An Antidepressive Question

[djpekky]

Has any of you who has taken Lexapro experienced a 10 pound weight gain that has been hard to shed no matter what?

I gained 10 pounds within 3 months of taking Lexapro (last december) and I have done a lot of exercises and dieted for a while and nothing has changed. And no. this is not muscle.

I am just desperate.

Comments

[rudini]

There are quite a few reports of weight gain on Lexapro. When I took it a few years back I did some research and found an account of an Appalacian Trail hiker that gained weight while hiking several miles a day and eating mostly raw foods. She gained 30 pounds and swore it was due to Lexapro. I switched to Wellbutrin and it worked well for me.

[valjean]

Hi there...sorry I've been MIA for awhile - just graduated yesterday =)

As for the Lexapro, one of the side effects of this particular antidepressant is weight gain...but it's not a direct effect of the medication storing more calories as fat. It's an indirect effect of the medication for 1) raising your for threshold for satiety (how much you eat before you're full) and so it 2) causes you to eat more. It's a good medication, but not for everyone. If you find yourself with this problem, as Rudini mentioned, you can switch anti-depressant classes, to Wellbutrin (also marketed as Zyban to help quit smoking...), a TCA like amitryptiline, or stay with the same class and pick another SSRI like Zoloft (stay away from Paxil - has bad withdrawal signs...). hope this helps =)

[djpekky]

It does!

Also I took Zoloft but at that time I took a birth control pill and protein shakes, and unfortunately I can't pinpoint which of the three caused a similar weight gain. But I am planning to talk to my doc today.

Peace!

Pekky

[mporter]

You should just quit taking it. Depression is rational and medicating it away will only obscure your perceptions of reality. If there is an answer to be found, it lies in thinking things through.

[djpekky]

I tried thinking things through and focusing on myself, and it has not worked. And I am against medications for this, mind you.

But I am curious. Why and how will medications obscure my sense of reality. Notice I am not being defensive here, but rather getting more and better information.

Peace!

Pekky

[mporter]

My principle is that emotions are always about something, even if you can't verbalize it. And so, if you chemically alter the emotions you feel, you are distorting the representation of your situation that they offer, just as if you were hallucinating.

Good luck with the questionnaire. ;-)

[shortindiangirl]

I like your response, but I suppose you can't always be sure that emotions are "real". I've certainly had some chemical days. But my commitment is to rebalance myself on my own terms and on my own hard work (or die). So I haven't gone for the chemicals. There have certainly been days - and yet things like good sleep, good breakfast & good excercise seem to do enough - as long as I can find those "natural" therapies that do work and utilize them.

If medications cause me side effects though (especially if those side effects can worsen my condition), I would certainly work even harder to stay off them.

I have been playing (and recently winning) a game with myself to simply ignore my disquieting moments and my downness. I just focus on action instead of though or if I cannot, just sleep it away. Winning is definitely a good thing.