I went to my doctor about a month and a half ago, and I had gained just over 30lbs since I first started on Prozac. I really like how I feel on the medication but my doctor said its common to gain 30, 40, 50lbs on this med! I had just lost 42lbs and was maintaining before I started the damn med! Which of course drives me bonkers that I gained 30 back! The thing is, I don't feel good 30lbs heavier (obviously!) and its really putting a damper on my self esteem and general well being. Doc says I need to eat right and exercise but.....this med just makes meat stick to my bones! She said eating right and exercise should do the trick, or my other option is to go off the meds. So, skinny and crazy or fat and happy? What should I do? Can anyone give any advice or has anyone been through this before? HELP!!

The question is...CAN you be happy being fat? If the answer is no, you are going to be miserable either way, and you have to find another solution. Most mood medicines have a negative effect on weight....I know that it is a tough choice. May I ask what you feel like when not on meds?

I had this same problem. I talked to my doctor about it and she switched me to a different medication that doesn't have weight gain as a side-effect. If your doctor doesn't want to consider switching your meds, maybe talk to another doctor. There are lots of SSRIs out there (which is what prozac is).

IMHO, you need to talk to your doctor because nobody knows you here like he/she does. If you feel your getting no where with your doctor then please seek another one.

Leenie

Well personally prozac has worked extremely well for me and I have actually lost weight. However, this is the first drug in a list of many that has made any real difference. So, as frustrating as it is (and who needs frustration when they are already depressed?!) I would suggest you find a doctor that is willing to experiment with you. My doctor put me on a med combination I would never have thought would work and yet it did. Please keep trying...it will all be worth it when you find something that really works and that lightbulb goes on in ur head!

It doesn't sound like much help if the doctor says eating right and exercising should take care of it. Some of these drugs prevent weight lose for some. Don't go off it all at once though. Try what the Dr says, but don't get discouraged.

I have learned that those drugs work differently on everyone & even on yourself at different stages of your life. I had been on Prozac a couple times. 1st time I gained & made me feel like a zombie, people noticed a difference. 2nd time I lost & I did not feel like a zombie but still did not feel like I thought I should. I think I was on different doses which probably had something to do with it as well.

ive been on prozac twice and noticed i was different both times, I dont take anything now and find im happier, if you think you can cope with out them then go for it, but talk to your doctor

I'm on prozac as well and it hasn't effected me either way. I just kinda stayed the same weight but the doctor who originally prescribed this said it didn't cause weight gain. Two doctors saying different things? Hmm lol oh well

I was on Paxil a few years ago and my weight shot up so fast it was crazy! So I feel your pain. I could not lose that weight until I stopped taking that medication. I am not a doctor (just a nursing student) but I would suggest asking about Lexapro and Wellbutrin, they both are excellent anti-depressants and don't commonly cause weight gain. Wellbutrin does lower your seizure threshold though which can cause big problems. Do not stop taking the Prozac without speaking to your doctor though, many times antidepressants need to be tapered! Good luck and I hope you can find a medication that meets your needs.

As far as SSRI's go, Prozac is one of the more "weight neutral" ones -- other drugs in the same family *do* tend to cause considerable weight gain, but Prozac is one of the "least bad" in that regard. It's not impossible that it's the Prozac that made you gain that weight, but it's not a sure thing either.

A year ago, I was in a similar situation, and I did decide to stop taking Prozac. My anxiety came back as bad as ever, and I didn't lose any weight. Now I'm back on Prozac, and on a diet, and I am finally losing weight.

Your mileage may vary, but don't be too quick to blame the Prozac -- it could just as easily be something else (perhaps your emotional eating increased around the same time you started taking Prozac?), and going off Prozac might not solve anything.

I've stopped taking the Prozac, thanks for the responses ladies! I've heard varied things from doctor's, some saying it's weight neutral, others, like my Primary, said its common for a woman to gain 30, 40, 50 lbs! I was on a high dose, 80 mg and I've also heard that being on a high dose has a lot to do with how much weight you pack on and how fast. I was on Paxil also after the Prozac, my new doctor told me it isn't a problem with weight gain, but just yesterday after seeing a Psychiatrist, she told me Paxil is of the worst! Sooo, long story short, we all react differently! I don't know whats up with all these doctor's! Everyone is telling me something different!! LOL The psychiatrist I went to yesterday just prescribed me Lamictal, it's a mood stabalizer and she *says* it doesn't cause weight gain, so we'll see!