Depression and Weight IssuesHave you been diagnosed with depression, are possibly on depression medication, and find it affects your weight loss efforts? Post here for support!
I've been through quite a bit of trauma over the last couple months. Long story short... I finally gave in and let a psychiatrist get me on some meds for the short term so I don't fly completely off the deep end.
Lexapro is the most recent addition to my ever growing cocktail 'o' fun . Reading a lot of stuff online about it making people gain weight.
How likely is this, really? This is a side effect that I can't deal with right now.
On day one and struggling not to fall asleep... is this also a side effect?
My husband has been on lexapro for years and it hasn't made him gain weight. Sure he's slightly overweight (maybe 10 lbs at most) but it's definitely not from Lexapro (bad eating habits and he NEVER exercises).
Most of the evidence of antidepressant weight gain points to appetite changes, not metabolic changes.
Depression tends to either increase or decrease appetite (sleep/alertness and sex drive are similarly affected). Antidepressants likewise (in lifting the depression) also can affect appetitie, sleep/alertness, and sex drive in either direction.
That's why weight gain AND weight loss are usually listed as possible side effects on virtually all of the antidepressants. Some are more likely to cause changes in one direction, but they can always go either way.
You can also ask your doctor whether it matters when you take the medication. For example, if it makes you sleep and/or more hungry than usual, taking it at bedtime might be more convenient.
If it makes you muich hungrier you could discuss with your doctor the possibility of trying another antidepressant. It's not unusual for people to have to try a few different medications to find the one that works best with the least undesirable side effects.
I gained almost 30lbs on Lexapro in less than 6 months...I worked wonders for the anger issues but I constantly wanted to sleep....I was not doing anything to try to lose weight..but the need to sleep decreased my daily activity. I got to the point I barely wanted to get up to take care of my kids...so I had to go off of it! Everyone is different give it a try and see!
I took Lexapro and a med for diabetes for a long time, and I gained ALOT of weight. However, I'm pretty sure it was the diabetes med that caused the weight gain and not the Lexapro. I went off both and the weight fell off. I recently went back on Lexapro for a few months & a different diabetes med and kept losing.
Thanks everyone. I'm not noticing any increased hunger but I'm also on Concerta so that may be why. I'm very tired and sweaty though! That, in and of itself is depressing!!! I'm going to call the doctor and see if it's ok if I take it at night instead. My anxiety is a lot better, I'm not snapping at my kids and feeling quite as much sensory overload... but I just want to sleep! Not a good thing when I've got 2 little ones to care for.
I'm in cipralex which is the same drug (escitalopram) and it has not affected my weight loss at all. If anything it has made me more level headed so that I am less likely to overeat in frustration
I took Lexapro for about three years and gained about 40 pounds during that time. I don't know whether it was the depression or the medication that caused me to have such a weight problem, but I do know that once I stopped taking Lexapro I immediately began dropping weight.
I don't know if it affected my metabolism, but there were some definite appetite changes - I started secretly gorging on food every night while normal people slept, and then all the next day I was so tired that I slept most of the time. However, like I said, that may have just been my depression instead of the meds.
I have been on lexapro nearly a year, and have been on it in the past as well. Both times I gained weight. This past year I went through a horrible bout with depression (hence going back on lex) so I know a lot of the weight gain came from eating and laziness from the depression. But since I've been feeling better I've been working out like a mad woman 6x a week and being very careful with food and the scale hasn't budged. Not. One. Bit.
It's really frustrating because I have been sucessful in loosing weight in the past doing the exact same things I am doing now. The only difference this time around is that I'm on the lexapro. At least working out regularly has stopped me from GAINING any more, but it is extremly hard to lose the 40 lbs I gain in only 18 months.
I think it really depends on the person to be honest. Both times I have been on lexapro I gained weight and wasn't really able to lose it until I came off it. Right now I'm talking to my doctor about switching to Wellbutrin. Hopefully it will work as well for the depression but will help me shed some weight.
Good luck to you! I hope you start feeling better. The sweatiness and tiredness will fade once you've been on the medication for awhile. It shouldn't matter whether you take it in the AM or PM so just gauge what your body is telling you and figure out what day part is best for you to take it!
Lexapro? How bad is the weight gain?
. Reading a lot of stuff online about it making people gain weight. 
