Antidepressants and Weight Gain

Effexor caused me to gain major weight - and I wasn't eating! But everything I was eating was sticking to me. I learned that Most SSRIs have this effect. The only two I've heard have a lower chance of weight gain is buspar and lexapro. I was 120 when I started taking Effexor and 145 when I stopped a year later, and the weight STILL hasn't left me.

However, if you need the meds, there is NOTHING wrong with taking it, and feeling better is important, you just have to weigh the pros and cons.

Take care hon,

Wellbutrin is one of the only Antidepressants that is not supposed to make you gain weight.

So sorry to hear about your grandfather.

I'm sorry about your grandfather. It's painful to watch someone you love go through so much. Good for you for reaching out for help coping.

I've been on an antidepressant for over two years, since just after my mom died, and it didn't greatly effect my weight one way or another. What DID effect my weight was when my depression worsened and I went into a tailspin. I noticed that when I'm going through a particularly stressful time, such as when my Mom was hospitalized, I go into survival mode where I just do the basic things to function, and typically lose weight because my focus is on someone else. I first noticed I did that when my 18 year old cat had kidney failure and I spent so much spare time coaxing her to eat that I didn't eat much myself. Same thing when Mom was in the hospital, and I spent just about every spare moment for four months with her. But after my Mom passed (actually, same as with my cat, but I hate to compare the two because losing Mom was so much worse), so much of my daily routine was in the caretaking that I felt completely lost, and ended up overeating.

It depends on how you personally cope with stress and loss and heartache. With my depression, it was an effort just to do basic things like fill the birdfeeder or fold the laundry. I wasn't the least bit active, and I turned to food for comfort. Some people go off food when they're depressed. I feel more energized while on my antidepressant. It doesn't alter my mood... it enables me to cope with my mood. I liken it to wearing glasses. I can't see clearly without my glasses. Without my antidepressant, my MIND doesn't see the world clearly. It's hazy, dark and oppressive. With it, I'm able to tackle whatever life throws at me.

Yes a loss is hard to deal with, but talk to someone instead of relying on meds. Been there, done that when my dad died. I can tell you its not worth it.

When I wanted to stop taking antidepressants, I weaned myself off but I still went through 2 weeks of withdrawal - dizzy, nausea, my eyesight would suddenly slosh around.. NOT GOOD. Oh, and I gained 30 pounds even with exercise.

Yes a loss is hard to deal with, but talk to someone instead of relying on meds. Been there, done that when my dad died. I can tell you its not worth it.

When I wanted to stop taking antidepressants, I weaned myself off but I still went through 2 weeks of withdrawal - dizzy, nausea, my eyesight would suddenly slosh around.. NOT GOOD. Oh, and I gained 30 pounds even with exercise.

very sorry to hear your news.i,like a lot of people suffer from depression and i am currently taking 40mg of fluoxetine (prozac) a day.i did put a bit of weight on but i am also a comfort eater which is a habit i have just recently got out of.i cant tell you whether the weight gain was due to the meds or comfort eating or a mixture of both?i gained around a stone as i felt constantly hungry.thankfully im quite small in the first place so it didnt make me overweight but i felt soooooo uncomfortable in myself.i have lost 5lb and have another 8lbs to lose.sorry,this is a bit long winded!i guess what im trying to say is,if you feel you can cope without meds,dont take them.if you really feel like you are in the darkest place and struggle to get out of bed/leave the house etc. take them.i was the best decision i made and i personally dont ever want to come off them.x

I'm so, so sorry about your grandfather. Things like this are so tough for loved ones - you may very well be helped by taking an antidepressant for awhile. Believe me, I've been through a lot - last year alone there were four deaths in my extended family - my ex-husband, my ex-boyfriend (whom my kids considered to be their stepdad), a friend I met something like 30 yrs ago, and my oldest dog - who was a very big part of our family, and was a very big loss. Then & after other times when I experienced pain like this, I needed to be on an antidepressant. I only stopped when I realized that I didn't need it anymore. I never experienced any weight gain with them (I had to switch meds after taking them for awhile).

Do what you need to do to get through it. The loss will be forever when you love someone - but in time you'll be able to remember the good times instead of the pain.

Edited to add:

I don't consider antidepressants to be so much mood-altering, as they are returning a mood BACK to normal. Your mood is already altered by a life-altering situation.

Wellbutrin is one of the only Antidepressants that is not supposed to make you gain weight.

So sorry to hear about your grandfather.

I think that Wellbutrin, like Effexor, is in the SNRI class meaning it acts on both serotonin and norepinephrine. They're generally not the first choice unless you are in an intractable depression because they can be more difficult to discontinue. Very effective though, and yes, less commonly associated with weight gain.

The atypical antispychotics are almost always associated with significant weight gain, but they're not usually used in straight depression unless it's being added to an anti-depressant that has stopped working or the patient is bi-polar.