Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
I've been on Effexor XR, Paxil, Buspar, and Wellbutrin (usual!) and have gained from all of them at a rate of 1-2 lbs a week, with a lot of exercise and low calorie lifestyles.
Has anyone gained on numerous meds, but eventually found one that was OK and didn't cause weight gain? I just hate that fact that I basically have no control over what my body does when I take medications, plus, I don't like being overweight.
This is probably very unlikely that I'd find an anti-depressant that'll be weight neutral, since even Wellbutrin caused me to gain a lot. These medications still have very poorly understood mechanisms! (I've heard that some people think those prone to weight gain have their leptin, serum glucose, and insulin-sensitivity altered by the drugs.) But whatever that are, they don't agree with my desire to not store large amounts of fat!
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
I don't really know the answer to your question, but I can tell you that Remeron did make me gain weight, and I'm an exerciser also. It's so difficult because everyone reacts differently with every drug. No one's body chemistry is the same as the next persons. Have any of the drugs that made you gain weight actually improved your mood?
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
Umm... Paxil and Buspar didn't change my mood significantly enough for me to notice, but I wasn't on them very long, I was young, and it was my first experience with psych drugs. I don't think I was really observant enough to tell.
Wellbutrin... hmm... it may have helped a little bit. All I remember is that when I stopped taking it, I realized the drug had slightly blunted my emotions.
Effexor did pull me out of a bad depression, but quickly caused huge amounts of apathy (along with a 20 lb gain in 6 weeks). I stopped taking it because I wanted to be able to *feel* human emotions and Effexor was preventing that. I chose the possibility of unhappiness over simply existing and not caring due to medication.
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckygem13
Yes. The Emsam patch does not cause weight gain, I love it.
Really?
What size patch to you have? Do you have any major side effects?
What other meds did you take that caused weight gain?
It seems like EMSAM was never really marketed well or promoted to doctors. I've never heard a doc talk about it and have never met anyone who takes it. If it had been heavily promoted, the ads would also be marketed to the public, and you'd see more people taking EMSAM.
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
Hi Sue,
I have the smallest dose patch. I gained weight on Prozac, Lexepro, & Zoloft. The patch is really best for people that have basically lifelong depression, the Dr's call this atypical depression but it is really more common than situational depression. The reason it is best for atypical depression is because it is an MAOI. It has always been rare for a Dr to prescribe an MAOI because of the dangerous side effects. Because Emsam is a patch it is not processed through your liver and therefore there are no dangerous side effects. The manufacturer says there can be side effects only on the higher dose patches but my P doc says they are just saying that to protect themselves and she tells her patients even on the higher doses to not worry about interactions. That warning is on there basically because it is such a new med and will probably be removed once it's been on the market for several years. I also hear it is expensive, I don't know the cost because my insurance covers it.
Do you gain fat in one particular area of your body or all over?
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckygem13
Hi Sue,
I have the smallest dose patch. I gained weight on Prozac, Lexepro, & Zoloft. The patch is really best for people that have basically lifelong depression, the Dr's call this atypical depression but it is really more common than situational depression. The reason it is best for atypical depression is because it is an MAOI. It has always been rare for a Dr to prescribe an MAOI because of the dangerous side effects. Because Emsam is a patch it is not processed through your liver and therefore there are no dangerous side effects. The manufacturer says there can be side effects only on the higher dose patches but my P doc says they are just saying that to protect themselves and she tells her patients even on the higher doses to not worry about interactions. That warning is on there basically because it is such a new med and will probably be removed once it's been on the market for several years. I also hear it is expensive, I don't know the cost because my insurance covers it.
Do you gain fat in one particular area of your body or all over?
Luckygem
OK, it doesn't surprise me that you're on the lowest dosage of EMSAM, since that's when it probably acts like an MAOI-B inhibitor, and not an MAOI-A inhibitor (which involves the serotonergic system and commonly associated with weight gain- like Nardil and Parnate). MAOI-B's are pretty stimulating, I believe. Do you have any anxiety problems?
My weight gain seemed to be all over my body. It wasn't an unusual pattern. I'm more of a pear-shaped woman and hold my weight in my hips/thighs, which is where most of my med-induced weight went.
I too have atypical depression. It tends to be low-level, but have periods of higher-level depression. I am also mood-reactive... so I can smile and act happy and fun when I'm in the presence of very friendly people or have a very positive experience.
Re: Anyone with previous weight gain find an acceptable med?
Wow Sue,
You are just like me except I'm an apple not a pear I am sooo sick of people asking me if I'm pregnant! I've been on Emsam about 4 months now. I have a lot of anxiety and always have. I take time released Xanax every night to help me sleep.
does not cause weight gain, I love it.
I am sooo sick of people asking me if I'm pregnant! I've been on Emsam about 4 months now. I have a lot of anxiety and always have. I take time released Xanax every night to help me sleep.
