Prozac=weight gain?
 

I was wondering if anyone who is taking Prozac has gained weight as a result of the medication. Dr. is considering putting me on it and I gained alot of weight on Zoloft and I dont want to do that again.

I was taking prozac for a month or two but i stopped becuz i felt like i wasn't being myself anymore.
No, i didn't gain weight.. it depends on each individual.. You might gain weight or you might lose..you just have to try..

But i will not go back and try taking prozac again.. i feel much better now without it.

Goodluck

Prozac made me a zombie
 

Hey, I just wanted to share my experience with Prozac. I was diagnosed in high school with depression, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorger. It runs in my family. Gotta love those genes. So the dr. put me on Prozac, which was the same thing my mom was taking at the time.

Let me just give you a little back ground. Writing is my absolute passion. I'm going to school for journalism, hope to publish books, and I've written in a journal nearly EVERY day since I was in 4th grade. I have about 15 FULL journals in my closet. Writing is like breathing for me. It's how I deal with everything, asses my life's situations, it's my creativity and my happiness.

So after I'd been on Prozac for about 2 weeks, it started to kick in. I didn't gain any weight. I actually lost a substantail amount. It just took away my appetite, I guess. But it also took away my personality. No matter how much something hurt or upset me, I couldn't cry. Physically, I had no tears. I completely stopped writing, ANYTHING. And my English classes, etc. (which I previously held the highest grade in) started to suffer. I couldn't write about things I felt strongly about, because I didn't FEEL.

My journal gathered dust, and all I did was sleep. I don't know if all of this is typical or not for people who take prozac, but if I ever get on another anti depressant, it will not be this one. I had no emotion, no feeling, (happy or sad). Weird experience. So I've been off it for about three years, and I won't say it isn't a daily struggle. I've been considering getting back on some type of anti depressant, to help me with my OCD and eating disorders, but I just can't bring myself to do it, if I'm going to be a zombie.

So anyhow, about gaining weight on Prozac, I think it just depends from person to person. My mom gained a lot of weight while she was on it. I don't know that it was due to the actual PILL, but we both started Atkins last summer, and honestly Atkins is my anti depressant right now. Hope I shed some light for you :) Feel free to comment! I'd like to hear other's stories.

All SSRI antidepressants cause weight gain. Usually 20 to 40 pounds with long term use. I wish more doctors would tell the truth. In studies comparing many supplements to SSRIs, the SSRIs come up short. Too many side effects for too little mental health improvement.

Don't ever go off long term SSRIs without doctor's help however. I'm not cruel enough to go into a detailed description of withdrawal. Taper off very, very gradually if you have taken them for more than four months.

Carrottop, what's an SSRI? Is that what Prozac is? I dissagree that it causes weight-gain, if that's the case. As I said, when I was taking prozac I lost between 5-10 lbs.

Yes it is an SSRI. When they first came out it was thought they cause weight loss. I lost 8 pounds in the first two months. What they didn't know was that long term there is significant weight gain. If you go to Google and type in your SSRI and the words weight gain, you will see tons :lol: of stuff. Not everone gains of course, just as not everyone on it has suicidal ideation. Side effects are individual.

Confused,
If you had difficulty with wieght previously on Zoloft, perhaps request a different type of antidepressant from you physician. Ther are many others that will give good results hopefully without affecting you the same way.
I have been on Zoloft about a year and had been on Prozac many many years ago. I am a slow loser but have still been able to lose. I amalso now able to sleep, which before had been a major problem. It is all a matter of looking at if the benefits outweigh the sideffects, or if there are other options that may give you the benefits without the side effects. Depression can also cause weight gain, and dosages can be adjusted, but ultimately it is such an individual exoerience. Please talk with you doctor before starting anything too see what the best option for you is.

Take care!
Kristen

Bigger question: Why?
 

Doctors don't just pull drugs out of their back pocket for no reason at all. It depends on your symptoms. Prozac is one of the oldest now, and maybe cheapest (isn't it off patent?). There are others. Some are straight SSRIs and work on serotonin, but that's just one of the three chemicals responsible for mood. Wellbutrin works on the dopamine levels, and has it's own set of side effects. Then there are many new drugs, plus 5-HTP or St. John's wort for the DIY contingent.

They need to be respected; even the "natural" drugs have side effects (talk to me about St John's wort sunburn...), and most can't just be mixed-and-matched without medical supervision.

If you can get medical supervision. Many doctors just don't want any supplements in the picture. Many doctors don't know much when it comes to supplements. Also few health plans pay for supplements. Once doctors have decided on a treatment plan, they just monitor the medication. Supplements can complicate that picture.

Miss Model raises important questions concerning creativity and feeling like oneself. SSRIs and other drugs that work on mood (like lithium and Depakote) flatten ones emotions. We create art and writing on the strength of our emotions. There are respected writings on mood disorders and creativity. Everyone has to measure the detriment vs. the payoff. For me, not writing ruins everything else.

Some of the newer SSRIs have fewer side effects, including that of weight gain.

I wonder if there is much information concerning weight gain and supplements. Does St. John's Wort cause weight gain? Does 5HTP (which also affects the serotonin level)? Does SAM-E? These are all things I would like to know. I also wish I knew if these supplements flatten creativity?

I disagree with the weight gain on Prozac.. I was put on Sarafem, which is a form of Prozac about 2 years ago... for symptoms of depression, baby blues (after the birth of my daughter), PMS and perimenopausal symtoms... it has made all the difference in the world to me, I am 44 years old and I feel FANTASTIC... even tho I am losing weight slowly, I AM LOSING, I have lost 28 lbs in approx 4 mos.. but everybody is different and not everyone an adapt to the same thing... its been a life saver for me (and my family!!!)

the antidepressants which will cause weight gain are ones with diazapines in them or antihistamines to control anxiety and help sleep. two that i have been on and gained weight are called (in the UK) dothiepin and mirtazapine.

i don't know exactly why you gain weight but your appetite increases and you become more lethargic - as for a chemical slowing down of the metabolism i don't know.

i found the effect similar to getting the munchies after smoking pot - desire for lots of high sugar/carb foods.


other antidepressants (generally SSRIs) caused no gain or loss for me.

SSRIs can cause weight gain because they do affect metabolism.

Here is an except from www.netnutritionist.com :

The Relationship between Weight Gain and Medications for Depression and Seizures

by Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN
NetNutritionist.com

Are Americans now fatter than any other nation on the planet? This topic has been discussed, debated, and researched for the past 35 years. Americans continue to gain weight despite the billions of dollars that they spend annually on diets and diet foods. It is common knowledge that sedentary lifestyles, excessive consumption, and obsessive dieting are major factors in this trend. What else could be contributing to the skyrocketing obesity epidemic in the United States? Could the medications that some Americans take be a contributing factor in the obesity problem?

In the past decade, there has been an increase in the development and use of prescription medication to treat depression, seizures, and sleep disorders. Recently, we have also seen a rise in television, newspaper, and magazine advertisements for prescription medications led by the marketing of antidepressants, such as Prozac.

In 1999 Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil were among the top 15 prescription medications dispensed in the US. Of the 124 billion dollars generated by the US prescription sales market, these three antidepressants were listed in the top 10 revenue-producing medications. Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin/Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), and antipsychotics were listed in the top 6 money makers of the 20 leading prescription products ranked by US pharmaceutical industry sales.

Current studies suggest that long-term use of SSRIs, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil is associated with weight gain. The purpose of this article is to list some of the popular psychotropic and seizure disorder medications on the market today and discuss the relationship, if any, these medications may have with body weight changes. A review of several studies regarding exercise and depression will also be reviewed.


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The information presented in this article is not intended to discourage, endorse, or recommend either treatment for depression or any of the products reviewed. It is intended solely as a review of the available information regarding weight changes associated with the products listed. As always, consult your physician or medical professional regarding any questions or medical conditions.


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Many people are not aware that weight gain is one of the most common side effects associated with many antidepressants prescribed today. In fact, medications such as Fluoxetine (Prozac®) and Buproprion HCL (Wellbutrin®) have actually been marketed for obesity treatment.

Antidepressants can affect weight in several ways:

They may increase or decrease basal metabolic rate without changing caloric intake.
They may affect hormonal changes and increase appetite.
Unexpected weight gain can increase the difficulties associated with psychiatric and seizure disorders by further aggravating mood instability and low self-esteem.

The following paragraphs contain brief descriptions of several classes of psychotropic and seizure disorder medications.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs comprise one of the major classes of antidepressants currently being prescribed by primary care physicians. At first, SSRIs were thought to be associated with weight loss and reduced appetite. For a while, they were even marketed as anti-obesity drugs. It is now known that long-term use of SSRIs is associated with weight gain.

The reason that SSRIs contribute to weight gain is not known. Although it was a widely held belief that drugs that increase serotonin output also decrease hunger, this does not seem to be the case. Patients using SSRIs often report symptoms of hypoglycemia (weakness, dizziness, frequent hunger, and headaches) when they do not eat. Symptoms of hypoglycemia may indicate hyperinsulinemia (elevation of insulin in the blood).

The five most common SSRIs currently prescribed in the United States today are as follows:

Citalopram (Celexa®)
Fluoxetine (Prozac®)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox®)
Paroxetine (Paxil®)
Sertraline (Zoloft®)
Paroxetine (Paxil®) appears to have the most significant impact on weight gain of all of the SSRIs. Studies show that patients using Paxil experience an increase in breast size as well as weight gain and increased serum prolactin. One case report linked cravings for carbohydrates with Citalopram (Celexa®) while other studies showed an average weight gain over time of 15-20 pounds with Sertraline (Zoloft), Fluoxetine (Prozac®), and Citalopram (Celexa®).

However, SSRIs cause less weight gain, fewer anticholinergic symptoms, and less toxic adverse effects than tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). These findings have led to the increase in SSRI prescriptions by psychiatrists and primary care providers. Primary care providers are not likely to be familiar with the difference between the various SSRIs relative to their possible weight gain side effects.

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)

TCAs were the most commonly prescribed antidepressants before SSRIs became widely available. Tricyclic antidepressants are often used to treat sleep disorders and to help patients manage pain. Most physicians are aware that TCAs can contribute significantly to weight gain.

Weight gain and other side effects vary from one TCA to another as well as from one patient to another. Many drugs in this class induce slowing of the metabolism and carbohydrate cravings. Factors more clearly understood involve histamine and alpha 1 receptor blocking actions. Appetite stimulation and weight gain make it extremely difficult for the diabetic using a TCA to control blood sugar.

TCAs include the following:

Amitriptyline (Elavil®)
Amoxapine (Asendin®)
Clomipramine (Anafranil®)
Desipramine (Norepramine®, Pertofrane®)
Doxepin (Adapin®, Sinequan®)
Imipramine (Janimine®, Tofranil®)
Nortriptyline (Aventyl®, Pamelor®)
Protriptyline (Vivactil®)
Trimipramine (Rhotramine®, Surmontil®)
Weight gain with TCAs is dose dependent and relative to the length of therapy.

The greatest weight gain among TCA patients has been observed with those using either amitriptyline (Elavil®) or imipramine (Janimine®, Tofranil ®).



Here is another site but they are selling stuff:

www.prozactruth.com/weight.htm

I found that Prozac made it so I couldn't feel, and like I wasn't myself. It also caused me to have severe nightmares, even months after my doc had taken me off of it. I also gained a lot of weight and had many other side effects. I've been through all kinds of antidepressants... the most recent was Effexor, but I decided to get off of it because I was sick of being emotionless and having those little bodily jerks all the time. My emotions are a rollercoaster now, and I'm not sure if I should be on it or not, but it's nice to at least stop gaining weight, and feel like a human being again.

You might want to try 5-HTP, a supplement. When you say your emotions are like a rollercoaster, do you mean sometimes very depressed and sometimes agitated and maybe sometimes being too impulsive. If this is the case, stay away from supplement SAM-E.

To feel calmer supplement GABA can help.

Maybe if you have had really up and down emotions for a long time, you should have a psychiatrist (not your family doctor) evaluate you for bipolar or cyclothymic disorder. Too many family physicians are over-prescribing psych meds. My opinion is that only an expert should do this.