Antidepressants and weight gain?
DaniJeanine
Posts: 473 Member
Hello All,
I was wondering if anyone knows of or has experienced weight gain as a result of antidepressant medication. I have some generalized anxiety, so my doc recommended taking a low dose of anti-depressants. I'm not depressed at all, but apparently these meds work for anxiety just as well. I did some reading it and seems like A LOT of people randomly gain weight right after taking SSRI antidepressant meds--even if they have a healthy diet and lifestyle. I'm totally freaked out because I worked SO hard at getting in shape and I would hate to ruin it with a medication.
I've also heard that many people may gain the weight just because they aren't very active, health conscience people. Since I know everyone on here holds their health and weight in high regard, I thought this would be a good group to talk to!
I was wondering if anyone knows of or has experienced weight gain as a result of antidepressant medication. I have some generalized anxiety, so my doc recommended taking a low dose of anti-depressants. I'm not depressed at all, but apparently these meds work for anxiety just as well. I did some reading it and seems like A LOT of people randomly gain weight right after taking SSRI antidepressant meds--even if they have a healthy diet and lifestyle. I'm totally freaked out because I worked SO hard at getting in shape and I would hate to ruin it with a medication.
I've also heard that many people may gain the weight just because they aren't very active, health conscience people. Since I know everyone on here holds their health and weight in high regard, I thought this would be a good group to talk to!
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Replies
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I've been on Celexa (an SSRI) for over 6 months and it has not made me gain weight nor has it impeded my weight loss.0
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Actually when I first started taking Cymbalta is lessened my appetite. I'm seem to have adjusted to that - unfortunately! Good luck!!0
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You can check with your doctor about one that is weight neutral. Cymbalta worked for me ( I use for anxiety as well)0
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Celexa is the one my doc wanted to put me on...not sure if it's considered "weight neutral" though. I called him this morning but no word back yet. This alone is getting me anxious! haha0
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I always get upset when people ( not you of course ) say they gained weight from medication. I do understand there IS meds out there that REALLY make you gain weight, but I dont believe birth control or anxiety/antidepressants are in the category. If anything, 5 lbs...but people blaming 10 to 20 lbs weight gain on their meds is rediculous ( also stated by my doctor )
I think you will be Okay. watch what you eat, and just be concious.
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I took antidepressants for about two years (Wellbutrin mostly). I stayed about the same weight the entire time.0
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I take Celexa during each winter and it usually causes me to lose about 5 lbs when I start it, and that weight usually stays off until I stop taking it in April.0
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I'm on Celexa for anxiety. It hasn't made me gain weight. Before, Celexa, I took a number of different brands. I really think it's the person...gaining weight or not. Good luck with the medicine. If it doesn't work, ask your doctor for something else. There are too many out there. I was on the highest dose of Wellbutrin and it didn't help at all. I'm on the lowest dose of Celexa and it's a world of difference. They all act different on everyone.0
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I take prozac, and my weight loss has been the same on and off it.0
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I was on Zoloft a few years ago for anxiety. I gained soooo much weight. I dont think its the actual drug that does it, but one of the side effects is that it increases your appetite, I was eating all the time and the medicine worked TOO good because I knew that i was gaiing a significant amount of weight but i just didnt care.
I am on Celexa and have not gained any weight
that was a HUGE concern of mine also. 0 -
I always get upset when people ( not you of course ) say they gained weight from medication. I do understand there IS meds out there that REALLY make you gain weight, but I dont believe birth control or anxiety/antidepressants are in the category. If anything, 5 lbs...but people blaming 10 to 20 lbs weight gain on their meds is rediculous ( also stated by my doctor )
I think you will be Okay. watch what you eat, and just be concious.
This was my initial thought! Then I got scared because they said some people gained weight without changing their diet or exercise regiment. I was reading one review online where some lady said "Celexa made me gain 90 lbs" ....Ok, lets stop for a second. At what point between a few and 90 lbs did you realize this was a problem? If you gain 90 lbs, chances are you ate yourself into oblivion lol0 -
Unless your thyroid is out of whack, chances are any weight gain from birth control or anti depressants is do to additional eating. The hormones in BC may give you the munchies so you have to be concious of what you eat. My dr also told me that with antidepressents...if you tend to eat when you are depressed then the right AD drug will help alleviate that. If you tend to not eat when depressed the rigt med will have the opposite effect.
I was very concerned about weight gain and waited a very long time to even admit to my doc I was having post partum depression because of it. When I discussed it with him thats how he explained it to me....not to mention, getting your mental health straight is most important.0 -
I was on a few different meds and they all caused me to gain wait and now I'm still stuggling to try to lose it. I work out with a trainer 2x a week, and run 1 to 3 times a week. Still not losing.0
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I was on Zoloft a few years ago for anxiety. I gained soooo much weight. I dont think its the actual drug that does it, but one of the side effects is that it increases your appetite, I was eating all the time and the medicine worked TOO good because I knew that i was gaiing a significant amount of weight but i just didnt care.
I am on Celexa and have not gained any weight that was a HUGE concern of mine also.
So good to hear!! These posts are making me feel better already...lol0 -
I always get upset when people ( not you of course ) say they gained weight from medication. I do understand there IS meds out there that REALLY make you gain weight, but I dont believe birth control or anxiety/antidepressants are in the category. If anything, 5 lbs...but people blaming 10 to 20 lbs weight gain on their meds is rediculous ( also stated by my doctor )
I think you will be Okay. watch what you eat, and just be concious.
This was my initial thought! Then I got scared because they said some people gained weight without changing their diet or exercise regiment. I was reading one review online where some lady said "Celexa made me gain 90 lbs" ....Ok, lets stop for a second. At what point between a few and 90 lbs did you realize this was a problem? If you gain 90 lbs, chances are you ate yourself into oblivion lol
LOL omg if it made people gain 90 lbs it wouldne be so popular....maybe she was so crazy she was popping smarties and not her pills!!! lol 0 -
I always get upset when people ( not you of course ) say they gained weight from medication. I do understand there IS meds out there that REALLY make you gain weight, but I dont believe birth control or anxiety/antidepressants are in the category. If anything, 5 lbs...but people blaming 10 to 20 lbs weight gain on their meds is rediculous ( also stated by my doctor )
I think you will be Okay. watch what you eat, and just be concious.
This was my initial thought! Then I got scared because they said some people gained weight without changing their diet or exercise regiment. I was reading one review online where some lady said "Celexa made me gain 90 lbs" ....Ok, lets stop for a second. At what point between a few and 90 lbs did you realize this was a problem? If you gain 90 lbs, chances are you ate yourself into oblivion lol
Ya Celexa hasnt made me gain any weight and I totally agree with some people blaming there weight gain on a drug..but I swear Zoloft really was a big reason I gained the weight because I couldnt control my appetite and as soon as I got of it..withouth changing anything drastically about my diet...most the weight I gained came right off. No exercise or anything.0 -
Very good question. There is a doctoral thesis for someone researching this topic!
I never had a problem with my weight until I started taking Paxil back in 2002. I weaned myself off and lost some weight but became less active and wound up gaining more. Of course, my metabolism has changed as I have gotten older.0 -
I take celexa as many others have posted they do as well, and I have lost ALL of my weight while on it. I don't believe antidepressants MAKE you gain weight. They may make it more difficult for you to avoid food... or make you FEEL hungrier... etc. However, if you follow your caloric goals and workout regimen you will still make the same progress with or without them.
My 2 cents. :glasses:0 -
I've been on different anti-depressants for several years. I think I've been through them all. I used to be one of the people that would have been the first to blame an anti-depressant on weight gain. It is sooooo not true!!! I think that (and this is just my experience) that if you've been overeating during most of your depression time, a "feeling" drug is not going to change that habit. You have gained the weight, not the pill. You have to make the habit change.
I am still on an anti-depressant and have had no problems in losing weight once I changed.0 -
I take celexa as many others have posted they do as well, and I have lost ALL of my weight while on it. I don't believe antidepressants MAKE you gain weight. They may make it more difficult for you to avoid food... or make you FEEL hungrier... etc. However, if you follow your caloric goals and workout regimen you will still make the same progress with or without them.
My 2 cents. :glasses:
P.S. An add on to this... I used to be on Zoloft, and I did gain significantly while taking it. It also caused me to feel really weird at times, and eventually I asked my doctor to switch me to Celexa, which is much less demanding on the body. I refuse to blame the Zoloft for the weight gain, though, because the only person inserting the food into my body is ME.0 -
I was on a few different meds and they all caused me to gain wait and now I'm still stuggling to try to lose it. I work out with a trainer 2x a week, and run 1 to 3 times a week. Still not losing.
What are your eating habits, though?0 -
I've been on different anti-depressants for several years. I think I've been through them all. I used to be one of the people that would have been the first to blame an anti-depressant on weight gain. It is sooooo not true!!! I think that (and this is just my experience) that if you've been overeating during most of your depression time, a "feeling" drug is not going to change that habit. You have gained the weight, not the pill. You have to make the habit change.
I am still on an anti-depressant and have had no problems in losing weight once I changed.
Well said Kimber! I totally agree!0 -
i take the generic of celexa - 40 mg and i havent noticed a change. i just take it at night and it makes me sleep better.0
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Depends on the medication. There are a lot of factors why people gain weight on medication. Some of the weight gain is from the medication, but it can also be with how the medication makes you feel. For example some medications make people tired and all they want to do is sleep...that type of activity will make you gain weight because there is no activity. So it is hard to tell. There are medications out there that are for anxiety and depression, AND they cause an increase in appetite which are usually used for someone with a diagnosed eating disorder.
But everyone is different 0 -
I have been on various types of these drugs and I did used to blame them for my weight gain. However, although some of these do increase some peoples appetite (can decrease some), I think that most people who report weight gain are genuinely struggling with their habits in life and are more lax with diet and excersise than they could be, which for me was a major self defeating part of my depression. I am currently taking medication and have since changing my outlook a little (ie doing something about it rather than blaming the pills and not blaming myself) managed to lose 27lbs in 2 months. It is do able, but I think that those with depression will find it hard to make the lifestyle changes until the depression is under control which is where I think alot of the reports of weight gain come in. In your case with anxiety and if you keep focussed with your diet & excersise regime you should be fine and see no real weight changes. I hope I have made sense (mind a bit fried today!)0
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Here is a link of different medications ad the side effects. Wellbutrin has few side effects and I have taken that before. I just don't know how weight gain can be measured b/c you really don't know if the patient's behavior is the same (unless they use MFP.)
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/optimizing-depression-medicines0 -
I was on Celexa and Wellbutrin for depression for about a year. I put on a little weight... about 5 lbs... so nothing insane. All my weight piled on after I stopped the meds and began looking to food for my comfort.0
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I've been on several different SSRI's and have never had any problems. And this was a definite concern of mine as well. However, the ones that I hear about this happening on are Prozac and Zoloft. So maybe, just to be on the safe side, avoid those two.0
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I will add to the other posters who said they gained weight while on Zoloft. My OB-GYN prescribed it for anxiety related to PMS. I think the reason I gained weight is that I just stopped caring about anything... I no longer had anxiety, but I was in a fog. Some stress is good because it motivates you to change negative things in your life. So instead of trying another antidepressant, I have been trying to cope with the PMS on my own. Giving up coffee altogether and working out almost every day have made a huge difference.0
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This is great to hear! I was so nervous and when my doctor called me back today he wasn't very sensitive to my concerns. He was like "just try it, if you gain weight, go off it." Geez thanks, like I didn't know that much! lol0
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