. Do your research before taking anything and force your Dr. to have a conversation about what you are willing to compromise on. If you don't want to gain weight, refuse to take something that shows a high rate of that particular side-effect and force your Doc to do their job and Rx you something that will help you get better without getting fat.

I'll second the recommendation for taking a full dose of Welbutrin and then adding enough of another SRI as needed.

SRI's have two HUGE side effect risks: weight gain and loss of sex drive. Welbutrin usually has the opposite side effect. If you start with Welbutrin and then add the other then you minimize the chances of either side effect.

I lost 17lbs while on Celexa, and that at age 41 and menopausal. Take heart, it can be done!