How long after you came off anti-depressants did you lose weight?

[mummy6tummy]

Asking in here as it gets more traffic than MH.

I was taking anti-depressants for about 6 months (escitalopram). I have finally tapered off it over 6 weeks (although I am STILL getting brain zaps!), I think it must have played havoc with my metabolism/hormones because although I am not eating more than usual, am pretty active (walk about 2 miles each day), the weight has crept up. Over that time I have put on about 5 or 6 kilos and have this strange layer of fat around my middle which feels really unnatural as though it is hormonal. I have never been super skinny but have always been slim. I am quite short 5'2" so this extra weight is quite noticeable and I am probably now the heaviest I have ever been.

What I wanted to ask was, if you came off anti-depressants, how long did it take you to lose weight and did it start coming off naturally or did you have to really change your eating and exercise habits to compensate? And no, it didn't help much with my depression (and I feel even worse now I have this extra weight).

[Raisinn]

I know it's been a while but I came across this thread while looking for answers so it may help someone too. I definitely know that my weight gain on sertraline was due to medication and not the change of my eating habits.
I have been watching my diet for years and have been on low GI/low saturated fat diet prescribed by my dietician, my weight was the same since I was in high school and I never was prone to weight changes. Because I recorded my food so many years I know that I didn't increase calories, nor changed the timings or frequency of eating. My diet was exactly the same. Yet, I have gained 5kg in 3 months and developed fat deposit around my belly. It doesn't seem to come off even with increased activity levels and reduction in calories. Weight is up every time I check. I am 5'0'' so it is noticeable and alarming.
My doctor told me it is most likely that my anxiety made me burn more calories for years, I had higher heart rate, frequent bowel movements and now when I'm fine, my body slowed down. Before my body was used to burn certain calories and maintain same weight but looks like now that amount of calories is too much.
I wonder if that is really the case. I am worrying and slowly thinking to switch meds to something else but looks like everything can cause weight gain :(

[scarpa]

I put a LOT of weight on while on citalopram. Haven't lost any yet 2 months after stopping it entirely :(

[lineandsinker]

I’m bucking the trend here; I have lost weight on Sertraline. I’m on Sertraline for the second time in 2 years and have lost 6kg (but have stabilised now). I lost 5kgs in the initial first weeks of taking as it killed my appetite stone cold dead (and, anxiety) and have lost a further 1kg since, despite my appetite returning to normal and eating more treats than usual.

The first time I was on Sertraline post-natally, I recall not gaining any weight despite having giving birth and not being mobile for a number of weeks following my c-section. Once I stopped the Sertraline, I gained 4kg despite not changing my diet or appetite and I could not shift the weight gain until this most recent period of anxiety.

[bluebeck]

I lost loads of weight on prozac, gained it all back when I came off it.

I guess we all react differently to different medication - also worth bearing in mind that the usual age related metabolism issues will affect us whatever we are taking.

[leavesthataregreen]

@InsultingTheAlligator

My GP incidentally told me the very rapid weight gain was my imagination by the way. (I was bulimic among other things, whch she knew).

I got told this, It really pisses me off with hindsight. I put on half a stone in a month and went to the GP to check why. She said it wasn't a side effect I should just stop porking out! Two years and two stone later she admitted it was now recognised anecdotally as a side effect. I don't know anyone who has taken citalopram who hasn't put on weight. But I know a few people who took sertraline and it had no weight gain effect at all so it might be worth switching if you need them again.

I lost 4lbs fairly quickly. But that was it. 4lbs out of 20! The rest has been coming off very slowly with increased exercise. It helps that the insane carb cravings triggered by ADs go away.

[Pattowhite]

Can anyone I’ve me some advice? I reduced my dosage of citalopram over 2 months and did not feel to bad at first,

I have been off citalopram 8 weeks now, and I am still having withdrawal symptoms some days I am fine the next I am all over the place has anyone else been like this and if so how long dose it last?

[Pattowhite]

Hi just seen your post and was wondering how you are now after stopping talking citalopram?

[BotanyBetty]

I gained half a stone on citalopram, came off them as I felt even worse due to the weight gain. It also messed with my shape: I'm a classic hourglass and ended up with a great big tummy. I've been off them for four months and it's slowly coming off.

[Fallsballs]

I put on a fair bit too, very slowly and stealthily. Doctors always say it’s not the med but it changes your eating habits. I craved food, especially carbs and I never felt full. I tried my darnedest to control the eating but I still became fat. I did read somewhere how they do affect your metabolism.
I know some people lose weight on them but I’ve not had that side effect.

[Nsky]

Sadly for ne, I have hormonal depression post menopause, duloxetine no weight issues.
Long term it’s going to be, not reactive depression

[Mcgrady11]

I've been on prozac for 8 years and put on weight round my middle im off them from Christmas and have not been able to lose any weight

[TheDarkPassenger]

I put weight on with Prozac because it takes away my anxiety over food and therefore I eat and stop starving myself. I take it specifically for the Eating disorder.

[Suze1621]

Gained a stone over period of a year on anti depressants (Citalopram). Had a very gradual reduction in dose over a period of 12 weeks and started to loose weight about a month after I finished taking it. Continued to lose weight steadily from then on and was back to my original weight within 3 months. Weight has remained stable for 4 years now. I am convinced the medication was a significant factor both in weight gain and subsequent loss. I continued to work the whole time and also exercised regularly throughout as part of my 'treatment' yet gained a lot while taking the medication and then lost weight easily and without any extra effort/activity once it was out of my system.

[LouC8]

I have this week finally come off Citaloporam after 18 months withdrawal and being on them for around 6 years. I have really seen my weight grow despite going to the gym daily lifting weights and running. I do have some hormone issues - so be great to see if my weight changes now I am off them. I do feel more sluggish than normal but guess that will change!

[Blippolbblopp]

Wow. I didnt know that brain zaps had a word! I just thought it was due to stress or somthing.

I went on antidepressents in January and went from 8st 7lb to 9st 6lb by the May ( im 5'2 ) I came off the antidepressents in September and im 8st 5 now. I have lost my appetite since coming off the antidepressents, feel nauseus a lot so i think that plays a part too

It was really hard maintaing my weight at 9st 6 i had to start really watching what i eat so i didnt get any heavier

[Leahsant]

I got neutropenia on paroxetine. My GP said it was unrelated. But I found peer reviewed studies linking paroxetine to this condition. I also gained weight. I’m not a very big eater so it was not due to eating more.

[Iamtheoneandonly2018]

Hmmm
Been on Cit for 3 years. Came off 6 weeks ago and eating less / moving more but the weights not moving! 🙄

[Storm4star]

I really didn’t care how I looked anymore switched off all motivation to exercise or give a shit

It's possible this has happened to me as I definitely care less about how I look. But I don't want to give a shit about the other things I used to give a shit about! As it's those things that put me in a pit of despair! So it's a catch 22 situation.

[Storm4star]

I've been on a few different ones and the only one that made me gain weight was mirtazapine. I've put on 2 stone, mainly around the middle. I don't like the extra weight but I still need the mirtazapine (as I take it in combination with venlafaxine). I decided overweight and happy was better than slim but in a pit of despair! I definitely did initially eat more as I found that food tasted so much better than it had done in years! But now I don't eat much at all but the weight still won't go. At some point I may well try to address this (some sort of diet!) but I have honestly never felt as happy and contented in my 40+ years on this earth as I do now and I just want to enjoy that for a while without adding stresses over things into my life. So I just accept it for now.

[Member984815]

Following this , my GP put me on these for 6 months , I didn't realize how shit I felt until I was talking to her about it and I feel wonderful since starting but am very interested to hear how coming off them feels . I've heard of the brain zaps from someone else who came off them and that worries me

[AlmostAJillSandwich]

I'm on clomipramine, lost 18lbs so far in about 8 weeks since starting them, because they decreased my appetite, for the first week i had no appetite and was nauseous, since then i just feel fuller sooner. Time of year and the heatwave may have made me eat less though, i usually dontl ike eating when im really warm.

[ichifanny]

Exactly my experience Ponocky , I put my weight gain on sertraline down to me not being anxious anymore but on hindsight ( I’m off them as pregnant ) I really didn’t care how I looked anymore switched off all motivation to exercise or give a shit .

[throwawayagain]

Mirtazipine - gained a stone. Fell off a week after stopping.
Amitriptyline- gained a stone. Was switched to Duloxetine 2 days ago. Almost half gone already.
It's soul destroying. GPS always state that it isn't connected. It bloody is!

[HicDraconis]

I must be an anomaly! Since starting sertraline I have lost weight. I have stopped obsessively weighing myself (used to weigh and track every morning), I eat about the same in terms of portion sizes, I still don't snack - but I exercise much more because I'm enjoying it again. I'm definitely getting fitter since I went on it.

[ShadyLady53]

I definitely did not change my eating habits in the time that I was on citalopram (6 months) but I gained over a stone and developed severe neutropenia which resulted in me having to stop taking them early. Thank God the GP that saw me at a walk-in Centre when I got pneumonia following a cold advised me Citalopram can cause neutropenia but doctors don’t like to mention it, because I genuinely don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t stopped taking them. It took around 18 months for my white blood cells to return to an acceptable level. But you asked about weight gain so back to the point in question!

I ended up having to join Slimming world about two months after stopping Citalopram because the weight would not shift. It took 7 months and upping my exercise to lose the stone I gained. However, I’ve struggled with my weight ever since and whilst on Citalopram developed uncontrollable sugar cravings. I was always a savoury snack person until I’d been on Citalopram for a month. I am convinced it changed my metabolism. I gain weight on 1400 calories these days!

I absolutely cannot put the weight gain whilst I was on Citalopram down to anything except the drug. I had done no exercise whatsoever in the period prior to going on it but was put on Exercise on Prescription and started doing 2 hours a day 5 days a week at the gym. It wasn’t a case of gaining muscle either, this was lardy, wobbly fat on my stomach, face and bum/thighs. If anything I ate less and healthier because I was new aware of the food/mood connection but frequently suffered with unexplained hypoglycaemia whilst on Citalopram. Also got terrible Migraines which I’d never suffered before (or since).

My very overweight friend went down to a size 12 whilst on Citalopram which was positively tiny compared to her previous size. She was unhappy slimmer and gained back all the weight she’d lost once she stopped taking it. Bizarre really but it must affect everyone differently, or some people react to it differently due to genes etc. My mother is also extremely sensitive to medication side effects and struggles to tolerate most medication that she is prescribed.

Anyway, best of luck with the weight loss. I’m sure if you are strict and determined it will come off! And the brain zaps do eventually go, I promise! I remember feeling like a walking “Operation Game” when the buzzer goes off!