Posted by Racer on May 19, 2004, at 18:00:42
In reply to Dr. says NO WEIGHT GAIN WITH EFFEXOR, He's wrong, posted by semi-conscious on May 18, 2004, at 22:34:48
Ugh. It sure would be nice if the doctors actually listened to patients, wouldn't it? Oh, well...
As for the weight gain issue, a big part of the problem is the length of clinical trials. Most clinical trials of these drugs are short term -- 6 to 8 weeks seems typical, as far as I've seen -- so they list the side effects seen in that time period. Most of the SSRI related weight gain happens past that period -- my reading says about 6 months into it, for what that's worth. So, your doctor probably thinks he is up on what the meds do, even though he's wrong about this one.
Another problem the pdocs have is the limited range of tools (meds) available to them. Some doctors are WONDERFUL -- they'll tell you things like, "gee, I'm really sorry about the side effects, we can try to limit their impact on your life, but this really is the best we can do for you. Is it good enough?" But a lot more doctors seem to avoid facing the impact these drugs can have. It's as if they say to themselves, "this is the best I can do -- and damn it it's good enough!" and then tell their patients that the weight gain isn't from the drugs -- you just eat wrong, or you're lazy. (Thanks, Doc, I feel much better now...) On the one hand, I can't blame them. It must be awfully hard on them to know that the drugs available to relieve misery cause another kind of misery. On the other hand, I do wish more doctors would admit the misery to their patients and offer support, instead.
As for weight gain and Effexor, yes. I gained a significant amount of weight, and nothing made much difference about it. It had a significant negative impact on my life. The withdrawal from the drug was hideous, and I tapered down over eight months, so it wasn't the rapid cessation that caused the problems. Specific numbers? I stopped stepping on the scale after gaining 40 pounds, but I know I gained about another 20 after that. Maybe I ate more, but I was dieting through most of that time -- almost to the point of starvation, at times. I certainly got a ton of exercise -- I had a physical job that involved a lot of aerobic exertion. If I sweat that much and don't lose weight, trust me, it's drug-related.
I'm sorry you're experiencing this, and hope it gets better.
poster:Racer
thread:348418
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040515/msgs/348683.html