Hi everyone,

I wanted to start a new thread because I'm interested in finding out more about how others are managing to lose/maintain goal weight on anti-depressants.

Personally, I am on citalopram. My weight gain has not been an over nighter, instead it was 4 stone 11pounds over 7 years (more and more gained since I left school and got a desk job).

I don't blame the medication on my weight gain (more my eating habits) but I have friends, and relatives also on medication for depression and bipolar who have also gained quite a lot of weight while on anti-depressants although the studies show the weight gain directly attributed to medication is minimal.

So what I am trying to do (and would love to hear others experiences on) is that if you accept you need the medication how do you handle the cravings? What were you like before/after medication and how did you reverse the steps?

I was bad, and anytime I lower my dosage I start to lose stability so I have accepted that I am on SSRIs indefinitely and for me, that's OK.

I lost succesfully on fluoxetin, gained it all back and then some on escitalopram, started losing immediately on venlaflaxine.

I think the venlaflaxine is the only one of these that seems to have an immediate effect on weight for me - or more like, it has "repaired" something in me when it comes to experiencing pleasure. As in, I don't have as mad cravings for sugar anymore, and exercise _actually_ gives me a pleasurable feeling; like "normal" people have with exercise.

Good luck. Finding meds that work is a priority, weight can be managed when the mind is in a better place.

Thank you for your feedback - and congrats on your journey so far!

Well done, Judy!

That's great