Which Anti-Anxiety/Depressant Does NOT Cause Weight Gain?

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  • rcolemon
    rcolemon Posts: 4
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    My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin for me, because he says it does NOT cause weight gain like other anti-depressants, and in fact is considered to be weight-negative (meaning it actually helps some people lose weight). He started me on a 100mg per day, and then had to increase it to 300 mg per day. This dose works just fine for me, and since I began taking it a few years ago, These days I feel like I am just a fat girl waiting to happen, but I honestly have not noticed any weight gain or loss, as a result of taking it. My doctor says Wellbutrin is well-tolerated by most people, but It might be a good idea to do some research online, to make up your own mind. I hope this helps you - GOOD LUCK!
  • Thisprincesswearsrunningshoes
    Thisprincesswearsrunningshoes Posts: 51
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    I take wellburtin, it has done wonders for my depression and it curbs binge eating.
  • Ralstonk2
    Ralstonk2 Posts: 345 Member
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    Wellbutrin. The generic. I agree.
  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
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    I have an issue with major panic attacks. I can feel them starting and I take Xanax as needed. Some weeks I have to take it daily, some times I go weeks and weeks without any... I prefer this as opposed to taking medication daily.
  • juli_jones
    juli_jones Posts: 101 Member
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    I take Welbutrin and Zanax - no problem loosing. Lexapro made me crazy....crazier than I alreay am :-)
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I'd say that's a separate issue though. Yes, I agree that in some cases lifestyle adjustments, talk therapy and the like can sometimes allow people to safely suspend medications or provide great benefits, depending on the specific issue. And yes, people who either don't have consistent access to a medical team and therefore rely on ERs and such can end up on bad cocktails of drugs.

    But to say that ONLY those who pose imminent harm need or benefit from meds is so totally misguided that I simply have no words...

    I just don't believe that taking medication (a serious medical decision) should be taken lightly or for convenience. If you have explored other options and have had no results, then fine...but unfortunately it has become a first choice for most doctors and practitioners (not even in conjunction with talk therapy or other treatments) and that is lazy, thoughtless and dangerous medicine. Misguided? I think not. First hand experience and familiarity with current research NOT performed by pharmaceutical companies? Yeah...

    You are right, again. That poor girl I wrote of who was put on Seroquel in the aftermath of a rape, and gained 100 lbs? She is in terrible shape and she has been in and out (and back in) a mental hospital in the town where she lives. Each time she is given yet more drugs. Her parents are going broke paying for them. If drugs were the answer to her problems, surely she would have been helped by now. There are psychiatrists speaking out now about the terrible state of psychiatric medicine.
  • missprincessgina
    missprincessgina Posts: 446 Member
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    I take Wellbutrin SR ... no weight gain
  • hbaby2
    hbaby2 Posts: 34 Member
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    That's EXACTLY what happened to me! I finally decided to take it and it made me have these shortness of breath at times. Eventually I had a full blown attack. First time ever! Weird.

    I actually didn't like it at all. I had two doses to take during the day. I was okay but as it wore off, particularly at night, I was starving to the point that I would devour everything I could......so no, it didn't help in the weight area!
  • dlrudnitsky
    dlrudnitsky Posts: 4
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    lexapro
  • thenewmrsgant
    thenewmrsgant Posts: 69 Member
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    I too can say that Wellbutrin XL has not made me gain weight. I have been taking it for a while and I have continued to lose weight. I have taken Lexapro in the past and had issues with weight gain though.
  • lizalouise
    lizalouise Posts: 7 Member
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    Zoloft is a good drug for a combined depression and anxiety problem, and doesn't usually contribute to weight gain.

    As a psychologist,I hope you're also investigating non-drug therapy options, as drugs are unfortunately not a long term solution. Look into cognitive behavioural therapy.
  • squirmmonster
    squirmmonster Posts: 98 Member
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    Has no one said exercise? No. Really... since you want to lose weight anyway, if you've got mild depression, just make sure you work out HARD five days a week, and see if you improve. This has helped me a lot. Doesn't make the depression vanish, but I'm 90% more functional than I was.
  • Lisamar74
    Lisamar74 Posts: 114
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    I was on 20g fluoxetine for a while and it made me lose loads of weight. It had the same effect on my friend too. I've often been tempted to go back on it for that reason but I know that's wrong:)
  • MrJase
    MrJase Posts: 88 Member
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    As above!!
    Exercise has been proven to help with depression and it will help you lose weight as well. WIN - WIN
  • OnTheWayToPerfection
    OnTheWayToPerfection Posts: 115 Member
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    The weight gain is more related to increased appetite than anything else. If you are mindful of what you are eating, you will probably be okay. I'm not certain, but it sounds like you may not have been watching what you were eating before, where now you're tracking with MFP - so circumstances are different already! Good luck!

    I had no change in appetite, diet, or exercise. The weight literally just came on. Keep in mind that I didn't lose the weight until a year after quitting the medication.
  • BluthLover
    BluthLover Posts: 301 Member
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    This thread started with OP asking for advice on what drugs were weight neutral. Instead it spun off into a debate over whether or not drugs are "necessary". I'd like to say that when you are in a depressed or anxious state of mind, you are very vulnerable. And scared. And reading random threads online about how drugs are going to make you gain 100lbs will not help. I agree that drugs can be abused. They all can. But these drugs can also provide legitimate relief for people in all kinda of mental anguish. Those who haven't been there really shouldn't talk. I've suffered postpartum depression and dealt with anxiety and depression. It's horrible. i cant describe it. Sometimes you need the drugs to lift the fog so you can get to a place where you CAN get help. We need to be sensitive to the fact that some people may be reading this who need help.
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
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    I would talk to a natural path and see if that helps. I was on a special tea and enjoyed every minute of it. I am going to go back on it just because it helped me lose weight and it also helped me feel better, I also take Vitamin D. My Vitamin D levels were to low and I didn't know that that was a issue for my mood until I upped them from 19..wish I knew that when I was younger. The tea I use is 1 part St. Johnswart, 1part Lemon Balm, and 1 part Passion Flower and it helps.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
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    Omega 3 oils. Take it daily for a month to see if it helps.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Wellbutrin

    I have a friend who is an E.R. nurse and she says that every week they have someone come in (usually a woman) who is on Wellbutrin and having a panic attack.

    That's an association, not a cause. Many of the people on Wellbutrin suffer from anxiety/panic disorders as well as depression. They might have had a panic attack anyway, even if they had not taken Wellbutrin, just because they are prone to having them to begin with
  • kinrsa
    kinrsa Posts: 111 Member
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    Wellbutrin, as others have said. Lexapro caused me some issues, but I have never had any problem with wellbutrin - regular or extended release.

    I was on both at the same time. The Lexapro made me lose weight because it turned me into a zombie- not fun. The Wellbutrin woke me up, let me do regular things & helped a LOT with my depression. It didn't make me lose weight but it didn't make me gain any, either. I preferred the Wellbutrin XL.


    ALSO (for some of the other posts I've read here)- Depression cannot always be cured by exercise or nutrition alone. That kind of advice, though well intentioned, can kill people. Sometimes medicine is also necessary.

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