weight gain and antidepressants

[suzanna1]

does anyone know of any depression medications that dont seem to make you gain weight?

[suzanna1]

also.. what antidepressant is said to have the least side affects???

[cupcake12]

Prozac had no side effects for me and no weight gain what so ever.

Effexor is not a good one to get on,  there is no weight gain but is hell to get off of.

Paxil will make you gain weight big time.

[Hensley258]

actually, most SSRI medications do not in themselves cause weight gain. There have been a lot of double blind controled studies involving weight loss or gain associated with SSRI medications and most of them have been proven not to effect the bodies metabolism.

Older tri-cyclic antidepressants and Tetracyclic antidepressant cause weight gain. It is proven and a well known side effect. Many mood stabilizers can also cause weight gain.

One theroy involving weight gain and SSRI meds is that often times when people are severly depressed and suffering from anxiety, they do not eat near as much. When we start feeling better by taking AD medication our appitites often return, thus producing weight gain as a result of taking the SSRI medication.

I take a Tri-cyclic medication and I tend to gain weight because this med causes massive sweet cravings. Therefore I induldge too much. Thus I gain weight.

The medication itself doesn't cause the weight gain. It's the food cravings they give you that can cause weight gain. For example, before taking Nortriptilyne (antidepressant) I was not a big fan of ice cream. Now because of the medication I eat Blue Bell mint chocolate chip ice cream like it's frozen crack cocaine. I crave it like mad. Thus explaining my ever expanding waist line.

If you are burning more calories then you are taking in, then your body has no choice but to drop weight. Easier said than done.