Gained weight from SSRI. Anyone else in the same boat?

kelsiehoagland
kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Alright, I was on an SSRI (Celexa) for about a month and a half and it caused a 15lbs weight gain, which is 2lbs shy of everything that I had originally lost.
Have you ever been on an SSRI that caused weight gain? How long did it take for your metabolism to return to normal? Was it harder to lose the weight that you gained from the SSRI than any other time you've lost weight? (that's my situation. The weight will not come off).
Tell me about your experiences and let me know what worked for you :)

*I HAVE QUIT TAKING ALL MEDS and have been completely off meds for 2 weeks( was on Busbar, caused horrible chest pain), and completely off Celexa for a month*
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Replies

  • smspencer
    smspencer Posts: 14
    I'm on meds that they say cause weight gain. I'm very confused though because some people say it's rubbish - that they cause appetite increase but not actual weight gain - if you are careful and don't overeat then they can't cause you to gain weight. Is this wrong?
  • stonerdude
    stonerdude Posts: 103
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    I'm on meds that they say cause weight gain. I'm very confused though because some people say it's rubbish - that they cause appetite increase but not actual weight gain - if you are careful and don't overeat then they can't cause you to gain weight. Is this wrong?

    Depends on the med. Some cause increased hunger. So with those if you can just manage to stay within a certain calorie limit then you will not gain. Others cause a change in your hormones, which can ultimately lead to a change in your metabolism. With these meds you can gain weight even by watching what you eat because your body is no longer functioning the way it was before (hormonally speaking that is). A lot of meds can cause rapid water weight retention the first few months which means that all of the weight gain may not be fat. I would research the specific med you are on and find what exactly IT does to your body. Good luck!
  • BeanQueen3000
    BeanQueen3000 Posts: 161
    I've been on celexa for a while, but haven't noticed any remarkable weight gain with it. At the time i started it, i was so depressed i'd eat anything that passed in front of me anyway.

    I've found this site really helpful:
    crazymeds.us
  • jayne_mel
    jayne_mel Posts: 173 Member
    I've been on Prozac, Celexa, Cipirlex, Paxil and Zoloft and never gained weight on any of them
  • foofoo1960
    foofoo1960 Posts: 1
    I had the exact same experience. I gained 15 lbs in 6 weeks on my first and only try of Celexa. I stopped taking it after that. My doctor said it is not normally the case, but I found several on line posts indicating others had the same experience. Can't say whether the weight was harder to take off.
  • Stompp
    Stompp Posts: 216
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    haha! from the guy named "stonerdude"... Not sure if joking... or serious...
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    I've been on celexa for a while, but haven't noticed any remarkable weight gain with it. At the time i started it, i was so depressed i'd eat anything that passed in front of me anyway.

    I've found this site really helpful:
    crazymeds.us

    celexa does not make you gain weight. But it prevents you from losing. But doctor switched me from celexa to cipralex because of that.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    Some of us have problems that SSRI help us deal with ourselves and the world. Considering you drink coffee, you're coming off as hypocritical.

    The one I took only made me not sleep.
  • MaryPhillips90
    MaryPhillips90 Posts: 236 Member
    I gained over 25lbs on Celexa. Don't let ANYONE tell you that it is not possible, including your doctor (mine did).
    If you are exercising and have a healthy diet, or NO change in your diet after starting the medication, then it is from the medication.
    I went off of mine last year and never lost the weight on it's own (duh), but a year later (3 months trying), I've lost 20lbs with diet and exercise.
  • o_delaisse
    o_delaisse Posts: 193 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    haha! from the guy named "stonerdude"... Not sure if joking... or serious...

    Lol!
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    Hey, yeah.. read about depression and other such disorders. They inhibit your body's ability to reabsorb serotonin (or something to that effect). SSRIs help the body to do so. Some people do benefit from these drugs. I, unfortunately, do not. I have already quit taking medications and only tried for about 6 months (Prozac, Celexa, and then Busbar).
  • JuneyJo
    JuneyJo Posts: 182 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    stonerdude says Don't Do Drugs! :laugh:

    Seriously, though, I've been on Wellbutrin off and on for years. I never thought about what kind of effect it could have on my ability to lose weight. I assumed that it was just my inability to stick to a plan. :ohwell:
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
    I have lost 15 pounds since I started taking Prozac.

    Yes, I am dieting. But the SSRI has not hindered or prohibited my weight loss, nor has it caused a gain.
  • o_delaisse
    o_delaisse Posts: 193 Member
    I gained a frightening amount of weight on SSRIs and antipsychotics, however I wasn't trying to lose weight or, indeed, maintain it. I imagine it would be hard, but I wouldn't say it was impossible. All I will say was once I was off them I lost all my weight.

    If SSRIs don't work out for you, you could perhaps ask to take tricyclics? Good luck, anyway :)
  • Elf_Princess1210
    Elf_Princess1210 Posts: 895 Member
    Medications affect each person differently. Since Celexa is causing your gain, see if your doctor can switch you to something else. I'm on a SSRI, and a tricyclic antidepressant and I haven't had many problems at all. I hope you can find some answers.
  • Pheonix2012
    Pheonix2012 Posts: 61 Member
    I've been on Celexa nad Ativan, and they made me lose weight becuase I just wasnt hungry, but they gave me energy to workout.
    Everyone is different though, they did warn me that it could cause weight gain. Be Careful though. I would try other more natural remedies, if you haven't already. I had to ween myself off of those meds, and it was like coming off heroin ( I imagin). It was 6 weeks of pure hell.
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    I gained over 25lbs on Celexa. Don't let ANYONE tell you that it is not possible, including your doctor (mine did).
    If you are exercising and have a healthy diet, or NO change in your diet after starting the medication, then it is from the medication.
    I went off of mine last year and never lost the weight on it's own (duh), but a year later (3 months trying), I've lost 20lbs with diet and exercise.

    Only three months? Good for you! I'll start trying harder. I eat so healthily like 90% of the time and I work out often. I'm doing a 30 day workout challenge where I make sure that I workout every day (30 mins of cardio most days, strength training 3-4 days, yoga on days when I just can't take the workouts anymore), so hopefully that will help.

    I actually was told directly from my doctor that Celexa is known for causing weight gain. I talked to my shrink about it (the one that put me on it) and he told me that he hoped that I would be lucky and not gain. I was absolutely infuriated. He was treating me for body dysmorphic disorder. I thought I was fat at 105. Who thinks it's a good idea to put someone like that on meds that may cause weight gain and just hope for the best? UGH. /rant haha. Sorry. I'm so mad about it!
  • chandra38
    chandra38 Posts: 110 Member
    My husband took Celexa for about a year and had terrible side effects, including weight gain. He has since changed to Lexapro (after several other meds), and has been on that for 3 years with no ill effects. You might have to see what works best for you. My husband suffered from severe OCD and anxiety and panic disorder. He has been cured of the OCD, and no longer needs medication for that, but takes the Lexapro for the anxiety and panic. Anyway, since being on Lexapro, he's found it easier to maintain his weight, although he has a constant need to snack.

    My personal experience after going through severe depression last summer was that once I started working out and eliminating some things from my diet, I was able to start feeling better mentally, and able to quit using Serafim for the treatment of depression. But, to me, depression is different from anxiety and panic disorder. I would talk to your doctor about other SSRI's that might work for you.
  • katysmelly
    katysmelly Posts: 380 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    Are you a doctor?

    'Cause if you're not a doctor - the kind that went to medical school for a bunch of years - then you don't have any business telling people what drugs they should or should not take.
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    But, to me, depression is different from anxiety and panic disorder.

    It definitely is. I have anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and I know that neither is anything like depression. I feel sad about how I look and will cry about it, but that's simply BDD, not depression. I can't imagine what depression is like.

    I don't think it was right for that doctor to put me on an SSRI, considering I don't need to be treated for depression at all...
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Please notify your doctors and pharmacists if you have not already done so that you have chosen to stop taking the medications.
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    Stop taking drugs! Your body uses amino acids to produce serotonin! Drugs cause devastating side effects.

    Are you a doctor?

    'Cause if you're not a doctor - the kind that went to medical school for a bunch of years - then you don't have any business telling people what drugs they should or should not take.

    Haha that's kinda what I thought.
    While I agree that drugs may have detrimental effects, it's never okay to advise someone to stop taking meds unless you are a doctor.
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    Please notify your doctors and pharmacists if you have not already done so that you have chosen to stop taking the medications.

    I actually saw my doctor yesterday. She's the one that helped me to wean off Celexa. I had a hard time getting a hold of her to quit taking Busbar, but I told her yesterday at my appointment and she said it was fine to stop because I was only on it for a couple of weeks.
  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
    Yeah... I did gain weight before after starting taking meds for depression. Which made me more depressed. I pretty much figured out that, I do much better without any of the SSRI at all. Then it took even longer to lose the 15 -20 lbs. Which seemed even harder to take off... Buts it IS possible. When I took those, I kinda felt like I was always walking at a "Slant" and balance was off, only one kind made my mood better. They tried 3 different types for me. Although I found out that, I do much better without any of them. Part of my horrible mood had to do with really, really, really, bad eating habits, and the fact that I hardly had any nutrients in my body because of a ED. I know that everyone wants to lose weight, so they will look better & acheive the # on the scale, fit in a certain size, wear a "Bikini". But along with feeding our bodies what it needs, we are also giving ourselves a chance to feel better mentally. It really helps mood to eat nutritionally. And utilize the nutrients. : ) So it can be a win, win situation. Its like a GOOD domino effect. I wish you luck. : )
  • lauleipop
    lauleipop Posts: 260 Member
    Have you ever been on an SSRI that caused weight gain?

    I've taken several medications for mental health reasons which caused weight gain. It's a common side effect. I have never taken Celex. However, YMMV on medications. I took a medication that is "weight neutral," (average weight gain is 6 lbs). But I lost weight taking it. I took another medication that is "weight neutral" and gained 15 lbs.
    How long did it take for your metabolism to return to normal?

    If the medication is the cause of the weight gain, you can anticipate your metabolism has a "new normal." Don't expect the weight to decrease the same way it increased.
    Was it harder to lose the weight that you gained from the SSRI than any other time you've lost weight? (that's my situation. The weight will not come off).

    For me, it was impossible. I gained 30 lbs in 4 months on a particular medication. My caloric intake reflected that I should not have gained that weight. Working with a battery of Dr's over 6 weeks to try to lose weight while taking that medication and I lost not a single pound. Changed medications and lost 20 lbs in 5 weeks, without "dieting" or increased exercise.

    Feel free to tell anyone who says medication can't cause weight gain to STFU. Clinical study after clinical study tests the side effects of medications, I'm certain they can accurately determine whether weight gain results from medication.
  • Pirschjaeger
    Pirschjaeger Posts: 15 Member
    I have taken several SSRI's and did not gain any weight from them. But I gained 24 pounds from Abilify, along with another drug that I took before. I heard that Wellbutrin (a different type of antidepressant, a NDRI) can actually cause weight loss. However, I don't know that it helps for anxiety issues.

    EDIT: opps hit something before I got to type everything out
  • katysmelly
    katysmelly Posts: 380 Member
    I took Celexa in the past with great success. I don't remember any weight gain. It was useful for me in the winter because I live in the far North and our winters are dark and rainy.

    Then, last winter, it didn't work for me. And, now I can't take it because there's concern that it may trigger mania. (That's just ME. Not everyone has the same experience.)

    Anyway, my point: I can't take SSRI's. I am now working on managing my moods with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Many studies have found that CBT is more effective for managing mood disorders than medications for the majority of people. So, if you can't take meds, don't despair: you may find CBT is actually even better.

    Also, CBT can be self-taught. You can literally learn it from web sites and books. It's just a method of training yourself to have different thoughts, so that you will then have different feelings. It seems a bit incredible, at first, but most people who try it will find that it works very quickly and isn't that hard if you put your mind to giving it a try.
  • tmos512
    tmos512 Posts: 119 Member
    I've been on Celexa 10 months now. I did gain about 20 lbs, but I'd rather be overweight than be the way I was before I started taking the medicine. I've managed to stop the gain and am gradually going down now that it's a problem. I talked to my Dr., she said that some people just react this way to SSRI's and suggested WW (which I did and lost weight) but then decided to switch back to MFP - so here I am. :bigsmile:
  • kelsiehoagland
    kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
    I took Celexa in the past with great success. I don't remember any weight gain. It was useful for me in the winter because I live in the far North and our winters are dark and rainy.

    Then, last winter, it didn't work for me. And, now I can't take it because there's concern that it may trigger mania. (That's just ME. Not everyone has the same experience.)

    Anyway, my point: I can't take SSRI's. I am now working on managing my moods with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Many studies have found that CBT is more effective for managing mood disorders than medications for the majority of people. So, if you can't take meds, don't despair: you may find CBT is actually even better.

    Also, CBT can be self-taught. You can literally learn it from web sites and books. It's just a method of training yourself to have different thoughts, so that you will then have different feelings. It seems a bit incredible, at first, but most people who try it will find that it works very quickly and isn't that hard if you put your mind to giving it a try.

    My therapist has been working with me with CBT. It has helped a lot. The pills were just an idea, which obviously didn't work out for me!

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