Anxiety meds and weight gain
raven56706
Posts: 918 Member
so im on the generic version of celexa called Citalophram. It has helped me and kept me at ease. I wasnt severe or anything but my doctor gave it a shot to see if it controls my breathing habits(stop thinking about my breathing)
But since then i have gained weight and thats with following the mfp goals. Recently i injured my ankle and havent been able to workout or anything. Not blaming the ankle for the weight gain but i have been thinking of possibly getting off the meds. Reasoning being that im slowly getting depressed with the weight gain. No matter what i did, nothing would slow down the weight. I gained 20lbs and its showing in my pants.
just wondering if anyone was able to lose weight with these type of meds or this one in particular
But since then i have gained weight and thats with following the mfp goals. Recently i injured my ankle and havent been able to workout or anything. Not blaming the ankle for the weight gain but i have been thinking of possibly getting off the meds. Reasoning being that im slowly getting depressed with the weight gain. No matter what i did, nothing would slow down the weight. I gained 20lbs and its showing in my pants.
just wondering if anyone was able to lose weight with these type of meds or this one in particular
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Replies
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That one put 30 pounds on my butt in 3 months. It put 50 pounds on my husband. Talk to your doctor and see if s/he thinks that Escitalopram (a left handed molecule of what you're taking now) would be an appropriate substitution. It doesn't usually make people fat like Citalopram does, but it works just as well.0
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That one put 30 pounds on my butt in 3 months. It put 50 pounds on my husband. Talk to your doctor and see if s/he thinks that Escitalopram (a left handed molecule of what you're taking now) would be an appropriate substitution. It doesn't usually make people fat like Citalopram does, but it works just as well.That one put 30 pounds on my butt in 3 months. It put 50 pounds on my husband. Talk to your doctor and see if s/he thinks that Escitalopram (a left handed molecule of what you're taking now) would be an appropriate substitution. It doesn't usually make people fat like Citalopram does, but it works just as well.
did you end up losing the weight?0 -
i take Escitalopram and my weight issues have/had no direct correlation... it is likely that yours don't either. You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Are you weighing and logging ALL of your food? Many anti-axiety/anti-depression meds cause people to start over-eating due to side effects.3
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i take Escitalopram and my weight issues have/had no direct correlation... it is likely that yours don't either. You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Are you weighing and logging ALL of your food? Many anti-axiety/anti-depression meds cause people to start over-eating due to side effects.
i take citalopram. And at the time of the weight gain i was but i havent since.0 -
raven56706 wrote: »i take Escitalopram and my weight issues have/had no direct correlation... it is likely that yours don't either. You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Are you weighing and logging ALL of your food? Many anti-axiety/anti-depression meds cause people to start over-eating due to side effects.
i take citalopram. And at the time of the weight gain i was but i havent since.
Talk to your doctor then, but it looks like 1-10% of people experience weight gain/loss due to the meds.
https://drugs.com/sfx/citalopram-side-effects.html2 -
If you hurt your ankle and are moving less, not only are you not getting the calorie burn from your workouts, your NEAT has probably decreased. I may need to adjust calories.4
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not sure when you stopped logging (or why), but your diary is pretty much empty since the end of April.4
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yep. im about to decrease them until i go back to the gym. im in a walking boot currently.
I gained weight ever since i took the pill. Crazy thing though, i got a physical and checked everything. All looks fine. How the f am i gaining weight? im not overeating because i checked everything to the T and still i gained weight.0 -
Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.8 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.
see i get that but i did follow and still didnt lose weight. Thats why im dumbfounded.
Has anyone lost weight while on citalopram?0 -
I didn't gain any weight on citalopram, however it did cause me to become very exhausted. I would just have an open convo with your doctor about trying something different.... It's not a great idea imo to tell someone "try this instead" because what works for someone else might not work for you, so ignore that & instead tell your doctor the issues you're having & they will try to find the best option for you.2
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Taking the medication itself doesn't cause weight gain. It does cause increased appetite, though. It happened to me, so keeping the appetite control was a way to keep the peace.4
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healthykaitlin wrote: »I didn't gain any weight on citalopram, however it did cause me to become very exhausted. I would just have an open convo with your doctor about trying something different.... It's not a great idea imo to tell someone "try this instead" because what works for someone else might not work for you, so ignore that & instead tell your doctor the issues you're having & they will try to find the best option for you.
yep.. thats unfortunately what i will have to do0 -
Since you are not exercising, you need.to make sure MFP is set to sedentary.
These meds don't cause calories to increase in value -- they can increase your appetite, which causes you to eat more. Eating more than maintenance will cause you to gain weight.
You haven't been logging for the past two months, so you have no data about what you've been eating or how much you've been eating. You have not been following the MFP plan. And since you've gained weight, you have been overeating.
These meds are a godsend for those with depression and anxiety. But, like everything, there are side effects. But you are in control. It's time to admit that and take the reins.
You need to reset your MFP settings to sedentary. Start actually logging. And log everything you eat. Weigh all your food and double check the accuracy of the listings you are using. After doing that for 4-6 weeks, you can reevaluate. Come back to this thread and let us know how you are doing.5 -
thanks for all the info.
i just find it odd that when i was hardcore logging everything, there was no moving. nothing. i gained regardless0 -
raven56706 wrote: »thanks for all the info.
i just find it odd that when i was hardcore logging everything, there was no moving. nothing. i gained regardless
Have you been weighing all your solid and semi solid food on a food scale in grams? That includes anything prepackaged into single servings, individual ingredients in recipes and sandwiches, cooking oils, and measuring all liquids ingested?2 -
the pills won't fix your anxiety issues, only mask them. Find a healthy way to overcome anxiety and stop letting big pharma poison your body-3
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the pills won't fix your anxiety issues, only mask them. Find a healthy way to overcome anxiety and stop letting big pharma poison your body
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raven56706 wrote: »thanks for all the info.
i just find it odd that when i was hardcore logging everything, there was no moving. nothing. i gained regardless
How long were you actually logging and when?0 -
raven56706 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.
see i get that but i did follow and still didnt lose weight. Thats why im dumbfounded.
Has anyone lost weight while on citalopram?
Yes my 58 yo wife lost 50 pounds while on it. She ate 1200 cals daily, walked 6 miles per week. Careful weighing and logging food is what worked. Good luck, you can do it!0 -
Or it could equally well be written by someone who had.. but overcame those issues in a natural way without relying on big pharma.. ?0 -
My husband takes Citalopram because he has a stutter. He gained weight while he was on it , but as soon as he started counting his calories and exercising the weight came right off.1
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VintageFeline wrote: »Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.
These medications affect the chemicals your body is producing and using. That can also mess with hormones etc which affect weight gain and loss. When I was on one of the meds for depression I gained weight and yet I was meticulous with what I ate. I have some ocd issues about my food, and so I was aware of everything I put into my mouth. I also worked out 4 days a week for hours at a time trying to lose said weight, and gained.
I just think it's dangerous to make blanket statements to people about how the medicine affects their bodies. OP said he was being careful. I don't think it's helpful to call him a liar over and over.
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VintageFeline wrote: »Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.
These medications affect the chemicals your body is producing and using. That can also mess with hormones etc which affect weight gain and loss. When I was on one of the meds for depression I gained weight and yet I was meticulous with what I ate. I have some ocd issues about my food, and so I was aware of everything I put into my mouth. I also worked out 4 days a week for hours at a time trying to lose said weight, and gained.
I just think it's dangerous to make blanket statements to people about how the medicine affects their bodies. OP said he was being careful. I don't think it's helpful to call him a liar over and over.
I've been on some of the strongest psychoactive medication available. I gained weight on them because they made me ravenous and I gave no ***** about what I put in my mouth.
But feel free to provide links to evidence that these disrupt hormone process and make you store fat when eating at a deficit or at maintenance. Or that it significantly changes ones BMR enough to again cause the same intake to produce a significant fat gain in weight.1 -
VintageFeline wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Neither of those medications magically make your body use calories differently or change your metabolism. What they can do is increase your appetite, a known side effect of many psych meds. It just boils down to you eating too much, knowingly or unknowingly. I've been on some of the most notorious psych meds for weight gain and yes I gained weight but it was because I was eating too much.
I know the side effects will list weight gain but it;s a simplified way of saying that it increases appetite which can lead to weight gain. If you are meticulous about your intake it will have absolutely no impact on weight loss or gain. Controlling your appetite is the thing to worry about.
These medications affect the chemicals your body is producing and using. That can also mess with hormones etc which affect weight gain and loss. When I was on one of the meds for depression I gained weight and yet I was meticulous with what I ate. I have some ocd issues about my food, and so I was aware of everything I put into my mouth. I also worked out 4 days a week for hours at a time trying to lose said weight, and gained.
I just think it's dangerous to make blanket statements to people about how the medicine affects their bodies. OP said he was being careful. I don't think it's helpful to call him a liar over and over.
I've been on some of the strongest psychoactive medication available. I gained weight on them because they made me ravenous and I gave no ***** about what I put in my mouth.
But feel free to provide links to evidence that these disrupt hormone process and make you store fat when eating at a deficit or at maintenance. Or that it significantly changes ones BMR enough to again cause the same intake to produce a significant fat gain in weight.
+1
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the pills won't fix your anxiety issues, only mask them. Find a healthy way to overcome anxiety and stop letting big pharma poison your body
That big scary pharma, how dare they make medications available for some to be able to function and have a decent quality of life that they wouldn't have without it?!
Personally, I'd like to thank big pharma for the Adderall and Lexapro that make it possible for me to function and to successfully life, wife, adult, and mom. Just saying....
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the pills won't fix your anxiety issues, only mask them. Find a healthy way to overcome anxiety and stop letting big pharma poison your body
First of all. No.
And secondly, to the OP. I am taking the same medication. It has helped me tremendously but while I was focusing on healing my mind, I did not pay a lot of attention to my body (it was second priority to my mental health). So yes, I did gain weight, but only because I was not focusing on my diet and eating over my maintenance.
After taking control of my mental health, I finally felt like I could focus on other areas of my life. And slowly but surely, this weight is coming off. At most, I only gained about 3-5 pounds though. The rest of the weight was put on due to the previous depression and overall "eff-it" attitude I had. So I definitely feel like the weight had absolutely nothing to do with the new medication.
I hope you find a solution. Diligent logging and exercise to help your fitness will work well, but you must be consistent and accurate. I am working on those things myself.3
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