Someone was asking about anti depressants and weight loss

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meggrose1985
meggrose1985 Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Recently someone asked if their pills could be contributing to their problems losing weight. Just anecdotal evidence here, but I just switched from Lexapro/Cipralex, which is documented to cause weight gain, to Prozac, which is the "most anorexic" as my doctor put it, and without changing anything else I've lost 6lbs in 2 weeks.

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  • saraonly9913
    saraonly9913 Posts: 469 Member
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    Good for you. Prozac made me crave carbs. I mean boxes of Little Debbie cakes on a daily basis. It was out of control. Hence, I stopped taking it.
  • BeesmaMFP
    BeesmaMFP Posts: 1,096 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Actually, Prozac is generally associated with weight gain, not loss, as are most SSRIs. Wellbutrin is considered the most apt to help with loss. I used to be a therapist and that was one of things I took into consideration (the therapeutic benefits being the most important, of course) before recommending a medication. Was this a psychologist or psychiatrist who told you Prozac is "most anorexic?" What an odd way for him or her to describe it. Of course it does depend on what study you look at, but my experience with patients was that Wellbutrin was better if weight was a consideration. I'm glad Prozac is helping you. :)
  • LenaGracie
    LenaGracie Posts: 13 Member
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    I also take Prozac.
    Also, just to clarify (since I am sure someone will be confused by this), "anorexia" is the medical term for loss of appetite. "Anorexia Nervosa" is an eating disorder.
    So when a doctor says Prozac is the "most anorexic" antidepressant, that means it causes the most loss of appetite, not that it causes an eating disorder. :)
  • meggrose1985
    meggrose1985 Posts: 15 Member
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    It was a psychiatrist. We discussed wellbutrin, but my anxiety and obsessive compulsive tendancies wouldn't be covered as well by that one, so we went with prozac instead. It was the best option for weight control with coverage of my crazy.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    BeesmaMFP wrote: »
    Actually, Prozac is generally associated with weight gain, not loss, as are most SSRIs. Wellbutrin is considered the most apt to help with loss. I used to be a therapist and that was one of things I took into consideration (the therapeutic benefits being the most important, of course) before recommending a medication. Was this a psychologist or psychiatrist who told you Prozac is "most anorexic?" What an odd way for him or her to describe it. Of course it does depend on what study you look at, but my experience with patients was that Wellbutrin was better if weight was a consideration. I'm glad Prozac is helping you. :)

    This. I gained weight on Prozac. Lost on Wellbutrin.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    edited June 2015
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    BeesmaMFP wrote: »
    Actually, Prozac is generally associated with weight gain, not loss, as are most SSRIs. Wellbutrin is considered the most apt to help with loss. I used to be a therapist and that was one of things I took into consideration (the therapeutic benefits being the most important, of course) before recommending a medication. Was this a psychologist or psychiatrist who told you Prozac is "most anorexic?" What an odd way for him or her to describe it. Of course it does depend on what study you look at, but my experience with patients was that Wellbutrin was better if weight was a consideration. I'm glad Prozac is helping you. :)

    My shrink explained it that it can cause both loss and gain. But Prozac is associated more with weight loss than other antidepressants. It's the only SSRI approved for bulimia and often prescribed for BED off label. It is also approved for OCD which I would imagine translates into better impulse control. I suspect it will be approved for BED in the future as well.

    As far as SSRI's though MOST don't actually change you physically. But they may make you feel better and therefore eat more (if you were previously not eating). Conversely, it may make you feel better and able to control yourself and eat less (if you previously ate too much). My psychiatrist specifically mentioned Paxil and weight gain (which is why I did not take it) as it can cause physiological changes and I'm a binge eater.

    Often the weight gain and loss (with SSRI's) levels off. Much of the weight loss is associated with appetite suppression and stomach issues such as nausea that can accompany Prozac. Typically these side effects go away over time and you would go back to eating normally.
  • perrir71
    perrir71 Posts: 3 Member
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    drugs like Prozac and Paxil are associated with weight gain. Even at 2000 calories per day, you will find 25% of males finding it difficult to lose weight. This has been confirmed by medical and pharma professionals. Not everyone has the same problem but about 20-25% of males and females will either gain significant weight or find it difficult to shed pounds even while on a calorie reduced diet.

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