Lexapro and weight loss

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  • loveabulldesign
    loveabulldesign Posts: 9 Member
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    One month later...

    Progress is a little slower than I'd hoped, down about 6 pounds in 4.5 weeks. Though it's hard to tell right now what's actually happening since I just came back from a weekend of intense climbing and hiking and immediately got sick and have been unable to eat for the last three days. I know any weight lost from illness is sort of a false hope, but I am using it to sort of re-set my eating habits. Ironically, I bought a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies to eat right before I got sick.

    Overall, the most significant change is that progress is HAPPENING- which it was not on Lexapro- the stomach bulge is basically gone, and while I have quite a bit of weight to work off, it's really helpful to be able to see a change at all. So... it seems like it is not all SSRI's that cause the weight gain and bloating, but for me at least, Lexapro. I'll keep posting updates occasionally, and since I haven't hit the 6 week mark with this particular SSRI, the true effect remains to be seen. Here's hoping the trend continues downward.
  • marleymags
    marleymags Posts: 4 Member
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    I started taking Lexipro in 2012. I split my 10mg pill and take 5mg a day since I'm not depressed or anxious, just needed to stop being SO Type A and angry. The first week was horrible and I had no appetite. After the first week I was amazed at how I didn't sweat the small stuff anymore. Then came the weight gain. I was always the girl everyone hated who could eat everything and not gain a pound. My baby weight fell off without exercising. And while I'd gained some weight over the years, it was slow and hardly noticeable. I GAINED 25 POUNDS IN 6 MONTHS. I explained to my MD that I hadn't gained 25 pounds in the 20 years since high school. His response? "What are you eating for breakfast?" Like others in this thread it is mostly around my middle. I look pregnant. I'm starting an exercise plan and hope to slowly wean off the Lexipro and use those natural endorphins to control my stress.
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    I started taking Lexipro in 2012. I split my 10mg pill and take 5mg a day since I'm not depressed or anxious, just needed to stop being SO Type A and angry. The first week was horrible and I had no appetite. After the first week I was amazed at how I didn't sweat the small stuff anymore. Then came the weight gain. I was always the girl everyone hated who could eat everything and not gain a pound. My baby weight fell off without exercising. And while I'd gained some weight over the years, it was slow and hardly noticeable. I GAINED 25 POUNDS IN 6 MONTHS. I explained to my MD that I hadn't gained 25 pounds in the 20 years since high school. His response? "What are you eating for breakfast?" Like others in this thread it is mostly around my middle. I look pregnant. I'm starting an exercise plan and hope to slowly wean off the Lexipro and use those natural endorphins to control my stress.

    Wow - this just kills me as my Gyno recommended it for weight loss - he said that if I had my menopausal stress under control it would help me lose weight. I'm like you - not really depressed just was being really worrisome over things. I'm glad I never stayed on it. I already had weight to lose! I'm not trying the progesterone cream once a day and a weight loss pill that has natural vitamins and supplements geared toward the menopausal woman. Just started it so I'm not sure of results yet.
  • SteveyBrule
    SteveyBrule Posts: 171 Member
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    Just wanted to thank you for the update, sister. I went on Lexapro back in February of this year and it made me feel awful. I'm a 23 year old male, it was prescribed for anxiety. Get this, it made the anxiety worse after 2 weeks or so and made my appetite insatiable. Now, it's difficult for me to pinpoint what cause this, but I've had a rapid weight gain of probably 15 lbs since going on the medicine. I also had knee surgery in April so my cardio activity has been non-existent, but since the fall when my knee injury was aggravated, I hadn't been doing cardio at all, so really there has been no change in activity level in the last 6-7 months.

    If you don't mind me asking, have you seen any further results with the weight loss? I just stopped taking it cold turkey last week and I'm getting some of the withdrawal symptoms like 2-3 second bouts of dizziness and what feels like jolts of electricity across my pectoral muscles. This stuff was driving me crazy! Anyway, I hope you're well and making progress!
  • loveabulldesign
    loveabulldesign Posts: 9 Member
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    Hey!

    Well... I was losing weight after switching from Lexapro to Viibryd, but it seems like the weight loss happened during the early stages of my body adjusting to Viibryd/being off of Lex. I pretty much plateaued at 5-6 lbs lost and am starting to feel that familiar swell around the midsection, despite having added a Shockwave class to my exercise regimen each week and having less appetite/eating better. Viibryd does diminish your appetite and you don't get the sweets/carb cravings you get on Lex but it seems to cause some kind of inflation.

    Sadly, it looks like SSRI's are not for me. I would rather live with panic attacks than continue to feel trapped in my own body. I will be seeing a specialist (thus far, my PC has been prescribing) and getting evaluated for adult ADHD. It's possible that addressing my ability to focus (which the SSRI's totally demolish completely since I lose stress as a motivational tool) will address my anxiety, and here's hoping. My appointment isn't until July 1, so I will update in July, unless my fitness routine seems to break through the current plateau and clear the Viibryd of all charges.

    Good luck all.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
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    I have been on Lexapro for almost 2 years now and I think that is actually keeps me from losing weight like I should. When I was on Celexa I was dropping weight but it wasn't helping with the panic attacks so she switched me to Lexapro and I feel it really keeps me from losing.
  • jetskidaddy
    jetskidaddy Posts: 1
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    I have been on Lexapro for six years. When I first started it took about three to four week to really start feeling relaxed from my GAD. I started gaining weight like I couldn't believe. I gained 37 pounds in four months. I have always been really weight stable and consistently stayed exactly the same weight. I am now 49 years old and so at the time my doctor just said it wasn't the lexapro but my age. I tried watching my calories and cutting them. I did at one point loose twenty pounds with a lot of work doing it. Lexa pro definitely makes weight loss mich harder without any doubt. Losing the weight is possible but just much harder. I have read that it is because of how it works in your liver. However, I feel so so so so much better on the drug that it out weighs nit taking it. Thus drug works extremely well! I would rather be heavier than feel like I did mentally! Besides you can always just work harder and loose the weight.
  • BethniB
    BethniB Posts: 1
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    I've been taking Lexapro for about 7 months. I have gained probably 5-10 pounds, which I can deal with. My problem is that i cannot seem to lose the weight. I already needed to lose about 15-20, but right now, I'm stuck. I've tried a few different eating plans and even with exercise, I'm stuck.

    In reading the previous posts, it doesn't look like weight gain is a tremendously common effect, but I can say from my own experience, it's made it very difficult -- especially since some of my anxiety is attributed to my appearance.

    Talk with your doctor!!! I had to weigh the benefits of the medicine with the benefits of being thin. For now, I am choosing the meds, and I'm just making sure that I'm as healthy as I can be, otherwise.
  • clarageorgeca
    clarageorgeca Posts: 1
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    I was thinking of starting 10 mg Lexapro for some mild anxiety, but after reading all of this, I think I'll try St. John's wort, exercise, and a birth control pill to regulate the mood swings a little. Gaining weight would totally make me more depressed than I am suffering currently. While I've had legit panic attacks in the past (post-baby), now it's just a low grade, quite common stress, I feel. I don't really think I need to take something this risky just to 'take the edge off.' Thank you to everyone, for your candor.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
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    Same thing here!!!
    I've been taking Lexapro for about 7 months. I have gained probably 5-10 pounds, which I can deal with. My problem is that i cannot seem to lose the weight. I already needed to lose about 15-20, but right now, I'm stuck. I've tried a few different eating plans and even with exercise, I'm stuck.

    In reading the previous posts, it doesn't look like weight gain is a tremendously common effect, but I can say from my own experience, it's made it very difficult -- especially since some of my anxiety is attributed to my appearance.

    Talk with your doctor!!! I had to weigh the benefits of the medicine with the benefits of being thin. For now, I am choosing the meds, and I'm just making sure that I'm as healthy as I can be, otherwise.
  • FeraFilia
    FeraFilia Posts: 4,664 Member
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    I took Lexapro (10mg) for about a year, but it was several years ago. I don't recall any significant weight gain from it, but I was already pretty overweight to begin with However,. I actually remember being less inclined to eat. I ate a ton of junk because i was depressed, and I was depressed because the junk was making me fat. It was a small dose though, and it was just enough to take the edge off and I wasn't eating for comfort all the time.

    I had to stop taking it after a while though, because at the time there wasn't a generic, and my insurance didn't cover it, so it was costing me about 80 dollars a month. For what it's worth, I suffered no ill effects when I stopped taking it.
  • Lauren06880
    Lauren06880 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi all. Well, I have been taking 10 mg of Lexapro for six years now, wow really....never counted them. The MD prescribed it when my family was going through a very rough patch. Every visit, for med checks, I get....just stay on it. And I'm like why? Oh because you're peri menopausal. Well in that time I gained about 20 lbs, got off about half do them but not through anything but pure determination and torture. My BF went off a different antidepressant and went on Lexapro = a 10 lb weight gain quite quickly.

    I am going to wean myself off starting tomorrow. I will take 5 mg for a few days and then every other day then 2.5 mg for another few if I feel I need it. I'm guessing that I probably won't feel any adverse symptoms since I have forgotten to take it for a few days at a time with no effects.

    I should add.... Everything in my life couldn't be better now so I'm going to try this. Please don't go off your medications. I'm just addressing weight gain/loss here.

    If you are interested friend me. Stats: 153 Years old, 154 in the Fall.
    5' 4" 147.7 lbs. Cardiologist wants me at 130 and thinks if I can do it I can go off Statins which I take purely for family cholesterol history and preventative medicine.

    Wishing success to everyone!

    Lauren06880
  • Lauren06880
    Lauren06880 Posts: 8 Member
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    Oops....posted my Lexapro topic from my iPad and now it's too late to edit it. I need to correct my age, it's 53 not 153!
  • mkr0027
    mkr0027 Posts: 1
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    I was taking 10mg Lexapro for about 3 months and gained weight. My diet nor my activity level hadn't changed, but I kept gaining weight. It makes me sick it's so frustrating. I went from 130-135 to 155 (I am 5'6''). NONE of my clothes fit anymore!

    My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin along with an increase in dosage of the Lexapro to try to help me stop gaining and hopefully lose some but I decided I don't want to risk it so I weened off the Lexapro by taking half the 10mg pill (5 mg) for about a week. I haven't experienced any side effects from weening off it at all. I started taking the Wellbutrin though.

    It's only been less than a week being off it and I hope I will eventually start losing this weight. Everyone out there who has gained weight from Lexapro- you are not alone!

    This is pretty much my exact story. I'm about to start winging myself off Lexapro. How was the weight loss afterwards?
    I've been taking it for about 4 months and didn't change my diet or exercise and gained about 10 pounds. I really think it affects some people's metabolism. Even though my doctor says that weight gain is not a side effect. I'm afraid it's going to be hard to get these 10 pounds off.
  • sandort4
    sandort4 Posts: 1 Member
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    I too was taking Lexapro 10 mg for 4 years and gained 30 lbs. and have had a hard time getting the weight off, very depressing!
    3 weeks ago I weaned off 10 mg to 5 mg for 1 week, then weaned off 5 mg to 2.5 for one week, now nothing. When I weaned myself off, I started supplementing 3 fish oil caps (aids in depression and blood flow) + Vitamin B complex ( energy) and my mental status feels so much less cloudy then when I was even on the Lexapro! Now the weight, gotta get it off!!!!! Any ,suggestins?
  • katie692102
    katie692102 Posts: 3 Member
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    I just started lexapro 4 days ago. very low dosage, 5. within two days I notice I have no appetite. all soda tastes terrible. even water tastes strange. 90% of food does not taste good. has anyone had this happen. My stomach feels hungry still but whenever I eat I can only get a few bites in me.
  • tesstcool
    tesstcool Posts: 38 Member
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    I started lexapro 10mg in august for generalized anxiety disorder paired with agoraphobia. For the first week i was on it i felt WEIRD. I also had no appetite and felt like i was pretty much forcing myself to eat so that i could get proper nutrition. I ate a lot of trailmix type stuff and protein bars. After a couple weeks the food related side effects have gone away and ive actually upped the dosage to 20mg. So far no gain or loss (im in maintenance). Im sure your appetite will come back and if not just tell your doctor and theyll try a different ssri. Everyone has different reactions to different meds! Good luck!!
  • Italianma7
    Italianma7 Posts: 83 Member
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    I started taking Wellbutrin 150mg about 5 weeks ago and got horrible headaches the first week I was on the med. Then they subsided. I noticed my anxiety increased quite a bit. My appetite is about the same. I have a follow up app next month so I am going to ask for an increase and see how that works. I can deal with the anxiety but yet I'm still depressed. hopefully the increase will make a difference. I like the fact that this medication doesn't make me feel sluggish like Zoloft did to me. So I am going to give it a chance to work. It could take 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust to the medication. It's all trial and error when it comes to SSRI. Getting through the side effects (if you have any) is the difficult part. I'm sorry I don't have any advice on Lexapro based on experience. However my cousin has been on it for about a yr now and she loves it. Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • katie692102
    katie692102 Posts: 3 Member
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    the truth is I am happy to have less of an appetite since I need to lose about 30 pounds. but the fact that all food tastes bad is such a strange sensation. I see people on here have tried things like wellbutin and zoloft, etc. I guess I will give lexapro a try and see how it turns out. I have low level anxiety/depression and I don't want this to turn me into a zombie as some suggest it did for them.
  • happyvegemites
    happyvegemites Posts: 1 Member
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    Im reading this thread after putting two and two together this week. Im starting to cut back after gaining weight. I run every day and since I have been doing this the last 4 years have never gained weight. This has to be the cause. When I got really anxious - prior to taking the meds, I wasnt running as much but maintaining weight I expect from anxiety. Running counters my anxiety so it was a viscous circle. Now I feel on top of my anxiety and am running again regularly so will gradually cut back & see what happens. Sanity over anxiety any day so I wont stay off if I need them however I want to see if I do ( and what happens with my weight).

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