Any females still lost weight in antidepressants?

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Helj1975
Helj1975 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I could use some motivation and support.

I've taken antidepressants for years and I find that however hard I train and diet the weight will not shift.
I know that resistant weight is a side effect of these drugs and I'm working with my GP to wean off them, but it's a slow process.
I'd love to hear from other females that currently take, or have taken AD's - but still managed to lose weight.

Other forums are full of people that cannot lose weight while taking these pills and it's really demoralising. I'm desperate to hear from people that have still managed to lose weight, despite these meds, to keep me motivated....

Thank you for sharing your story with me.
xxx
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Replies

  • Indigoblu1
    Indigoblu1 Posts: 127 Member
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    Hi, Helj, I take Wellbutrin, have been for years. I have found no problems with it as far as inability to lose weight. There was a time years ago when I was prescribed Paxil - that stuff is horrible. I stopped taking it when I was listening to a talk show and caller after caller reported weight gains averaging 20-30 pounds. I spoke with the doc and told her no more and I told her why. She said, "Oh, yeah. That is a side effect of Paxil that they don't really like to advertise." Really? That's just lying to an unsuspecting public about them. I suppose when these ladies went to their doctors months later reporting a weight gain that they couldn't get rid of, the doc must have said, "Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you about that. But you feel better don't you?"
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Yes. What actually got the ball rolling on my weightloss journey was the antidepressant I was switched to and it killed my appetite lol.
  • Indigoblu1
    Indigoblu1 Posts: 127 Member
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    Hey, elphie, I agree, mine does, too. It also had the "side effect" of allowing me to be a non-smoker. It's been over a year and I don't miss cigarettes at all.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Wow, way to go!

    Yeah, between the antidepressant and lithium. At first it made me so nauseated I couldn't eat. Now I have a somewhat normal appetite.
  • corinne1977
    corinne1977 Posts: 144 Member
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    I was on Zoloft and gained 20-25 lbs. I switched to Wellbutrin last summer and I've been able to get the weight off.
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
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    I take Prozac and have no issues. In fact, if I didn't take it I probably couldn't lose weight because every other week I'd lose all motivation to live and just eat everything I could find.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I'm on Citalopram and have had no issues. Although I started taking it midway into my weight loss journey so maybe that's different than being on it from the start. Not sure.
  • bunnywestley81
    bunnywestley81 Posts: 178 Member
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    Had fluoxetine, citalopram and just weaned off sertraline...no issues losing weight while on any of em!

    Tho when i started the fluoxetine i hadnt been eating a lot, or sleeping...was verging on a nervous breakdown.... then for 2 weeks i didn't eat at all followed by 2 weeks of horrendous stomach cramps when i did try to eat...i got too skinny!!
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
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    DirrtyH wrote: »
    I take Prozac and have no issues. In fact, if I didn't take it I probably couldn't lose weight because every other week I'd lose all motivation to live and just eat everything I could find.

    This is me too!
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I was very recently put on bupropion (like less than two weeks recently) and my doctor said it shouldn't affect my weight loss. I have noted no change in appetite other than one or two days of raging hunger initially but that subsided. My weight has actually gone down about a pound, so I'm thinking so far, so good.
  • titania_one
    titania_one Posts: 26 Member
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    I'm on celexa for anxiety and have lost over 12 lbs so far. :) best of luck
  • suke28
    suke28 Posts: 22 Member
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    I am on the dreaded paxil. It's been about 11 years now. Weaning will be a very slow process due to the horrible withdrawal symptoms docs don't tell you when they put you on it. Anywho, after gaining over the years I have buckled down, started to count calories and am now starting to lose slowly, but surely.
  • Jinxy23
    Jinxy23 Posts: 33 Member
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    I've been on all sorts over the years and only one has caused weight gain which was Mirtazapine.
    In fact I think switching pills last month has increased my weight loss which really shocked me.
  • Indigoblu1
    Indigoblu1 Posts: 127 Member
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    suke28 wrote: »
    I am on the dreaded paxil. It's been about 11 years now. Weaning will be a very slow process due to the horrible withdrawal symptoms docs don't tell you when they put you on it. Anywho, after gaining over the years I have buckled down, started to count calories and am now starting to lose slowly, but surely.

    This is just wrong and unethical of the medical profession to withhold such vital information from patients. It's a wonder anybody trusts doctors anymore. If it hadn't have been for that radio talk show, I never would have known about it. Paxil just made me feel weird. Good luck getting off of it. How long will it take to be free of it?
  • awesomewastaken
    awesomewastaken Posts: 92 Member
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    I was on Wellbutrin for a while and actually lost some weight, unfortunately it did nothing for me as an anti depressant. Been taking Cymbalta now and haven't noticed any issues with losing weight - if I eat normally and exercise, the scale will show a lower number, if I binge and lay on the couch all day, I gain. If anything the AD is helping me, because I have more energy to do stuff, like go for a walk.
  • tammi65
    tammi65 Posts: 20 Member
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    I've been on al kinds of antidepressants for depression plus I take clonaxipan for restless legs syndrome plus other stuff ..I've lost 54lbs. total it has taken awhile but I'm sticking with it lots of water walking weight training.i still have about 30 to go and I will get there so can you ..
  • Sophsmother
    Sophsmother Posts: 83 Member
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    I'm on the dreaded seroquel for sleep and imipramine as an AD. I have gained massive amounts of weight on both and struggle daily to fight cravings and lose weight. Don't ever go on seroquel unless it is a lot resort, which it was for me. I was thin when I started it, then just gained every month after. Imipramine does the same thing, but both have saved my mental life, although, they've destroyed my metabolism. Most other Ads I was on never gave me a problem with weight, they just didn't make me feel better.
  • Lexicpt
    Lexicpt Posts: 209 Member
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    I have taken 300mg of Wellbutrin XR a day for over a year. I haven't had any issues.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    It varies quite a lot from one antidepressant to another, and among people. But when I started on Paxil (which is supposedly "more often related to weight gain") I actually was able to drop 5 pounds in a relatively short time, because it was helping me deal with emotions in ways other than eating.

    For most of these, especially SSRIs, they can affect your appetite but don't really change your metabolism. So, if you log your food accurately and stay in a deficit, you'll still lose weight (of course, your deficit could be different than someone else's, but that's another topic)
  • sdort156
    sdort156 Posts: 20 Member
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    I'm taking Effexor and Xanax and don't have issues. I always felt hungrier on Wellbutrin. Good luck!!

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