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Thread: Antidepressants and weight gain?

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    Default Antidepressants and weight gain?

    I've noticed in some other threads that a few of you are sucessfully taking antidepressants. I feel as though I really need to get on one. Problem is, I've seen several friends and my mother gain weight on them. I can't have that. I already have to try hard just to keep my weight stable. My question is: what, specifically do you take for medication. If it hasn't caused weight gain, I could request it from my MD. If you're not comfortable specifying, could you email me? The info would be VERY appreciated.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    Celexa doesn't seem to have the weight-gain side effect nor does it have a negative impact on the libido. I'm sure that as with all meds, individual experience may vary, but it's one of the low side-effects antidepressants.

    Also, this is something you should discuss with the doctor, as she will have seen how a wide variety of patients have reacted and can help you find a drug that won't do things you don't want it to do.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    I agree with Colette that you should ask your doctor to discuss what medication you should be on, if any. All of the medications are different and also effect people differently. Some medications are known to make you lose weight, others gain weight..There are so many other side effects as well. You can lose your hair, become manic, turn insomniac or sleep all the time, even become more depressed than you already are! Doctors are also known to try combinations of medication. So if for example you are taking something that causes weight gain, and then mix it with say..Topamax for example, your weigh may stay stable and the meds balance each other out. Honestly, I d think hard before going on medication because they do not always have the best outcomes...but if you REALLY need it talk with your dr (and make sure it is a dr you can trust)

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    Problem is with an antidepressent weight gain as weight loss is always listed as a side affect. (doesn't mean it will happen.) It is quite common for people to gain weght on antidepressents. Only because they "change" your channels. You can excersize all you need but may not lose the weight. If you notice you have not increased your intake of food, it's the medication changing your metabolism. And yes the drug does (to an extent) affect every part of the body. I take Lexapro, which was made off of Celexa, (a few chemical changes to Lexapro, still very close sister drugs.) I have gained 3 lbs already. I have DECREASED my intake of food! It's all in finding the right drug for you. I have a friend who has been through 13 antidpresents before she found the right one, and has been on that drug for 3 years! Talk to your doctor. And i don't go to my Family practioner, they don't know enough about the medication. Almost like going to a cardiologist for brain surgery. But yes antidepressents have a knack for changing our general body structure in alot of ways...Most good! Stick with it, or try another. Pamela ; PS when ever you are taking any mood enhancer you are without a doubt going for brain chemicals, and when you do that sneaky side effects can slip in. Sometimes the key is just to give the drug 3 weeks if you have no serious problems. Bodies adjust to the drug. And it may take that long before most side effects go away. Again i would speak with my doctor. These drugs can be lifesavers! You just have to have the right one.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    im on lexapro.. it has very small amount of side effects. Im not sure about the weight gain.. im losing weight now so i dont think its a problem.

    it depends on which kind you take and what side effects it has

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    this is definintely something you want to talk over with your doctor. there are really dozens and dozens of antidepressants available with varying types of side effects. it's also common with many types of antidepressants that there may be "initial" side effects that would be a side effect that you might need to deal with for only the first couple of weeks but after that it goes away.

    i know Zoloft has a common side effect of weight loss, but i didn't like it because it made me nauseous and gave me night sweats. however, my sister loved it because she got the weight loss side effect (which she was thrilled about being an overweight person), but had no other noticable side effects at all.

    you'll also want to make sure your doctor knows of any common over-the-counter medications or herbal supplements you normally take (or would like to be able to take as needed) because some antidepressants you can't mix with common over-the-counter medications or herbal supplements in that it either could be dangerous or reduces the effectiveness of either the over-the-count medication or the antidepressant.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    I've taken Zoloft for probably seven years now, and it has had no effect on my weight. I remember having trouble sleeping and feeling a little wired when I first started taking it, but that levelled out after a couple of weeks. It has had a slightly negative effect on my libido, but the positive emotional effects far outweigh any negatives for me. I tried switching to Wellbutrin at one point, hoping to also benefit from it's smoking cessation side effects, but I was positively miserable on that, so I had to switch back.
    Everyone is different and that's why there are so many options currently available. I know that meds get a lot of bad press, and are probably overprescribed, but for me they are a lifesaver.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    I definately agree with everyone else to talk with your doctor and continue talking to your doctor over and over again about your depression and side effects. Each drug is different. And how each person reacts to each drug is different. If you can't afford a psychiatrist and feel comfortable talking to your general practioner, I'm sure he or she can help you and should know if you need to be referred to a psychiatrist. After seeing a psychiatrist for over a year, she was confident that my GP could handle my antidepressant prescritption. I have just been really honest with him about what I want. For me I am more concerned about sexual side effects than weight gain. I switched from Zoloft (worked for depression, but destroyed sex drive) to Welbutrin (was supposed to increase sex drive, but was not effective for my depression), to Celexa, which works for depression, and seems to help with my sex drive a little a(and by the way, has not caused me to gain weight, which is what you asked about). I am considering trying Lexpro soon, since I have heard it is essentially celexa with even less side effects. Talk to you doctor and keep in mind it sometimes takes awhile to determine what will help at all and what side effects you might experience.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    Effexor is what I took for a long time - it's one of the newer classes of antidepressants. Instead of beating your neurotransmitters with a jackhammer - like SSRIs and MAOIs - it fine tunes your serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels. So it has a very low incidence of side effects, unlike SSRIs and MAOIs. And pretty much none of the counter-indications that are involved when taking MAOIs.

    It is interesting that you say that many people have told you they gained weight with antidepressants. My guess is that they must have been people who become semi-anorexic when depressed. If you remember the recent weight-loss drug Meridia, you should know that it was technically an antidepressant. Most antidepressants help people breakout of the sluggish eat-everything, do-nothing hopelessness, and will cause them to actually lose a little weight. This is because most antidepressants boost your serotonin levels, which essentially makes you feel more "amped" in varying degrees (might I add this is why high doses of ADs can be dangerous - they can amp you so much you snap). In fact, many ADs list anorexia as a possible side effect.

    The biggest problem with potential weight gain comes more from taking "mood stabilizers" - a different class of drug, although still a psychotropic. Mood Stabilizers are things such as Lithium, Depakote, etc - they are primarily used to keep moods from becoming to aggressive or manic.

    The thing to remember is that several ADs and mood stabilizers have a minor effect on your thyroid functions as well as your neurotransmitters (although many doctors fail to mention this). If your thyroid becomes slow, you feel depressed and you gain weight. If your thyroid is overactive, you feel amped quite a bit and have to fight to keep weight on. I know this because for a while I was taking Depakote as a combination mood-stabilizer and anti-convulsant, and within three months I gained over 50 lbs due to slowed thyroid function.

    You could also try St.John' Wort instead of synthetic ADS. It can be gotten at most pharmacies or health food stores. Do NOT combine the two substances, or there could be serious interactions. Also, do not combine naturalor synthetic ADs with diet / pep pills, because it can result in dangerous problems.

    McCain

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?


    The reason for all the side effects with SSRI's is that Seretonin doesn't just control feelings of wellbeing. It controls your sleep/wake schedules, your apetite, and affects your energy levels. That's why some people can't sleep or start eating a lot or not eating at all on SSRI's.

    Lena



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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    My weight loss secret is taking the anti depressent/anti anxiety medication
    Effexor. It actually suppresses your appetite. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant. I went on Effexor and it helped me loose 70 lbs.

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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    When I went through my bout with depression I took Paxil CR 25mg, and I really didn't notice much of a change in weight gain or loss, but it did mess with my sex drive big time. Like it went away completly, lol.

    But maybe I wasn't on them long enough to notice a weight change (it was only about 3 months).
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    Default Re: Antidepressants and weight gain?

    I'm a psych nurse and I hate to scare anyone, but if you can possibly get off the anti depressants you should make every effort to do so. Once the body gets used to a drug, it does not want to be without it. I was prescribed zoloft a few years ago and while it worked at first I started getting strange side effects.

    There is an over the counter drug called 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan). Much cheaper than any of the prescription drugs, all natural and breif side effects.
    The prescription anti depressants work by trying to adjust the brains use of serotonin, the brain is using it too fast and the result is depression, over eating, nervous ticks, unwanted thoughts and other little miseries. 5HTP is a precursor to serotonin and converts to serotonin in the brain. The effect is to give the brain more than enough serotonin as opposed to trying to crowbar the greymatter into line. I found it helps with eating too. When I take 5HTP I can say no to food (not easy for me).

    Clinical tests comparing the effectiveness of 5HTP to the effectivness of all the prescription anti depressants combined resulted in 5HTP getting a rating of 51% effective, while the prescription AD's got a score of 49% effective.

    One caveat, for the first few days on 5HTP you should not plan to do anything but stay in bed. While the brain is getting used to it, the 5HTP will kick your butt around the block, specifically, you will feel totally exhausted and be too tired to do anything. The link below has the best price and theirs seemed to work best.
    http://www.americannutrition.com/NOW.../NOW_Foods.htm

    Sorry for the long winded post. Hope this helps.

    Steve

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