Comments on: Effexor and weight gain

By: naomi

naomi — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:46:04 +0000

I have been on Efexor for two years and, I have gained a lot of weight, my diet has not changed and I walk for an hour most days. While of the drug I did not care how I looked in-fact I rather liked my curvy shape, but now I am withdrawing I a shocked to see how much weight I have put on, I am not happy at all.

By: CC

CC — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:56:38 +0000

I gained 14 lbs. in 2 weeks when I came off of Lexapro, was the heaviest I’ve ever been and there were no changes in my diet or exercise. It took me about 6 months to finally lose it, I normally can lose weight pretty easily. Wellbutrin has helped with the weight loss and depression, but I still have major anxiety issues so started taking effexor about a month ago. My appetite disappeared almost completely and I had to force myself to eat, but I was gaining weight, I have no idea how cause I could barely eat and was very bloated all the time. I freaked out, not wanting to go through the ordeal I had with Lexapro, and stopped taking the effexor about a week ago. The withdrawal symptoms haven’t been fun, even after only a few weeks on it, but the weight is already gone. I still need something to help my anxiety though, something that wouldn’t cause further anxiety by making me gain weight preferably. Anyone have any suggestions?

By: j van Dusen

j van Dusen — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:55:38 +0000

Ok…I totally agree with EVERYTHING that says that Effexor affects weight gain…and no, I am NOT making excuses…All my life, I have been athletic, and slim…I have been taking kick-boxing and strength training for years as well. However, I get depressed. unfortunately it happens to alot of us! Effexor absolutely made me gain weight, and 4 years after quitting the drug, I am still fighting the weight gain, almost as if my metabolism has been altered in some way. I’m trying to combat the depression through vitamins and exercise, as I really don’t want to go back to being on anti-depressants, but it would be nice if someone came out with something that stopped the depression and kept us at normal body weight!

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:46:53 +0000

Is there an alternative to effexor that wont make you fat. I have gained 55 lbs since I started taking it. Also how do you get off the stuff. I’ve tried, but every time I feel terrible. Like what you see in movies of people coming off of drugs.

By: cmill

cmill — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:34:23 +0000

I started taking Effexor a few years ago; I have put on thirty pounds…I know my body well; I have been an athlete all my life. I have also been weightlifting since I was 14; wrestled, played soccer and was a sprinter in track… In four years I have gone from between 9-11% body fat to 18-21%. This sucks; I have always been into nutrition and know how to eat. I workout six days a week with weights, and do an hour of spinning in the am. Nothing is working….I cant lose weight or more importantly BODYFAT.. I am so convinced that it is the effexor; I need to get off this stuff it is making me more depressed…. If anybody has any advice please let me know..

By: Malia

Malia — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:52:12 +0000

Effexor XR is the culprit behind my 20 pound weight gain – I am not making excuses either.

When I began taking Effexor XR, I lost weight. The pounds came on when I abruptly went off it. I thought when I started Effexor XR again, it would remedy the problem, but it hasn’t.

By: Angie

Angie — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:24:27 +0000

I stumbled upon this post when googling “Effexor and weight gain.” And thank God I found it! I have been on Effexor for about 3 years now and have gained about 20 pounds. I have made significant changes in my diet and I started a regular running program. To my disappointment I haven’t lost a single pound in the last year or so that I have been doing this!! I have been able to lose weight before doing similar things so I am really frustrated at my current situation. I also feel like I retain water like crazy. I always feel bloated and it drives me nuts.
I’m going to see my Psychiatrist this month to get off the Effexor – I’m worried about the withdrawal effects, but it’s worth it to me. Being overweight makes me more depressed than ever, so it’s pointless for me to be on an anti-depressant if it’s going to make me fat!!
I have been on Prozac, Paxil, and Celexa over the years and Celexa did make me gain some weight. But nothing like this.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and helping me to make my decision to get off this crazy roller coaster!

By: Leah

Leah — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:35:19 +0000

I’m glad to read these posts! I’ve concluded, after years of taking different anti-D’s that we MUST listen to one another’s experiences and must NEVER discount anyone else’s trials, tribulations, or successes based on our own use of a drug. It’s becoming clear that there are several kinds of metabolisms people can have. I was struck with an epiphany after talking with my psychiatrist’s receptionist. We discovered that she loses weight with Effexor and Xoloft, and I gained my most-ever weight on them. Yet I didn’t gain weight with Lexapro, Celexa, Serzone, or Paxil…and SHE DID gain on those! These meds do affect weight…if you’ve gotten on one that’s somehow all wrong for your metabolism and probably also YOUR individual hormone balance. I’m slowly withdrawing from Effexor right now. When I’m off, if I find I need an anti-D, I will take Lexapro or Celexa and keep testing this theory and keep asking people about their weight gain/loss experiences.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:25:03 +0000

I’ve been on Effexor 337.5 mg for about a year now, and I was so depressed that I didn’t even notice the weight gain or stability… I must say, that I had a rough pregnancy, but when I started taking the meds, my daughter was 4 months old. I had lost about 40 lbs when I gave birth (or shortly after) then, when I started taking the Effexor, I started gaining weight like crazzy. I have lost close to 80 lbs about 4 years ago, and I had kept it off until the pregnancy. I know how my body (pre baby and pre Effexor) usualy works, so I’m not sure what has screwed up my metabolism, but… I’ve been kicking myself in gear for the past month, going to the gym, eating well, no more junk food and nothing – zip – nada weight loss. If any thing, a 3 lb gain in a month. This is ridiculous… I’m lost and getting depressed at all the hard work I’m putting into wanting to wake up and take control but it seems that my body isn’t listening any more… I know for a fact that the Effexor made me gain some weight. What’s causing this weight stability despite all human efforts to lose this weight is beyond my comprehension… Will talk to my doctor to try to take me off to see if it has any direct impact or not. Thank you for this spot and these posts…

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:49:05 +0000

I’ve been on Effexor XR 225 mg/day for 6 1/2 years and have gained about 70 lbs since I started on it. I weighed about 130 (5′4″) while taking Zoloft, went off meds, got severely depressed, and lost 30 lbs. I went back on Zoloft and added Wellbutrin but both made me so nauseous I lived on Ensure for several months. Effexor was my savior, but I put the 30 lbs. back on plus about 40 more. I exercise and generally eat well. The weight adds on at about 10 lbs a year. I worry about my weight, but in the end, I would rather be fat and functional than thin and depressed.

By: Josie

Josie — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:56:29 +0000

I currently take Effexor XR. It actually decreases my appetite, so I either maintain or lose weight while on it. If I miss a dose for several days I find myself eating until I’m uncomfortably full and having cravings.

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:12:05 +0000

I’ve been on Effexor for three months @ 150mg and have put on 10lbs. At first, I just thought it was a coincidence too- I went to a 1400 calorie a day diet, then 1200, then went to the gym more, etc… Nothing. I know my body pretty well, and this drug made me gain weight. No other antidepressant has. I’m tapering off now and guess what? After just one week, 2lbs gone. 0 diet changes- if anything, I’ve been eating like a pig.

I think SNRIs and SSRIs just affect everyone differently. This is messing with your seratonin levels, so I don’t think it’s that far fetched to notice a correlation between weight gain and the drugs. Personally, I believe the experiences of friends and family far more than the “research” of Wyeth.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:58:14 +0000

I have been on Effexor 225mg for about 6 months and I have gained about 30lbs. I have struggled with bulimia for over 10 years so this is even worse for me than it would be for the average depressed person. I went to the Doctor last week and he gave me Topamax to help with the weight and I have started taking only 187.5 of the Effexor now. Hopefully I will start to see results soon…

By: Judith Rauch

Judith Rauch — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:01:30 +0000

Since taking antidepressants, I have gained 45 pounds. I have recently begun to work VERY hard at losing it, but was just started on Seroquel to boost my antidpressant again, which is as bad as Effexor and some others. Please don’t assume that because your experience is different than another’s, they must be wrong.

By: BJK

BJK — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:33:45 +0000

Liz:
Haven’t checked your blog in a while, but it’s fortuitous I did today. RE:
the effexor/weight gain controversy: it would help to review how the drug works. It is not strictly an SSRI, but an SNRI, ie, it affects both serotonin and norephinephrine reuptake. Norepinephrine is a very powerful hormone, affecting many bodily functions, among them wakefulness, apetite and metabolism. If anything, my apetite decreased dramatically during the worst of the depression, and while I tried to maintain the same caloric intake, it probably was less than before. Despite this, the weight gain was dramatic, similar to what one prev. poster reported: ~ 30 lbs.
Once I got off the drug, the drop in weight was equally rapid, so I think the criticism is valid. Since you report that you feel the drug has really helped you, and your fear weight gain might be an issue, then increasing your hours of exercise would be a good idea. That said, from a pic you posted a bit back, I think you look great.

By: Mack Knopf

Mack Knopf — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:24:05 +0000

SSRI’s tend to make people gain weight. I think there’s a strong causative link there from anything I read. Lexapro was the worst because of insane-like cravings for sugar and simple carbohydrates. Effexor seems to have some effect, but not nearly as bad. I take Adderall, also, at 30 mg a day today, and it just about combines to have a healthy appetite. Which I have to watch constantly.

Sometimes I wonder whether the SSRIs actually slow your metabolism down. I’ve been on my current dose of 150 Effexor (75 twice a day) for several weeks, and on 75 mg for 3 weeks before that, which was not nearly enough.

Probably the Effexor makes me feel a little sedated and less hyper, which is normal for other people but not for me. Diagnosis: ADHD since childhood, depression since college.

So if you find yourself gaining weight on Effexor unless you do a diet and lots of exercise, you’re not alone.

Mack

By: Larry Parker

Larry Parker — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:45:52 +0000

Depakote and Zyprexa were the ones that always gave me the munchies …

On the other hand, I took Effexor for years and stopped at the beginning of the summer. And I feel a bit better AND have lost about 10 pounds without changing too much of my routine … hmmm …

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:37:50 +0000

haha. This post cracked me up. I put 30 pounds on. As soon as I went off the medication I lost the 30 pounds without even trying.

I think the reason the post cracked me up is because people can be so set in stone regarding the side effects of psych treatments they cannot comprehend others may have a completely different response.

Sorry, I haven’t seen your video!

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:36:03 +0000

Having take more than a few meds I’m loathe to project my experience with any medication to that of others. Yep, I took Effexor but my experience was my experience. Life and meds tend to work that way.

Oh, from the prescribing information for Effexor XR at http://www.effexorxr.com
Other Adverse Events Observed During the Premarketing Evaluation of Effexor and Effexor XR
Metabolic and nutritional – Frequent: edema, weight gain (page 40, para 1.)

By: gemellen

gemellen — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:16:08 +0000

i lost weight on wellbutrin. gained weight on paxil. had no effect with effexor. no effect on lexapro. different meds, different body chemistries, different side effects.