losing weight after effexor

[vrinaldi]

I gained 20 lbs in the last 3 years that I was taking Effexor. I have tried everything. I'm eating less & working out more. I started taking Paxil but that didn't work at all as I have anxiety issues. Anyhow Effexor did wonders for my attitude however after 3 years I am now convinced that it was the cause for all the excess weight. Anyhow I was wondering if the weight comes off after I get off the meds? or am I stuck with excess weight forever in which case I will be contacting my doctor because they lied to me.

[Peanut6365]

Finding this site has been the biggest blessing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been on Effexor XR for 4 yrs. Before I started this drug I wieghed 95lbs. at 5'2". I never had to exercise or watch what I ate! As time went on the wieght grad. went up! I've always been praised on how small I was and how pretty. This has been really hard! Almost a yr. ago I went off the pill thinking this might be why I've gained so much wieght, but after 8 months nothing happend so I went back on it! This past Jan. I had a yearly physical and I weighed the same wieght as I was pregnant with my second child at 9 months! Effexor has always been a great drug mentally for me! I always felt great and my mood was possitive! After talking to my Dr. we decided to ween me off of my 75mg. I've been almost a week off totally and I cry over everything, have the worst road rage and fear for myself and anyone else that pisses me off! I'm worried about getting fired at my job bc I am fiesty! Everything makes me so mad! I hate me lately and really as a social person don't want anything to do w/ any of my friends! My mind is a blur. As my husband put it, I like bloated! I work out like crazy and watch what I eat but lately going off this dang meds. I crave everything! My depression is at an all time high, & that isn't why I went on it! It was for anxiety! I so far have no anxiety but all depression! If the wieght doesn't start to come off soon it may not be a good ending!
Any suggestions are so welcome!
Thanks to everyone who has shared sim. posts! It has mad me feel like I'm not crazy!

[hozzie7]

Hi all,

I just want to offer a glimmer of hope for those of you that gained puzzling, inexplainable weight whilst on Effexor.

I am a 22 year old female, who was suffering from mild bouts of anxiety, I weighed only 45 kilos so I was technically underweight even though I ate like a soldier and I have always been naturally tiny as are most my family members. I never had to watch what I ate and hardly ever exercised. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my doctor (who was not my regular family doctor at the time) probably assumed that I was an anorexic nut (because of my weight) and that was probably why I had anxiety. I tried to explain to him that I had only been experiencing these bouts of anxiety after a stressful time at work. I guess he thought "yeah right" and decided he should put me on this heinous drug. He told me it was a nice little pill that would "calm me down during stressful times".

Well, I guess it did just that. I was just a vessell, with no emotion or feeling. I just sat there, grinning like an idiot, staring into space and sleeping like a koala all day. I appreciate that it took the anxiety away and stopped then stress, however I lost my spark, I lost my passion. I was tired ALL day. I would have 12 hour sleeps at night, yet still want to crash for a nap in the middle of the day. This drug made me virtually useless. The biggest side effect however, would have to be this uncontrollable weight that would just pile on. I was eating the same as I was before, if not less as I started noticing the weight gain. I allowed 5 kilo's weight gain initially because I thought "yeah I could do with a little weight gain, it wouldn't hurt", however I am only 5'4 and as the weight started to creep up to a dramatic 11 kilo increase, people started asking me about my stomach and I even had a stranger ask if I was pregnant. (The weight was most noticeable around my stomach and butt).

I am a student, so it was really hard for me to afford an entirely new wardrobe as none of my clothes fit anymore. The bloating and the weight continued to increase and decided I needed to put a halt to this thing before it got any worse and I reached the point of no return. I booked an appointment with another doctor at the same clinic (because I knew the one who prescribed me Effexor would defend it til the end of the Earth) and I exlplained to her what was happeing to me. She checked the records and observed my starting weight and she was gobsmacked that I could pile on 11 Kilos (20 somehing pounds) in a six month time frame. I exlained to her that I am eating less than I was before I went on this drug because I was so concious of the weight gain. She exlained she also had a few other patients that had experienced the same problem. She agreed that it would be a good idea to wean myself of this destructive piece of crap.

At this time I was on the 75 mg, so she told me to lower it to 35 mg and take this for a month and then take one every second day after that. I must say, I was terrified about the withdrawls, as I had pervioulsy skipped one pill by accident whilst I was on the 75's and became a hot, shaking mess. However, I believe by correctly and slowly tapering off, I was able to get off them completley and I am proud to say it's been 4 days now with very little comedowns.

The first Effexor day was the worst, I had this seething anger and resentment towards anyone who ticked me off in the slightest and this feeling lasted up until about day 2. I also had little crying episodes for now apparent reason during these first few days and very mild brain zaps. However, I am pleased to say, it's day 4 and I feel fantastic and very positive. I even weighed myself to compare and I have lost 2.5 kilos, although this might just be the water weight and I won't hold my breath because I have heard it might stop there or might even fluctuate for a good while post-Effexor, but so far so good.

However, I need to make clear I have been taking 5 Omega 3 tablets for about 2 years now, as well as tumeric capsules so this might be why I have been more successful with others in regards to weight loss. I also want to remind people, DO NOT JUST GO OFF THESE COLD TURKEY! If you were suffering severe depression/anxiety please talk to your doctor about alternative meds, if you have the same concerns or work out a good weaning off plan with them. I also want to say, if Effexor is working for you, then great, make sure you keep at it and if you hate the side-effects, be sure to weigh up the pro's and cons before stopping.

I will try and keep you guys updated about my progress post-Effexor and hopefully I can report back with good news.

Good luck and best wishes to you all!

[markydz]

Hi,

Male, 39 years old - 6' 3" tall.
Before effexor i was 170-175lbs and had high blood pressure, i was also taking Paxil. That was 9 years ago. During the time on Effexor i got up to 230 lbs. With watching what i ate and exercise, i got down to 195lbs. Than back up to 205, after i stopped exercise. My Triglycerides had gotten very high. Dr said to try fish oil. Worked to get it down. BTW, it also helps w/ the electric zaps when you are getting off the drug.
New A**hole boss, and second child ...  stress was high. Dr thought i had expired the use of effexor. Zoloft was next, lasted about a month on that. My heart never flipped as much in my life. Than Lexapro for about 5 months. In them 5 months i lost 25 lb and felt very ... manic. Dr thought that was a side effect and started me on Wellbutrin. I'm on week 2.
I was skinny my whole life. Gaining the weight felt good, normal. Losing weight brought a concern that I'd go back to a "skinny tall guy". Everyone around me things i look good, but inside i feel anxiety when someone says "hey, did you lose weight"?
It has been hell going onto these other drugs. Everyday i wish i stayed on Effexor and maybe exercised more or found activities to help lower my stress. Why dont i get back on it? i may, or even try Pristiq, which is similar but with less side effects. I am off an SSRI now. BUT I'm on Wellbutrin. That is an NDRI. I'll see if this works better for me. I fear getting off the drugs completely and going back into a depressed state. These drugs have saved my life. i've learned everyones makeup is different and it takes time to find the right one.
Hope this helps someone.

Mark

[fattygurl]

While I am genuinely happy (if not a bit envious) of your reaction to Effexor, this is not the case for a lot of people. Clearly there are people out there that take this drug and it has a weight-loss effect for them, but this usually isn't the case. Like most of these types of medications, for a lot of people they encourage weight gain. You're absolutely correct in pointing out the fact that as people age, most of our metabolisms tend to slow down. However, what do you say to those that have kept their diet/exercise routines intact since starting Effexor and still gain incredible amounts of weight? I was 114 lbs. when I was put on medication for my anxiety, and keep in mind that I continued to eat the same, clean diet and exercise very regularly and not a drop of alcohol ever, but still put on over 80 lbs. in under 2 years. That is not a normal physiological progression of the body's metabolism. I'm only 25 now, but even for people in their 40's or 50's, a increase in weight that dramatic could not merely be attributed to 'getting older' and that's why they're gaining weight. In order to put on that kind of weight (regardless of age, sex or any other variable), you would have to live a very sedentary life and consume far more calories than your body requires to function!

True that the majority of people in the Western world these days are overweight, but again, that isn't purely from aging. There are far more factors that come into play when it comes to obesity (morbid or otherwise). Once more, it's the result of inactivity and hugely inflated diets; those include large and unhealthy amounts of fat (saturated/trans), processed foods that contain ridiculous levels of sugar, white flour and preservatives. That is more of the reality of why so many people in our society are severely overweight and undernourished. Also, as a side note; some people can suffer from underlying conditions such as thyroid problems, and PCOS to name a few, that can certainly contribute to weight issues.

So I guess the point I'm driving home here is that while yours and your friends situation has worked out in a beneficial manner for you, that is not the case for every person taking this drug. It is not necessarily that we're all just getting older (and subsequently our metabolisms are failing us to the fullest) or that we don't eat properly, exercise or drink enough water either. This medication can, and does have a very damaging effect on many of its users, and those reactions should not be discounted with such a simplistic conclusion.

Take care of your bodies, because you only get 1! Also, stay informed and keep yourself educated :)

[FormerNicCopeUser]

I just wanted to comment here about my weight loss and experience (researching on the internet) with trying to treat my Major Depressive Disorder for the last 4 years.  First of all, I’ve tried to treat it by counseling only (with Psychologist, Psychiatrists, etc).  I never took any medication because I read about all the horror stories on the internet (like here).  Especially the stories about weight gain.  So, I always declined it from my doctor.  I’ve changed Psychiatrist about 4 times already and ended up with a Dr that only treats depression via medication.  I didn’t know it at the time of the appointment.  He convinced me that my only way of treating my depression was via medication.   I decided to give it a try.  I started out on Effexor.  He said this was the most successful for his patients.  I started on the low dose and ended up at 150mg.  I was VERY concerned about gaining weight so I weighed myself every week.  I didn’t notice much of a difference depression wise until about the 6th week.  By the 8th-10th weeks I was feeling really good.   I was amazed how well it was working (and still am after 4 months!).  The other crazy thing is I lost over 25 pound since I started the Effexor 4 months ago. It is like an appetite suppressant.  I just weighed myself every week and drank 70 ounces of water per day. I also stopped drinking alcohol.  This is a requirement not to mix the 2 together. If you are drinking alcohol (at all) that could be your problem.  

Anyway, I’m really mad that I didn’t start Effexor years ago. The moral of the story is to NOT assume everything you read on the internet will happen to you. It’s been my experience that the majority of people going to the internet about health issues are people that have had bad experiences and are looking for advice.  There are not too many people that go to the internet to complain about how great something is working!  Think about that.  Millions have taken these drugs and it has changed their lives.  My doctor also told me up front that I will have to take this medication for the rest of my life.  So I have no fears of having to wean of it.  I’m so much happier.  It made me stop drinking alcohol which I believe is better than the possible long term effects of Effexor.  This is just my experience and I'm sure other may have different experiences.  Just monitor your weight, drink lots of water, exercise 4 times per week for at least 50 minutes (elliptical trainer) using a heart monitor to keep a stable heart rate and consistent workout.  I don't eat over 1800 calories per day.  I'm a male 6’2" 195. I’m down from 222 on 09/22/2009.  I have a friend of mine that recently started Effexor and he also is losing weight like crazy. He followed my advice about the water, no alcohol, exercise, and limiting calories.

One last thing...My doctor also told me that most of his patients lose weight or maintain weight on Effexor.  He said there are more issues with making sure he tells his patient to eat 3 meals a day.  So far everything he has told is consistent with my results.  Remember, when you get older your metabolism slows down…so being on this drug for years could just be that.  Just take a look around you….the majority of people in this country are overweight and gain weight regularly.  And the majority of those folks are not taking any medication!  So how do you explain that?  

[goodandplenty]

I was only on Effexor for two months and gained 30 pounds.  I went from 104 to 134 pounds (I am only 5ft 2).  That was enough reason from me to go off it.   I have now been off of it for two years and have only been able to lose 5 pounds in all this time, all of the loss was within the first 3 weeks after discontinuuing Effexor.  I have always been able to lose weight easily in the past but this fat is going nowhere.

Like everyone else, getting off Effexor was hell, the first time I tried under a Doctor's supervision.  I couldn't take the withdrawal symptoms and went back on it.  BUT-- the second time I tried I succeeded and I did it my own way.  Instead of being weaned off of it, I simply stopped taking it cold and went right back to taking Zoloft, which I had taken prior to Effexor.  It was wonderful.  This time there were absolutely NO withdrawal symptoms!  No brain zaps, no feeling like I was a herion addict in withdrawal.

I would never recommend Effexor to anyone!  I am furious that it literally addicted me to it.  This is a deliberate act on the part of the drug company to keep their customers coming back for more.  I remain very, very sad that it made me lose my figure--something I took a lot of pride in.  I will never feel the same way about myself again.