Weight gain on antidepressants

[wispawoman]

Has anyone got any tips on losing the weight gained while on antidepressants?
I've been on an SSRI for about 9 months and over the last three months seem to have piled on the pounds! I don't think my eating habits have changed significantly, but I have always struggled a bit with my weight. I'm devastated that it's going on again so fast. Any ideas for losing it? Will it come off when I'm off the meds or will it come off while I'm still on them? My GP didn't warn me that this could happen, apparently it's a known side effect. Apart from this they have really worked for me. Help please!

Hello.
I can't help but am watching with interest. I didn't realise weight gain is a side effect of ad's. :(

Have done a bit of research (control freak!) and it does seem to be something that happens on many ADS, and seems to kick in after a few months on them. Some lucky people apparently lose weight on them, however! Not me unfortunately.

I have been on Citalopram for 5 years and have only realised recently that weight gain was a side effect. I have put on about 2 stone over the 5 years and now I think about it, when my dosage increased, so did my weight.

I was reading about this last night and stumbled upon another forum where people said that they craved carbs and sugar when on AD's and that being on them converts the sugar and carbs to fat more than if you weren't on them, but I'm not sure how accurate this info is.

I'm to starting to think more about what I eat, so will be following this thread too!

I put on 2 stone on citalopram (was on it for over a year, 20mg/day) and 15 months after I'd finished it, I still hadn't managed to lose any (despite diet and exercise tweaks). Nobody is quite sure of what causes weight gain on SSRIs (it's worth noting that it only affects some people) and some GPs deny that it happens at all, because it tends to creep on with longer term treatment, I think they often attribute it to Something Else

Weight loss tends to be an earlier side effect, I lost weight initially on every SSRI I have tried

All that said, if the pills are helping, the weight gain may be a tolerable (albeit frustrating) side effect

eta. After the 15 months, I got pregnant, so no chance of losing it then!!

I have the opposite prob trying to put on weight. When I took seroxat in past it affected my appetite so did not crave sweet foods. A friend who takes prozac says the same perhaps you could swap meds?