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Real talk about antidepressant weight gain
Has anyone ever been in my boat? I have been on some antidepressant/SSRI or another relatively solidly for the past six years. I have been on Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa and am currently on Effexor/Lithium w/Trazadone for sleep. ALL of these drugs made me gain SIGNIFICANT amounts of weight. Prozac and Serzone were weight neutral, but lost effectiveness or didn't work at all. I started antidepressants, at 27, 5'7" and 125 lbs. I am now 33 and weigh 178.
When I have gone off my meds in the past (I used to have a fantasy that I wouldn't need them forever.)or have been transitioning to a new one, I have lost SIGNIFICANT amounts of weight. When I went off Paxil in 2003, I lost 30 pounds in 3 months (and no-- my eating/exercise didn't change). I absolutely know that if I went off my meds right now, I'd lose a lot of weight in a short time. I also know that a deeply debilitating depression would most likely follow at some time and that I'm probably "A Lifer" as far as depression treatment goes.
Yes. I have had my TSH checked for thyroid problems. My doctor will not prescribe Topamax because of the side effects.
I want to scream when I see websites that say just lower your calorie intake and exercise. Yes I do that, but these medications absolutely do something to my body that no amount of diet and exercise seems to offset. Yes! That works for people not on antidepressants and even some who are, but not for everyone. What about us?!! As slender as I was, I could handle even a thirty pound weight gain, but at an extra 53 pounds, I feel huge, unattractive and though its really hard to exercise carrying all this extra weight around, I do. I feel like I'm never going to date again. I hate it! Clothes never look right on me. Adult onset diabetes also runs in my family, not to mention all the other health problems being overweight can bring. For a long time I thought better to be bigger and emotionally healthy than skinny and sick. But it's just gone so far and I just feel hopeless. I think that if something doesn't change it's going to get harder and harder to exercise at all as I get heavier and heavier.
Is there anyone out there who was in a situation like mine, but then found the right medication, supplement, therapy, mindset or medication that actually allowed them to lose weight. Is there some kind of special SSRI blend or new medication that I haven't tried that will stop me from putting on more and more pounds? Please help! I don't know what to do. I need real help. Something that works.
When I have gone off my meds in the past (I used to have a fantasy that I wouldn't need them forever.)or have been transitioning to a new one, I have lost SIGNIFICANT amounts of weight. When I went off Paxil in 2003, I lost 30 pounds in 3 months (and no-- my eating/exercise didn't change). I absolutely know that if I went off my meds right now, I'd lose a lot of weight in a short time. I also know that a deeply debilitating depression would most likely follow at some time and that I'm probably "A Lifer" as far as depression treatment goes.
Yes. I have had my TSH checked for thyroid problems. My doctor will not prescribe Topamax because of the side effects.
I want to scream when I see websites that say just lower your calorie intake and exercise. Yes I do that, but these medications absolutely do something to my body that no amount of diet and exercise seems to offset. Yes! That works for people not on antidepressants and even some who are, but not for everyone. What about us?!! As slender as I was, I could handle even a thirty pound weight gain, but at an extra 53 pounds, I feel huge, unattractive and though its really hard to exercise carrying all this extra weight around, I do. I feel like I'm never going to date again. I hate it! Clothes never look right on me. Adult onset diabetes also runs in my family, not to mention all the other health problems being overweight can bring. For a long time I thought better to be bigger and emotionally healthy than skinny and sick. But it's just gone so far and I just feel hopeless. I think that if something doesn't change it's going to get harder and harder to exercise at all as I get heavier and heavier.
Is there anyone out there who was in a situation like mine, but then found the right medication, supplement, therapy, mindset or medication that actually allowed them to lose weight. Is there some kind of special SSRI blend or new medication that I haven't tried that will stop me from putting on more and more pounds? Please help! I don't know what to do. I need real help. Something that works.
Depression is a disease of the brain, chronic disease similar to diabetes. Though meditataing may be helpful, I probably would be completely disabled without it, as depression is not just about being in a bad mood. People have genetic predispositions. It runs in families. It can in some people have horrific physical symptoms. It can completely destroy lives. It kills. Scans of the brain show that depressed brains during a time of depression look very different from healthy ones. Part of the brain looks inactive.
I recently read in a book by Peter D. Kramer, professor of psychiatry at Brown University who also wrote talking to Prozac. A woman studied brains of dead who had had a significant spell of depression at some point in their lives. In this study, they found a number of brain abnormalities as compared with never depressed brains. Depressed brains often do not have glia cells or if they do they are deformed or dead. Glia cells protect the nerves in the brain for example.
This should be a supportive place where people who have a serious chronic disease can get help, not a place where our pain should be dismissed or have to deal once again with the stigma of the disease.
I know that the information I have about all this is good and correct. I am a librarian with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. I also know that there is a lot of misinformation out there, so Amit, I would seriously question your source. Not everything on the internet is true
Yes! The meds change our brain chemistry. That's the point. The purpose in our immediate lives is to end our suffering so we can live normal lives, but it is also to stop damage to our brain. They do have VERY unpleasant side effects for many people. No one whose health didn't depend on them would take them! In my case, I gained over 50 pounds. I stayed on it despite that because I feared literally putting my life in danger if I changed meds again.
Again, I want to thank all the supportive people who have posted!
I recently read in a book by Peter D. Kramer, professor of psychiatry at Brown University who also wrote talking to Prozac. A woman studied brains of dead who had had a significant spell of depression at some point in their lives. In this study, they found a number of brain abnormalities as compared with never depressed brains. Depressed brains often do not have glia cells or if they do they are deformed or dead. Glia cells protect the nerves in the brain for example.
This should be a supportive place where people who have a serious chronic disease can get help, not a place where our pain should be dismissed or have to deal once again with the stigma of the disease.
I know that the information I have about all this is good and correct. I am a librarian with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. I also know that there is a lot of misinformation out there, so Amit, I would seriously question your source. Not everything on the internet is true
Yes! The meds change our brain chemistry. That's the point. The purpose in our immediate lives is to end our suffering so we can live normal lives, but it is also to stop damage to our brain. They do have VERY unpleasant side effects for many people. No one whose health didn't depend on them would take them! In my case, I gained over 50 pounds. I stayed on it despite that because I feared literally putting my life in danger if I changed meds again.
Again, I want to thank all the supportive people who have posted!
my doctor has just given me an anti depressant called CITALOPRAM. does any1 know anything about this. im hoping that it will put some weight on me too! has any 1 got any information about this?
HI
first of all thanks for replying to my question.
ya i checked my thyroid, n its normal.
I gained some knowledge from reserching about these things n came to conclusion, which i think u people must know that
these antidepressants are actually drugs
what i mean is ---- those who take these some or the other time in their life become habitual to these ----
its a fact n over to this, private doctors who suggest these actually want to earn more and more $$$ in number of sittings which can be more dangerous than your problem. What my suggestion to this is
1. Meditate n
2. Involve in your surroundings(activities)
its actually depend on the extent of problem to which it has been grown.
I felt that in AMERICA n in develop/rich countries people tend to take these more often which is VERY VERY DANGEROUS.
(according to my study through newspapers n internet)
too big, i wrote thes to you because i think u can understand my feelings as u already did, and i want you to share thse things within your forums...people
-thanks for bearing me so long
aamit
"share things and you can make this world a beautiful place to live in"
Hi All!
I finally saw my doctor. He didn't want to give me wellbutrin because I tried it two years back and it made me jittery. I wanted to try it again because I didn't give it much time.
Former weight gain recipe=effexor/lithium. Since I'm also feeling a bit off and need my med adjusted, he decided to transition me from lithium to ritalin (yes-what ADD kids take--a mild amphetamine)He didn't give it to me for weight loss, but because he thought it was the best adjustment, but of course it doesn't hurt that it might also help me lose weight. Today was my first day taking 5 mgs. 2xs/day. I'm super med. sensitive and had nausea, dizziness and listlessness, hopefully that will subside in time and I will be able to wean off the lithium.
I've also been eating only 1400 calories a day and exercising more. In the past two weeks, I've lost 3 pounds. I know it isn't much, but considering the fact that I've done nothing but gain over and over for the past year.
If you pray and can spare a prayer for me, please do. If not, wish me luck.
I'm not happy that so many of you have this problem, but I am glad that so many of us have been able to communicate and hopefully help each pther out. All the best!
I finally saw my doctor. He didn't want to give me wellbutrin because I tried it two years back and it made me jittery. I wanted to try it again because I didn't give it much time.
Former weight gain recipe=effexor/lithium. Since I'm also feeling a bit off and need my med adjusted, he decided to transition me from lithium to ritalin (yes-what ADD kids take--a mild amphetamine)He didn't give it to me for weight loss, but because he thought it was the best adjustment, but of course it doesn't hurt that it might also help me lose weight. Today was my first day taking 5 mgs. 2xs/day. I'm super med. sensitive and had nausea, dizziness and listlessness, hopefully that will subside in time and I will be able to wean off the lithium.
I've also been eating only 1400 calories a day and exercising more. In the past two weeks, I've lost 3 pounds. I know it isn't much, but considering the fact that I've done nothing but gain over and over for the past year.
If you pray and can spare a prayer for me, please do. If not, wish me luck.
I'm not happy that so many of you have this problem, but I am glad that so many of us have been able to communicate and hopefully help each pther out. All the best!
If you have depression, the med that causes the most weight gain seems to be Paxil.
Wellbutrin is the least likely to cause weight gain. But, keep in mind that not all people gain weight on antidepressants. Many do as is obvious from this post, but not everyone. You could surely find people who have been on a few different antidepressants and not gained weight.
Wellbutrin is the least likely to cause weight gain. But, keep in mind that not all people gain weight on antidepressants. Many do as is obvious from this post, but not everyone. You could surely find people who have been on a few different antidepressants and not gained weight.
Hi!
I'm so sorry to hear about your problem! Have you had your thyroid checked?
I'm so sorry to hear about your problem! Have you had your thyroid checked?
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