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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ants on March 16, 2005, at 9:23:13
For those who gained weight on Effexor or other meds, how long were you on it before you started gaining weight? Was it immediate? Also, did you lose the weight after you stopped the medication (if you did stop)?
I have been on Effexor about 6 months. I have gained a few pounds, but I had lost a lot of weight due to my depression and anxiety before I started Effexor. I am getting married this summer and I already have my dress. I am getting totally paranoid that I am all of a sudden going to balloon. I am seeing my doctor on Friday and I think I might try to add something for the sexual side effects. Anything that will not put the pounds on?????
Posted by Mark H. on March 16, 2005, at 12:35:16
In reply to meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by ants on March 16, 2005, at 9:23:13
Hi Ants,
It took me about 5-6 years to gain about 40 pounds on Effexor, but I was skinny and had a very fast metabolism. Effexor seems to increase your appetite, and over time you don't notice that you're eating larger portions. If you stay conscious of how much you're eating, you should be OK.
Congratulations on your up-coming wedding!
Best wishes,
Mark H.
Posted by Phillipa on March 16, 2005, at 19:28:57
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by Mark H. on March 16, 2005, at 12:35:16
About lmth for remeron to start me gaining wt. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by TommyIsland on March 17, 2005, at 7:42:43
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take? » Mark H., posted by Phillipa on March 16, 2005, at 19:28:57
Effexor by itself never caused any weight gain for me but Depakote caused my metabolism to slow down to a turtle crawl and I gained 15 pounds and I worked out like crazy not to gain anymore. After stopping the Depakote the weight slid right off and I eat like a pig.......go figure..........
Posted by Camille Dumont on March 17, 2005, at 11:29:14
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by TommyIsland on March 17, 2005, at 7:42:43
Zyprexa ... hmmm ... about 15 seconds.
Seriously I only took it for 1.5 weeks and managed to put on 10% of my own body weight in that amount of time so it was pretty immediate
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:09:45
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by TommyIsland on March 17, 2005, at 7:42:43
> Effexor by itself never caused any weight gain for me but Depakote caused my metabolism to slow down to a turtle crawl and I gained 15 pounds and I worked out like crazy not to gain anymore. After stopping the Depakote the weight slid right off and I eat like a pig.......go figure..........
This was basically my experience, too, though I gained 30 pounds. The weight didn't slide off after I quit Depakote, but it came off slowly but surely (while I was still on Effexor).
Unfortunately, I've never been able to eat like a pig (or even like other people my height) without gaining weight. I'm what my dad calls a "keeper." He says when he was a boy, growing up on a farm in rural Southern Indiana, in the winter, the locals would let their horses out to forage for the winter. In the spring, some would be bony and scraggly, and others would be fat and sleek. They called the latter keepers because they could "keep" well on the smallest amount of stubble and bark and what-have-you. His mom was good German peasant stock... fat and sassy. That's me!
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:13:28
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by Camille Dumont on March 17, 2005, at 11:29:14
> Zyprexa ... hmmm ... about 15 seconds.
>
> Seriously I only took it for 1.5 weeks and managed to put on 10% of my own body weight in that amount of time so it was pretty immediateYikes! I took Zyprexa one night in the middle of a 15-month-long bout of anxiety, insomnia and depression. It turned off the noise in my head and I slept like a log, but I felt like a zombie the next day. Then I read about the weight gain (and potential for tardive dyskinesia) and I decided it wasn't the drug for me. Sure was nice to get a night's sleep, though.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:18:00
In reply to meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by ants on March 16, 2005, at 9:23:13
> ... I have been on Effexor about 6 months. I have gained a few pounds, but I had lost a lot of weight due to my depression and anxiety before I started Effexor. I am getting married this summer and I already have my dress. I am getting totally paranoid that I am all of a sudden going to balloon. I am seeing my doctor on Friday and I think I might try to add something for the sexual side effects. Anything that will not put the pounds on?????
First: Congratulations! Second, try augmenting with Wellbutrin. Are you on a high dose of Effexor? You might need to lower it when you add the Wellbutrin. It's an atypical antidepressant that tends to be weight neutral or even help you lose weight. It also frequently helps with the sexual side effects. But for some it increases anxiety and/or insomnia, so you might not want to take it alone if these are problems for you.
Good luck!
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:24:19
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take? » ants, posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:18:00
> > ... I have been on Effexor about 6 months. I have gained a few pounds, but I had lost a lot of weight due to my depression and anxiety before I started Effexor. I am getting married this summer and I already have my dress. I am getting totally paranoid that I am all of a sudden going to balloon. I am seeing my doctor on Friday and I think I might try to add something for the sexual side effects. Anything that will not put the pounds on?????
Also: Join Curves and try to go 3 days a week. I am NOT an exerciser by nature (not exercise for exercise's sake anyway) and I find Curves to be ideal for me. It's nearby. It takes only 30 minutes. And most of the other women are just average women. No perky co-eds or supermodels in flashy spandex leotards. I've been going almost 4 months and I've firmed up and feel a lot better about myself, so that makes me feel sexier. My husband thinks I'm dead sexy, bless his heart.
Posted by ants on March 21, 2005, at 11:49:45
In reply to Re: meds and weight gain...how long does it take? » ants, posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 11:18:00
well, i saw my doctor and he suggested that i "not rock the boat" for now since the wedding is coming up and changing meds can be a long process. So for now I am just staying on the Effexor (75mg), exercising to ease my mind of the weight issue, and dealing with the sexual s/e's "the old fashioned way". He said later if they don't improve we can either try Lexapro or Cymbalta or add something like Viagra. We shall see. Wellbutrin is not great for me since I had a lot of anxiety before the Effexor.
Curves sounds great-I have always wanted to join that, actually. For now I try to go running with my fiance (well, he runs about twice as many miles, but we do it on the treadmill so it is sort of "together") and do some of the machines at our little apartment gym.
thanks all!
ant
Posted by thankgodfornardil on March 22, 2005, at 20:36:34
In reply to thanks all, posted by ants on March 21, 2005, at 11:49:45
I initially gained 20 lbs. on Nardil. But I've almost lost it all again on Weight Watchers. I'm losing more slowly than most, but hey, slowly but surely.
Posted by Cybele on April 12, 2005, at 8:05:09
In reply to meds and weight gain...how long does it take?, posted by ants on March 16, 2005, at 9:23:13
> For those who gained weight on Effexor or other meds, how long were you on it before you started gaining weight? Was it immediate? Also, did you lose the weight after you stopped the medication (if you did stop)?
>I was on Effexor for 5 months and gained about one pound a week, 20 pounds altogether. The weight gain started within the first few weeks. I've been off of it for 7 months and am still struggling to lose the weight. While I was taking Effexor it did improve my dysthymia, but the weight gain was so unacceptable I could not stay on it. During that time I was not eating much more than before, and I had even increased my aerobic exercise which should have compensated. It was incredibly frustrating to be taking 3 grueling spinning classes a week, eating normally, and still be gaining weight! I went from 200 to 220 pounds and I am a 44-year old woman. I am a 44-year old 220 pound woman in incredibly good cardio condition (I also do weights), but frustrated as hell that I can't lose that weight.
The weight gain of Effexor really caught me by surprise. Now that I am off Effexor I am not handling stress as well, so I do a lot "stress eating." (The kids start fighting with each other, or arguing with me, and I think "Seven Layer Bar from Starbucks!" or "Chipotle Grill Carnitas Burrito!" or "A Cosmopolitan and cheese and cracker plate!") I am maintaining my Effexor weight gain but eating *a lot* more than I was while taking it, so Effexor clearly was the culprit. Exercise has remained constant. My metabolism definitely tanked on Effexor.
This is the end of the thread.
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