Citalopram/Celexa DOES make you fat!
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What med did you change to? I'm on celexa and i've gained 30lbs. Its not fun. I need a change to get back to my regular self.0
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I gotta say...stay AWAY from Remeron (mirtazapine). That stuff actually actively causes increased insulin resistance and deposition of abdominal fat. I cannot believe my Dr ever thought that was appropriate for someone already struggling with weight.
Oh and for citalopram...libido crashes are a super common side effect!! A drug that can cause you to gain weight AND lose interest in sex?! What a crappy solution for depression (obviously works for some though!) :frown:
I agree...mirtazapene has been prescribed for one of my dogs to help her gain weight.0 -
Different medications have different side effects for different people.
I used to take Citalopram and did not see a change in weight. I only stopped using it because it gave me Long QT's in my heart rhythm.
That being said, if you feel like you have gained weight from it, by all means, contact your doctor and see if there is an alternative.
Good Luck0 -
Sorry .. I don't buy it. I have been on anti-depressants for 20+ years and recently Mirtazapine (people say it causes weight gain too). Well guess what ... the pill doesn't cause weight gain .. the depression does.
When people are depressed .. they eat more. When I was depressed .. I ate junk food and drank pop. Guess what .. I got fat. Pretty simple .. eating more causes weight gain. So unless you actively do something about it while you are depressed .. you will probably gain weight.
Not rocket science, but the pill does make a easy target as it cannot complain about being the victim here.
OK, well I have to agree with this. The vet told me that she wouldn't gain weight if she didn't eat more and exercise less...the vet said that mirtazapine merely makes her want to eat more.0 -
Hi all! I never post on here, but when I saw this post when I searched for Celexa and weight gain I felt the need too.
I started back on Celexa in 2010. I was right around 150 at the time and had just lost some weight. I switched jobs in October 2011, and within a year, I had packed on 35 lbs. I was still kind of active, and my eating habits weren't awesome, but I was making sure I was eating fairly healthy... jsut more calories than I should have been.
In the last year, I've tried numerous exercise routines, changing my habits, etc. It's taken me nearly 3 months just to lose 10 lbs this time around. I did Insanity last summer and lost 10 lbs, but that took nearly 2 months.
i recently went to my doctor who felt it could be hypothryodism (runs in the family). All of my tests came back negative. I was also negative for Celiac's (still 80/20 gluten free though because I feel a lot better). Now they are looking at Celexa as a cause for weight gain. It all happened around the same time so it could make sense.
Having said that, I'm not looking at it as an excuse. I know my eating habits and exercise habits didn't help, so I'm changing that, but if it turns out my celexa has been a culprit too, i'll be switching asap!0 -
I'm taking this drug to combat menopause symptoms that had taken over my life! It works great on the symptoms, but I am HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!!!!!! I have gained 4 pounds in about 9 weeks. Also, this medicine messes with my sleep so my energy level is horrible. So... While the menopause symptoms are gone, the weight gain & tired feeling are worse. I'm stopping it as soon as I can get back to the doctors.0
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I've been taking Lexapro and Welbutrin and haven't experienced weight gain due to the medications. I experienced weight gain due to my depression though. Welbutin has helped a lot. There's a reason they call it the "happy, horny, and skinny pill".0
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80mg of celexa is double the recommended adult dose. I'm a psych nurse. Ask your doctor if he would recommend Lexapro.Thank u for your post been on celexa for about a month..80 mg and has given me energy like have never had before, eating right and walking about 2 miles daily nothing lost to date in fact gain about a pound. Go to dr next week and hoping loweing the dose will help. Daughter getting married Feb so need to loose the 15 pounds before that plus working so hard to loose it and feel myself starting to get down0 -
I too take celexa for pre-menopausal symptoms and I did gain a good 20 pounds in 4 months while on the drug. BUT, I also attribute it to the lack of physical exercise and just being lazy lazy. I went from 20mg to 10mg and take the drug AT NIGHT. I also take 2 capsules of cinnamon, a multi-vitamin for 50+ (no I'm not over 50 but I want the minerals in the capsule) and I take 1 tab of iron. I have conditioned myself to go to bed an hour earlier and CALM down before trying to sleep. Slowly but surely it's all working. BEFORE I began all this I was a miserable ***** with a good week of pre-period hell moods and I'd sleep, maybe 3-4 hours a night before tossing and turning. I exercise daily and count all calories. still trying to lose the weight gain but I need the celexa. tried Lexapro but didn't do a thing for meI'm taking this drug to combat menopause symptoms that had taken over my life! It works great on the symptoms, but I am HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!!!!!! I have gained 4 pounds in about 9 weeks. Also, this medicine messes with my sleep so my energy level is horrible. So... While the menopause symptoms are gone, the weight gain & tired feeling are worse. I'm stopping it as soon as I can get back to the doctors.0 -
Just want to add I'm a long time psych nurse and I FINALLY listened to not only my dr but my peers who were going thru the same thing
I too take celexa for pre-menopausal symptoms and I did gain a good 20 pounds in 4 months while on the drug. BUT, I also attribute it to the lack of physical exercise and just being lazy lazy. I went from 20mg to 10mg and take the drug AT NIGHT. I also take 2 capsules of cinnamon, a multi-vitamin for 50+ (no I'm not over 50 but I want the minerals in the capsule) and I take 1 tab of iron. I have conditioned myself to go to bed an hour earlier and CALM down before trying to sleep. Slowly but surely it's all working. BEFORE I began all this I was a miserable ***** with a good week of pre-period hell moods and I'd sleep, maybe 3-4 hours a night before tossing and turning. I exercise daily and count all calories. still trying to lose the weight gain but I need the celexa. tried Lexapro but didn't do a thing for meI'm taking this drug to combat menopause symptoms that had taken over my life! It works great on the symptoms, but I am HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!!!!!! I have gained 4 pounds in about 9 weeks. Also, this medicine messes with my sleep so my energy level is horrible. So... While the menopause symptoms are gone, the weight gain & tired feeling are worse. I'm stopping it as soon as I can get back to the doctors.0 -
in my field of work we ask the MD to scribed remeron in low doses (15mg) to increase a patients appetite if they are losingI gotta say...stay AWAY from Remeron (mirtazapine). That stuff actually actively causes increased insulin resistance and deposition of abdominal fat. I cannot believe my Dr ever thought that was appropriate for someone already struggling with weight.
Oh and for citalopram...libido crashes are a super common side effect!! A drug that can cause you to gain weight AND lose interest in sex?! What a crappy solution for depression (obviously works for some though!) :frown:
I agree...mirtazapene has been prescribed for one of my dogs to help her gain weight.0 -
Am I the only one who loves her citalopram? Sheesh...0
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Most antidepressants are potential weight gainers, work as a therapist and hear this all the time.0
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Am I the only one who loves her citalopram? Sheesh...
No. Tons of people do.
Honestly,many of people do NOT gain weight on it. If you look at the clinical trials, the percentage of people that gained weight is nowhere near 100%.
I think making one particular medication a "bad" med in the weight category is kinda dumb. I gained 50% of my body weight on Abilify (that I'm STILL trying to lose) and I wouldn't go around telling people not to take it because on my bad experience. It helps a lot of people and they don't gain weight on it so I'm not going to go around warning everyone of the evils of Abilify.0 -
This is definitely a case of YOUR body not responding well to the meds or possibly something else irrespective of the meds. I took Celexa for over 4 years and during that time I lost over 30 pounds.0
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I must agree with the above poster. I've been on Celexa for 1 year and I have stayed within my normal range (110 on the low side, 118 on the high side) the entire time.0
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I am on Celexa. I've been on it for more than a year and I've gained over 40 lbs and am still gaining. Diet and exercise only help me maintain whatever I'm at. It has also caused a significant amount of water retention, which could be partially to blame for the weight gain. The doctor that prescribes it says that it does not cause weight gain, but all of my other doctors, including my gynecologist, are telling me that my Celexa is the culprit of my weight gain issues. Unfortunately, I've tried to wean myself off and it didnt work out so well. Maybe I'm not ready. I know I am tired of being fat and unable to lose! I have never been so big that I am uncomfortable, but that is where I am at now!0
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thank you for sharing op!0
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I have been taking Citalopram for about 2 years now for fall/winter months only. (I suffer from the season mood disorder and was prescribed the lowest dosage) I noticed that I did not gain weight while on it (quite the opposite in fact) but as soon as I weaned off it I started gaining despite the diet modifications and exercise. It just occurred to me last week that this is happening. Last year I noticed the weight gain but didn't make a connection, this year however when the same happened I am positive that the weight gain is a side effect of stopping the drug. Did anybody here have a similar experience? What to do now? I don't want to start taking it again (even a minuscule dosage) just to keep the weight off. I found other forums where people had the same problem after weaning off this antidepressant but nobody was successful in keeping the weight off while stopping Citalopram.
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Everybody reacts differently to medication. Celexa absolutely did make me fat! I took it for two years after my son was born and I ballooned up 60 pounds. The reason I know it was the medication was because as soon as I went off it I lost 30 pounds in the first month without changing my diet whatsoever. If anything i was eating worse during that time as I tried to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. It was awful medication. I try to manage my anxiety without medication now. It is tough but I don't like the alternatives. I just wanted to share my experience for what it's worth
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I am taking citalopram and have been gradually gaining weight. I thought it was just moving out of my parents house and learning to eat on my own until I realized I have actually gained weight ever since taking it. I have started exercising by swimming an hour every other day and eating fairly naturally and staying under my calorie goal, and i have gained two pounds. and I know it's not that I gained muscle weight b/c i measured myself as well.
I am a therapy student and I just took a class on pharmacology. Turns out citalopram acts differently for different people--some lose weight, some gain weight, and some stay the same. All meds aimed at mental illness act differently with different people. But to those who say don't blame the drug--citalopram definitely does have a frequent side effect of weight gain. I don't know what to do about this by I have lifetime chronic low-grade depression, so I need to take some sort of antidepressant but i do not like the side effects of this one--anyone else have success with something else? or any success with still losing weight on citalopram after you realized it was creeping up on you?0 -
Well, if you look at the side effects it clearly states weight change. So, that could mean gaining weight or losing weight. Which tends to be common when your depression is treated. I will say, Citalopram is not making America fat, food is. So be concious of what you're eating and you should be fine. And if you gain 40 lbs who cares, with my lifelong experience with depression, I'd rather be fat and content than skinny and miserable. People really just need to stop trying to blame their doctor for their fatness and start owning responsibility and changing something.0
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I see so many generalizations about antidepressants, and honestly it's hurtful and trivializing. Just because *you* did not gain weight from a medication, doesn't mean that it didn't cause weight gain for another person. I've seen so many comments like "Well, I lost on Celexa!! So it doesn't cause weight gain! You're wrong!" Your experience is not the same as everyone else's is. The thing is, all of our bodies work differently. We have different genetic makeup, metabolism, etc. That's why a medication that works for Person A may not work for Person B. So please, let's be careful before we tell someone they're wrong simply for sharing their experience.
I'm struggling with this too. I've had anxiety for years; last year I finally decided to do something about it. Celexa helped me so much. Before it, I was around 130 pounds. Now I'm 150. I started taking Celexa in July 2013 and by late August 2013 I had gained 8 pounds. Not normal for me. The thing was, though, that Celexa really helped with my anxiety. I felt more balanced. I've been vegetarian for years and I eat healthfully, walk and bike a lot. So I was surprised when I gained weight. I started monitoring what I was eating very closely. And I noticed that my jeans didn't fit anymore. I weaned myself off the celexa in November 2013; it was very difficult but I felt I had to. I couldn't keep ballooning! Now it's June 2014 and I still weigh about the same, and I don't understand. I've been exercising, eating very healthy for the most part, and it just doesn't budge. I feel like I am at my wits end. I've always had body image issues and this doesn't help. I am just so frustrated with myself!
Thank you for letting me vent, and good luck to everyone here.0 -
thank you for your post! i agree that the generalizations are hurtful, as well as the assumption that it 'my' fault i'm gaining weight. so many people are saying "it's not citalopram making you fat, it's food," but actually in fact, having spent time not on citalopram and having spent time on it, i can say for a fact that citalopram is literally making me fat! sure, i can eat better, but the problem is that when i have started eating better, i'm still gaining weight. and no i wouldn't care if i just gained 20 lbs and left it at that, but my weight continues, and besides being unsightly, continuing to gain several pounds a year because of my medication is a health concern. not to mention that i don't have hte money to buy a new wardrobe every year bc the old clothes don't fit. so i ask: has anyone struggled with weight gain bc of citalopram and then found that they were able to stay on citalopram and still keep the weight off? how did you do it?0
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The thing is, all of our bodies work differently. We have different genetic makeup, metabolism, etc.
We're not all that different. Humans are 99.9% percent genetically similar. Your metabolism doesn't stop or slow down to the point where weight loss becomes exceedingly difficult just because you're on anti-depressants. Calories in / calories out still applies. Celexa doesn't help you defy physics and make you magically gain weight.the problem is that when i have started eating better, i'm still gaining weight.
You could have been "eating better" but you were still consuming more calories than you expended.People really just need to stop trying to blame their doctor for their fatness and start owning responsibility and changing something.
This.0 -
I was on citalopram for nearly a year, and didn't gain weight! Didn't lose it either, but wasnt trying to at the time.0
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Hi everyone. I'm on celexa, risperidone, abilify and Ativan. For a long time I thought it was the meds that made me fat. I have been excercising 5 days a week and doing weight watchers and I've been consistently losing weight. I guess everyone id different.0
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check my journal--i'm not in any way eating more than i'm expending. I took a psychopharmocology class and they stated that actually different people's bodies respond very differently to different medications. and the teacher, who has a doctorate in psychology, stated that a common side effect of citalopram is gaining weight. not gaining weight b/c you're eating more bc you're happy, but simply, all other variables the same, when some people begin taking citalopram, some people gain weight. and some people loose. It's a scientific fact.0
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check my journal--i'm not in any way eating more than i'm expending. I took a psychopharmocology class and they stated that actually different people's bodies respond very differently to different medications. and the teacher, who has a doctorate in psychology, stated that a common side effect of citalopram is gaining weight. not gaining weight b/c you're eating more bc you're happy, but simply, all other variables the same, when some people begin taking citalopram, some people gain weight. and some people loose. It's a scientific fact.
I looked through your diary and it looks a bit sketchy. You have several missing days and you're using a lot of "Homemade" and 'Generic" entries, which are a no-no if you're trying to track as accurately as possible. This is an even bigger problem since you only have 15 more pounds to lose and your margin for error is a lot smaller.
You are taking in more calories than you think. The law of conservation of mass states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It's physically impossible for you to be gaining weight if you are truly eating at a deficit. You can't make something out of nothing.0 -
I am on Celexa. I've been on it for more than a year and I've gained over 40 lbs and am still gaining. Diet and exercise only help me maintain whatever I'm at. It has also caused a significant amount of water retention, which could be partially to blame for the weight gain. The doctor that prescribes it says that it does not cause weight gain, but all of my other doctors, including my gynecologist, are telling me that my Celexa is the culprit of my weight gain issues. Unfortunately, I've tried to wean myself off and it didnt work out so well. Maybe I'm not ready. I know I am tired of being fat and unable to lose! I have never been so big that I am uncomfortable, but that is where I am at now!
This was my experience. No matter how much I exercised and logged calories, I could only maintain. A slip-up would be weight gained that couldn't be lost. After 18 months and 40 pounds, I quit taking it. I went to my doctor to tell him, and yeah, I was crying. The weight gain had turned the anxiety into depression. I felt like a beached whale, unattractive, I didn't want to have sex with my husband because I was so self-conscious about by weight. It was really horrible. I think it finally got through to my doctor and he did change my medication. Please talk to your doctor. Mine insisted the weight gain wasn't from the Celexa, but I know better.0
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