Prozac

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katkat987
katkat987 Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've just been given prozac by my gp, and one of the reported side effects is weight gain.
Is there anyone else on here taking this medication, im slightly worried now =/

Replies

  • Katie0429
    Katie0429 Posts: 15
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    So many drugs have that as a side effect, and as a person who has anxiety and is on medication much like Prozac to help, the benefits outweigh (no pun intended) the risk. If this is the right med for you, it will help you to help yourself learn how to deal with issues that have such an impact on your emotions. You don't have to be on it forever. Also, please remember that being healthy is both inward and outward, and mental health is just as important that physical health.
  • YummyTpn
    YummyTpn Posts: 339 Member
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    I know that some, but not all, people gain weight on Prozac. If you are worried, you should go back to your doctor and express your concerns. There are a lot of different antidepressant medications out there, and some of them don't have the unwanted side effect of weight gain. I speak from experience and professionally; I am a counsellor, and I have been on/off antidepresant meds for several years! I don't know where you live, but when I lived in the States, I had success on Lexapro, It is called Cipralex here in Canada. But, everyone is different and reacts differently to the same meds....I had weight gain on Paxil, but not the LexaproéCipralex. Your best bet is really to voice your concerns to your doctor...the more info heéshe has, the better informed heéshe is in making the decision as to what med is right for you! Hope this helps!
  • katkat987
    katkat987 Posts: 100 Member
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    Mentally i dont feel too bad, but i suffer from ocd and they're not sure how long im going to need to be on them for.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    I take prozac for depression and it has actually decreased my food cravings - hopefully when I wean off of it sometime next year, healthy eating habits will be well established enough to hold up. I've taken lots of different kinds of antidepressants and all of the other kinds have made me gain weight - lexapro, celexa, welbutrin, and several others.
  • mimere
    mimere Posts: 19
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    I'm on a different anti-depressant with similar potential side effects and have not had this problem. Honestly, since I've started my meds (I also take something for ADD) my appetite has decreased and I am more focused and happy which has led to weight LOSS. Taking care of your mental health makes a WORLD of difference in my opinion, and the gradual change in mindset will help you. Not to mention many friends of mine have had to try a few different medications to find what works for them... so like Katie0429 said, you don't have to be on it forever. This is just a start to a better, healthier you!
  • katkat987
    katkat987 Posts: 100 Member
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    Yeah i've heard of cipralex, and supposedly they can use that to treat ocd, but since my boyfriends been on it he hasnt stopped eating (luckily for him he's skinny as a rake naturally).
  • TheNewJessieMae
    TheNewJessieMae Posts: 767
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    I take prozac and have never had a weight issue. My doctor told me there would be only a slight issue-and I never noticed any.
  • PatriciaO
    PatriciaO Posts: 24
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    I also was given prozac by my doctor recently, and I was going thru a lot of stuff. But after two days on that stuff I said enough. It was just too much medication. I don't like it. I told myself, get a grip, you can do this. I picked myself up by my bootstraps and said if it is to be its up to me. My grandmother once told me life is hard, you pick yourself up ,dust yourself off and get on with life. I listened to her and now I am okay. All the problems worked themselves out, things I thought would not right themselves, but they did. i also prayed like there was no tomorrow. I quit a long time of nail biting, have lost 12 lbs and am okay. i don't know what you are going thru but I am going to pray for you like there is no tomorrow and hope you can get off the prozac. Don't like that medicine.
  • carolinacutee
    carolinacutee Posts: 3
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    I agree 100% great post!!!!! :)
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
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    I started on a very low dose (10mg) for migraine prevention several years ago. I actually lost weight, not gained. Effexor is another antidepressant that is commonly used that actually doesn't cause weight gain(also took that for migraine prevention).
  • SaraAnne
    SaraAnne Posts: 53
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    I'm on 20mg for PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder)... The PMDD had actually cause me to have an eating disorder, so the prozac has done NOTHING but good things for me. Definitely have not gained weight because of it, if anything it's helped me lose weight.
  • rshunk
    rshunk Posts: 167 Member
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    ALL medications have side effects, Many of them weight gain is one, usually it is minimal. If you are aware of that and are making good healthy food choices and getting exercise, the gain should be minimal if any! If you are having weight gain that is more than just a few pounds, talk to your doctor and see about trying something else. Prozac is an older med that works well for many people, but not everyone. If it isn't right for you, keep looking, there are others to try! Best of luck to you on your journey!
  • katkat987
    katkat987 Posts: 100 Member
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    thanks for the comments everyone x
  • 35again
    35again Posts: 46 Member
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    I never had a a weight gain problem when I was on Prozac. I wasn't trying to lose then, but it didn't cause any gain. Effexor on the other hand, I gained 40 pounds on. And that is one of the worst drugs to wean off, I now strongly advise against it. I'm currently on Wellbutrin and haven't had an weight issue with it (my lack of losing is my own bad eating habits lol). Good luck!
  • YummyTpn
    YummyTpn Posts: 339 Member
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    I agree with all the posts on here...As you can see, what works for one does not for another, and medications react differently to every individual, so there`s really no way to know how one is going to affect, or not affect you, until you take it. That`s mostly what doctors do with this type of medication: trial & error. Unfortunately, some have to suffer through unpleasant side effects, as the only way to discover that a drug isn`t right for them. A good friend of mine was diagnosed with OCD, and Prozac saved his mental health, and I agree with the post that said your mental health is what is most important: you need to find the best way to be happy, healthy, and functional, and only you can decide the best way to achieve that, be it on meds or not, or what type of med, should you choose that route. Still though, talk to your doc about any concerns, that is the best way to go, me thinks, for now. Good luck!!

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