scared to go on antidepressants

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant and as far as I know it does not cause weight gain.

My husband just started taking them, they start you off on a low dose to get your body use to them. He had no side effects

I had the same discussion with my doctor... I was having multiple panic attacks per day, not able to eat right, not sleeping right, etc. After some research on my own and a few talks with my doctor, she opted to put me on an anti-anxiety medication rather than an anti-depressant. The side effects were minimal, and when the time was right for me to come off of them, I was able to wean myself off of them without any adverse reactions. I was only on them for about nine months before I felt like myself again and decided I didn't need them anymore.

If an anti-depressant worries you, maybe talk to your doctor about an anti-anxiety medication before you go that route, because most have less likelihood of side effects and don't affect your system the same way.

Effexor is considered one that doesn’t cause any weight gain either and every forum is full of people that ballooned on them. Sometimes I feel glad I only gained 22lbs. Some people can gain A LOT more.
I think every person reacts to the meds in a different way. Some lose, others gain. You can’t know how you’ll react until you start. It made me feel sluggish, I could sleep all day. The sense of fullness was gone. I felt numb. No motivation for anything. It messes the way the liver metabolizes fat also.
Anyway, I am a firm believer that everyone can lose weight with the right amount of dieting and exercise. Weight gain is a temporary side effect. If she has to take them, she should take them.

If you need to go on antidepressants then do! They can be a life saver- and in the long run your mental health now is more important. If (and a big if!) you do gain weight on them, then deal with it when you're mentally healthy.

I have a long history of psychological issues. I have had many drugs, treatments, counselling, you name it. I have found a way to resolve EVERYTHING (including many physical problems) and it's likely something you have NEVER been told:

The FOOD MATTERS.

Malnutrition creates all kinds of physical problems including in the brain (it IS part of the body!). Even over-weight people can be malnourished when diet is dominated by processed foods. Most of the things we have been told to do to be healthy are LIES (two examples: saturated fat is bad; 10 servings of grain per day is good).

Just one resource that could help (I know of many), if you are interested: Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natascha Campbell-McBride.

I would urge you to look at lifestyle first. The drugs suck, they do have side effects and they are NOT completely effective nor safe. No one is born with a pharmaceutical deficiency and if there is such thing as a "chemical imbalance" in the brain, diet (micro-nutrients) would be the way to resolve it, not something designed by multi-billion dollar corporations in a lab.

Some people won't like what I say, so I won't come back to debate. However, I have saved my life by just changing what I eat and I always hope for other people to at least consider that what they eat matters for health, including the brain.

OP:
Please continue seeing a medical professional who has knowledge of your medical history, specific symptoms and previous treatment. Please do not rely on internet health/wellness consultations or depending on food to be your only treatment option. Medication is one form of therapy and some people will need medication on a temporary basis, while others will need them on a permanent basis. Treatment should be tailored to the individual and their needs. Your health includes mental and physical. Be open with your providers and do not be afraid to ask them questions.

i'm on prozac and have been for about 2 years. thanks to the counseling and being able to focus on my mental and physical health, i lost a bunch of weight through eating healthy and exercising (i gained it back only when i lost track of my diet, the pills had no influence). try to make sure you get the smallest dosage recommended and if you're having panic attacks (because i have had those too, many times) then adding some meds to counseling can help in a major way. don't let the fear of weight gain keep you from doing what you need to do to be healthy and happy. your body will find a balance. i promise.

Not all antidepressants have weight gain as a side effect (Wellbutrin actually has weight loss as a possible side effect), and not everyone experiences every side effect of every medication. The chances you will gain weight as a result of taking an antidepressant are actually very small. PLEASE talk to your GP. Explain your concerns and see what they say. If you ended up at the hospital, you are dealing with a very serious situation and the fear of one possible side effect (that may not even be a side effect, depending on the drug you are prescribed) is not a reason to make a treatment decision on your own.

If you don't want to take them, don't. Look into other types of therapy. It might also be helpful to find someone to help you make a list of strategies to manage your anxiety while you're clear-headed and not in panic attack mode, so you can refer to it when you *are* in that bad place.

I wouldn't go back on psych meds for anything. Ugh.

OP:
Please continue seeing a medical professional who has knowledge of your medical history, specific symptoms and previous treatment. Please do not rely on internet health/wellness consultations or depending on food to be your only treatment option. Medication is one form of therapy and some people will need medication on a temporary basis, while others will need them on a permanent basis. Treatment should be tailored to the individual and their needs. Your health includes mental and physical. Be open with your providers and do not be afraid to ask them questions.

Agree with the above 100%

I also think it is important to stress the helpfulness of talk therapy/counseling. I've avoided prescription drugs for my generalized anxiety disorder and in part due to great therapy. I don't think meds are evil but I prefer to try it without them and have thus far been successful.

A lot of doctors - including many psychologists and psychiatrists! - do not believe talk therapy is helpful and are quick to prescribe meds with no additional course of treatment. Also, many patients aren't willing to participate actively in counseling and alternative routes of therapy and will only try meds. I find that very sad!

There are not a whole lot of people who can be magically "CURED" of their emotional/mental disorders by taking a pill. There is a lot more to it. Also, if you go off your meds and have not fully dealt with issues...what then?

Good luck to you, OP!

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant and as far as I know it does not cause weight gain.

If you have a panic disorder be VERY careful with Wellbutrin. It works on your norepinephrine receptors, which would just make your panic/anxiety much much worse. Wellbutrin is an atypical antidepressant.

Like somebody else mentioned above, it's your hunger that tends to change when you start taking anti-depressants (since they work on the neuro-chemicals that are also responsible for appetite and/or saiety). So if you eat the same way that you've been eating, hypothetically, you wouldn't gain a substantial amount of weight. That being said, everybody's body reacts differently to medication, and everybody's situation renders different results. For example, people who binge eat out of their depression often find themselves losing weight on anti-depressants, while some find that they increase their appetite, and make them eat more, since they under-ate while depressed. It depends on a myriad of factors: NOT just the medication.

If you and your doctor are looking at SSRI's (which tend to have horrific sexual side effects, along with a few appetite side effects), take a look at Viibyrd. It's weight neutral. If you're really concerned about the medication affecting your weight, be open and honest with your doctor about there! There are weight neutral medications (as in, medications that don't affect your weight either way) that exist in pretty much every class of medication. I say this, because it's better to be open and honest with your pdoc fromt he start, than to half way through a medication trial, realize you're gaining weight, and stop taking the medication. If you find a medication that affects your appetite, there are medications you could combine to have synergestic effects for your depression, and don't affect your weight.

I've been through a ton of medications with this very problem, so feel free to PM me if you need support or to vent. Best of luck finding something that works for you! When it comes down to it, your mental health is just as important as your physical health. So if it only sets you back a few pounds, it's totally worth feeling stability, happiness, and pleasure.



PS: As for everybody posting about their experiences here, take them with a grain of salt! EVERYBODY reacts differently to medications. The side effects listed are only the ones that are the most experienced by consumers of a particular medication, not all the side effects. Ironically, some medications will actually have 'weight loss' and 'weight gain' as side effects. Derp!

Ask your doctor for an alternative which doesn't cause any weight gain or try other alternatives like homeopathic medicine. I can imagine you're worried. I had remaron and gained 60 pounds within half a year! It was awful and I felt even more depressed then ever before.