Do meds make you gain weight?

[mascara blue]

Hi all, I need some advice from thos eof you on meds.

I am so incredibly unhappy right now and my brain feels foggy. I hate my job and i am lonely and sad and pretty damn depressed. But I feel so tired in the head all the time and feel like i am walking around in a weird "head fog" that I cant see me being able to change my job or do anything positive to make me feel better right now. I force myself to go to the gym (although this is very sporadic) and all I want to do is sit infront of tv and eat sugar (which most of the time I can resist but lately its been harder and harder). To make things worse (for me) i have gained back 5kg which I am struggling to lose. I dont want to go on meds as I worry they will make me gain weight but everything is such a struggle that I think if it helps, then surely its worth it. But my self confidence, self of sense and usually happiness is so linked to my weight that even a half kilo gain makes me sad.

HOw do you find taking meds? Do you see it affecting your weight? Does it clear your head and put the bounce back in your steps. Does it give you energy?

Any information you can give me is much appreciated.

xo

[thelittleflower]

It just really depends on the medication. I've been on a few (Seroquel, Depakote, Zyprexa) that made me gain tons of weight. But now I am on a combination (Lamictal, Lithium, Prozac) that make me feel human again, with no real effects on my weight. Lithium makes some people gain weight (makes you retain water) but it hasn't affected me. Same with Prozac.

Everyone is different. You should go to your doctor and discuss with them your weight concerns. I have with mine and he only prescribes medications that will not have an adverse effect on my weight. Only you know what is right for you, and if you want to be on meds. All I know is they work wonders for me, once I finally found the right combo.

[marie81]

I havent gained weight on my meds at all I take a range of meds i find as I am becoming better and happier again the weight is coming off.
I would give them a try honey xx

[aliquot]

I've lost all my weight while taking meds (Welbutrin)

[Txalupa]

I've lost my weight while taking Lexapro. I've found that even before I was on meds, that food was something I could control even when I couldn't control the panic going on in my brain.

Best of luck to you, talk to your doctor, and take control of your emotions and of your food consumption!

[ilidawn]

At the moment I'm not on any meds for depression (though I should go get some) but I've noticed Trazodone (sleeping pill because my mind will not shut off and if I don't take it I can barely sleep) isn't helpful in a weight loss sense. I've noticed after I take the Trazodone I get so foggy and hungry that I end up eating and eating, all willpower dead (any thoughts of "I'm not hungry, I don't need to eat" last about 2 seconds and I start stuffing my face).

[marie81]

I take sleepers im on zopliapram for the same reason my head just wirls but what I do is as soon as I start to feel foggy I go to bed, that way i dont stay up and eat.
I also take Lexapro for depression and like Txalupa said its not messed with my weightloss at all

[202BuffHen]

Beware of Paxil. I've never had a weight problem until recently. About a year ago I switched from Prozac to Paxil 40mg. I gain 50 pounds in three months. I didn't realize it was the meds. I thought my thyriod went nuts. I've gained up to 70 lb before my doctor told me it was the paxil. So I'm slowly stepping down off of it then I'll go to something else.

[geoblewis]

I gained on Prozac, Paxil and Ativan as well as steroidal inhalers when I had asthma issues and beta blocker I was on for high blood pressure.

I'm off everything but a baby aspirin now, but I do take a variety of nutritional supplements that work for me. It took a couple years to get everything out of my system and to start losing weight. Managing everything with dilligent lifestyle choices now.

[beginme]

The number one priority in your life should be taking care of your mental health.

Some people gain a bit on meds and some don't.

But, you can always lose the weight.

You can't really accomplish anything if you are suffering clinical depression.

I know 1st hand!

Hang in there and take good care of yourself.

[RebekkaG]

Just wanted to second beginme in that your mental health comes so far ahead in this gamble. I gained 50 lbs after I switched to a jumble of meds that keep my Bipolar from ruining my life. But, now I am emotionally healthy enough to concentrate on my weight. I would make that trade over and over again.

[iriswhispers]

I have taken Wellbutrin and zoloft and am currently taking lexapro... thankfully none of these have affected my weight loss. I lost while taking wellbutrin and zoloft and am maintaining now on lexapro.

Also I agree with those who say your health comes FIRST. Anyway it is much much harder to lose weight when you are in a bad state of mind.

Good luck to you! =)

[Reasons]

Originally Posted by aliquot

I've lost all my weight while taking meds (Welbutrin)

Welbutrin is actually one of the few that does have weightloss as a side effect. It's is also prescribed as a quit smoking aid, as well as for depression.

I've tried just about all of them, since I was diagnosed as bi-polar at the age of 12. I've been on prozac, lithium, paxil, wellbutrin and a few others that aren't coming to mind at the moment.

Weight gain was never a HUGE problem (maybe 10lbs or so), but weight loss was. I've been off medication for about 12 years long-term, taking them for 3 to 6 months here and there to help pull myself out of mild depression.

I have found that exercise is the best way to maintain a healthy state of mind. A daily jog will do wonders for your mind. It's very difficult to get into it, but once it becomes part of your routine, you see a major difference in your entire outlook.

My doctor recently put me on adipex (phentermine), which is a stimulant/appetite suppressant. I feel amazing on it. I am energized and happy ALL day long, which is a dramatic difference from my usual mood. I am really enjoying being an enjoyable person, lol. (if that makes sense)

Anyway, if I can help at all, please feel free to ask.

[oxymoronica]

I gained about 40 pounds over the few years that I used to take Lexapro, and likely would have gained more if I hadn't weaned myself off of the medication. My boyfriend just had a bout of weight gain that coincided with an increase in his Paxil dosage... so unfortunately, my experience with antidepressants is that they do cause weight gain.

However, I switched to a new doctor last year, who wanted to put me back on medication because my depression was getting worse. I told her that I wanted to avoid antidepressants like the plague because I had just struggled to lose all the weight I had gained on the first round of meds. She agreed that Lexapro often does cause weight gain, but asked me to consider different classes of drugs that had not been linked to weight gain. Up until that point, I had no idea such medications existed.

I never ended up going back on the meds but it was comforting to know that the option was there, with less risk of weight gain.

If you really think you need them, shop around for doctors that will work with you on the weight issue - some realize its importance and some will ignore it and tell you that the meds aren't your problem, when they really are. My eyes were really opened when I switched doctors.

[rockbanjo]

I gained a bunch of weight from Risperidone in a very short period of time(20 lbs in less than a month).
It made me SO hungry and I went in to a mania-like state.
Yikes.