Anti-depressants and weight loss?

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  • Jane2285
    Jane2285 Posts: 187 Member
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    I have been on anti-depressants for about four years now...I have tried many different ones as I struggled with them and some made me really sick. The one I currently take, actually said can HELP weight loss...it acts as an appetite suppressant. BUT I know that it can be hard. Don't just stop taking them, that is bad advice...go to your doctor and talk with him/her about your concerns. Often, they will tell you what you can/need to do in order to lose weight. I believe, as some have said, that part of your issue is the depression itself...it tends to make you eat more, (trust me I know!). I wouldn't take ANY advice to heart on this site, as MOST are NOT licensed mental health workers. We know from OUR experiences or research we have done. Best advice, talk with your prescribing doctor and see what can be done:)

    Megan:)
  • _jayciemarie_
    _jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
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    I take 150mg of Zoloft. I have been losing weight on it. Maybe it would be easier to lose weight while not on it, but I wouldn't know. The doc did put me on Elavil to help me sleep and THAT made me gain weight. So, I stopped that.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    No offense... but telling someone to "get off the pills" is irresponsible. You have no idea what her medical history is.

    @OP,

    You can do it. It's hard, but possible! Good luck.

    :flowerforyou:
  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
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    I am on Lexapro, 10mg 1x Day - increased my appetite for sure when I started taking it - but it also stabilized my mood and got my anxiety issues under control.

    I was on the meds for about 2.5 mos before I was mentally able to make the decision to take control of my weight - that was when I started exercising and eating no more than 1250 calories a day - I am now down to 1200 and losing weight.

    It can be done, remember this is a Marathon not a Race! Exercise produces endorphins which enhance mood and decrease anxiety - but they are in no way replacements for your meds!

    Only change them, stop taking them, etc, after talking to your Doctor! Keep trekking and Good Luck!
  • brandnewsnickerpuss
    brandnewsnickerpuss Posts: 111 Member
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    Hey OP,

    I can't say that I've lost a lot of weight while on meds; I lost a lot of weight with gastric bypass. But here I am, almost 9 years later, trying to lose 30 lbs of regain, and currently on meds. I can say that the weight loss is slower, but it is still happening. I just read this in another forum, and thought it was pretty smart: "Be patient with your deficit." That is great advice, IMO.

    Best of luck!
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    Now, in answer to the OP.

    My first question is have you discussed with your prescriber alternatives for paxil that will not hold the weight on you?

    My psych took my weight into account when making choices for my 'scripts.

    I've been on paxil, a couple of times, both alone and in combination with other meds, and it did not do well for me. In fact coming off it was an absolute nightmare.

    I'm presently on Cymbalta, Lamictal and Prozac.

    As a side note, my psych and I have already discussed how we're going to have to modify what I'm taking as I lose weight and up exercise because of the changes it does to your body and mind, both physically and mentally.
  • impemberstar
    impemberstar Posts: 23 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    Says someone who's probably never dealt with severe depression...

    This

    I gained 70 lbs while I was on a coctail of Paxil, Topomax (back when they thought it may work as a mood stabilizer), AND Abilify while I was in high school. All at the same time. Yeah, that was fun.

    Now I'm just on Lexapro 20 mg. I am also on the Depo shot, so the two combined are not making this easy. I have noticed more inches than weight coming off, but its been very slow and difficult. Sometimes it helps for me to think that though i'm not losing very much, at least i'm not GAINING anymore.

    Bottom line, your mental health is just as important as your physical, especially if you're suffering from a chemical inbalance. Unless they're your doctor - DO NOT listen to ANYONE who tries to tell you to go off your meds. I made that mistake once and suffered greatly for it. Personally, i'd rather be overweight and mentally stable than skinny and locked in a psychiatric ward.
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
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    I have lost 70 pounds on Effexor. Losing weight really helped with my depression too.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.
    No? How about no. Weight loss and exercise do not generally change the chemical imbalance in the brain of a person with clinical depression, though naturally some folks will feel better.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    That's irresponsible to say. You just don't quit antidepressants anyway.

    OP, listen to your doctor. And yes you can lose weight, just look at my ticker! I'm on 250 mg of Effexor.
  • JesusBiscuits
    JesusBiscuits Posts: 66
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    You are full of it. You also have no right to say that people should stop taking a medication they need.

    I am so sick and tired of the ill informed BS from people like this. When you hear people constantly say "get off the pills" or "you don't need meds" or "meds are bad" it makes a person ashamed to be on them. Well guess what? Sometimes people need them. Yet they might not get the help they need because it is stigmatized so badly in society still. It is disgusting.

    ^^ This. Absolutely and completely this.

    You need them because you've trained your brain to "need" them. Really, you just want them. You've decided life is easier with them. And that's true. Life is easier when you can take a pill to solve a problem. But it's not BS. I promise you. I was just like you, loaded up on AD's and I started exercising and got off them. I feel great now, mentally, and I will never go back. When I get down or upset, I go for a walk or a jog and it's amazing how the crap just floats away.


    :noway: :huh:

    WHAT.

    [Also: the times I have been most depressed / suicidal were when I was in my best shape, practicing sports competitively. If you have nothing intelligent to say, refrain.]
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
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    I'm on Lexapro and haven't had any issues. I don't think the pill itself makes you gain weight, but instead may make you hungry and therefore you may eat more. So as long as you stay within your calories you should be fine.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    I'm also on Paxil. I only started it recently, but I've noticed that so far it's been easier to eat properly and maintain weight. That's probably because I typically use food as a comfort when I'm depressed, or as a punishment, or a myriad of other reasons (I'm working on that).

    Weight gain is a POSSIBLE side effect, but not a guarantee. In fact, wight loss is also listed (they have to list any reported side effect so often there are conflicted possibilities) As my doctor explained, it tends to mess with the appetite centers in your brain, and for a lot of people that means they eat more (for some it means they have a lower appetite, which seems to be my response). It doesn't necessarily change your metabolism. So if you're logging your calories and keeping a deficit, you should be able to lose weight. Just don't make it too aggressive! 1 pound per week is a great place to start.

    :flowerforyou:
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    You are full of it. You also have no right to say that people should stop taking a medication they need.

    I am so sick and tired of the ill informed BS from people like this. When you hear people constantly say "get off the pills" or "you don't need meds" or "meds are bad" it makes a person ashamed to be on them. Well guess what? Sometimes people need them. Yet they might not get the help they need because it is stigmatized so badly in society still. It is disgusting.

    ^^ This. Absolutely and completely this.

    You need them because you've trained your brain to "need" them. Really, you just want them. You've decided life is easier with them. And that's true. Life is easier when you can take a pill to solve a problem. But it's not BS. I promise you. I was just like you, loaded up on AD's and I started exercising and got off them. I feel great now, mentally, and I will never go back. When I get down or upset, I go for a walk or a jog and it's amazing how the crap just floats away.

    Depression and feeling bad are not the same thing. Please exercise some empathy.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Hey everyone,
    I'm wondering if there are any woman out there who are on any type of anti depressant who has managed to lose a lot of weight. I'm on paxil, and I need to lose 120 lbs but I big side effect of the medication has been weight GAIN, and I can't switch meds. Just looking for support or success stories from people who have dealt with this.
    Thanks!

    Weight loss is a side effect of some antidepressants. As this is a problem for you (understandably), discuss it with your doctor and ask to try another medication. You might try to find a book that addresses this issue, "When Words Are Not Enough," by Valerie M. Raskin, M.D. If you go to the Amazon site, click on the "Look Inside" feature and search "weigh gain," you will find a very sensitive discussion of this topic starting at page 163: "Obstacles to Care: The Culture of Thinness."

    http://www.amazon.com/When-Words-Are-Not-Enough/dp/0553067133

    There must be more recent discussions, but this is a good one.
  • JenMez
    JenMez Posts: 1
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    I have been on anti-depressants for most of the last 20 years and well .. this September I stopped taking them. Why .. cause exercise is my new drug. I just don't need the anti-depressant anymore. Totally agree with the above .. it can be done.

    But honestly .. I think that the anti-depressant doesn't make you gain weight ... it is the depression working its magic and usually combined with bad eating habits that causes the weight gain, and it gets blamed on the pill.


    Totally agree with above. I took Lexapro for a year and gained 30 pounds! Zumba is my new anti-depressant.
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    Nice advice.
    Guess what.
    Until I found the right combination of pills, I couldn't get my act together enough to exercise and lose weight.
    Exactly ... ( Good on you ) ... :flowerforyou:
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    That's irresponsible to say. You just don't quit antidepressants anyway.

    OP, listen to your doctor. And yes you can lose weight, just look at my ticker! I'm on 250 mg of Effexor.

    Effexor is a different class of drug from Paxil. In addition, every person's chemistry is different. Yes, this is a "special snowflake" example. People react extremely differently to these medications.
  • lexoxoc
    lexoxoc Posts: 135 Member
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    Hi!

    I'm a Masters level Social Work student going into my final semester of grad school and taking my licensing exam soon. Just want to preface what I say with that so you know I'm not a full fledge mental health professional yet but I do have a lot of education so take any of the pieces of my post you want that you feel are most realistic and beneficial for you!

    - DO NOT go off your medication, if you want to go off it eventually you must work very closely with your psychiatrist to do so in the safest possible way! I am sure you know this but had to throw it out there!

    - DO NOT feel ashamed for being on anti-depressants (I say this because some posts on here seemed to be a bit judgmental toward psychotropic meds), it is nothing to be ashamed of, be proud that you are aware of your self enough to be on medication because that means you are taking care of not just your mental health but your overall well being!

    - In terms of weight loss, medications effect EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY although yes there are some very general side effects that can impact most people that are on them. That said, you may have to toy around with different healthy eating habits and try to find the ones that work best for you. If possible for you it may be beneficial to seek input from a nutritionist who has experience working with individuals on psychotropic medications.

    - Here are some things you could do: drink a lot of water (a lot a lot, 2-3 liters a day), try to have healthy high protein foods (even a protein shake after your workouts would be great) such as Greek yogurt, and try not to eat foods with higher than 9 grams of sugar, keep within your calorie goal each day and if you workout try not to eat back all your cals burned (only half of them at most if your really hungry), tune into your body anytime you feel you need to eat more pause and ask yourself am I really hungry or it's there something else going on here?

    Hope some of this helps! GOOD LUCK! YOU CAN DO IT!
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Weight loss and exercise are anti depressants! Get off the pills.

    Nice advice.
    Guess what.
    Until I found the right combination of pills, I couldn't get my act together enough to exercise and lose weight.

    It's amazing to me how little people know about depression, even today.

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