Wellbutrin and weight gain??

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susanaz
susanaz Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on Wellbutrin for 6 months, in those 6 months I have gained 10 lbs. My Dr. said that it shouldn't cause weight gain so I continued because I take it for depression and anxiety, I recently stopped taking it for one month (NOV) and lost 5lbs and wasn't even working out much, but then the depression was making me crazy so I had to restart, which it takes about a month to start feeling the results,so as of Dec 1st it was working and I felt better, now it is 2 months in and granted the holidays and having many family birthdays which means eating out more is also a factor, but now I gained back 8lbs!!! HELP!!!! it also seems to constipate me so I feel bloated a lot, I dont know what else to do- is there anyone out there that has had a similar problem?? If I get off I am back to depression and dont want to do anything, and its seems to me when I am back on I gain weight :(
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Replies

  • Halochic
    Halochic Posts: 12 Member
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    10 pounds in 6 months is pretty minimal. Sometimes not even noticeable. I would just continue taking your Webutrin, and exercise more. Or stay under calories per day if you're going over. Or keep an eye on the fast food if you eat a lot of that.
  • bettertracie
    bettertracie Posts: 196 Member
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    I have had similar results literally with any anti depressant type of drug, and while your Dr may say it's not a side effect of the drug itself, I honestly believe those drugs create necesarily a chain of symptoms that unlitmately can cause weight gain. I have fibromyalgia, and have been put on nearly all of those stupid meds... Lyrica was BY FAR the WORST for me, because my body already exhibits many of it's side effects naturally, and it was baaaad... Keep your head up and just keep working with your doctor to find the right fit for you... I've been off the anti depressants now for about 3 years, there are of course moments where I could see using them again, but I have had better results treating my brain to therapy, feeding my body better, and maintaining a workout routine.

    Everything we do for our bodies, help exponentially on the inside... I promise!! Good Luck!
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
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    Keep an eye on your fiber. Maybe an increase will help with the constipation. And of course, drink a lot of water.

    Does the Wellbutrin make you hungrier or do you feel like you have the same eating habits as before? The SSRI I'm on made me less hungry when first begun - but that normalized once my body adjusted (would have been nice if it were permanent). Since you're doctor isn't familiar with it as a side-effect, maybe it's something that will normalize over time.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    If you are logging food correctly there should be no weight gain. Constipation and bloating are easily treatable, (and also caused by poor diet and too much sodium intake). Everyone is different, but this is the first I've heard about someone gaining on Wellbutrin, most people lose weight on it. In fact, one of it's "off label" uses is a weight loss type drug. It's actually considered a side affect. It is very important to keep your depression under control so, I don't think you should go off. I think if you log everything diligently for 1 month, *kitten* your diet you might see exactly what's going on. If you don't see any reason for the weight gain AND you don't start losing, then you can take your food diary to your doctor and show him/her. I hate to say it, but you don't just gain weight without eating unless there is something else going on in your body.
    Take care.
  • becky4bears
    becky4bears Posts: 17
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    ALL of the SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) can cause weight gain. I am an RN and I also suffer from anxiety and depression. I take Wellbutrin and Cymbalta....and xanax as needed for panic. Those of us who suffer from this disease have two choices;

    1. Work a little harder in regards to diet and exercise to make up for the side effects of the medication.

    2. Suffer from depression and/or anxiety, but be able to lose weight more efficiently.

    For me, I would rather exercise more (which is also clinically proven to improve mood and anxiety) and eat fewer calories than someone who wasn't taking the anti-depressant medications. This is simply because I know how bad I feel when I don't take the medications. I have had full blown panic attacks at stores, at home, at work...and it is horrible. I'm sure that anyone who has truly experienced a panic attack can relate.

    I have struggled with weight my entire life (even before I developed anxiety and depression). I know it is possible to reach your goal weight while taking these medications, because I have done it in the past. It's just more work :(
  • susanaz
    susanaz Posts: 24
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    Thanks you all, and I have heard the Wellbutrin has been used for weight loss , it also must be at the 300-400 mg dose for those porposes, which I do not take, I take a modest dose of 150mg once a day. My friend takes the 300 mg and has lost 30 lbs, but for whatever reason maybe my depression isn't as bad as hers ??? who knows, but I do not want to up my dose in order to loose weight.....although it has crossed my mind , LOL!!! I guess I will do this for a month and then see what happens.
    Susanaz
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
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    Another thought crossed my mind... Are you an emotional eater? Some people eat when their happy, and so gain wait when things are good. If you find that you're eating too many calories (and this happens mostly when you're in a good mental state) you may want to start keeping track of your emotional triggers, and redirect your urge to eat into something healthier and more beneficial.

    Best of luck!
  • frogetmenot
    frogetmenot Posts: 14
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    I have the same problem, I take Effexor and it also puts weight on you. I just started taking Adderall for ADD so now I will see what happens now, oh and I'm 57! Go figure ))))
  • babygap430
    babygap430 Posts: 1 Member
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    It should be noted that Wellbutrin ** IS NOT ** an SSRI. It acts upon norepinephrine and dopamine. Probably why it makes some people feel edgy.
  • tahhat
    tahhat Posts: 1
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    Hi all! I have been reading your comments and while I agree that exercise and healthy eating is always important to one's lifestyle, I have to interject. I am 20 years old, extremely active (and always have been), and eat what many fitness guru's would consider "clean" (no processed foods, calories counted, balanced macronutrients...I essentially spent the last three months of my life planning this stuff out!) Well, my doctor put me on Wellbutrin exactly 6 months ago, and to this day I have GAINED 20 pounds. I realize that because I work out 5-6 days a week, some of it could be muscle, sure; however, I asked my doctor just yesterday if the meds cause weight gain. She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Yes, absolutely. Those things mess badly with metabolism." I was only on 75 MG a day, so I am weening off of them. I realize some may not have the choice to come off of them, however 20 pounds of weight gain is just enough to make me even more depressed than when I started...especially since I work as hard as I do to prevent those extra pounds.

    So to the lady to gained 10 lbs, I feel your pain. Everyone says, "Oh nooooo, you lose weight on those medications and if you do just work out and diet harder!" HA! Not always.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    Welbutrin is buproprion hydrochloride. I believe this is a salt but I am not sure if it acts the same as basic table salt, sodium chloride. Any chemistry or pharm majors among us?

    If I use too much alleve (sodium naproxen) I gain a few pounds of water weight.
  • sastexan4u
    sastexan4u Posts: 8 Member
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    I take Prozac not to bad on weight gain I just up my water and up my protein about 25mg each meal and no fast food and very little alcohol and walk,walk get moving will help!! track your food every day!!
  • Scott
    Scott Posts: 204 MFP Staff
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    Moved to General Diet and Weight-loss help.
  • aliyogaandarts
    aliyogaandarts Posts: 2
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    :noway:
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
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    I was taking a combination of Wellbutrin (300mg) and Lexapro (40mg) for a long time and didn't have any significant weight gain (Lexapro does have that side effect, sometimes, but Wellbutrin shouldn't). The only side effect I had was some pretty crazy lucid nightmares that stopped when I weaned off the Lexapro.

    I think the important thing to remember about Wellbutrin (or any other antidepressant, for that matter) is that we don't even know how it does what it's DESIGNED to do in the brain, let alone what it does to the rest of the body. All we know is that patients who have taken Wellbutrin (from clinical trial data or clinical reports) tend not to report significant weight gain, and that doesn't say much about how your individual body will react.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    ALL of the SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) can cause weight gain. I am an RN and I also suffer from anxiety and depression. I take Wellbutrin and Cymbalta....and xanax as needed for panic. Those of us who suffer from this disease have two choices;

    1. Work a little harder in regards to diet and exercise to make up for the side effects of the medication.

    2. Suffer from depression and/or anxiety, but be able to lose weight more efficiently.

    For me, I would rather exercise more (which is also clinically proven to improve mood and anxiety) and eat fewer calories than someone who wasn't taking the anti-depressant medications. This is simply because I know how bad I feel when I don't take the medications. I have had full blown panic attacks at stores, at home, at work...and it is horrible. I'm sure that anyone who has truly experienced a panic attack can relate.

    I have struggled with weight my entire life (even before I developed anxiety and depression). I know it is possible to reach your goal weight while taking these medications, because I have done it in the past. It's just more work :(

    I would think an RN would know that Bupropion is NOT an SSRI.

    OP, I'm also on 150mg once a day, and I have had no weight gain and have continued to lose as normal. Are you logging your calories each day?
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
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    Mmmmm, my doctor put me on Wellbutrin a couple of years ago and specifically WARNED me that it would cause weight gain (just less weight gain than other antidepressants he could suggest). And it did.

    Maybe there's a miscommunication between you and your doctor about the difference between "won't cause weight gain" versus "will cause much less severe weight gain than other options"?
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
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    First, Wellbutrin is NOT an SSRI. It works on dopamine and norepinephrine and is considered to be "weight neutral" -- meaning it shouldn't cause you to gain or lose weight. Although there has been off label use of Wellbutrin for weight loss, it has not been backed in clinical trials.

    Now with that said, I started taking Wellbutrin two months ago to help with some post partum depression that I couldn't shake. Since then I have lost 23 pounds. The day I started taking it I decided that I was going to be one of the people that lost weight. That same day (Oct 1st) is the day I signed up for MFP and started logging my food. Clearly I did not gain weight, but I don't attribute my weight loss to Wellbutrin either. I stopped over eating and started exercising.

    My point to all this is that you gained weight because you were eating above maintenance. That is how we all gain weight - by eating too many calories. I know it would be nice to be able to blame Wellbutrin. I blamed birth control for weight gain in the past, but that was bs too. I was eating too much.

    Keep taking your meds and log accurately. Stay under your calorie goal. Exercise. And please do not abruptly stop taking any psychiatric medications including Wellbutrin. Your doctor should wean you off if you choose to discontinue their use in the future.

    (edited for spelling)
  • runrgrrl
    runrgrrl Posts: 37 Member
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    yep...been on this med for only a couple months and up 5lbs...i work out religiously and am getting fatter by the day. I cant possibly continue taking this med - going off all meds completely to see what happens. I have been on anti depressants for about 14 years....tired of getting fatter while working out and watching my calories.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
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    I've started taking it to help me quit smoking and lost weight. I continue to take it for mild depression and it doesn't seem to have an effect.

    Have you been tracking your calories/exercise for the last 8 months? Have you been measuring your food? I found when I'm really down that I'm not even aware of how much I'm eating.

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