Posted by toodlebug on December 17, 2002, at 12:53:53
I have been thinking about weight gain in general on SSRIs. I gained about 25 pounds on Paxil (lost it after I got off the Paxil) and nearly 35 pounds on Effexor and Prozac. But, I only started to put on the pounds after I had been on the drug for close to a year. Both times I started to gain weight at about the same time I started to have other problems from the AD. With Paxil, I started to need enormous amounts of sleep and food at about the same time. With Effexor, shortly before I started to gain so much weight I went through a hypomanic stage and couldn't sleep and spent over $10,000 in three months.
Regarding the hypomania, I am sort of upset with my psychiatrist. My psychiatrist was not concerned about the hypomania. I was not completely honest about it with her, but then she also didn't ask any specific questions. For instance, I expressed concern about how much money I was spending and she asked what I was buying (mostly stuff for my home). She did not ask how much money I had spent.
I now believe that the sleep problems, hypomania, and weight gain were signs that the drug was no longer working properly. Right now I am only taking trazodone/desyrel for sleep. (Which I wonder is a new permanent thing for me. I have been off AD's for about a month now but still need trazodone to sleep.) I hope that if I have to take a AD again I will remember to watch for these signs. My psychiatrists did not seem at all concerned and instead upped the dose (made hypomania worse of course) or changed me to something else (wellbutrin). The change to Wellbutrin was ok, but I really think I just needed to get off ADs altogether for a while. I am a little concerned that I may not notice the signs that I need to get off an AD because when I gained so much weight before I didn't like it but I didn't really care. I didn't care what I looked like. And if you knew me, you would know how wierd that is! I have always been a size 4-6 and somewhat vain. I ballooned up to a size 14!
As I said, I am not taking any ADs now except trazodone for sleep. And I feel so much better now. I have a more normal appetite now, no cravings, and more energy and interest. I am actually able to go into a grocery store and not even consider getting any sweet carbohydrates. I've lost six pounds in the past two weeks.
I was wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on this. Anyone have similar experiences?
poster:toodlebug
thread:132168
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021217/msgs/132168.html