Does Effexor cause weight gain?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-18-2003
Does Effexor cause weight gain?
18
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 3:41pm
I am considering meds but DO NOT want want that causes weight gain. Any experiences with this?

THanks,

Joanne

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2003
Sat, 07-31-2004 - 6:13pm
Hi,

Yeah, all these meds are so tough to understand. And unlike most illnesses, it's hard to tell sometimes when the meds work. But anyway, to answer your question, I have been on several types of meds and have never gained weight. I was diagnosed with depressed in 1998 and have tried to go off meds, but i ended up starting to feel down again. I've realized --given my family history--it's something i will probably struggle with forever.

But, so i am currently on a Effexor and Wellbutrin combo. Appparently there's been a lot of success with this because they both trigger different brain chemicals. But, wellbutrin was added after i'd been on eff for a while. And i lost a lot of weight on effexor. I was never fat, but now am fairly thin. Going on Wel. didn't change that.

Way back when i was first diagnosed, i went on prozac. I was seriously depressed when i went on that and it helped a lot. I also lost some weight on that--though i also started a whole self-improvement regimine with exercise, etc. But, I felt like it stopped working.

i briefly took celexa and zoloft and though i didn't feel they helped me much, i didn't gain weight. So, i think it largely depends on finding what's right for you!

As for withdrawl, I have at times screwed up by not refilling my prescription or just tried to stop by myself. effexor does have more difficult withdrawl symptoms than most. It's kind of a spacey brain feeling and goes away.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2004
Sat, 07-31-2004 - 6:25pm
I've been depressed since I was twelve and began seeking treatment about two years ago. I was originally put on Effexor which, for the first while, was easy enough for me to deal with, until I began getting really stressed out at school. My grades slid, some over 10%, and I had myself committed for three days on suicide watch. My dosage was upped from 150 to 225 mg and that's where I stayed through last January. My grades continued to remain low during the time I was at 225; I was irritable, suicidal, and paranoid. I succeeded in isolating some of my very best friends, and I couldn't do my school work. In the class I should have gotten 90s in, I ended up with 71, which meant I would not graduate with Honours.

At the end of January, after having consultations with board therapists and an ADD specialist, I convinced my doctor to write me a prescription for Celexia. People have been saying I seem a lot happier, and that I've lost weight.

On Effexor, I didn't really notice if I ate a lot. Sometimes (Christmas) I gorged, but I didn't touch anything in the hospital. My mom brought me McDonald's one, and that's all I had from the Saturday I put myself in, until the Wednesday morning after I as released (which was Tuesday night). Even now, my appetite goes up and down, but I know that if I do not have at least something "good" (fruit, not just crap like chocolate), I will feel very groggy and dizzy. I don't think I've lost anything, but people say I have.

Wow, ramble. Long story short? I don't know. I didn't monitor my situation. I agree with the others, one person's body is different from another's. Some may gain, some may lose, some may yo - yo. Who knows? Good luck.

Oh, about the zombification . . . I know I haven't been able to focus very well for the past year and a half. I think that started after I went up to 150. It's possible that I may also have ADD, but the concentration has just never been a big problem for me. I know I'm at my worst when I skip a day (very easy now). It may seem frustrating when people say that you may have to try a couple, but it's true. Explain to your kids as best they'll understand that you're not feeling well and may seem kind of strange, but until you find the right balance, it's something everyone will have to deal with.

You've got the courage, you just have to find it inside. Bonne chance.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-18-2003
Sun, 08-01-2004 - 8:45pm
Thanks everyone! I had terrible nightmares on Zoloft so the thought of having those again is not pleasant. They were so bad that I hated to sleep! It sounds like Effexor may be the same way. Anyway, thanks.

Joanne

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2004
Sun, 08-01-2004 - 11:34pm
I was having weird dreams on Effexor (I usually don't dream) . . . but sometimes I still have them. I'm still kinda creeped out from the one I had last night . . .
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-31-2003
Wed, 08-04-2004 - 2:20pm
I was on Effexor for a little more than two years. And during that time I gained about 45 pounds. I was able to go off of the Effexor, but it took be two months of weaning myself off. It has now been a year since I went off of it completly and I have lost all of the weight I gained while I was on it. I have started to see signs of depression in my self again, and I'm trying to decide if it's worth going back on the Effexor. So I can understand your concern.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2004
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 7:34pm
Hi,

In the past I have been on Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro for lengths of time. I also tried to take Wellbutrin, but it made me crazy (heart racing, nervous, out of breath...) I was most recently on Prozac, and although I did notice some improvement, I was still really having some tough times. Yesterday, I went to the dr and he decided to switch me to Effexor. I talked to him about weight gain. He said that people tend to gain on the 37.5 dose and on the 75 dose, but they tend to lose weight on the 150 dose. So, what he prescribed me was to take the 37.5 dose for 7 days, the 75 dose for 7 days, and then start on the 150 dose on a permanent daily basis. I am hoping that this is truly the case. I just took the Rx to the pharmacy, so I have not started taking it yet. Of course, the first thing I noticed was the price increase. I was getting generic Prozac for $10 and this will be $25 each time. So, to get the 7, 7, and 30 that the dr prescribed will be $75, which is a major thing!

To be honest, each different med that I have been on thru the years, I tend to lose my appetite for the first few weeks to 2 months, and then I tend to get a larger appetite. So, at the beginning, I feel all happy that I am not eating as much and then I get more depressed when I go on eating frenzies! Maybe I just have an eating problem on top of the depression!

I hope the Effexor works when I begin taking it and you too.

Joy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 10:09pm
I've been on almost all the antidepressants out there except the MAOI's, and Effexor was the best one I tried at helping my depression...it was actually the only one that seemed to make a big difference in getting rid of my depressed feelings. I agree with some of the others who have posted that every person is different and will react differently to the same med.

For me, I am extremely sensitive to the sleepiness side effect of many meds, and Effexor was no exception for me...I was always sleepy while on it, and I eventually went off of it (after several years, though) because of the sleepiness. Still, I haven't heard that this is a common experience at all.

As for weight gain, I didn't notice any on Effexor...I think I may have lost some weight while on it, but that may have been just a coincidence. I did have some trouble with very vivid dreams while going on and coming off of it, but the dreams went away with time. And I know that the withdrawal for Effexor can be harder than for other meds, but still I would encourage you to try this med if your doctor recommends it...it helped me a lot!

I have my own question about weight gain...I recently raised my dose of Prozac from 10 mg to 20 mg, following my doctor's instructions. It may just be coincidental here too, but it seems to me like I'm gaining weight while eating less and exercising more than before. It's depressing in itself to have many of my clothes be too tight and feel very fat (since I have always had eating "issues," but not an eating disorder per se)...so I was wondering if weight gain is a common side effect of Prozac.

I know this was bad, but I got so bothered by the weight gain that I lowered my dose of Prozac again last night, back down to where I started...but then I woke up feeling very down, so I took the rest of my dose this morning. I know I shouldn't mess around with my meds, but I'm feeling very gross and self-conscious about my weight...and my doctor also wants me to raise my dose of another antidepressant that commonly causes weight gain. And I can't even "cheat" on my dose because the doctor wants another blood test next week to measure my antidepressant levels!

Oh well, guess I should just give in and ignore the weight gain...but that is much easier said than done...I can't bear this weight gain and want to figure out how to stop it.

Thanks,

Rose


Edited 8/6/2004 10:11 pm ET ET by rosa444

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2004
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:32am
Hi Rose,

When I first went on antidepressants, some 7 years ago, I was put on Prozac. I did not experience weight gain at that time. As a matter of fact, I lost weight. However, at the time, I was only 24 and my metabolism was higher. I also had some health issues at the time. I have always been a pretty big eater, but a small person. However, in the past 2 years, after hitting age 30 and beyond, I have gained weight, a total of about 20#. But, I also quit working out about a year ago and I have been eating lots of sweets in the last year, so it is hard to say if my weight gain is just from my bad habits or if it is from going back on Prozac. It could be a combination of getting older, starting bad habits, and even getting back on Prozac. I went from 120# to 141# in the last 1 1/2 to 2 years. I also have always had eating issues. I eat when I am stressed, unhappy... and I have always thought that I was overweight, even during the years that I was not. Now I AM and would love to go back to the weight that I was!! :)

I am anxious to start the Effexor. I am really ready for something to help me become a happier person!!

Joy

Pages