Anti Anxiety Meds & weight loss

Lexapro is an anti depressant, and can lead to weight gain if not careful.

From what I've read and personally discussed with my doctor, there is a chance, depending on the prescribed medication, that it can cause either weight gain or loss. I've recently gone off Prozac and switched to more natural supplements such as 5-HTP and inositol to try and reduce my anxiety and OCD tendencies. Another reason is to reduce any chance of weight gain/resistance to weight loss. It really all comes down to how your body may deal with it.

This is a great question for women on these meds trying to achieve weight loss. I began anti-anxiety meds when I was 16 (young, I know). I was on 50 mg of Zoloft for about 6 months and gained nearly 10 lbs. My psychiatrist switched me over to Wellbutrin, which I am still on at age 23 and like a lot better than the Zoloft. I found that the Zoloft helped with my anxiety, but I often felt foggy and numb to things, plus the weight gain sucked. When I got on Wellbutrin, I lost about 5 lbs without changing diet/exercise habits. I like it better than Zoloft because things are clearer and I have more energy. I should also mention that a couple of years ago my psychiatrist added 20 mg of Lexapro to my meds as depression was creeping on me again. Nothing really changed in my weight with the Lexapro. My mood improved and I wasn't so sad all the time.

It's good that you are trying to nip your anxiety in the bud before it gets worse. I let mine get too bad and fell into a deep depression. With the combination of therapy and the correct medication, I am better than ever before. I work in mental health so I am an advocate for these things.

It is important to remember, however, that everyone's body reacts differently to medication. My best friend recently began taking medication for anxiety and panic attacks. She started with Prozac for a week, but that did not work for her as she was nauseated all the time and even vomited several times. She is on Zoloft now and it works great for her. I've heard that the top two to cause severe weight gain are Prozac and Paxil.

Also, when you start medication, it will take some time for your body to adjust to it. If you are experiencing any negative side effects (especially significant weight gain), be sure to inform your doctor so he can prescribe a new medication that may work better for you.

Best of luck to you.

I'm not sure if they're commonly marketed as anti-anxiety, but Seroquel, Zyprexa, and Saphris made it incredibly hard for me to lose weight and I gained a ton on them (I'm not sure if it made me hungrier or if some other junk was going on, but it was awful.) Trazodone was also pretty bad.

I was given a low dose of Xanax to take as needed, and that's helped (I used to get so stressed and anxious that it felt like I was having a heart attack, sending me to the ER multiple times.) I didn't have negative side-effects and it's not nearly as addictive as things like Klonopin (I believe it's a benzo, not something I want to have to take and in fact many doctor will refuse to prescribe) or Thorazine.

I take an antianxiety med called effexor. I take it in the morning because it is a stimulent. It curbs my appetite so much that I have a hard time eating first thing in the morning.

Effexor can also create a drug dependancy, I was on it for a while for MDD/Anxiety and when I went off it I got withdrawals, most doctors prescribe another drug to help ease you off it. Like you, it curbed my appetite... but only for a while, after that I basically ate everything in sight lol

Effexor can also create a drug dependancy, I was on it for a while for MDD/Anxiety and when I went off it I got withdrawals, most doctors prescribe another drug to help ease you off it. Like you, it curbed my appetite... but only for a while, after that I basically ate everything in sight lol

THIS.
I was on a lot of different meds but Effexor was the worst.
At first I thought it was the best thing ever made, but after a year, the side effects and withdrawl were HORRID.
My doctor denied that it was addictive and I quit it "cold turkey". I gained a lot of weight with it too...I have one pic in my profile from that time. Now I use Xanax as needed, and feel so much better.

I have such anxiety with the dentist that last time I layed in that chair I shook so bad the dentist kept stopping and asking me if I felt the pain. I also have anxiety when I am put in a stressful situation (to me) like when a repairman comes to my house and I am alone. That is why I want one I just take when it happens.

Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication that you take when you are having an anxiety attack. It mellows you out, but can cause drowsiness and fatigue as some of the side effects. However, while it is safe to take everyday, it can cause dependency in some people and really should only be used for when you are having attacks, not to prevent them.

There are SSRI inhibitors that you can be put on daily to help treat anxiety- those have side effects such as weight gain, but that's mainly due to the fact that they increase your appetite. I am on one right now, which is a version of zoloft, my dr. put me on it because the increase in appetite side effect seems to be lower. However, if you are conscious of what you are eating and living a healthy life style, you should be able to control any weight gain by not over eating.

I would suggest if you decided to use medicine to also seek out a good therapist . It's good to help figure out why you have those anxiety's and triggers to stressful situations. That way you can help with the thought process and being able to control them without the use of medication.

Also- any anti-anxiety medication that you take every day, it takes awhile (6-8 weeks) once you start it for a therapeutic level to build up in your system and really make you feel better. So take that into consideration as well if you talk with your DR and decide on an ever day med.

Good Luck!

I was put on paxil in 1993. doctor changed to effexor. I may have gained weight from eating too much. In between those years, twice I decided to go natural with herbs, etc. didnt do squat for me. went back and got on lexapro. there were times I had xanax as additional help, and that one calms better, but i needed the seratonin reuptor in lexapro. Doctor said they mostly help with weight loss but hey. it didnt for me. I changed my dosage myself and started taking 1/4 pill instead of a whole one, and i've been doing that up to now with no interruption in help with anxiety disorder. hope you get help, however you choose.

Did you know that most of our seratonin is actually in the gut? I suffered anxiety before I changed my diet (I'm a nutritionist, my diet was always good but for me it took some changes). If I fall off track my anxiety comes right back the next day. I don't revisit posts but if anyone does want more info feel free to message me.

Your doc will probably offer you an SSRI or an SSNRI for anxiety, but they need to be taken daily and the effects build up over time. I've taken quite a few different ones and had different experiences with them. Zoloft made me sick, Prozac made me unbearably restless so that I couldn't sleep. Cymbalta made me feel doped and literally I had to sleep for half the day. Mirtazipine causes weight gain, so I ditched that one pretty quick. I'm now on Citalopram, which is calming my anxiety and OCD symptoms really well, and this time it seems to be helping me lose weight. When I took it 12 years ago, I gained weight. But other things have changed in my life since then.
I'm also taking 80mg a day of Propanalol for my anxiety, because it was pretty bad, and SSRIs can ramp it up initially.

If you want something that you take as and when, and has an immediate effect, I can only think of something like Diazepam or Tramadol, which were very effective for me, but they are addictive and the body builds up a resistance to them, meaning you need more and more over time to get the same effect, so they are not for long-term repetitive use. I also observed that I had a significant come-down reaction with Tramadol, where I'd actually feel worse, more agitated and jumpy, about 24 hours after taking it. This was what led me to go back to taking the anti-depressants regularly. They are the best solution, really. If you suffer with anxiety, paranoia, OCD or an eating disorder, they can really help. They're not just for depression.

I have such anxiety with the dentist that last time I layed in that chair I shook so bad the dentist kept stopping and asking me if I felt the pain. I also have anxiety when I am put in a stressful situation (to me) like when a repairman comes to my house and I am alone. That is why I want one I just take when it happens.

Your dentist can prescribe you a couple of pills to take before you come in instead of having your dr write you a whole script. You can take one at night before your appt and one before your appointment. Klonapin is what would be suggested instead of xanax.

It would be incredibly irresponsible to take a xanax before a repair man came to your home. I hope your dr refers you to a therapist to get to the bottom of why this would bother you so much.

In any case, neither situation should warrant a full prescription of a benzo as we do not go to the dr or have repair men in our house that often.

I prefer to handle medical issues naturally. Of course I'm not a doctor and it depends on severity of your anxiety but if I were you I'd research some herbs and/or foods and/or techniques to use and use medications as a last resort. The more research is done on drugs the more side effects we uncover. The biggest thing I personally worry about with drugs and weight loss is endocrine (hormone balance) disruption. An endocrine disruption can be very difficult to diagnose and cure. It can cause changes in weight, changes in reproductive organs, increase chances of certain cancers, increase your chances of diabetes, give you acne, increase allergies, and many other side effects.

I agree with this. I was on Zoloft and Wellbutrin for 8 yrs. The meds covered up my real issues, increased my adrenal imbalance and I feel it really messed with my neurotransmitters in my brain as a long-term effect. If you are feeling suicidal, meds may be necessary, but otherwise, it's worth looking into natural methods. I was weaned myself off the meds 2 yrs ago and now take 5-HTP and flower essences such as Dr Bach's Stress Rescue relief when i'm really stressed. Exercise helps, as does eating a lot of fruit (like bananas that contain seratonin). Meditation, yoga, and reading books like Power of Now and Untethered Soul help me more than the meds ever did. I'm not knocking those of you on meds, cause I've been there and you have the right to your own choices, it's just good to know there are other options.

No I don't want to "get high" If I wanted that I would go to my distant neighbor and buy some POT, it is legal in my state. I only want one maybe 3-4 times a year which is why I don't want to take another pill every day. I am bi polar and in counsling and so I take meds every day. Just looking for something to deal with the situation as it comes up. He can write one for 10 qty and I am happy and thats what I am going to tell him.

Having bipolar disorder means you are more prone than the average person to get addicted. If you are having anxiety such as this he needs to adjust your meds.

It is a slippery slope you are on there.

I take Klonopin twice a day and it has not stalled or done anything for weight loss.

For reference i have obsessive compulsive disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

I should also add that i have a "manic switch" so the first line of SSRIs for anxiety/OCD such as prozac, lexapro, paxil etc. seem to exacerbate an underlying mood disorder (may be Cyclothymia, Bi-Polar, or BD-NOS). I DO NOT have manic symptoms unless i am on an SSRI.

I DID notice a stall in weight loss and overall willingness to work out when i was on an SSRI.

I would be very careful for benzos though, as they are highly addictive, build tolerances quickly, and very dangerous. I would not take them unless ABSOLUTELY necessary (such as cases like mine where i cannot FUNCTION).

If you are only anxious in certain situations i would consider therapy or counseling to find the underlying reason.

I have such anxiety with the dentist that last time I layed in that chair I shook so bad the dentist kept stopping and asking me if I felt the pain. I also have anxiety when I am put in a stressful situation (to me) like when a repairman comes to my house and I am alone. That is why I want one I just take when it happens.

Your dentist can prescribe you a couple of pills to take before you come in instead of having your dr write you a whole script. You can take one at night before your appt and one before your appointment. Klonapin is what would be suggested instead of xanax.

It would be incredibly irresponsible to take a xanax before a repair man came to your home. I hope your dr refers you to a therapist to get to the bottom of why this would bother you so much.

In any case, neither situation should warrant a full prescription of a benzo as we do not go to the dr or have repair men in our house that often.

These meds are out there FOR A REASON. Reason being people need them. Doctors are the ones that have taken the responsibility to assess and perscribe accordingly. I am pretty sure she didn't ask for a lecture.

Have someone in your life die because of those things and you may or may not care who gives lectures my dear. This is not a "should I drink a diet dr pepper with lunch" kind of discussion. This is a serious issue that can result in serious ramifications. I am all too aware of exactly what these meds are for, who and what they are prescribed for as well as very well educated on the topic of bipolar disorder. Have a good day.

I am very well aware of bipolar and these meds...my husband of 20 years is on disability with bipolar, anxiety and depression. I also have a 20 year old daughter trying to get through college with severe anxiety and ADD with no medical insurance or meds. If the OP does not need these meds her doctor will not prescribe them. These meds have also saved lives. If she was interested in becoming a drug addict I think the guy on the corner could help her with that.