Lexapro and Weight Gain...

[LS289]

Is it inevitable? Does lexapro cause weight gain and is it totally impossible to avoid?? (Lexapro is an antidepressant) I already wrote this in a reply to another post, but I wanted to make it its own thread as well so it gets noticed.

If it does cause weight gain, how? Does it cause you to be more hungry/want to eat more so you do that andl then gain weight? Or, even if you continue to eat the same way, does it cause you to gain weight?????

Answers!!!

[Gopherhead]

Originally Posted by LS289

Is it inevitable? Does lexapro cause weight gain and is it totally impossible to avoid?? (Lexapro is an antidepressant) I already wrote this in a reply to another post, but I wanted to make it its own thread as well so it gets noticed.

Lexapro is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and it should not cause weight gain, it might even cause weight loss as one of the side effects is a decrease in appetite. You can read about it here [moderator approved website]: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/500409.html

More common side effects include:
Constipation; decreased interest in sexual intercourse; diarrhea; dizziness; dry mouth; ejaculation delay; gas in stomach; heartburn; inability to have or keep an erection ; impotence; increased sweating ; loss in sexual ability desire, drive, or performance ; nausea; stomach pain ; sleeplessness; trouble sleeping; unable to sleep; sleepiness or unusual drowsiness

Less common
Abdominal pain; chills; cough; decreased appetite; diarrhea; fever; general feeling of discomfort or illness; headache ; joint pain; loss of appetite ; muscle aches and pains; nausea; not able to have an orgasm; pain or tenderness around eyes and cheekbones; runny nose; shivering; shortness of breath or troubled breathing; sneezing ; sore throat; stuffy nose ; sweating; tightness of chest or wheezing; trouble sleeping; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting

[LS289]

Thanks for easing my worry. The last thing I would want is to gain weight from my ANTI-depressant. Haha. When weight gain does occur, however, is it because of increased apetite that leads to eating more food and then = weight gain, or do the chemicals in the medication themselves cause inevitable weight gain?

[kari d]

see my post under "prozac & suppressants"

[Soulcatcher]

I take Lexapro and I go to a gym and I haven't had any problem with weight gain or weight loss. The only thing I don't suggest doing is eating sugars, or caffiene because you get a fake high or burst of energy and when you come down off of that then you may get tired. Maybe that's where you got the info on gaining weight. You just have to watch your diet.