![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
Okay....is there any anti-depressant that does NOT cause weight gain??? Doctor just switched me to 75 mg. Effexor XR, after being on 10 mg. Lexapro for 3 months and gaining a whopping 12 pounds!!! I felt absolutely WONDERFUL (mentally) on the Lexapro.....but can't handle the weight gain.
I just read that one of the possible side effects of Effexor is loss of appetite and weight loss........I certainly hope so!!!
Anyone have any positive insight on this????
Posted by spriggy on November 3, 2005, at 17:41:34
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
I have 2 friends' on Effexor- both have lost weight and are skinny.
It works differently on everyone but it seems like Effexor and Wellbutrin are the ones that don't cause weight gain.
Posted by Racer on November 3, 2005, at 18:17:42
In reply to Re: I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by spriggy on November 3, 2005, at 17:41:34
>
> It works differently on everyoneYep. For me, although I lost some weight initially on Effexor -- during an anorexic episode, I guess I oughta mention -- over the course of a couple of years on it, I gained fifty pounds or so. Enough to go from the anorexic weight range to somewhere in the "overweight" to "obese" spectrum...
I'm sorry to bring up bad news...
Again, though, Spriggy -- you said a mouthful when you pointed out that all these meds work differently for everyone.
Posted by iforgotmypassword on November 3, 2005, at 18:52:44
In reply to Heheheh... » spriggy, posted by Racer on November 3, 2005, at 18:17:42
if the SSRI mechanism works so wonderfully, you may not want to mess with that. not only could you lose the depression relief, but due to your positive response, withdrawl may be even more likely to be an issue...
you could try adding wellbutrin or desipramine. they are both stimulating (possibly giving more energy and motivation to excercise) and anti-food addiction (if thats actually a prob, though... desipramine is actually used as an effective anti-binge eating drug)...
Posted by iforgotmypassword on November 3, 2005, at 19:00:13
In reply to Heheheh... » spriggy, posted by Racer on November 3, 2005, at 18:17:42
i should also mention that at 75mg of effexor, chances are, it is just acting as an SSRI, and may be no different from the lexapro in terms of the weight gain effects you experience. (so if you stay at this dose, its possible the switch was poinless.) as you go higher, to like 225mg or over (*possibly* also 150mg) the norepinephrine reuptake blocking effect starts to kick in, which would presumably help ward off weight gain, and help with actual weight loss.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on November 3, 2005, at 23:52:54
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
It is also important to weigh (no pun intended) the costs and benefits of taking an antidepressant for you at this time. If your depression is mild, you may want to consider psychotherapy instead (for the most part no side effects, except maybe $$$) Or if you think that things have changed in your life, and you are doing better, maybe you want to go off of AD's for a while and see if you will be okay w/o them. On the other hand, if your depression in severe, and the weight gain is not jeopardizing your health, you might want to just remind yourself that it is a trade off in order to be able to function.
Please don't take this the wrong way. It is not meant to sound critical. I take lots of meds for depression with lots of side effects. Although I only have a little weight gain, I have other s/e's like bad dry mouth. It has resulted in more dental probs (and I don't have any dental insurance) but my depression is too bad right now to risk stopping the meds. A few yrs ago (when I started meds for mild-moderate symptoms) if I had this many s/e's, I would have stopped the meds. Sadly, I'm just not in this place now. :(
Good luck,
EE
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on November 4, 2005, at 7:51:35
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
Hi Cablegirl,
I'm afraid to say that I gained weight on Effexor 75mg. Its just kinda gave me carbo cravings I guess. Celexa gained me about 24lbs as well. The only one that caused weight loss was Prozac and it managed to stay off too.
But like Spriggy said, everyone is different, and although weight gain sucks, at least if it helps the depresssion then it must be a good trade off.
All the best
M
Posted by cablegirl on November 4, 2005, at 12:06:43
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback and information!!!!
What a great web-site this is!!!
Posted by denise1966 on November 4, 2005, at 12:20:01
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
Hi,
I'm sorry but I just have to say this. I have a very good figure but I'm depressed and miserable, hardly ever go out and don't want sex so a Fat (pardon the pun) lot of good it does me!
It really pisses me off when people who feel "wonderful" on antidepressants complain about the weight gain. I can sort of sympathise but really I'd much rather be in your shoes than mine.
Denise
Posted by cablegirl on November 4, 2005, at 13:23:31
In reply to Just thank your lucky stars!, posted by denise1966 on November 4, 2005, at 12:20:01
> Hi,
>
> I'm sorry but I just have to say this. I have a very good figure but I'm depressed and miserable, hardly ever go out and don't want sex so a Fat (pardon the pun) lot of good it does me!
>
> It really pisses me off when people who feel "wonderful" on antidepressants complain about the weight gain. I can sort of sympathise but really I'd much rather be in your shoes than mine.
>
> Denise
Denise,
I feel "wondeful" compared to how I felt BEFORE being on the anti-depressants. I have always had a weight problem too my whole life. Which is something you probably would not understand if you have a "very good figure". Being over-weight and suffering from depression is a double-whammy!!!
Why are you so depressed and miserable? Have you tried to get help? Either therapy of medication? If not maybe you should. And I'm pretty sure after being in my shoes for a day and being "FAT"......you would want to go back.
Sorry if I pissed you off....but you just have no idea.........
Posted by Racer on November 4, 2005, at 19:25:48
In reply to Just thank your lucky stars!, posted by denise1966 on November 4, 2005, at 12:20:01
> Hi,
>
> I'm sorry but I just have to say this. I have a very good figure but I'm depressed and miserable, hardly ever go out and don't want sex so a Fat (pardon the pun) lot of good it does me!
>
> It really pisses me off when people who feel "wonderful" on antidepressants complain about the weight gain. I can sort of sympathise but really I'd much rather be in your shoes than mine.
>
> DeniseI'm sorry that you're in so much pain, Denise, and I can understand that it bothers you to read others talk about finding a relief you haven't, and then complaining that it comes with side effects they don't like. I hope you find relief from your depression soon.
And reading your post felt like a slap in my face. I'm one of those people who have a big problem with weight gain from anti-depressants, as you might have guessed. What I've experienced is not a case of gaining five or ten pounds on the drugs -- more like 50 to 70. Is it because I get lazy and stuff myself? I gained 20 pounds on Paxil before it helped my depression at all -- during an anorexic episode and restricting more, over-exercising more to try to stop the gain.
That may not sound like anything other than whinging to you, or it may seem as though gaining that much weight should be acceptable to me as a trade off for having my depression in remission, but you know what? It really isn't.
If you're angry that I don't think weight gain is an acceptable side effect from an antidepressant, then you're angry about it. I'm a bit beyond angry to read your post, which suggests you think I'm wrong to feel the way I do.
Posted by sal0805 on November 5, 2005, at 5:50:37
In reply to I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!!, posted by cablegirl on November 3, 2005, at 17:16:33
After 8 different AD's in 4 months and weight that could not possibly be gained under normal circumstances, I have absolutely refused to take an AD again. There has not been a single AD amongst the 20 or so that I have been prescribed (recent 8 included) that has aided me in anyway.
I have been medication free since March but am really struggling to lose the weight gained against my will. And have developed all sorts of eating issues at the same time. (That I never had prior to AD's).
I understand what you are feeling cablegirl.
Sabrina
PS - Effexor started the weight gain
PPS - My comments above are in relation to *myself* and my own experience. I am in no way advocating that AD's will be the same for others. It is unfortunate that I am AD resistant and that AD's made my situation worse (and me fat), but I am totally aware that AD's have saved many lives and will continue to do so. I just thought I should mention that.
Posted by Racer on November 5, 2005, at 11:14:39
In reply to Re: I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!! » cablegirl, posted by sal0805 on November 5, 2005, at 5:50:37
Hi, Sabrina.
I just wanted to point out to you that if you've tried 8 ADs in 4 months, then you haven't had a chance to see if any of them would help you. It takes four to six weeks, on average, for an AD to kick in once you've reached the therapeutic dosage. Since it can take a while to find the right dose for anyone, it may be that one of those meds you tried could have been the one that would help you reach remission.
Good luck, and I hope that things get better for you soon.
Posted by ed_uk on November 5, 2005, at 12:04:47
In reply to Your post felt like a slap in my face » denise1966, posted by Racer on November 4, 2005, at 19:25:48
Hi Racie
>If you're angry that I don't think weight gain is an acceptable side effect from an antidepressant, then you're angry about it. I'm a bit beyond angry to read your post, which suggests you think I'm wrong to feel the way I do.
I think this is one of those situations where people can never agree. Different people are affected so differently by weight gain. Some people are devastated, other people don't care. Most people are somewhere inbetween.
Love
Ed
Posted by sal0805 on November 5, 2005, at 12:11:34
In reply to Re: I just want to be happy....NOT fat happy!!! » sal0805, posted by Racer on November 5, 2005, at 11:14:39
Hi Racer - yes you are right and I realised that my 4 months mentioned was in fact more like six and that 2 of the AD's I, ummm (whispering) od'd on, prompting my pdoc not to re-prescribe them.
In my case (weight gain aside) I suffered extreme and severe side effects to every single ad ever tried.
I am in remission now and I place all my energy and hope into believing that it is forever. I reached this remission out of sheer fear of losing my family.
In any event, thank you so much for responding. I am doing well and hope to be supportive to others.
Sabrina
Posted by Cecilia on November 6, 2005, at 1:36:31
In reply to Your post felt like a slap in my face » denise1966, posted by Racer on November 4, 2005, at 19:25:48
I can see both sides. Racer, I don`t think anyone intended to hurt anybody. We`re all in pain, we all have a right to our feelings. Denise, unlike you I don`t have a good figure, I am extremely overweight, but like you AD`s don`t work for me (unlike you they never have) and it is SO hard to read about people they work for and wonder what that would be like. On the one hand, being overweight (at least in a country like the U.S. that hates fat people, even though it has more of them than any country in the world) is the pits. People treat you like dirt, so I can see how a med that caused a large weight gain would cancel out any AD effect. On the other hand, I was depressed before I was ever fat, and I see those ads on TV for diet programs and weight loss surgery with people beaming with happiness because they`re thin and I think who are they kidding? I don`t have the slightest belief that just being thin would make me any happier, I`ve been thin (a long long time ago) and I still hated myself. People definitely treat you better, but the depression is still there. And I can`t blame my weight on meds, I gained it long before I was on any. Cecilia
Posted by denise1966 on November 6, 2005, at 8:11:21
In reply to Your post felt like a slap in my face » denise1966, posted by Racer on November 4, 2005, at 19:25:48
But I just had to say it, I get tired of people complaining about weight gain and sexual side affects but then I guess we're all different.
I can imagine how awful it must be to not only be depressed but also heavily overweight I suppose because I smoke myself silly and get incredibly anxious I just tend to lose weight.
I remember when Paxil used to work wonderfully I did put on weight and I remember somebody commenting on it but I didn't give a damn because I felt good. Personally I would rather be overweight and happy than slim and unhappy. I think an overweight happy person is far more attractive than a slim morose person who probably smells like an ashtray.
But that's just my opinion.
All the best......Denise.
Posted by Cecilia on November 7, 2005, at 4:50:35
In reply to Sorry if I offended anyone, posted by denise1966 on November 6, 2005, at 8:11:21
Denise, I`m with you having a hard time understanding people stopping effective treatments because of sexual side effects. It`s like WHAT?-depression is 24/7-just how often do these people have sex? I know it`s not just about the sex but the self esteem and relationship issues involved, but still, depression is so all pervasive, who`s still interested in sex? As far as weight goes, it`s so dependent on the amount. There are people who think they`re fat and there are people who really are fat. Long before I really was fat I thought I was, starting the endless diet cycle. Maybe I should have started smoking instead... So I guess on one level I can understand the people who get upset about small weight gains but on another level I want to scream"What do you have to complain about?!!!" But when you really are fat, people treat you so badly; there`s so much prejudice. It starts so young- I work in a hospital and heard a nursing instructor comment about how "fat and ugly" a baby was. A baby! And she knew perfectly well he was fat because of the steroid medications he was on, but still couldn`t resist the comment. So it`s hard to imagine how there can be anybody who is overweight and happy, though maybe there are some. I don`t know, just rambling. I read all the horrible news in the newspapers and I don`t know how there can be ANYBODY in the world who ISN`T depressed, but obviously there are. I guess the only thing we all can know for sure is "Life is not fair." Cecilia
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.