Hey all,

ive decided myself that i dont wanna be on the anti depressants anymore. I did talk to my doc, and she talked about weaning me off slowly and at the same time, introducing PAXIL to the equation and trying to get up to full dose on that ASAP! After doing VERY LITTLE research i found PAXIL is like the #1 offender for weight gain--> NO THANK YOU. Didnt even pick up the precription. More background below for your reading enjoyment, BTW

SO, my Question, for those of you who gained on antidepressants, how long were you off them before you actually started to see the scale move again?
Now, currently am on EFFEXOR and ZOLOFT. i BLAME BLAME BLAME the Effexor for the approx 15 pounds i have put on since Oct/Nov 2011 (about4-5 months ago). Ive been on the soloft for a year and didnt notice MUCH weight change. I feel like my depression itself is lifting, and at this point, the WEIGHT GAIN IS CAUSING THE DEPRESSION.

Anyone ever had one of those "closet meltdowns??!"

Im standing in my closet this weekend, desperately trying to find SOMETHING to wear and im in tears, paniced,angry and hopeless. Literally 95% of my clothes dont fit anymore.... Like buttoms popping, seams ripping kinda thing, not just "a little tight". Anyway, i had a complete meltdown and couldnt find a thing to wear. I was completely overwhelmed with feelings of loathing and self hatred and hopelessness. Ended up putting on the same ol, same ol--> that onyl pair of jeans that fits, but looks like S**t, and the same hoodie, etc. FRUMP CITY. WHen i hate myself, it effects EVERY ASPECT of my life, and im sure so many of you can identify.

Anyway, im blaming the EFFEXOR for the gain, and the inability to lose the weight. Ive been tapering for 2-3 weeks, and the last two days havent taken a dose at all... the zoloft im down to a half-pill and should stop that one soon too.

It might be placebo, but this week, ive already felt *better* As in, more like myself than i have since my depression originally hit a year ago! Since the Effexor ive become so anti-social, and withdrawn. I dont enjoy doing things i used top, no motivation for ANYTHING, ZERO libido, you get the idea......

SO, back to my Question, for those of you who gained on antidepressants, how long were you off them before you actually started to see the scale move again?I worked SO HARD for a year to lose all my weight (er, actually my whole adulthood for that mtter) and to see it pile back on, with no control to stop it........ it KILLED ME, ya know?

Input on personall experiences much appreciated Its amazing how different medications affect us all, isnt it?

Your doctor placed you on two antidepressants for a reason. Since you wanted to get off Effexor, she was going to gradually taper you off and cross titrate you on Paxil.

Perhaps the reason for your "closet meltdown" is due to getting off your Effexor so quickly and the fact that you're nearly off your Zoloft.

According to your stats, you're two pounds UNDER your goal weight. So I don't understand why your clothing didn't fit last weekend.

Every time my daughter gets off her meds, she get very depressed and suicidal. I hope you are not heading in that direction.

Depression is way way way worse then 15 pounds. It's pure H@ll. I hope you call your doctor to at least inform him/her regarding what you're doing.

mkroyer, I've had a "closet meltdown" before, well many times actually. I've been on many different depression meds over the years including Paxil and Effexor. The one antidepressant that I noticed a huge gain on was Prozac. I literally gained 40lbs in 4 months and was reduced to constantly wearing yoga pants because they were the only thing that fit!! Before I was on Prozac I was quite comfortable hanging out in the 160's and then BAM!! I weighed in at 200+lbs! How DEPRESSING!!

I have struggled to lose weight since Prozac, as in I've been hovering around the same weight for over a year, that being said, I was on Lamictal and birthcontrol in that year so that could have had an effect too. I'm not currently taking any meds but seriously considering going back on Lamictal (a mood stabilizer) since it didn't have any negative side effects like all the others I have tried in the past. Talk to your doctor, they would know best what to expect and how long it will take for your body to get back into the groove. Good luck, and congrats on your loss so far! You look great!

For 10 years I have been on prozac for depression and never once did I experience weight gain. About a year and a half ago my doctor started me on a mood stabilizer to take with my prozac. I was first given a prescription for Lithium. I had been taking Lithium for about 3-4 months and I started noticing rapid weight gain, and it literally made me feel like a zombie. My doctor took me off Lithium and prescribed Abilify. I never lost any of the weight I had gained while taking abilfy and the weight was mostly stored in my stomach. Also While on Abilify I was always constipated. Hardly ever did I have a bowl movement. Yes it did improve my mood swings but my weight it did not. I stopped taking Abilify almost three months ago. I still take prozac. Since stopping the abilify I have stared having regular bowel movements and have lost weight! I feel great! I am really hoping the weight continues to come off!

I've been on effexor for several months now and have actually lost a few. Don't go off of effexor cold turkey because the side effects are miserable. I ran out once and it was awful.

When I got off of Celexa I actually saw the scale move but not in the right direction. I actually gained even more weight off of meds!

The only times I have ever been overweight is because I over ate. I would never give up my meds (happiness) for 15 pounds that can be taken off with some diet and exercise, but that's just me.

Good luck.

I don't know how much of what you're taking now but you should not take 2 SSRI's together because of the risk of serotonin syndrome. Talk to your doc.

Also I had a terrible experience with Zoloft and gained 35 lbs from it and I'm on 25 mgs now and desperate to get off this stuff. It's my "fat glue". I can't seem to lose weight at all.

That's a very good question. I gained a good 80lbs while taking Zoloft for about 6 years. Was it the zoloft or my habits that gained the weight? Jury's probably still out on that.

I can tell you though that I did not lose a single pound after coming off two years ago until I TRIED to lose weight. The scale still doesn't go down without work.

I think it's worth serious thought for those people that are on meds to think about when they should get off them. They can have a great deal of side effects that people don't realize before taking them. (decreased libido, high cholesterol, yawning constantly etc etc)

I think it's a mistake for most people to be on them forever (I am NOT a dr. btw) I think the biggest things meds can do is teach you how to react and handle your emotions yourself. I'm able to do that now - most of the time.

Just make sure you wean yourself slowly off zoloft and don't cold turkey. Zoloft can have crazy side effects if you quit suddenly. (like really weird brain zaps)

For over 25 years I was off and on a variety of antidepressants. Haven't been on anything in over 4 years. I went through a couple of years of cognitive therapy though with a great therapist and am still working on my beliefs, attitudes etc. My weight over the years has been up and down, some due to other medications for sure, not sure how large a role the antidepressants played in weight gain, but know it seemed impossible to lose on them.
What I know about getting off them: even with slow weaning there can be some bizarre side effects (went off Zoloft about 9 years ago, took months to do it and seemed fine, then suffered from severe dizziness that I swear I could feel right in the center of my brain. It would wake me up it was so bad, but I got through it. I also know that going off them to just get off them without doing other things to help moods/depression/anxiety is not great (I always ended up back on something when I did it that way). Therapy helped me feel more in control of my moods through my own thoughts and choices of things I think about, but I had an amazing therapist for that, and sadly, they aren't all amazing. Good luck!

Hey all, thanks for the input and concern about going off anti depres.

Well, it turned out that i DID go off, both the EFFEXOR AND the ZOLOFT... Pretty much COLD turkey and without Dr.s Help.... i see her tomorrow, and she will not be happy.... its been almost 2 months i think, since ive seen her last, and a lot has happend

I found out i was pregnant beginning of March, so that pretty much decided it for me.

I cant honestly separate WHAT symptoms were First trimester related, and which were med withdrawal related~ FATIGUE FATIGUE FATIGUE, naseua, vomitting, body aches, hyper emotional, you name it.
Sadly, Due to the placement of my IUD, i lost the baby a couple weeks ago. More sadness/fatigue/emotional. But, im off now, so i dont wanna go back on....
Oh, and that 15 ish pounds i thought id gained, DENIAL!! make that 30 pounds! Per doctor scale when i was at the hospital. Of course, some was alraedy preggo weight (i found if i actually ATE i had energy and didnt feel sick, imagine that!)
No brain zaps. Still having a hard time staying focused and concentrating when it comes to school and at work. I also fid i am completely unmotivated, with regards to things like errands (TAXES, vet, grocery shopping) and Chores ( i have laundry thats been sitting in a dryer in my apartment on-site laundro-mat for almost a week now)

I see my Doctor tomorrow. Ive begun actively dieting to lose this weight! Grrrr. i have a CLOSET full of the cutest clothes and i can only waer 5% of what i have, but little-by-little, every week, i can wear one more thing, ya know?

I should prob be medicated. I think.... but i want ot find ME again, at the same time, ya know? The zoloft/effexor turned me into someone i did not like. They may have been absolutely the wrong meds for me, i dont know. I KNOW the effexor was.

I should start seeing my therapist again though.
Since coming off my meds ive had INTENSE moments/cravings for my former drugs of choice. Im an addict, and always will be. I literally almost drove past my old dealers house last week..... but i stopped myself. Ive been clean for too long and to lose everything ive worked so hard for???
Ive just been going through stress, and i guess i dont know how to COPE without drugs/medication. i KNOW i dont know how to cope..... thats where the addictins come in, and also, why i need to start seeing a great therapist again.....

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? I got off Lexapro and onto high dose D3. Feel SO Much better than I ever felt on the meds.

Thats funny ValRock~ Someone (in real life) literally not 2 minutes ago suggested a D3 supplement