Weight gain on AD's

[sunshine0806]

Why do people gain weight on anti-depressants? Did you gain weight while on AD's, and did you ever lose it? I know it is a side effect of Zoloft - I was underweight during late high school/early college, and was given it to increase my weight because my doctor was concerned. I only stayed on it a few weeks - I started gaining during that time, but attributed it to the fact that my appetite was back, not the AD. I was in a crappy retail job that was physically demanding, and I think leaving that returned my appetite.

I can't remember if Zoloft is a SSRI, but I'm on Lexapro now (SSRI), and I've gained about 4 lbs. in the first two months. Maybe it's SSRIs that increase weight, or is that a side effect with all AD's? I'm kind of happy about it since I was still a little underweight going into it. I don't want to gain much more than this, though; I seem to be gaining all of it in my belly. I know it's better to be of "average" weight, but I'm naturally thin and have a delicate bone structure. Did you just gain weight initially, or did you continue to gain weight during the course of being on AD's? Did you lose it once being off the medicine? Why do people gain while on AD's? My appetite is maybe slightly higher, but I'm not eating much more than usual... I actually have more energy on Lexapro than I ever did, so I'd think that I'd be losing weight.

[KAnders]

Hi
I am currently on Zoloft and have been on it for 8 months and so far no weight gain . Im wondering if it depends on the person , because I was told it would help me gain .

[JB68711]

Hey I was wondering the same thing. I've always been really thin too, but I'm a guy so I really hate it. My psychiatrist told me that my weight is "anxiety-related" and once I start medication it will help. Even though I've always been pretty underweight, even before I had anxiety.

I really haven't been that hungry since I started taking Lexapro 5 days ago... actually, I've been eating less. Hopefuly that will change within the next week. You said you're not eating much more than usual, so I'm thinking maybe it slows down your metabolism.

[trg247]

The worst antidepressant I take for weight gain is remeron. Along with zyprexa I gained close to thirty pounds in the first six months. The big thing is I am never hungry during the day but I always seem to be starving at nighttime.

trg247

[anxiousagain]

I think there may be some truth to the notion that ADs slow down your metabolism. Since starting Remeron, I haven't gained any weight (I'm one of the rare few I'm finding) but I've maintained my weight despite still eating less than I used. BUT, Remeron is pretty sedating, meaning I also don't feel up to exercising as much as I used, so there are a lot of factors at play in my case.

Lexapro is an SSRI and my guess would be that because SSRIs work on serotonin, which regulates sleep and appetite among other things, people who respond to such drugs just tend to eat more because they're happier. I WANT to be hungry again, so I'm coming from the opposite side of the fence. My doctor had suggested Lexapro as an alternative to the Remeron if I didn't respond (and after 5 weeks, I'm already feeling like it's stopped working). I was hesitant since I've had no major side effects with the Remeron other than fatigue, which has eased a bit. I worry about Lexapro's nausea (NOT good when you're already struggling to eat) and diarrhea potential (my anxiety tends to bring out IBS in me). Are you experiencing such problems? I've heard others say that Lexapro tires them out, but you say you feel energized on it. What dose are you on and how long have you been on it?