Prozac and weight gain

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Flgal65
Flgal65 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone here take Prozac and having trouble losing weight? I'm a 46 yr old female and I take 20mg one daily. While I haven't gained any weight, it seems absolutely impossible to lose any. Granted, I'm still tweaking the whole diet/exercise thing and seriously trying to back off/eliminate alcohol. I've had my thyroid tested and all my blood work comes back ok.
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  • xxvogue
    xxvogue Posts: 172 Member
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    I wasn't on prozac, but a few years ago I was on 40mg of the generic, and I actually lost some weight. Probably because I was no longer eating away my anxiety. I was told by my psychiatrist that she would know I was on the right dosage when I dropped weight without trying.

    I have however heard that it can prevent weight loss. =/
  • anchorbird1326
    anchorbird1326 Posts: 4
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    I started on 40mg a day of Prozac in Feb of this year and have gained 20lbs. That's why I started MFP recently. I think for me I gained because I wasn't so worried or anxious any longer (I used to always worry about getting a daily workout in). That and a trip to Germany in June led me to these extra 20lbs. I recently went down to 20mg but my anxiety has returned :-(
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Does anyone here take Prozac and having trouble losing weight? I'm a 46 yr old female and I take 20mg one daily. While I haven't gained any weight, it seems absolutely impossible to lose any. Granted, I'm still tweaking the whole diet/exercise thing and seriously trying to back off/eliminate alcohol. I've had my thyroid tested and all my blood work comes back ok.

    That's interesting, because when Prozac was first marketed, in the late 1980s, the media reported that most people lost weight on it.

    Are you taking Prozac, or the generic, which I think is Fluoxetine? Could make a difference.
  • BradsLynne
    BradsLynne Posts: 11
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    The first time I was on it, I didn't lose and it didn't kill my appetite. This time, totally different. No appetite at all, and losing weight!
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
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    My Dr put me on Fluoxetine 2 days ago and the only reason I agreed to take it was because he assured me that it is one of the only anti-depressants NOT to cause weight gain.
    To be honest my weight has gone up by 0.75lb but I am coming up to my period any day now so I presume that's the reason for the gain.
    I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on what, if any, effect the Fluoxetine has on my weight. Hopefully I'll be one of the lucky ones that loses rather than gains lbs. :wink:
  • IcePrincess1984
    IcePrincess1984 Posts: 7 Member
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    I really do have the same problem. I'm on 60mg of prozac and am having a really hard time losing weight.
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
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    I've got to do 14 days on 20mg then 7 days on 40mg and either stay with that dose or go up to 60mg. I really hope it's not a case of the higher the dose the harder it is to lose weight because I'll not last long on them if it is.
  • junkiemel
    junkiemel Posts: 6
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    I was taking 20mg of Prozac and I seemed to want to eat more because before when I was depressed, I didn't eat. It was hard to lose weight though on it. I stopped taking it about a year ago and it has been easier.
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
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    I was taking 20mg of Prozac and I seemed to want to eat more because before when I was depressed, I didn't eat. It was hard to lose weight though on it.

    That's what I'm worried about now :frown:
  • junkiemel
    junkiemel Posts: 6
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    I don't know if it was the Prozac that caused me to not be able to lose weight easily or if it was my metabolism from being starved. But I would ask a doctor about all this because they are the ones that can tell you side effects and other important stuff.
  • billuaa
    billuaa Posts: 56
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    Im on the generic Fluoxitne, have been for 1.5 years, and have gained 13 pounds back from a 40+ pound weight loss that i maintained for 5 years. I still work out daily, i dont eat very clean tho. The major reason i want to go off of it is because I cannot lose weight.
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    take adderall it will make you lose it! haha...jk.

    No really, jk. its off brand is called "amphetamine" and as an ex addict of meth it was my doorway drug. Despite ppl trying to defend taking it, I felt no difference taking it than meth.

    Prozac effexor and wellbutrin I use to take. I do think that I had weight on each that I gained.


    http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/antidepressants-weight-gain


    I would never presume to tell ppl to get off their MEDs. But I'm am bi-po man dep and stay off meds and do pretty good. Using healthy eating, exercise, sex, and vitamins like liquid b complexes you can help keep yourself relatively balanced without MEDs. Though, some ppl struggle to much at the beginning or period to do it that way.


    ramble ramble ramble lol. sorry.
  • noctilucentsky
    noctilucentsky Posts: 2
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    I had a sudden 15 lb weight gain in 3 months from Prozac. I'm switching to Wellbutrin and hoping it'll come off with the switch and diet/exercise. Thankfully my doctor is willing to work with me on this and I hope it'll be resolved issue in a few months.
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
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    I don't have much experience with Prozac, but I was on Abilify recently and I put on 10+ in 3 weeks! The medicine worked for my emotions and whatnot but I felt like crap physically from the rapid weight gain so my doctor took me off of it.
  • Phat_Bottom_Girl
    Phat_Bottom_Girl Posts: 110
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    I'm Due to start taking prozac in 5 days, weight gains all I need ATM Oh no!!
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    take adderall it will make you lose it! haha...jk.

    No really, jk. its off brand is called "amphetamine" and as an ex addict of meth it was my doorway drug. Despite ppl trying to defend taking it, I felt no difference taking it than meth.

    Prozac effexor and wellbutrin I use to take. I do think that I had weight on each that I gained.


    http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/antidepressants-weight-gain


    I would never presume to tell ppl to get off their MEDs. But I'm am bi-po man dep and stay off meds and do pretty good. Using healthy eating, exercise, sex, and vitamins like liquid b complexes you can help keep yourself relatively balanced without MEDs. Though, some ppl struggle to much at the beginning or period to do it that way.


    ramble ramble ramble lol. sorry.

    You may have what's called a "substance abusing personality." People are from time to time legally prescribed meds like dextroampetamine and adderall (often when other meds have failed) without problems. But the doctor needs to assess and monitor the patient.
  • Cristyannemckay
    Cristyannemckay Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi I've been on lovan for around 8 yrs and over those 8 yrs I've put on 25 kg
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Yes, I know several people on Prozac and they have had a very hard time losing weight. It has nothing to do with being lazy or not eating at a calorie deficiency. The medicine makes the fat even more stubborn. It might help to use the "Search" function to read other thread related to Prozac. I think it's a good idea to consult a nutritionist or dietitian as well.
  • ourtita
    ourtita Posts: 1
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    I am a 58 year-old female. I have been overweight for most of my adult life. At one point I had weighed over 300 pounds. I lost many, many pounds and averaged out at about hundred and 80 pounds. I also have been taking medications for panic and anxiety disorder and major clinical depression. As I started to go through perimenopause, I found I was steadily gaining weight. I had heard that Prozac helps to lose weight. My husband lost about hundred pounds when he was put on Prozac. It made him manic so he was taken off of that medication. I went to my physician and asked for Prozac. We had been discussing a change in some of my medications anyway as I had steadily begun staying in my house and not leaving for months on end. Now I take Prozac, clonazepam, and Wellbutrin. I have gained 60 pounds and am still increasing my weight. Carbohydrates and refined sugar have been my downfall. I am trying to taper off of the Prozac. I am now in full menopause. I also have had a total knee replacement just three years ago. Exercise has been difficult for me. I am hoping that eventually the clonazepam can go too. I'm not sure what to do. Any suggestions from anyone?
  • Sixxismine
    Sixxismine Posts: 1
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    Wow! This is a major coincidence..I just searched this question about Prozac and weight gain and it brought me here. I read your comment and it was like reading my own mind! I am 37 yrs old now. I have been steadily taking (started at 20, worked up to 80 mg a day) since around November 2012. At first, I lost some weight and was feeling good about myself. But then, around March 2013 I stopped losing and started gaining. Since then, I have gained 60 pounds. That's just a little over a year! I watch what I eat and exercise about 3 times a week. Recently all the weight gain really got to me and I was worried, so I went to my family dr, not my psychiatrist. My leg was a little swollen too, so he sent me for an ultrasound to check for a blood clot, and to get blood work done to check for diabetes, high cholesterol, and my thyroid. All the tests came back fine. He asked me what my psychiatrist had me on and I told him the Prozac, Lithium, Xanax, and that I had just started Latuda as well. He advised me to talk to my psychiatrist about not taking the Latuda (because apparently it causes weight gain too), but to definitely come off the Prozac because he said he was almost 100% sure that my rapid weight gain was from that. So, I have an appt. with my psychiatrist in a week and a half and I am going to talk it over with him. Hopefully he can change me to something that doesn't cause weight gain, because if he doesn't, I am just going to quit taking meds altogether. I know I need them, but I can't stand what it has done to me. I am miserable, and the rapid weight gain has done NOTHING for my depression except make it worse. I wont even leave my house now unless its absolutely necessary. Good luck..hopefully we'll find something that will help us. Just know that you're not alone.

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