weight gain on Paxil

M

mcash

New Member
I was wondering if anybody had any experience similar to mine and what they did:

I started almost a year ago doing the MIS tapes (was already taking step classes), then moved on to the PS series. I had great results and lost about 8 pounds and gained muscle. During the summer I was started on Paxil because of some anxiety problems, everything was fine for a while, and then I suddenly started gaining weight. I stopped the Paxil after a few months, but had gained back all the weight I had lost in the previous months. Now, no matter what I try with exercise and diet, the weight won't budge.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what I can do now?
 
I'm NO expert on the subject of antidepressants so take what I say with a grain of salt. I've been reading about depression in my pyschology class and this is some of what I've learned. Upon taking an antidepressant, if it helps then you have a chemical imbalance and need the drug. If nothing happens, you're not clinically depressed. There is a difference in clinical depression and being depressed. Signs of clinical depression are significant weight loss or gain, not sleeping or oversleeping, etc. Since you wrote that you stopped Paxil, I wonder if you really needed it? I'm under the impression that if the antidepressants works, you don't stop taking it. I'll have to ask my professor about that? Do you still have anxiety? If yes, I suggest talking with a counselor to determine if your anxiety is causing weight gain. Stress can cause overeating or undereating. . I wouldn't blame Paxil for weight gain. The advertisements say Paxil may decrease appetite? Counseling, coupled w/ Cathe tapes may be all you need? I'd seek a professional opinion from a psychologist & use talk therapy. I didn't mean to go on and on but wanted to put in my 2 cents since I'm studying neurotransmitters, frontal lobes, and the working of the brain.... Good Luck!
 
For the past year I have been lurking on this site without responding to any threads.

But, I want to reasure you that Paxil does cause weight gain. My doctor referred to the gain as the "paxil 35", because this is the average weightgain for those who remain on paxil for a year.

I suffer with fibromyalia not depression, but my doctor experiment with low dose anti-depressents as a way of treating the sleep disturbents that is a part of fibromyalia. I gained the 35lbs +.

At my request, I discontinued Paxil four years ago. The weight refused to budge. About a year ago,as my conditon improved, I began to regain some energy. I made a commitment to use what strength I had to recondition my body which had become so deconditioned.

I exercise with Heavy weights squating 105lbs. I exercise regularly. I think of it as my phyical therapy. Even after a year of building muscle and eating well, I've only managed to lose 14.5 of the 35lbs. Trust me, I am very proud of those 14.5lbs.

I wrote this to let you know that yes Paxil causes weightgain, and for some odd reason, the weightgain is very stubborn and refuses to budge. Stick with it, and it is not in your mind but a very real occurrance.

By the way, the other evening my husband was massageing my neck, shoulders and back, areas where my fibromyalia flares up first. He commented that he loved the feel of my back.It's soft but muscular. I laughed and thought it must be the extra weight over the well developed muscles.

Please forgive the errors in this post, I cannot figure out how to edit my reply.
 
I gained 20 pounds on Paxill..right on the torso and hips. You could see the fatty deposits that looked liked bubbles and they weren't pretty. Lot's of clean eating and plenty of cardio FINALLY got it off.
I thought it would never disappear but it did. Yours will too!

Joy
 
I'm a nurse practitoner and have found people can lose weight on Prozac but gain on Paxil....Paxil is more for anxiety though and Prozac is for depression although they are both SSRI's...
 
After seeing your post, I actually registered for the first time ever for a forum, I'm a lurker.

I was put on Paxil back in October (for situational depression - a sudden and unexpected loss of my mother). I started to gain alot of weight and thought I was just REALLY overeating, but my eating habits really had not changed. By Christmas I had put on an addition 20 lbs.

I quit taking Paxil January 1st and have since lost 10....so be patient....it will come off....just keep doing those Cathe videos!
 
I haven't taken Paxil, but I've taken prozac. I did fine on a low dose, but when they upped the dose, I started gaining. I quit the prozac AMA, but the weight didn't come off, no matter what I did.

Then another doctor put me on Wellbutrin. I actually lost 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks, then he upped the dose and I quit losing weight. After a suicide attempt (yeah, scary) while taking antidepressants, I decided I would be better off drug-free -- I had NOT felt suicidal before antidepressants so I knew something wasn't right. I also quit the wellbutrin, but the 10 pounds came right back in a matter of days. Makes me think it had to be some kinda water retention thing.

But I'm working on the weight, with no drugs. There is life beyond depression. I'm living and breathing proof, thank God.
 
Hi everyone, just curious about how much Paxil you were taking. I am on a low dose of 30 mg a day and I have gained ten pounds in two months, but my dr. never said that it could have been from the Paxil. thanks so much. Mary

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Hi everyone, just curious about how much Paxil you were taking. I am on a low dose of 30 mg a day and I have gained ten pounds in two months, but my dr. never said that it could have been from the Paxil. thanks so much. Mary

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To KimRoberts & a Just Curious Question

Please keep in touch with a doctor if any depression symptoms return. A good friend of mine had a brother that did commit suicide. They both struggled with depression throughout their lives. She in on effexor & will remain on it for life. I asked my professor about clinical depression. He said a person must change their entire way of thinking to become free of depression. I know a woman that took Wellbutrin to quit smoking. Its suppose to have the same ingredients as Zyban. She said the Wellbutrin made her depressed. She didn't want to get out of bed, felt lethargic, etc. She quit taking it and returned to normal. Her insurance would pay for Wellbutrin but not Zyban. I know a guy that used it too. He said it didn't affect him at all. He quit while on the Wellbutrin but started smoking upon stopping the drug. I wish you all the best and God bless you. My heart goes out to anyone that suffers from depression.
My curious question is: Does Paxil increase your appetite and/or are you still depressed and food becomes comforting? I'm wondering why the weight gain comes after being on it for a year?
 
Question To Kim:

Kim: what dose of prozac were you on, and what was the dose they "upped" it to? I've been on 40 mg/day for years; started taking prozac in 1991 at 20 mg.
This is such a timely topic for me b/c just yesterday, i asked my Dr if there is a possibility that after taking prozac for so long, it is no longer effective. He gave me a new script for Paxil. After reading these threads, I am PARANOID to take it b/c I cannot afford to gain any weight. (i'm not really overweight, but have been trying to lose those 'last 10 lbs' for years and years!). (yes, i do my cathe videos faithfully!)
gaining weight (on paxil) will only ADD to my depression.
also kim, how did you become depression-free without drugs? I wish i could - i stopped prozac a number of times, and just got more irritable and more depressed, and had to go right back on.
any input would be appreciated!
Thanks, Lynne
 
RE: Question To Kim:

I honestly don't know the dose of prozac I was taking, but when they uppped the dose, they just doubled the pills. They made me totally emotionless. I was a zombie. Same thing with Wellbutrin.

If antidepressants make you feel better, please use them, regardless of a small weight gain. Being alive and 5 pounds heavier than you would like to be is a much better scenario than skinny but dead -- after nearly killing myself, this hits home to me.

How did I get better without drugs -- first I'll have to say that faith in God helps more than anything. I've been pastor's wife for 18 years and a pastor's daughter all my life. But I never really worked on my RELATIONSHIP with God, I was always focused more on activities; planning church fellowships, church secretarial work, cooking for pot-lucks, cleaning the church, practicing playing the hymns we would be singing next week, etc. I've kept my prayer life and study time very disciplined and put those ahead of the "tasks"--immense difference.

Then, exercise, exercise, exercise. Because it is January and I'm a trainer, this is easy. The gym is full of people needing assistance. It is no problem for me to exercise 5 hours a day right now. But they are not all very intense. I have maybe 1-2 hours of intense exercising, and the rest I would call "movement" rather than exercise -- light walking on the treadmill, teaching beginner classes (where I don't sweat). You get the picture, I'm sure. But home activities like sweeping and vaccuuming would fall into the same category.

I also find that the tanning bed helps me. But then you have to decide if you want the risk of skin cancer. There is disorder called something like "seasonal light disorder" that folks get especially in winter when they don't get enough daylight. They fix this by having you sit in front of a really strong light for about 1/2 hour every day. The tanning bed is how I've chosen to handle this, plus I look like I've been on vacation.

I force myself to get up at the same time 7 days a week and go to bed the same time every day. I force myself to move my body. The busier I keep my body, the happier my brain is.
My husband and I had this conversation last night, in fact. I don't care that my body is sore and tired right now. My mind is great for the first time in 3-4 years. I would prefer the good mind and the tired body any day.

Please feel free to email me if I didn't answer all your questions.

Kim
 
RE: Question To Kim:

I agree that a relationship with God is the main thing that can help someone with a problem with anxiety or depression. I think that if you believe God is in control then that will take away your worries about the future and give you hope. I do think, though, that certainly personality types tend to have more trouble letting go of worries and keeping a positive attitude no matter what they believe.

I was wondering if you know of anyone who has had any success with herbal remedies like St. John's Wort or SAM-E?
 
RE: Question To Kim:

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-31-02 AT 09:30PM (Est)[/font][p]I just wanted to clarify one thing . . . .

Just because I do better without drugs doesn't mean that's the way for everyone to go. I believe many times that God heals us THROUGH medications. It just didn't happen to be the case with me.

Just wanted to make that clear.
 
RE: Paxil/Weight Gain

I was diagnosed with Panic Anxiety Disorder and it had nothing to do with my belief in God. I am a practicing Catholic with chemical imbalance. That's all. It's not my desire to start a religous flamer here, just trying to foster understanding of these disorders.

I was on Paxil for 18 months and gained 18 pounds! However, during those 18 months, I also buffered my medication by practicing Cognitive Behavioral therapy to unlearn responses to situations that had cause panic attacks my entire life and eventually threatened to ruin what quality was left. While these types of medications have been disasterous for some, for me it restored the quality of life while I relearned to enjoy it. It takes a lot of practice to unlearn panic attacks.

To understand the nature of Paxil and weight gain, you have to understand the medication itself. I'm not a chemist but as part of this "educated" crowd, I did my research (as I watched my backside expand). The meds change your attitude - it made me very complaisant where once I had been almost militaristic! And that attitude spreads in to food and fitness areas. I understand there are some schools of thought that believe the chemical compounds of these meds mess with your metabolism.

OK, I'm off my rant now. And off the Paxil. I wouldn't take back what I have learned - weight can be lost. I'm back on track now both fitness-wise and food wise. And a whole lot happier.

D.
 
RE: Question To Kim:

I agree - some people just cannot do it without drugs. I have tried and always had a relapse. However, I thought I was a religious person, but sometimes even religious people start to doubt and question God, when things just never seem to go their way. I am sure that I have a chemical imbalance, because there has not been any recent "tragedy" in my life to cause me to be depressed. It seems to just have become a way of life with me and I have resigned myself to it, I suppose.
I looked at other websites, and the people posting here are not the only ones to worry/complain about weight gain on paxil. There were many many posts on WebMD about this issue.
Incidentally, after doing research, i called my dr. and asked to be put back on prozac instead. I do not have anxiety problems, but just depression. I get the impression that paxil is more for anxiety?
Is there anyone out there who took paxil just for depression? also, is there anyone who did NOT gain weight on paxil?
L
 
Oh my gosh! :eek: I can hardly believe I found this thread. I have weighed 111 pounds for all of my adult life (up until age 39). I was put on Paxil and over the course of a year, gained 18 pounds. It was amazing, humiliating, and shameful to watch this weight come on to my body. I have gone from a size 4/6 to a size 8/10. My entire wardrobe has been replaced.

At age 40, I eventually went off the Paxil because of the weight gain. I have not gotten the weight off as of yet. I followed Paxil with a host of other antidpressants. As of 2 weeks ago, I am longer on any antidepressants. My weight has not budged. I must admit that I thought the weight would MELT off (I've never had a weight problem before).

My plan is to scrupiously monitor myself. I feel that my family should not suffer because of my unwillingness to take the drug. I want to see how my mind and body react over the next few months. I hope I can report that I am losing fat and gaining muscle while maintaining a healthy mental attitude.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO STOP USING PAXIL OR ANY OTHER DRUG.
For me to read this thread has left me literally shaking. I am having trouble typing this message...

Can we keep in touch??? I want this weight off, but I want my mental health as well. Why can't we have both?????
 
Is there another drug that can be prescribed without the weight gain? My husband is on Zoloft and, if I remember right, one of the side effects is weight loss.. Just a thought.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-21-02 AT 09:58PM (Est)[/font][p]I've had a different experience with Paxil. I was diagnosed with panic anxiety disorder and started Paxil the first week of Oct 2001. I had major problems with loss of appetite and nausea when I first started and lost about 10 lbs. I only weighed 105 lbs to start so the weight loss wasn't good for me. I'm back up to 100-105 lbs (by the way this is a good weight for me since I'm small framed and just under 5'2"). Anyway, I take 15mg of Paxil daily and it has completely changed my life. I haven't had a panic attack in 2 months and I am so much happier. I tried to deal with my anxiety with exercise, but it wasn't enough, and I'm so grateful for Paxil.
 
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