Antidepressants and weight loss

Theresa0808
Theresa0808 Posts: 2
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
So I recently suffered a pretty bad burnout and was prescribed Celexa to help deal with anxiety and depression.
Around the same time, I started training with a personal trainer to loose the extra 20lbs that I had put on while going through everything.
I have been super careful...going to the gym 5 days a week and eating well but I haven't lost any weight. In fact, I have put on 4 pounds since I started.
I was wondering if anyone is experiencing the same thing...should I see my doc or am I just gaining muscle?
Any advice?

Replies

  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Antidepressants have been known to increase appetite and lead to weight gain; however, it is not impossible to lose weight while on them. I take them and shed weight without a problem. That being said, it is a good idea to consult your doctor about your weight loss goals anyway.
  • gdb86
    gdb86 Posts: 126 Member
    Any medication can effect weight loss unfortunately, especially antidepressants. However, it doesn't mean you can't and it doesn't mean you should give up on being healthy in the process of helping your mind! There are some you can research that are known to have less of an effect on weight gain, but they may not be the right medications for you and/or totally react differently in your body. I would absolutely consult with your physician/psychiatrist/nutritionist to really tackle what's going on in your specific body type.

    No matter what, don't give up and continue with your healthy lifestyle - with some tests and the right info I'm sure you'll get it straightened out in no time and you'll also know you had the willpower to stay on track during a difficult time. Kudos to you and keep up the good work! :)
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    google your drug or ask your pharmacist if it's a common side effect. I refuse to take anything that lists that as a possible side effect, but even if it is known for it, it will just mean you might have to work harder. I wouldn't use it as an "oh it's hopeless" excuse....
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    Antidepressants have been known to increase appetite and lead to weight gain; however, it is not impossible to lose weight while on them. I take them and shed weight without a problem. That being said, it is a good idea to consult your doctor about your weight loss goals anyway.

    I agree with this. I don't take antidepressants anymore, but when I was on Lexapro I gained a LOT of weight, but I also ate garbage and didn't exercise at all. Get to your doc when you can.
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
    I've been on two different anti-depressants and had the same problem with gaining weight no matter what I did. I won't go back on them, I just do my best with healthy eating and exercise to keep me balanced.
  • aaleigha1
    aaleigha1 Posts: 408 Member
    I found it next to impossible to lose weight when I first went on antidepressants - I put on a total of 30lb but my weight was going up before that due to the depression and I gave up smoking that put on about 25lb

    you can get antidepressants that do not list weight gain as a possible side effect - I think prozac could be one of them but I am not sure
    I also think cymbalta is another one I did try that one and did start to lose weight BUT it didnt control my depression

    I am now on sertaline (its about the third one) the ad that really helped me the most I had to stop taking as its not good with another of my meds I needed

    each ad does work differently for different people
    do some research and then ask your doc - but you may find a few pound go on then no more and you can start losing
    sertraline I can lose weight on but about 0.5 a week :)
  • trenley
    trenley Posts: 35 Member
    I've been around the block with antidepressants and Lexapro made me gain weight, while Prozac and Effexor XR have not. In fact, I'm losing weight on Effexor because I went from shoving comfort food in my gob during my depressed state to now being able to control mental cravings. For me, I think the weight gain attributed to antidepressants is largely because of the lifestyle shift they cause. Now that you're working out and on antidepressants, you're most likely gaining muscle since you probably (well, at least I did) did a lot of sitting during your depression. If you find that you keep on gaining weight that doesn't look like muscle, have your doctor check out your thyroid. Hypothyroidism can cause depression and weight gain. A simple iodine/iodide supplement can really help get both those symptoms in check if that's the case. Woo, sorry that was long winded!
  • gazz777
    gazz777 Posts: 722
    A lot of things can affect appetite .. MFP is great as it will set calorie boundaries for us
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    I always gain when on them. Hate them. They made me not suicidal but they took all the joy out of life.

    I stopped taking themand was lucky enough that I've been able to control it with diet, exercise and water. Not everyone's that lucky.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    There are different classes of antidepressants, plus sometime other classes of drugs are used for that purpose. (e.g., seroquel). If one class makes you gain weight, another may not. But people are right -- look at your waist circumference, not just the number on your scale. Muscle weighs more than fat.
  • casseh
    casseh Posts: 58
    All my anti depressants made me gain weight but tried seroquel and actually started to lose weight, unfortunately I always felt high though.
  • ahinescapron
    ahinescapron Posts: 351 Member
    Antidepressants have varying effects depending on the person. I was on Lexapro for almost five years. It made it almost impossible for me to lose weight, regardless of my eating and exercise habits. I switched my antidepressant to Viibryd about three months ago and have barely increased my exercise and continued healthy eating and lost ten pounds. My doctor confirmed that antidepressants often make people hold onto or gain weight. I would talk to my doctor about trying a different medication if it continues to be a problem. It can be a trial and error process to find the one that works best with your body.
  • robotaffliction
    robotaffliction Posts: 20
    I feel your pain with med problems. I've never known Celexa to be associated with weight gain (it has fewer side effects than a lot of SSRIs), but people are individual. I gained 45 lbs on Zoloft, which causes many people to LOSE weight.
  • efranz12
    efranz12 Posts: 46 Member
    I had a lot of problems with weight gain on the anti-depressants paxil and lexapro. Gained about 30 pounds while taking paxil and dropped 20 within 3 months after switching to citalopram.

    I've been antidepressant free for 18 months and am the lightest I've been since I started taking them in 2005. I've found it much easier to lose the weight off of all antidepressants than it ever was on them but it was possible, I just found every pound seemed to take twice as much work.

    Good luck!
  • TLCEsq
    TLCEsq Posts: 413 Member
    I used to take Wellbutrin for ADHD and had no weight issues. It isn't an SSRI, those are the kind that have been linked to the weight problems for the most part. I was on Celexa for three weeks when I was younger for anxiety and gained ten pounds.
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