Have You Ever Been On A Medication That Caused Weight Gain?

[Anonymous]

About a year and a half ago my Doctor put me on an Antidepressant (Paxil) for anxiety and depression. While the medication has helped lower my anxiety levels and improve my overall mood, it has also led to me gaining almost 50 pounds in a year and a half (see before and after picture below).

While I do try to watch what I eat, the medication has made me more hungry throughout the day. I try to exercise a few times a week, but I haven't been able to stop gaining weight. Have you ever experienced this, and if so, were you able to lose weight without stopping the medication?

Yes

No

[PaganWarrior]

Yes. I was put on citalopram ( had to bump it up to 20 mg ), and I no longer have panic attacks etc. I was having a lot of them during the day over nothing at all sometimes, and other times because I got it into my head that I wasn't breathing right, but I was.

I gained weight in the same time frame, and I don't eat LOADS, but I have noticed an incline of appetite. I used to eat late at night ( cereal, or toast, or 2-3 rounds of ham with mayo on a sarny ) now, it's nothing or an icelolly if there's any in, and one cup of coffee.

I just don't like the way I look anymore :( it's depressing. I am trying to get back to how I was, though. Slim, toned, and that wasn't even with working out. I was just like that.

[Anonymous]

I've had some odd reactions on different antidepressants. One made me have no hunger at all. You might ask your doctor if she or he could lower the dose a little bit. If there isn't a lower dose some compounding labs will spit the medication for you if it is in a capsule form.

[KaiOZ]

Yep I was on literally like the worst medication for weight gain too. Its a medication called Olanzapine. Was on it for about 4-5 years and stopped taking it about 3 months ago. I went from 80kgs which was really skinny for me to the point people thought I was too skinny and went up to 107 kgs rapidly. Gained weight so fast that it gave me stretch marks all over my thighs and some on my stomach and arms. Since I stopped I'm now down to 91kgs so far. Problem is I was exercising like crazy every single day, eating well and all that would happen is I would gain weight. So glad I'm off it and feel mentally better too. Only problem I'm having now is sleep issues.

[reptocarl]

Paxil is notorious for it but fortunately there are plenty others in the same class that don’t cause that. by the way Paxil is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression. It and all in its class are not antidepressants. Another to stay away from for weight gain is Remeron. Drs look at side effects sometimes as beneficial. If a person suffering depression doesn’t eat they’ll sometimes put them on a med that has a side effect that stimulates the appetite for example. It’s a guessing game and finding the right med combination can be a long process of trial and error. Don’t give up. Good luck

[Asker]

That's interesting. When my doctor first put me on Paxil, I had very little appetite and was thin. Now I wish he would've put me on a different SSRI.

I thought SSRIs were a class of Antidepressants?

I've never heard of Remeron. Is that another Antidepressant?

[reptocarl]

Remeron is in a class of its own and it worked wonders for me but the weight gain was just too severe. I would recommend trying it. It also has a side effect of helping you sleep which for me I wasn’t eating or sleeping so you’d think it was tailor made for me. Try it and see what you think

[Asker]

Remeron sounds interesting, but I've already gained way too much weight to try another medication that is known for weight gain

[reptocarl]

That’s the thing with Remeron. Some don’t gain weight. I was one that did. Just be informed about your meds and it’ll help in your decisions

[jiffy1971]

Yes.

I lost weight tho by going on the israelite diet.
I didn't eat sugar or junk food.
No artificial anything.
No caffeine.
Basically the diet was:

If God made it and pronounced it clean the eat it.
If man made it or tampered with it, leave it alone.

[MoscowMitch]

Yes I was on a medication that caused me to gain weight. No, I wasn't able to lose weight until I stopped taking it. You need to refuse your meds and demand your doctor gives you something else. There are countless anti-depressants and they don't all cause weight gain.

[genericname85]

anxiety and depression are in the vast majority of cases signs of problems in your life that need fixing. pills won't fix your life.

[LIM1T]

You generally eat more when you're depressed - Like junk food

[stormbreaker06]

doctors are sellsmen. Now you gotta spend extra money for weight loss.

All you need is vegetables and to be physically active. Stay off the drugs.

[D_Bone_Steak]

That's a dude with moobs that took estrogen as far as I can tell. Not fooling me with those orangutan arms.

[D_Bone_Steak]

Guess I got ratioed on this on... the female, probably because I'm being mean, the dude probably because he's actually hit that, and then a dude that obviously agrees with me.

Look... what I said was mean... but am I wrong though?

[RobLovesDemi1234]

you won't be able to lose the weight while you're on the meds its almost impossible

[LuWe22]

Yes but it did nothing to me. They said it can led to over 30kg weight gain but still nothing.

[humanearth]

I dont take medications. My meds come from the ground that grows

[VaibhavSharma1991]

I gained only a small amount of weight from antidepressants. I stopped gaining weight when it was not necessary so i didn't worry about it

[sidhesh]

I think this is psychological condition that was causing depression and know overeating. Must visit a psychologist

[LittleElla33]

Yes I was on Prednisone that made me gain weight

[cavmanier]

That stuff is bad

[LittleElla33]

@cavmanier i had no choice but to take it as the specialist felt this was the best medication to get my symptoms under control and at the time I didn't really know anything about Prednisone

[cavmanier]

That's understandable. I work in health care so I've seen this many times. You used it short term?

[LittleElla33]

@cavmanier i was on it for close to 3 months I was on 25mg then the dosage gradually went down and down until I got to 5mg then the specialist felt I could stop taking it but a few years later the symptoms flarred up again badly and I was once again put back on 10mg Prednisone for a month only this time I didn't really gain any weight but it did however make my stomach look like I was pregnant and still looks that way to this day even though it has been more then 2 years since I was last on the medication no matter what I do I can't get rid of the pregnant belly look

[MoscowMitch]

Doctors don't really know what will work for you, they are just guessing. In my experience they are not good guessers.

[LittleElla33]

@MoscowMitch in my experience the medication i was prescribed did actually help me it was the last resort as the other medication didn't work my symptoms settled down within a couple off days and I was back to my usual self if the prednisone didn't work I was close to being readmitted back into hospital thankfully I haven't need Prednisone in a couple of years and I am now on another medication that has been helping to keep my symptoms under control

[MoscowMitch]

cool :)

[cavmanier]

They obviously can't always know for sure because of limitations of tools they have to describe symptoms. I'd think that would be obvious. It sounds like they did a good job but they should have informed you on the weight gain risk. In the US I think they put that job on pharmacists. Of course pharmacists are racing around making sure techs count pills and are overworked too.

[Anonymous]

Lmfao all trannies are depressed and have anxiety, you probably eat the sadness away as well, one mental illness leads to another am I right?

[MajesticTwelve]

Should ask him to switch to a different one.

[BeHappy1985]

Its a guy on the left and a girl on the right... Why you trollin?

[Jmmmfi4]

Well quite obviously have him put you on a different medication.

[lovedejj_xo]

Birth control 😒 I stopped taking it

[EmmaMary]

That's definitely not you on the right.

[MoscowMitch]

Not unless he changed sex. lol

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Yep. Dextrose made me gain weight.

[Anonymous]

Yup. I hear that.