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Original poster

Anti depressant hunger and subsequent weight gain

39 replies

Catandstuff22 · 20/11/2019 10:06

I am so hungry all the time on depressants it's just ridiculous.
Take this morning, I've had two pieces of wholemeal toast with butter and marmite and a coffee this morning at about 6:50am, it's now 10am and I am absolutely starving. Im seriously thinking about eating my lunch and then I'll have to buy a new lunch for actual lunch time when I'll be hungry again. Is anyone else like this? I'm ravenous basically all the time.

OP posts:
nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 20/11/2019 15:25

Yep. I could just eat and eat. Mostly early in the day though it starts to tail off around 4ish.

Fridge raiders and mini chicken satay are my best friends.

PurpleFrames · 20/11/2019 17:13

I have the opposite, 0 appetite and sometimes eating makes me feel sick. What has the advice been to you both? I feel like it's not taken seriously enough

Original poster
Catandstuff22 · 20/11/2019 22:14

@PurpleFrames I haven't had any advice. I've been told "it's one of the side effects" meanwhile I've put on 3 stone, can't stop eating, absolutely none of my clothes fit me, embarrassed about how hungry I am constantly especially in front of people I don't know. And get so frustrated sometimes I just want to stop taking the damn pills because my body image is so much worse now.

OP posts:
milliefiori · 20/11/2019 22:19

Hi
I wish this were more recognised medically. I put on 2 stone on ADs and haven;t lost it, even though I've been off them for a year. The combination of really powerful carb cravings and the doziness they bring on meant more food and less exercise. When I mentioned this to the GP she just said sharply: ADs don't make you put on weight. You just need to watch what you eat - which is true but if the craving is constant and you are already struggling with a lot of more pressing issues than dieting then it's very hard to have the self discipline.

Completely cutting out refined sugar, refined carbs (white flour) and processed snacks can help curb the cravings a bit. Eating more protein helps too.

HundredMilesAnHour · 20/11/2019 22:24

I was the same. I was always hungry and definitely put weight on, even though I was exercising hard in the gym. The good news is that when I came off the anti-depressants, the weight dropped off very quickly (without changing my gym routine).

At the time I decided it was better to be fat and get my mental health sorted out as a priority, then I'd deal with the weight gain when I was mentally stronger. And I did and it worked.

Try not to give yourself a hard time. Focus on being kind to yourself. Try to eat healthily if you can so even if you're eating loads, at least you're getting some decent nutrients inside you. It all helps.

ToddlerTwinsAndUnhinged · 21/11/2019 11:52

I am the same. My meds have recently been upped and although they have yet to alleviate my depression, my appetite has sky rocketed and I've already put on a stone. Which makes me more miserable. I don't know how to combat it.

FelixFelicis6 · 21/11/2019 11:56

I was only on them for less than a year, they massively increased my appetite and I put on a fair amount of weight. I’ve been off them for two years and still have the same increased appetite and haven’t shifted the weight. (And still haven’t regained my sex drive after that completely disappeared). It’s pretty shit.

mumofone2818 · 21/11/2019 11:58

what medication are you on? It may be the type of meds, I was prescribed certain ones due to the main side affect being higher appetite and weight gain due to being too underweight, may be something like that! x

AutumnRose1 · 21/11/2019 11:59

I'm wondering which one you are on OP

I found they altered my metabolism. So, I started out eating a mountain of food to alleviate my depression and anxiety, didn't gain weight (stress hormones). Then I started on the pills and went back to three meals a day and returned to the gym.

Gained a stone in 2 months.

unfortunately I think a lot of SSRIs and SNRIs have that effect and it's been recognised in the BMJ now. I went on them ages ago and was told at the time, it wasn't a thing.

but the increased appetite you have, I would wonder if you are better switching? I am better on Fluoxetine than Citalopram.

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2019 12:06

Some types of ADs really do increase appetite, in fact, at least one, mirtazapine, is actually used as an appetite stimulant in people who have eating disorders like anorexia.

Plenty of them do cause increased appetite and weight gain and as pointed out, this isn't recognised enough.

I was offered mirtazapine, only mirtazapine, so I just didn't bother and remained depressed because I'm already 2st overweight, cannot afford to buy new clothes and would be even more depressed and unable to exercise (I have joint problems and plantar fasciitis) if I put on more weight.

AutumnRose1 · 21/11/2019 12:22

dontalltalkatonce

what did they say when you asked for alternatives?

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2019 12:35

I didn't ask for an alternative. It was hard enough to even get that far. I just left and didn't pick up the script after the GP told me it doesn't cause weight gain. Wasn't going to take that chance, as I said, I already need to lose 2st (working on it!).

AutumnRose1 · 21/11/2019 12:40

dontalltalkatonce

do you think you could gather the strength to go again, perhaps with a friend, and ask for something else?

I know it's awful battling when you're already ill Flowers

or maybe just write to the Practice Manager. It really seems odd that they only offered you one option.

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 12:41

I googled this and it seems the ones that cause weight gain are ones that help with sleep, but the ones that help weight loss can disturb sleep. I can't risk my sleep getting worse so it's a no win situation.

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 12:43

The GP who said it's not anti ds that make you put on weight but food sounds a bit silly as it's obvious increased hunger will make you eat more

AutumnRose1 · 21/11/2019 12:47

Marys yes they liked to make that distinction in the past, I found

they'd say "it's not making you put on weight - it's making you more likely to put on weight".

FFS. Anyway, years later, there does seem to be admission, finally, that some of them will just alter your metabolism.

I did an experiment one November - my most hated month - and had a donut or cake nearly every day to see if I exceeded my max weight. I didn't because the meds had set me at a max weight if you see what I mean.

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2019 13:04

Nah, never bothered to go back, Autumn. I don't do doctors even in the best of times, I'm not going to go again or anything and don't want to be beholden to some doctor forever. They just blow you off at my one and no, I can't change or move. Fuck it. I'll just have to chunter on best I can. Yes, me, too, Marys, I have a lot of trouble sleeping and can't risk it getting worse, had a really bad patch in January, but can't risk weight gain, either, as outdoor exercise is what I need to avoid getting very, very low.

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 13:20

My gp said that weight gain is a common side effect of my meds so at least some are sensible

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2019 13:22

Mine completely denied it, Marys, which I knew to be untrue. Seriously, how can you trust a person who lies to you?

newdeer · 21/11/2019 13:23

It really irritates me that GPs are so dictatorial about side effects instead of listening to patients, who, you'd think, are a great source of data. Then eventually a lab discovers the ADs do alter your metabolism and do cause weight gain and suddenly it's fact when it was entirely dismissed if presented as empirical evidence by patients actually on the medication. Hmm

@MarysInTheDyson - do you know which ones help you lose weight and disturb your sleep? I'd be happy to try them as I sleep far too much anyway - another side effect. So being more awake and losing weight would be a double bonus.

@AutumnRose1 - I agree Fluoxetine is much better than Citalopram. Not such weight gain on that. I felt so happy on Citalopram. but I did nothing all day, just lazed around in a stupor. Looking back, it really did take away a few years of my life, though it was a life saver at the start.

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2019 13:31

It's so common, newdeer. I and many women have also been told there's no such thing as side effects on the Mirena coil (or to keep it in and it will 'settle') when there's a laundry list of side effects in the leaflet that accompanies the device.

I asked point blank, 'Does this one cause weight gain?' and was told flat out, 'NO.' Complete and utter bollocks, it's a common and well-known side effect of that particular AD.

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 13:54

newdeer I'll try and find the info i googled.
If it says in the leaflet that weight gain is a side effect it's silly if doctors are saying otherwise

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 13:58

Ive not found the same article yet but this one

www.webmd.com/depression/features/antidepressants-weight-gain

says Wellbutrin can cause weight loss.

MarysInTheDyson · 21/11/2019 13:58

Will look for the other one