Weight gain on antidepressant

[aprgrl]

I started taking 37.5mg of effexor tablet (not the XR) 2x a day.  Since then I have slowly gained about 15 lbs. I work out regularly, eat a mostly healthy diet, get plenty of sleep.  I have tried being more strick with both diet and exercise with no success in loosing any weight.  It seems like I'm holding at a steady weight for the last month/month and a half.  But I really want to get the extra weight off.  I am very busy so going to the gym for several hours everyday is just not an option. Is there anything else I can try to get this weight off and prevent the gain of more?  Note: I have been on different antidepressants and this one works best.  It's not an option to switch to a different one.

[aprgrl]

It's definitely run of the mill depression.  For me weight loss is one of my depression symptoms. The medication is doing it's job in that department.  I'm pretty sure it's the medication causing the weight gain.  It is a common side effect of anti depressants.  I have been on other ones that do the same thing and know plenty of people who experience this too.

[dqfloat]

Maybe you could call your doctor and ask if this is normal.  Another suggestion would be to get your thyroid checked.  I was very depressed,  lethargic and I gained a lot of weight and couldn't figure out why.  The doc kept trying different  anti-depressant meds, but I was still depressed and lethargic.  Finally, I asked to get my thyroid checked and low and behold, I have hypothyroidism.

The weight gain stopped and I actually lost weight once the thyroid was stabilized with new med.

Good Luck!
DQ