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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by reilly on October 13, 2005, at 14:31:04
I have been on cymbalta for about 4 months and have experienced serious weight gain. My doc and his nurse confirm that other women have experienced the same thing.
I love this medication. It seems to be taking care of both my anxiety and depression. I tried to get off of it last week because of the weight gain but I felt so depressed, I couldn't function.
Has anyone else experienced weight gain or maybe it is just women in my age group. (50's)
I am a licensed psychologist and hesitate to recommend this med to my clients because of this side effect.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on October 13, 2005, at 21:02:02
In reply to Weight Gain, posted by reilly on October 13, 2005, at 14:31:04
I don't know anything abt weight gain, but I did have a question abt your post. You mentioned trying to get off of cymbalta last week, but getting too depressed after you tried to stop. How quickly did you try to get off of it? Sometimes people have had awful withdrawal depression. Perhaps you could get off of it if you go very slowly?
Or, what meds have you tried in the past? People on this board often have great suggestions abt different meds or combos you might consider.
Best,
EE
Posted by reilly on October 13, 2005, at 21:16:17
In reply to Re: Weight Gain » reilly, posted by Emily Elizabeth on October 13, 2005, at 21:02:02
> I don't know anything abt weight gain, but I did have a question abt your post. You mentioned trying to get off of cymbalta last week, but getting too depressed after you tried to stop. How quickly did you try to get off of it? Sometimes people have had awful withdrawal depression. Perhaps you could get off of it if you go very slowly?
>
> Or, what meds have you tried in the past? People on this board often have great suggestions abt different meds or combos you might consider.
>
> Best,
> EEI tried to go off too quickly. I went to every 3 days. Very stupid. I take wellbutrin which was working until my brother died. Now I am taking wellbutrin and cymbalta. It works great except for the weight gain which isn't making me happy. I am going to vegas next week so I don't want to switch anything until I get back. My doc said he would switch me to something else but effexor made me gain weight too. Thanks for answering. reilly
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on October 14, 2005, at 9:05:48
In reply to Re: Weight Gain, posted by reilly on October 13, 2005, at 21:16:17
Vegas is fun. It might be a nice break away from it all. Have you tried just a regular SSRI rather than an SNRI? Of course, weight gain can be a prob w/ so many meds, but it is so hit or miss for any one individual. It might be worth a shot.
If you have tried SSRI's unsuccessfully, you might try a TCA-SSRI combo. I think TCA's are also notorious for weight gain, but the combo would help target more neurotransmitters and would (probably) let you take a lower dose of each.
I guess the biggest question is: how bad is your depression? If it is awful you might want to begin the search for a combo. It has been a long and frustrating chase for me. If not, maybe it makes sense to try to stop the meds again. It is a hard decision.
Best,
EE
Posted by merry_dove on October 14, 2005, at 16:50:47
In reply to Weight Gain, posted by reilly on October 13, 2005, at 14:31:04
I started taking Cymbalta when Prozac began to poop out. I have been taking it for about 2 months now and have gained 15 pounds. It has helped with my depression as well as with my social anxiety. But since I was already 20 pounds overweight this extra weight gain is very distressing. I am extremely self conscious about it. I haven't decided yet if I should switch to Effexor.
Posted by Racer on October 14, 2005, at 17:08:20
In reply to Re: Weight Gain » reilly, posted by merry_dove on October 14, 2005, at 16:50:47
I've been on Cymbalta since late August of last year, and Wellbutrin XL since a couple of months later. I've also gained a lot of weight from treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, so I can't tell how much is the drug, how much is the treatment, you know?
EVERY ONE of the antidepressants I've taken in the past have made me gain a huge amount of weight -- despite continuing the anorexic behaviors until I've gained so much weight that I give up and chow down and get totally disgusted with myself. This is the first time the drugs have been combined with therapy to normalize my eating. I can tell you that I haven't lost weight when I've gone back to restricting, which has bothered me a lot, but I can't tell if any of my gain is from the meds themselves. Wellbutrin is said to control weight gain from other meds.
The two meds I've read about using to control weight gain on ADs -- besides Wellbutrin -- are Topomax and Glucophage. If your doctor actually believes that ADs cause weight gain, you might ask about trying something to counter the gain before you give up on the med that works for you.
Good luck.
Posted by Camille Dumont on October 17, 2005, at 19:31:29
In reply to Re: Weight Gain » reilly, posted by merry_dove on October 14, 2005, at 16:50:47
Well, if it can encourage you a bit, for me Effexor & Celexa combined make me lose weight ... or at least make me not hungry which in turn translates to weight loss. Somehow makes food less appealing and enjoyable. I'll have a few bites and then not feel like eating the rest of whatever I'm having.
This is the end of the thread.
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