Anyone experiencing weight gain on Prozac
 

I was wondering if anyone else out there noticed an increase in their weight when using Prozac? I have a liver problem, so my doc won't allow me to take anything other than Prozac. The first time I got on the med., I lost a tad bit of weight, but then it all changed. I stopped taking the med the early part of this year, but couldn't stand myself being off of it. (Let's just say my nickname was Spaz Woman:hyper: ) So, I started taking it again and, well, I gained 25 lbs!

Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, have you been able to do something to control the weight gain?

I appreciate any help that can be given.

Thanks,
Michelle aka Skei

WOW!! YES! I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM!!! WAS ON PROZAC FOR APPROX. 10 (YES, COUNT 'EM TEN! AND YOU THINK YOU ARE 'A BIT MOODY'!!) YEARS AND OVER THE LAST 3/4 YRS HAVE GAINED ABOUT 40LBS!!!! HAVE HAD SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS (SLEEPING MORE) HOWEVER, MADE SURE I WAS EATING LESS-THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THIS MUCH WEIGHT GAIN!! (AS PER DR) WAS RECENTLY CHANGED TO DIFFERENT MED. DURING A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TIME IN MY PERSONAL LIFE (READ AS CONSUMING LOTS OF COMFORT FOOD!!) AND LOST 5LBS FIRST WEEK! INTO MY SECOND WEEK OFF PROZAC AND HAVE LOST 3LBS WITHOUT ANY FOOD/EXCERCISE MODIFICATION!
CAN REALLY RELATE TO YOUR FRUSTRATION (NEEDING THE MED. BUT SHORT OF CUTTING OFF LIMBS NOT BEING ABLE TO LOSE LBS)!! BUT UNFORTUNATELY, CANNOT OFFER ANY SOLUTIONS. WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!!

yes my son has a chemical imbalance and gained 20 lbs after getting on prozac, but it is a small price to pay to having him feeling better

we also found out that he has a very low thyroid and is on meds for that, so that could also play a part in the weight gain.

Thanks for the support, Momcat and cathyxxx. It may seem like a small price to pay (per my husband's words, too), but for me, it only seems to add to the depression. I do have a thyroid problem and am on Armour. Unfortunately, my doc thinks I am taking too much Armour and feels like it's not working since I keep gaining weight. She wants to lower my dosage, but I don't want to. If I lower it, I will be right back where I was several months ago, and that was in bed or on the couch with no energy to even get up. I may not be 100%, but I am at least able to function to some degree. I need to find a better doctor, but it's hard to find anyone who prescribes Armour over Synthroid. (I've used synthroid, and gained even more weight using it! At least with the Armour, my weight seemed to stabilize, just the added prozac upped it) Anyway...I tried to tell the doctor that I thought prozac caused some people to gain weight, but my concerns only fell on deaf ears. Just glad to hear that I am not alone in my thinking. I won't give up my battle to find a better treatment, and I'll never stop fighting the battle of the bulge.

Thanks for the encouragement...I definitely needed it.

I am on Synthroid because I had my thyroid removed because of cancer of the thyroid. I have a TSH blood test once a year to make sure the level of thyroid in my body is where it should be. Do you have a TSH test done? I haven't gained weight on Synthroid. What is Armour? I never heard of it.

April:) :)

Hi,

I know of somebody who gained on Prozac. I was on it but didn't gain, I actually lost. My sister is on it too and hasn't had any problems.

Sorry !!

To April99

Yes, I have a TSH run, as well as a T3 test run. I have requested a T4 test, but the doc didn't run it this last time. Armour is like Synthroid, only natural, where as Synthroid is synthetic. Armour comes from pigs. Armour also provides you with T3 and not just T4 like Synthroid. Most docs claim that Armour is old school and that Synthroid is the way to go. Personally, I feel that if you are doing well on Synthroid, then keep using it. But, if you don't do well on it, then the docs should find something that works, even if it is Armour. There is another website that I found that has some info. on thyroid (about.com) I found tons of women on that site that like Armour, as well as, Synthroid. The Armour women seem to have the same problems as I do with finding docs who will allow them to use Armour and who are capable of dispensing it correctly. Too bad all of us on this forum and on the the other forum I mentioned aren't docs. - then we could help one anther even better than what we currently are doing right now. At least we have one another to "vent" to and lean on. -)

TO SKEI
JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN AND SAY HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL.
IN REGARDS TO DOCS NOT LISTENING TO PATIENTS...I RECENTLY FOUND A WONDERFUL DR WHO ADMITED TO ME THAT HE WASN'T TOTALLY SURE WHAT ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS OF 'ZAC ARE!! HE THEN CALLED THE HOSPITAL PHARMACIST TO ASK! AND SUGGESTED THAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS/INTERACTIONS I SHOULD FEEL FREE TO CALL THE PHARM AS THEY ARE SOME TIMES MORE UP TO DATE!! (I THEN ASKED MY DOC IF HE WAS A REAL DOC OR JUST DOING A BAD IMPRESSION OF ONE AS THEY NEVER ADMIT TO NOT KNOWING SOMETHING!) SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE: FATIGUE (VERY MUCH SO FOR ME), LOWERED BLOOD PRESSURE (AGAIN, VERY MUCH SO FOR ME), JOINT ACHES (I WALKED LIKE FRANKENSTEIN IN THE MORNINGS B/C MY ANKLES AND KNEES WERE SOOO STIFF),DIZZINESS (YEP) AND FAINTING (AGAIN, YEP). THESE ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS I REMEMBER AS THEY EFFECTED ME, BUT THERE WERE LOTS MORE-YOU MAY WANT TO CALL A PHARMACIST. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO ASK THE PHARMACIST ABOUT OTHER MED'S YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, IT TOOK ME ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO EVEN TRY ANOTHER MEDICATION (B4 I KNEW ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS) BECAUSE 'ZAC HAD REALLY HELPED WITH THE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. I HAD COME TO THE VERY DIFFICULT DECISION THAT IF THE OTHER MEDS DIDN'T WORK THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO LIVE W/ THE ADDITION WEIGHT GAIN.
AGAIN, I WISH YOU LUCK AND SHOULD YOU HAVE TO STAY WITH THE PROZAC-I WISH YOU PEACE OF MIND.

To Momcat
Wow, your information has been very helpful! Thank you so much. I suffer terribly with the aches and pains to the point where I have difficulty walking. I don't know how old you are, but I am only 34 with a 6 year old very active child to take care of. I can't afford to be stiff all the time. I, too, am tired all the time (which has always been attributed to my thyroid, though I am being treated for the problem), so I think I will talk to a pharmacist to find out more about the side effects. My doc seems to think that Prozac is all that I can take due to my liver enzymes being elevated, so I hope she is wrong and that I can try something different. My reflexologist suggested a concoction of Vit. C, Vit. B complex and Pantothenic Acid in replace of Prozac. She said for some individuals the concoction worked, and for some, it didn't. I was considering trying it - after all, I've nothing to lose but my mind, and hey, that's pretty far gone as it is. (tee hee) I'll let you know if it works. I believe the reflexologist said it takes longer than reg. depression meds to take effect, so she suggested that I add it to my reg. dosage of prozac, and then slowly taper off the 'zac. Thanks so much for your encouraging words....I can use all the peace of mind that I can get. -)

Michelle

depression medicine
 

I have not taken Prozac, but have taken two other kinds at different times in my life when things were more than I could handle. From them I have learned a lot. They do make one feel and sleep better. But from my experience I also gained weight and after about a year started finding that I was forgetting too many things. It got so bad that I was afraid I was getting Alszimmers {spelled wrong, but you know what I mean} I asked the Dr. about it and she said it wasn't the medicine, but when I stopped taking it, I regained my memory. This happened with both. Also the Dr. said that they aren't habit forming but that is not true either. I had to come off them very very slowly. And it wasn't easy. Now I am learning to say NO and to stay away from provoking situations {and people} This is what has worked for me. {along with finding things that distract me from thinking about things that I can't do anything about. Hope this helps somebody else. Chazam

Chazam,
How interesting regarding the memory thing. I, too, have noticed that my memory has gotten bad. I just assumed that it was my thyroid - and someone also thought it was too much yeast in my body. Nobody ever considered prozac. So, perhaps you have stumbled on something that may prove useful to me. Thanks. Hey...my husband was suffering from dizzy spells and the doc couldn't figure out what it was. (thought maybe inner ear infection) At the time, he was drinking lots of sodas that had splenda in it. One day he decided to see if it would help if he stopped drinking the sodas, and gee, guess what, it did. His dizzy spells stopped once he quit drinking the sodas with the splenda. He still drinks Dr Pepper - but now the ones with reg. sugar. Amazing how our bodies can be affected by the chemicals we place in them - yet the rest of the world continues to tell us that this stuff is safe. I will definitely take your words under consideration. God only knows I don't have room to lose any more of my memory than I already have. Thanks!
Michelle

I haven't been on Prozac....but I am on Effexor XR. Last winter when I went on it I did gain weight. For the last 5 months while on the Effexor XR...I have been doing WW. This time I am doing really well folowing the program & I have only lost 9.2 lbs. & it will be 5 months at the end of the month. Four years ago I lost 28 lbs. in 4 months with WW. That time I found that I was having problems sticking with it....probably because I was depressed.

So I wonder if it is the Effexor XR that is making the weight loss so slow.

April

April99

It's a good possibility that the Effexor is causing the difficulty with the weight loss. I was doing some research the other night and stumbled accross someone who feels very strongly that taking regular daily doses of a combination of Fish Oil (Omega 3 Fatty Acids) and vitamin E, that this combats the weight gain side effects from the depression meds. I was considering trying it to see if it really works, but I am allergic to all fish, so I don't know what to use in place of the Fish oil. I wrote to the person to see if Flax seed oil could replace the fish oil, but they didn't seem to think it would work as well. So, while it was nice to see that there may be a solution, it's still annoying because it's not going to benefit me, personally. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I could use to replace the Fish oil, please, send the comments my way.

Michelle aka skei

Michelle,

I think I might try the Fish Oil & the Vitamin E. Do you know how much to take? It is rather depressing....I am doing so much better with following WW because of the Effexor XR & feeling better....then losing so slowly.

April

Hi Michelle, I found your information on Splenda just as interesting. I have never heard of that either. But I have a friend that suffers from dizzy spells and she drinks a lot of diet pop also. But I don't know which ones have the splenda in them. But she is such a fan of Splenda that I don't think she would take kindly to this info. She uses it in lots of things, and loves it. Doesn't like the other sweeteners. So you see the problem.
As to the memory thing I have to say that I know other woman who take depression med. so I started watching and listening to see if they were haveing trouble too. It didn't take long to see there was a pattern there. That was what gave me the idea to try stopping it. However I would like to say that there are times in our lives when we need help and we need to take med. that will help us. It is also good to have help in sorting out our problems and try to overcome some of them. Part of mine was never saying no to anyone because I like to keep people happy. Now I am learning how to say no in a way that doesn't tick people off. Not an easy task.
I have just joined this site, so I am new to all this and just had to see what everybody else had to say about things. Thanks for the comeback. Chazam

Hi Michelle, I found your information on Splenda just as interesting. I have never heard of that either. But I have a friend that suffers from dizzy spells and she drinks a lot of diet pop also. But I don't know which ones have the splenda in them. But she is such a fan of Splenda that I don't think she would take kindly to this info. She uses it in lots of things, and loves it. Doesn't like the other sweeteners. So you see the problem.
As to the memory thing I have to say that I know other woman who take depression med. so I started watching and listening to see if they were haveing trouble too. It didn't take long to see there was a pattern there. That was what gave me the idea to try stopping it. However I would like to say that there are times in our lives when we need help and we need to take med. that will help us. It is also good to have help in sorting out our problems and try to overcome some of them. Part of mine was never saying no to anyone because I like to keep people happy. Now I am learning how to say no in a way that doesn't tick people off. Not an easy task.
I have just joined this site, so I am new to all this and just had to see what everybody else had to say about things. Thanks for the comeback. Chazam

April99

I don't know the exact amounts, but I will look for the website that had the information and get back with you. I think they listed the amounts there.

Michelle

Chazam

How interesting...I, too, have difficulty saying no to people. Perhaps this is one area that I need to work on. I grew up in an abusive household and had to hold my feelings/opinions at bay. Now, it seems like I'm just the opposite. I tend to lose my self control, but only with my family. With others, I tend to cower. My family insists that I am much easier to live with when on meds...I just am tired of the side effects. I missed several doses these past few days, and I have to honestly say that I am having a difficult time keeping myself from spazzing. On the meds, I can handle dealing with simple things like tending to multiple loads of laundry, but today, I noticed that "panicky" feeling I used to get when I had to wash lots of laundry was kicking in. I know it sounds silly, but I panic thinking that what if I can't get all my clothes washed and my family has to go without something clean to wear - then I get angry because I have to wash the clothes by myself - then I feel guilty for getting angry ....and so on and so on. (you get the picture) So, I get this sickening feeling that I have to keep on the meds, but I sure wished I didn't. Perhaps I need to work out my past in order to fix my future. Thanks for reminding me that despite the bad side of the meds., they do have a good side to them. -)

Michelle aka skei

April99

Here is the thread to the other website that I mentioned.
www.prozactruth.com/weight3.htm#supplements
I looked at the page again, and truly hope it's not one of those sites that are just trying to get you to purchase something. If it were me personally, I'd get the info. from off the site, but not actually purchase anything from them. I'd go to my local health food store and buy my own stuff. I have a great health food store that I use that has one lady in there who has tons of knowledge. She has on more than one occasion saved me from spending money on things that I didn't need, and she has also given me some great advise on solutions for problems by using things that I already had in my home. I am hoping that the site I mentioned to you has good results, but I have to let you know one thing. I wrote to the person on that site requesting info. about using something other than the fish oil since I have allergies to seafood. Interestingly enough, the person wrote to me saying that my question about substituting Flax seed oil might not be a good solution. They didn't provide me with another solution, just said the flax seed oil wouldn't work as well. I sent a second email and have not received a response. So, I think doing what they suggest is worth a try, but just don't go broke from trying it. Hope this makes sense to you.

Skei / Michelle

Thanks Michelle for looking up that information. I bought some salmon oil capsules today & I already have Vitamin E at home. So I hope it helps.
I went to the Dr. today & told him I only lost 9.2 lbs. in almost 5 months. He seemed to think that was fine. He said when I go back in 6 months.....I should have lost 9.5 more lbs. Oh well...I just have to hang in & not give up.

April

April

Don't get discouraged. I know it would be nice to lose weight like you used to, but look at it this way, at least you are losing and not gaining. Another thing to think about is this, most of the time when you lose weight quickly it seems like you gain it back. But, when you lose more slowly, the weight seems to stay off. So, pat yourself on the back and keep moving forward.

This weekend I went to the Hot Sauce Festival in my town and did something I haven't done in years. They were offering free Salsa lessons and I took them. I think I danced all afternoon and I loved it! I have always felt too fat to want to dance in public, but this time, I decided to forget what others thought, and have fun. The down side is that I had a terrible time walking the next day, but hey, it was still fun and great exercise. I am actually considering signing up for either a salsa class or a belly dance class. (depends on which one I like) My little girl takes belly dance and flamenco at this studio, so I figured, hey, why not give it a try. I'll let you know how things turn out.

Michelle :dancer:

I am gaining like mad since I have been on Effexor. I am not sure what to do. Since I have been on Effexor I have felt better and have more energy and work out but am gaining. Went to Dr. and no help. I wonder if anyone else has suggestions. Am on WW but no luck while taking Effexor. Afraid to come off, you have to do slowly.

I am on Effexor XR...have been on it since January. I did gain some weight in the winter. I wasn't following WW or anything...wasn't feeling very good at the time. Five months ago...I started to feel better...so I started to do WW. In 5 months I have only lost 10 lbs. I have been doing a lot better following WW. Am writing down what I eat everyday & have learned some new eating habits.

Four years ago I lost 28 lbs. in 4 months with WW. So the difference is the Effexor XR. My Dr.seems to think that 10 lbs. in 5 months is fine. He said...when I see him in another 6 months...I should have lost another 10 lbs.

In the late 80's I was on antidepressants & gained quite a bit of weight.

How closely are you following WW. Now I probably stay within my points range about 90% of the time. When I was depressed...I probably stayed within the points range 50% at the most. It was such a struggle then.

I would suggest staying with WW. Journalling your food intake does become a habit over time. I find myself eating more healthy now.

Just hang in there.

April:) :)

Michelle,

Remember....about 3 weeks ago...you put an article here about weight gain while on antidepressants. Well I started taking the fish oil & vitaminE . In 3 days it will be 3 weeks since I started taking it.

I weighed in today & I lost 1.2 lbs.!!!!!!!!!!! It's the most I have lost in weeks & weeks.

So...thanks for telling me about this.

April:) :)