Anxiety med side effects affecting weight loss?

I'm on Fluoxetine 20 mg (Prozac) for panic attacks and having no problems with weight loss. I couldn't stand the Clonazepam (I took one and gave the bottle away). I think Nyquil works better! Best wishes to you!

I'm glad to hear that you are on the right track to getting yourself mentally stable and healthy! I am a mental heath professional and work with severely emotionally disturbed youth. You've already done all of the hardest work by getting to the doctor and getting help, so great job!!! I too suffer from some anxiety, but also depression, and I am on Zoloft 50mg once a day. It helps me to keep the edge off of things and helps me with my very stressful job as a treatment counselor (I work on the front line with really sick kids, and boy is it interesting!) However, some of the side effects of anti-anxiety and anti-depressants tend to be weight gain or weight loss. I'd check to see the exact side effects with the labeling or with your doctor. Since these medications tend to be a "guessing game" on whether or not they will work with you, as there's no blood test for anxiety, your meds will either be increase or decrease with time, with again will affect your weight loss training. Everyone's chemistry is completing different and these medications may not even work with you for the long run, as they might have undesired side effects, but that's also something to discuss with your doctor. Because not everyone is the same, it's hard to tell whether or not you'll have weight gain/loss. I have been on the same dosage of my med for about a year and a half now, and I've gained 30 pounds from it. It's been harder for me to lose weight, but that just makes me all the more dedicated to what I REALLY want. Best of luck in all of your treatment - both mental and physical. If you need support, don't be afraid to message me!

Tara Leola*~

I take Clonazepam (2 mg daily) and it never effects my appetite. I always tell the doc if it's gonna make me gain I don't want it. I don't think any of the meds you are on will effect your weight loss journey. Good luck in your journey for mental well being

No advice on anxiety meds or your specific treatment. just offering my sympathy as you work through this. I suffered painful anxiety, depression and PTSD and was in weekly therapy for two years following an unplanned surgery and recovery. I still have mild anxiety attacks from time to time, but have luckily learned some mind-body techniques that have helped me tremendously. I hope that you and your doctor find the right treatment path for you and that you have great success on both your entire wellness journey.

So lovin my psychiatrist and my therapist. After 1st visit, first thing psychiatrist did. Removed me from 1 med completely!! She said did not feel I needed to be on it at all and since had only been on it 1 week said I could just stop. Yahoo!! I was freaking out about being on all these meds. Reduced Clonazepam to 1x a day.

She said I was on the right track, I was taking vitamin b complete, vitamin c, calm magnesium, omega 3-fish oil. She added a multi-vitamain. And increased my dosage of magnesium and omega fish oil.

3 Days so far and no melt downs!! Next therapist visit next Thursday.

Right now I'm when people ask I say I'm "so-so but on the upside".

I can't wait to get back to normal!!

Good news!

The only one of the three meds that should have had any possible influence on weight was the citalopram as it's an SSRI. Anything that manipulates serotonin has the potential to affect your weight (up or down, although people generally only complain about up!).

For folks just starting an SSRI, please understand what happens in your body while adjusting to the meds, which means early side effects may settle down or disappear after a few months:

They work by stopping your body from reabsorbing serotonin, meaning more is available to your body. So right away, you have more serotonin available to your body. But then, your body tries to bring itself back to its prior serotonin level. So it backs off serotonin production. Then it realizes there isn't enough serotonin! It's sort of like a pendulum--youre body keeps adjusting it's serotonin level until it hits a steady state. So over the first few weeks, your serotonin can be all over the place. After a few weeks (anywhere between 2 and 12, depending on which SSRI you're taking and your own body), you settle into a steady state of serotonin level, which will be higher than you had before starting the drugs and thus hopefully relieving the depression and anxiety.

So try not to get too discouraged if you're still in the start-up phase, as that is usually the absolute worst for the side-effects. Many of them lessen or disappear once your body adjusts to the SSRI.

So lovin my psychiatrist and my therapist. After 1st visit, first thing psychiatrist did. Removed me from 1 med completely!! She said did not feel I needed to be on it at all and since had only been on it 1 week said I could just stop. Yahoo!! I was freaking out about being on all these meds. Reduced Clonazepam to 1x a day.

She said I was on the right track, I was taking vitamin b complete, vitamin c, calm magnesium, omega 3-fish oil. She added a multi-vitamain. And increased my dosage of magnesium and omega fish oil.

3 Days so far and no melt downs!! Next therapist visit next Thursday.

Right now I'm when people ask I say I'm "so-so but on the upside".

I can't wait to get back to normal!!

Thanks for the update. I’m glad you’re on the path toward wellness and have found a supportive doctor.

I was on Zoloft for about 9 months and gained 25 pounds. Now that I have been off of the meds for a few months, I am starting to very slowly drop the weight, but I am working hard at it. I am finding this weight much harder to lose than my baby weight was. I don't know if it is because I am 5 years older and my metabolism has slowed down or what. Anyway, good luck with everything.

I take celexa it actually has caused me to lose weight. I think it depends on the person. I'm an emotional eater and starver. When I'm happy, I eat. When I'm upset, I can't eat. Celexa has given me a balance that I didn't have before.

I'm taking Mirtazapine, think it's known as Remeron in the US, for deprfession/anxiety/sleep. One of the side effects is an increase in appetite. I'm absolutely ravenous all the time since I had to increase my dose, but I've also noticed my weight loss has really slowed down a lot.

Jenny- just looking through posts to see if anyone else is taking Mirtazapine and struggling to lose weight..... How is your weight loss journey going? I started taking Mirtazapine last July for extreme anxiety and insomnia and I have gained almost 28 pounds in that year. I have watched my caloric intake and have been exercising but the scale does not want to budge.... Looking for inspiration!! You ticker shows 17 lbs lost so you must be able to lose on the Mirtazapine?? I hope I can have the same results..... :-) Best wishes to you and good luck with your weight loss!

i take xanax (alprazolam) .25 as needed at bedtime. Usually, I don't have to take it but once or twice a week. I find that the day after I take it I am more sluggish, irritable, and hungry. So, I only take it when I absolutely need it.

Just something to consider, as I don't know all of the medications you are on- but, sometimes even regular medications and antibiotics can cause anxiety. For instance, I was on zonisamide for a looong time. The anxiety it caused was unbearable. It took me lots of research to figure out that it was emphasizing my anxiety. Consider looking at the side effects of all of your other meds and see if anxiety, fear, depression are included.

Also, keep in mind that benzos can actually cause anxiety to worsen over time (sort of like a reverse affect).