Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. Let's say you're among the unlucky folks who've gained weight while taking an antidepressant. Why SSRIs Causes Weight Gain Experts aren't certain why SSRIs have the potential to put pounds on folks who take them, but there are some theories. Ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist who can help you figure out what your goal weight should be and what sorts of changes you need to make to your eating style to get there. Headaches, nausea, and vomiting are all common in the days and weeks following your last dose of Cymbalta. It may be the drugs trigger changes in metabolism that cause the body to use up calories less efficiently, or that they affect the appetite, leading a person to overeat. According to the MedTV.com, approximately 2 percent of the patients taking Prozac report that they have lost weight while they have been on this medication 4. Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. If this really bothers you, you may be tempted to pour your pills down the drain. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.Generally speaking, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others. Weight Loss or Gain With Celexa. All rights reserved. Prozac is SSRI that works by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. In this case, yes, they've added a few pounds to the scale, but only enough to get them back to normal, not to an unhealthy state of being overweight. While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. In all likelihood, you can get back to your happy weight without sacrificing your overall happiness. Lexapro also treats anxiety in many anxiety disorders. Cymbalta and Remeron are often prescribed together. When you quit Cymbalta, it can take your brain some time to adjust to being without it. Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. Besides, it's dangerous to just stop taking an antidepressant: With many of them, going cold turkey can lead to an array of unpleasant withdrawal side effects known collectively as Research suggests that the amount of weight typically gained while on an SSRI is modest. Another hypothesis is that weight gained while on an SSRI may be partially due to the fact that some people don't feel like eating when they're depressed and so they lose weight. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. If you're new to exercise, check with your doctor before you lace on those sneakers though, just to make sure you don't overdo it at first. It's possible your doctor will be able to prescribe a new Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. A 26- to 32-week comparison trial by Fava et al 10 showed that weight gain risk with SSRI therapy varies with the drug used. Learn More. This is the not the combination of drugs for your system. Posted Aug 02, 2010 But this effect is more related to your condition than to side effects of the drug. For example: Overeating or inactivity as a result of depression can cause weight gain. The manufacturer does state that steady-state dosing does occur in about 3 days. 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