Lexapro, antidepressants and weight loss.... help!

Hi there! :-) First off, does anyone here take Lexapro? I have been so
depressed lately but am SCARED to try antidepressants because I took them years
ago and could not lose weight while taking them and often gained... I need some
advice.. and please, if anyone is taking lexapro... how is it?
Thanks
Purr

PurrBabies wrote:
Hi there! :-) First off, does anyone here take Lexapro? I have been so
depressed lately but am SCARED to try antidepressants because I took them years
ago and could not lose weight while taking them and often gained... I need some
advice.. and please, if anyone is taking lexapro... how is it?
Thanks
Purr

Hi Purr,

My doc prescribed Celexa (Lexapro is a newer, "purer, improved" version
of Celexa) for PMS a few months ago. I did gain weight, 18.5 pounds total
in the 6-7 weeks I took it. My doctor assured me it wasn't typical, and
from what I've read, many people LOSE weight on this drug since they don't
feel like eating.

My experience was that I craved carbs like crazy and that nothing I ate
was really satisfying, so I consumed a bit more than usual. I no longer
experienced guilt over overeating, and I lost my determination to so
closely monitor my caloric intake and weight. This made it really hard to
stick to my diet/way of eating since I just saw no reason to anymore. I
remember thinking "What's wrong with eating what I want? Why shouldn't I?
I'm still a good person, and I'll get back on track eventually. Besides,
I run 10 miles a day--I'm in perfectly good shape and SHOULD be able to
eat what I want" (oh boy, untrue, I can't eat what I want). I guess
that's why this drug is often prescribed for anorexia/bulimia.

I suspect that there may have been some metabolic as well as psychological
changes too, or something else physical. My willpower was decreased, but
I still had some notion of caloric control and tracking; I consumed 400
calories a day more than my normal maintenance caloric level, and I
exercised even more than usual, but I gained weight alarmingly quickly.
I told my doctor about it, and he was perplexed and ran a thyroid test
(which came back normal) so I guess I just reacted poorly to it.

It did, however, help with what it was prescribed for. If you think you
need an antidepressant, please don't let this frighten you--it really does
NOT happen to everyone, and if you're aware of possible changes in food
attitude, you can prepare yourself to combat them instead of "going with
the flow" like I did. For many people, the good effects will outweigh (no
pun intended) the bad, including a few extra pounds.

Good luck,
Alison