Losing Antidepressant Weight?

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sabbyfairy
sabbyfairy Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was about 10-15 pounds off from my ultimate goal weight being 135 (I'm 5'4", no worries) when I was prescribed Celexa. They didn't warn me about the weight gain at all. I gained 10 pounds in the first month, and another 15 when I stepped myself off of them, despite my eating habits not changing. I'm surprised I haven't reverted entirely back to the disordered ways I was eating back when I was dropping weight for the sake of ballet.

Now I'm trying to get back into the habit of calorie counting without destroying my recovery. My partner won't let me eat less than my maintenance and wants about 2000 calories a day in my stomach, which doesn't feel much like dieting, but hey... My net goal is about 1700 a day, which means I have to start actually carrying my step counter at work and pray for the snowpocalypse to stop so I can start running again.

Is anyone else losing antidepressant/medication weight, whether on or off of the medication? Any advice? Stories? Wanna be buddies maybe?

Replies

  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
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    I wasn't warned either and over 3 years on Celexa I gained 50 pounds. When I went off, I dropped 10 pretty fast, but I've struggled to lose the rest for three years now. I've got 40 of it off, but that last ten pounds is stubborn (I'm also not very strict with my eating).
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    All those drugs are no good for the human body so many dangerous side effects.
  • jesskreg
    jesskreg Posts: 75 Member
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    I had a similar experience back in college. I was on Zoloft for almost two years and managed to gain about 60 lbs due to a combination of medication side effects and over eating from the depression. I've now lost about 50 lbs of the weight. I can definitely say it's been a journey. It's taken me 3 years to lose the majority of the weight, and I'm still working towards my goal. I'm 5'2'' and originally started out at eating 1200 calories a day and working out for an hour 3 days per week. My SW was 209 pounds, and I am currently at 155. All I can say is to not give up! This is a journey and a lifestyle change. Stay positive and surround yourself by those who are positive and encouraging! :)
  • sabbyfairy
    sabbyfairy Posts: 53 Member
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    I wasn't warned either and over 3 years on Celexa I gained 50 pounds. When I went off, I dropped 10 pretty fast, but I've struggled to lose the rest for three years now. I've got 40 of it off, but that last ten pounds is stubborn (I'm also not very strict with my eating).

    I'm waiting for that miraculous quick drop. I've been off them for about a month with good eating habits and haven't seen weight change... then again, the scale's broken. :laugh: I feel lucky that I only stayed on them for a bit less than a year and only gained 25 pounds from it.
  • jessicameadsstephens
    jessicameadsstephens Posts: 56 Member
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    They told me I might gain weight going on Prozac and I lost 34lbs since I started taking it, it seemed to do wonders for me. Im glad I didnt start on something that made me gain I would of been devastated.
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
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    When I was a teenager i was on and off of meds that made me gain weight... i got all the way up to 165ish (i'm 5'1") by the time i was about 19 or 20. I was off meds for a while and started losing a ton of weight (40 lbs), but needed to get back on meds because my depression/bipolar returned, so I made sure to tell my doctors that I had lost a significant amount of weight and didn't want to take a medication that had weight gain as a common side effect. (the can't force you to take anything and are usually willing to work with you). They worked with me and helped me find one that doesn't really make me gain weight. granted i went through a long period of poor eating habits and gained some of the weight back but I'm back to working on losing the weight again. Maybe you could talk to your doctor about switching to a med without weight side effects. I personally am taking wellbutrin, but that doesn't mean that will be the right med for you. just keep in mind that different meds have different effects on different people, one that makes one person gain weight might not make another person gain. good luck to you!
  • tallgirlshelley
    tallgirlshelley Posts: 108 Member
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    Aren't drugs weird? I lost 15 almost instantly when I starting taking Zoloft about 3 years ago. I weaned off of it about a year later and it just as quickly came back. I allllmossst considered going back on it again, just to lose the pounds, but I knew it wasn't worth it.

    I suppose it's just a matter of finding the right balance of eating right, exercising and listening to your body. I hope you figure it out! have you tried yoga? I have a few friends that absolutely swear by it.
  • dgeorgiadis
    dgeorgiadis Posts: 95 Member
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    Me too. I started taking Cipralex (Canadian lexapro) and have lost 8 pounds in a very short period of time.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Losing medication related weight is hell and a half. I, too, struggled with weight gain from various meds. It does come off eventually, it's just a pain in the *kitten* in the meantime. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I was on Lexapro for a year and a half when I was a teenager. I gained weight, went off it, and gained more weight. Then about 6 months later it started to come off - in less than a month I was back to a weight I was happy with. I was a teenager, so who knows what other weird hormonal things were at work, but I think the time completely off meds was at least a small factor. You might just need to tough it out for a few months and let your body fully readjust.
  • caro1275
    caro1275 Posts: 198 Member
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    Can you perhaps ask your doctor for a different medicine that will help you? About 10 years ago my doctor prescribed Lexapro which killed my sex drive & caused me to gain weight. I asked to switch to another medicine and he put me on Wellbutrin which I never had a problem with!
  • Turntec22
    Turntec22 Posts: 20
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    On Effexor for awhile. Great for depression and anxiety but it sucked for everything else. Did the trick for a while

    Went to lexapro. HORRIBLE FOR MY DEPRESSION

    went to cymbalta. Been great for me ever since. On it for over a year.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
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    You can work it off but it may take some time and not come as easy as it did before until your body resets itself. I'm currently working on round 2 of losing large amounts of medication induced gain. Definitely keep an open channel of communication with your doctor about how things are going and let them help you. If they won't take your concerns seriously, find someone who will. Good luck!
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
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    You would think with all the meds that cause weight gain, that they would actually have one that cause weight loss by now. :)
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
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    Firstly, I would like to say sorry for you experience with anti-depression but it's not recommended that you just stop them without talking with your doctor. With that being said I will tell you my experience with anti-depressions. I have never taken what you were prescribed but I am currently taking them and have been for about five years. I am currently taking wellbutrin and Zoloft. I let my doctor know that part of my depression is weight related (I was and still am much larger than you are) so I would never want to take anything that would make me gain weight regardless on how it make it felt. With that being said I don't think they make me gain weight or lose weight. If you are still experience depression you should talk to your doctor about getting started on something new. Best of luck to you!

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