Antidepressants = Hunger Loss?
 

I recently started taking an antidepressant (a few weeks now). I'm taking it for anxiety.

I'll leave my psychological history out for you. :D It's long and boring anyway.

Anyway, since I've started taking it, I feel fantastic! Only problem is I'm either not hungry, or I am hungry, and I just don't care.

I just stopped caring about food. :carrot:

I know I am an emotional eater at some times, but I didn't think that tiny little pill could cause me to just not give a darn about food.

Which brings me to my next point:

I'm excited about it, but in reality, is this okay? I've seen a big pickup in weight loss, but I don't feel sick or out of sorts. I'm consuming enough calories to live off of, and exercising normally. I just find myself eating short of my WW points on several days.

Technically, I'm losing more than I "should" per week (although, I have a lot to lose so I'm not too concerned). However, I don't want to slow it if it's not a problem.

What antidepressant are you on? Wellbutrin and Cymbalta cause this as a normal side effect. The best thing to do is make sure you get proper nutrition. I am on Wellbutrin and am an emotional eater-the Wellbutrin has made me not as hungry/not care much for food at times but even when I don't feel like eating and I know I really should I just make a small healthy meal. Another thing, some antidepressants such as Wellbutrin act as stimulants which could also have that effect. If you're really concerned I would talk to your doctor. :) Hope that helped.

Thanks!

I'm on Zoloft. I saw that weight loss was a side effect.

I'm eating right, just not much. I haven't felt sick or exhausted or show any signs of malnourishmnet.

If it does become a serious concern, I will certainly take it up with my doctor.

All antidepressants can cause increases OR decreases in appetite, weight, sleep, energy level, concentration, libido, and even depression. Yes an antidepressant can make depression worse, so you always have to guage each antidepressant on it's individual effects on you.

Some are more likely to tilt the side effects one way as opposed to the other, but there's really a lot of individual differences. On the same drug, one person might experience one set of side effects, and another person could experience the opposite. One person might experience appetite increase and another might experience appetite decrease. Also the side effect pattern itself will vary.

It's one of the reasons some folks will have to try many different antidepressants to find one that works and has an acceptable array of side effects.

Loss of appetite is a more acceptable side effect for people with weight to lose, just as gain of appetite might be a more acceptable side effect for people who are underweight. Although for most people, it's easier to eat when not hungry than to abstain from eating when feeling starved.

I'd recommend mentioning the side effect(s) to your doctor, and asking your doctor or a dietitian about a minimum calorie level for you, and be happy that you ended up with a side effect that works to your advantage.

That being said, be on the watch for extreme side effects, especially those that can impair judgement like mania (feeling so amazing, almost bullet-proof - leading to wanting to gamble, spend a lot of money, start massive projects because of grandiose ideas....) or worsening depression.

Your doctor should have discussed possible side effects with you, and which were the most worrisome for you individually (not just "read the packet"). Some doctors aren't as familiar with side effects as pharmacists, but your pharmacist doesn't have your medical history - so talk to BOTH your doctor and your pharmacist about any drug you're prescribed and specific side effects to be concerned with.

Thanks for the help.

She did discuss some side effects with me, but mostly about weight. She said I wouldn't gain weight with Zoloft, but never mentioned a complete loss of appetite.

I will definitely have to mention it to them. I'm still going through altering the amount that I'm taking to make sure that I'm getting the right dose, which is going to be high because I'm treating anxiety.

Thus far, I've not felt any other serious side effects, except that I'm noticeably happier. I haven't had any bullet proof feelings. I still feel very very mortal. Hehe.

I'm trying generic Wellbutrin now... not sure if it's just the heat or medication but I have been feeling less hungry. The first week it didn't really reduce my appetite (but then again it wasn't this hot then). I've also lost 5-8 pounds, and it's even that time of the month for me and the scale hasn't gone up.

it hasn't done much for my energy though. I'm getting a good nights sleep of 7-9 hours and by the afternoon I'm getting worn out and tired and I haven't even done any strenuous activity. I've been feeling fatigued for awhile, so I'm not sure if the medication is making it worse or not though. Going to give it more time, think I'm only at the end of the 2cnd week so far and I read it takes 4-8 weeks to fully kick in.

ringmaster Yeah... I'm only on the second week as well. They have me upping my dose slowly.

I've been sleeping well, with the exception of the first few nights. I can't take it at night or sleep just doesn't happen.

I also didn't feel an appetite reduction the first week, but this second week has been insane. Usually, I work out and then I'm starving. Now, I work out and I feel just the same as I did before I started working. Maybe it's a phase that will pass. Not sure. I'm just soaking up the weight loss while I can. I'm not losing unhealthy amounts, just more than expected. I also am never hungry in the morning.

I'm sure I'll get my appetite back some time, it just might take a while.

Funny enough, back when I was in high school, I only ate one meal a day. It was terrible most of the time, but I found that my morning coffee was more than enough to get me to 2PM without needing to eat, and then I would eat a snack when I got home, followed by a late dinner. It's how I kept the LBs off. I was super skinny back then.

As I got older and moved out, my anxiety started to get the best of me. I found myself eating loads of food, sometimes emotionally, sometimes just because my stomach was never satisfied.

Now, I feel like that high schooler again. Super active, super energetic, and just not hungry. I almost wonder if this is just how I am supposed to be, and I'm not used to it because it's been several years since I've felt like this.

lucky you found something that is working for you! i can take mines at night and I"m actually sleeping better than usual