anyone take antidepressant's?
fightingthebulge
Posts: 65 Member
hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone takes any antidepressant's and do they help of sabatoge your weight loss? cause I was on celexa for awhile and gained 50 pounds! I need something that will help my anxiety/depression and wont make me feel like i'm hungry all the time. another thing is I can't have anything that will make me hyper or speed cause I have high blood pressure. tell me you experiences
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I'm on Welbutrin XL for depression and hydroxizine for anxiety. I'm not sure those are spelled correctly, but whatever. Anyway, I was put on them in the midst of all this weight loss. I think I had lost almost seventy pounds at the time, and I never once noticed anything that hindered my weight loss in any way. I remember I specifically asked at the time to not be put on anything that would slow down or stop my progress. These seem to be doing the trick in that area, but I also don't feel they're as effective as others might be.0
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I was on Prozac for years and then just stopped and I haven't had any drawbacks. Losing weight helps, exercise when you are feeling blue and the endorphines kick in. :flowerforyou:0
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I love your picture, you are absolutely beautiful! I was on Cymbalta 4 years ago for depression and didn't gain any weight. If you track your calories here, you should be able to avoid any weight gain that is typically associated with anti depressants. The feeling of hunger may be there but you know how many calorie your body needs to maintain or lose weight so just stick to that and you should be fine.:flowerforyou:
Anywho, antidepressants are something I am considering now since I have been diagnosed with IBS (although I'm not convinced that is my problem). I know that stomach troubles are a lot of the time attributed to stress and depression. I have been depressed given my current stomach problems....0 -
I take Remeron, which is notorious for causing weight gain. But, no med can make you gain weight from calories you're NOT EATING. You make sure you're keeping track of your diet an exercise.0
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I was put on celexa when I was like 13 and it made me gain alot of weight too. I was taking Welbutren XL up until about 3 months ago when I started loosing the weight. I don't feel like it made me gain any weight, i just didn't really need it anymore once I started loosing and working out. My anxiety problem is situational and so I'm not on anything for it at the current moment. One good thing about Welbutren is it helped me wake up in the morning, it gives you that needed boost of energy!0
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I started on Paxil a couple months ago for depression and anxiety. Weight loss slowed a bit, but it's still happening for me...which is ok.0
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some antidepressants can have the effect. It really just depends on the person. I have taken all kinds. The best on for me Lexapro, but zoloft and other weren't so bad. I haven't taken any in several years so I'm not really sure what's out there currently. A friend of mine swears by her Welbutrin. Are you sure there aren't other issues going on such as thyroid issues. That can cause depression like symptoms and weight gain/loss and is sometimes misdiagnosed as depression (the opposite is true as well). I hope you find your inner peace!!!0
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the wellbutrin increases blood pressure so I cannot take that although ... it does make you lose weight
but I really need med's cause i'm kinda bad without them I have horrible phobias, ocd, panic attacks and horrible anxiety which makes me hide in my house all day =( I try to stay positive but that doesnt seem to work.
as far as the meds making me gain weight it made me starving all the time to the point that i would eat something I would be hungry within 5 min of eating my stomach would have pain from the feeling too. also some meds do make you gain weight like depacote and some other ones. i just need something thst will be good for me cause i am going to see a new doc soon. thanks to all who replied0 -
I have been tested for everything and who knows what causes it but i have a slow weight loss too.0
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i gained all of my weight from being on zoloft. :mad:
i started off at 112 lbs. i reached 190lbs when I was on the highest dose. I started to lose weight when my dose was lowered.
Im still on it. But I am also now on adderall which helps me lose. I got down to 122 in August 09. Then I no longer had health insurance, stopped taking adderall and gained 25 lbs.
I wish I could get off everything.0 -
I take antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I am on several, each handling a different part of the brain! I think if you stick with this calorie counting plan, and watch your carbs and fats, and get a handle on protein, you have an excellent chance of losing. I have a host of issues, not to mention an under active thyroid, and the road to weight loss has been a challenge. I feel pretty successful on this plan and hope that you will stick with it. Feel free to write at any time.0
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I take Paxil and have been about 8 years now.. I don't know that it has caused weight gain but I do believe it has slowed down the losing weight. Of course, I take other meds too so it could be the combination of them. And age.. just don't get discouraged and expect it to come off too fast.. it will happen but you will need patience.. good luck0
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I love your picture, you are absolutely beautiful! I was on Cymbalta 4 years ago for depression and didn't gain any weight. If you track your calories here, you should be able to avoid any weight gain that is typically associated with anti depressants. The feeling of hunger may be there but you know how many calorie your body needs to maintain or lose weight so just stick to that and you should be fine.:flowerforyou:
Anywho, antidepressants are something I am considering now since I have been diagnosed with IBS (although I'm not convinced that is my problem). I know that stomach troubles are a lot of the time attributed to stress and depression. I have been depressed given my current stomach problems....
What kind of IBS? IBSC or IBSD ? If the former, have you tried Miralax ? it's not a laxative but a softener and it works great on me ( I have IBSC for many years now and use the Miralax plus 1 8mcg Amitiza once a day).. maybe that would help before going on antidepressants?0 -
I've wasted many a day looking up the antideps. Of the ones that cause weight gain (most of them), there are 2 primary ways they do it. (Depression itself can cause weight gain, but that's different.)
The first mechanism is to hit the "somesuch" receptors (I wanna say 5ht, but it's been a while since I studied up) that are hit by certain recreational drugs. Essentially, they cause The Munchies. Hardcore carb cravings that make it make perfect sense to eat a tub of frosting and a bag of Doritos.
The other primary mechanism is to cause something akin to the much ballyhooed Starvation Mode. For whatever reason, it causes the body to hang on to every available calorie.
Some do one or the other. Some do neither. I'm not sure if any one med does both, but it's not unusual to be on two or more meds, so there is sometimes a chance of having both things go on simultaneously.
I'm not entirely sure if it's related to the above two mechanisms, but some (Seroquel for sure, others as well) cause problems with blood sugar and insulin regulation.
Watching intake and exercise can combat all of the above. Fighting the Munchies is hard but not impossible, especially if you have a plan for dealing with it by, say, saving a chunk of calories for a snack attack and knowing in advance what you're going to let yourself eat. Some peanut butter and crackers or toast should satisfy the need for carbs in a healthier way than half a package of Oreos.
I've been on most of the SSRI-type antideps. I like to blame them for the majority of my extra 100 pounds. I like to blame them for my diabetes. At the same time, I've lost 2 pounds/week and kept my blood sugar under control since I started MFP.1 -
I take cymbalta...and I noticed a gain of a few lbs. I have stayed under calories for a few wks, and didnt lose much of anything...so I'm guessing it might be that.0
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I have been on depressant (Wellbrutrin) and a mood stabilizer (Lamictal) and I gained 20 pounds that I had previously lost the year before plus gained another 10 to 15 pounds and I am trying to lose that now. Talk to your doctor and ask them if they can prescribe you some medication that does not have side effects that creates more problems for you. I understand what you are going through. I have Bipolar disorder and going from one medication to the next to try and combat one issue, but create another is a struggle. I don't take meds now I just use supplements, exercise, and attempt to eat healthy. However, i do not recommend going off your meds if you need them just go over the side effects with your health care provider and try other meds until u find one that works for you. my boyfriend's sister lost weight with Wellbrutrin, but I gained weight because I was taking Lamictal with it and Lamictal increases your appetite and cravings and Wellbrutrin does the opposite. I hope u find an option that works for you.0
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Years ago I was on Wellbutrin. Horrible experience. I felt great. It improved my depression but in 2 weeks I gained 10lbs of water. I would press on my body and there would be indent markings that wouldn't bounce back for a long time. Scary. It also caused my period to come early and last 10 days - normally I get it for only 3 days. I also had horrible hot flashes. I'd sweat right through my clothes at work. I quit cold turkey. I had no withdrawl symptoms, but I wasn't on it for long. I don't think I'll try another AD med again. The day after I stopped taking it I was awake all night peeing. I pee'd out 6lbs of water in 1 night. Never again.0
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I'm on Welbutrin XL for depression and hydroxizine for anxiety. I'm not sure those are spelled correctly, but whatever. Anyway, I was put on them in the midst of all this weight loss. I think I had lost almost seventy pounds at the time, and I never once noticed anything that hindered my weight loss in any way. I remember I specifically asked at the time to not be put on anything that would slow down or stop my progress. These seem to be doing the trick in that area, but I also don't feel they're as effective as others might be.
I take Welbutrin XL too and have not had any problems. It's one that actually can HELP with weight loss.0 -
I've been on Zoloft for almost a year. When I first started it, I was losing weight like crazy but I was also eating better and working out frequently. I've gained back 10 pounds but that's not the medication, that's me. I find it helps me control my stress eating.0
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Antidep. meds are all trial and error. There is not one that works the same or is effective for everyone. I have been on many different ones, some I gained weight, and some had more severe side effects. The thing with some antidep. meds is that sometimes controlling cals and exercising still won't keep you from gaining weight. I was lexapro for a year and gained 50 lbs while eating a low cal diet and exercising 5-6 times a week. The problem was the med was affecting my hormones which caused the weight gain. The best thing to do is have good communication with your doctor and any side effect you have let him/her know right away. Unfortunately weight gain is not that serious compared to some other possible side effects. Luckily I was able to (with the help of my doctor) wean myself off of meds and control the problems I was having naturally and just by stopping the meds I lost the weight I had gained and then some.
***This was my experience and I am in no way saying anyone needs to go off their meds. I was under doctor supervision and I made the best choice for me.0 -
I was on Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) for several years. Tried Fluvoxamine (Luvox) for several months. And had another one that was on for a whole weekend purely because it made me that stoned that I walked in to walls, couldn't function on a day to day basis, my mother drove me to work, she picked me up in the middle of the Monday and took me to the doctors and told them she wanted her daughter back.
Anyway. I have suffered from Agoraphobia in my 5 year depression. I used to have to have someone come to the shops with me, I would generally sit inside all day and just do pretty much nothing all day. I still sometimes need someone to come out with me, but I just have to ask, I don't like to drive on busy roads. I'm not very good at being alone AT ALL.
But over the 5 years that I was on and off of the anti-depressants, specifically Effexor, because it was the main one I was on, with the a break on the fluvoxamine because i reached the max dose of effexor. I never noticed real weight gain. I have fluctuated about 10-20kgs (20-40lbs). I was 112kgs while I was on the effexor back in 2005. I have been off of antidepressants since about March of 2008 and got up to my highest weight of 135kgs before falling pregnant.
To this day, even with a beautiful 13month old son around I still get depressed. I've had a bout of it the last two weeks, but I am picking up my exercise, trying to get outside when it's not raining (it's winter in australia). I have been considering taking St Johns Wart or even talking to my doctor specifically about going back on something very mild to keep me functioning, as much as I hated being on the anti-depressants and having people blame everything wrong with me on them (moods and the like), sometimes people are just born with a natural chemical imbalance and need them to function on a day to day basis.
I don't know if you guys have Effexor XR or Fluvoxamine there, but I certainly don't remember either causing copious amounts of weight gain, hunger, or the like. I just used to yawn a lot and get restless legs on the Effexor, and my husband at the time complained about my lack of sex drive caused by the fluvoxamine, hence an eventual switch back to Effexor.0 -
about the antidepressants and blood sugar. when I took celexa I developed low blood sugar and I ate all the time so it really scared me. I think i'm going to try diet and exercise for awhile but I am afraid I wont be able to control my anxiety just like that cause when I do anything besides sit in the house I panic it's horrible I will try but worst case scenereo I guess I can get some klonopins or something0
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Hi I get anxiety as a symptom of Graves disease, ( which took for ever to diagnose) , it also gives messes with your thyroid. I am not a doctor but so can't say what is up but I felt so much better after I started working out. I am also an ex- addict so need to be careful on mood altering drugs, the doctor apart from my thyroid meds gave me beta blockers when in case I have an anxious ocd day. They have really helped as I didn't want to be on something everyday as i don't feel depressed, i feel anxious, fixated with things being clean ect ect but one beta blocker really helps. I find I have to take them less and less0
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I love your picture, you are absolutely beautiful! I was on Cymbalta 4 years ago for depression and didn't gain any weight. If you track your calories here, you should be able to avoid any weight gain that is typically associated with anti depressants. The feeling of hunger may be there but you know how many calorie your body needs to maintain or lose weight so just stick to that and you should be fine.:flowerforyou:
Anywho, antidepressants are something I am considering now since I have been diagnosed with IBS (although I'm not convinced that is my problem). I know that stomach troubles are a lot of the time attributed to stress and depression. I have been depressed given my current stomach problems....
What kind of IBS? IBSC or IBSD ? If the former, have you tried Miralax ? it's not a laxative but a softener and it works great on me ( I have IBSC for many years now and use the Miralax plus 1 8mcg Amitiza once a day).. maybe that would help before going on antidepressants?
Definitely "C". I have been taking Miralax daily for almost 2 weeks now to no avail. :ohwell:0 -
Ask about Amitiza before trying an antidepressant. You may have to work with the dosage to see what is best for you. Are you seeing a gastroentolgoist or just your primary?0
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Ask about Amitiza before trying an antidepressant. You may have to work with the dosage to see what is best for you. Are you seeing a gastroentolgoist or just your primary?
I sent you a private message0 -
I was put on very low dose of Effexor for,believe it or not, out of control menopause symptoms. I gained almost 10 lbs in a 3 month period. I can't tell if I was eating more due to the meds or it was my metabolism slowing due to the menopause.
Either way, it was time to change my habits.
Just a word about Effexor for menopause for interested women:
It turned my life around! I cannot take hormone replacement due to family breast cancer history. I was a walking zombie due to lack of sleep. I was driving places and not remembering how I got there. i was up all hours due to sever hot flashes. They were so bad my blood pressure was reacting and I literally fainted a few times. Icouldn't concentrate at work, sever mood swings,etc.
After just one week of the low dose Effexor my symptoms virtually stopped and I was back to myself!
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I'm on 75mg of Amitriptyline for anxiety/depression and to help with fibromyalgia.
I'm very tempted to talk to my Dr about coming off of them so I can try something more natural to be honest because they don't help with the fibromyalgia, they don't help me sleep (which they're meant to, so I'm told) and although they help my depression; it's not enough to be worth it and I've gained weight like mad from being on these (as well as trialling other anti-depressants).
I think it's different for different people.
From what I was told by a nutritionist I spoke to a while ago, certain people that had slower metabolisms were more inclined to put on weight when put on anti-depressants. It was explained to me in great detail; but a lot of it went over my head!!0 -
I took Celexa for awhile, but it didn't really help (I was split from my husband, he had another baby on the way, and it was just a really bad time for me). I was switched to Effexor XR and that seems to help. I'm no longer depressed (worked things out with my husband) and the only thing I have left is the anxiety attacks.
Before you start taking another med, make sure you check on how hard it is to withdrawl from if you would ever decide to go off meds. I don't need the Effexor XR anymore, but the withdrawl symptoms even when I'm weaning off them, are so horrible- I'd rather just take them everyday instead.
At any rate, Effexor XR doesn't make me gain weight- it was me eating the crap that I was eating which did make me gain it. I've never been more then 220, but I gained back about 20lbs that I had prevoiusly lost.0 -
Hello
I have been on Lexapro for a few years now & yes, I have gained weight.
But I will add that the benefits out weight the pounds!
Healthy Body & healthy Mind go hand in hand
Have Faith
:happy:0
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