Some people may gain weight or lose weight or find no difference when they take efexor. What did you notice?

If you are gaining weight try and eat a balanced diet and don't eat so much of the food that will make you gain weight.

Do some form of exercise.

Remember too that depression can cause weight gain or loss.

If you get thirsty on effexor, drink water or sugar free drinks.

Eileen

This post has been edited by firelizardee: May 23 2006, 12:43 PM

I havn't gained any weight on effexor and I am on 600mgs.

I gained on Efexor, but I think it was more due to habit than an actual SE of the drug. Efexor numbed me out quite a bit, and I found I was perpetually feeling "bored". It's a habit of mine to eat when I'm bored. I also didn't have a lot of energy, so less exercise. Et voila! Weight gain.

I have been taking 375mg for about 6 months. My struggles affect my eating but the medication has not.

The only snri/ssri i've ever seen any proof of causing weight gain is remeron, for some reason it tweaks the right neurotransmitter and people start craving complex carbohydrates. But in general i think the weight gain thing is a myth and generally used as an exscuse by people afraid of taking medication.

I've never seen one clinical study on the subject so im going to have to say I don't believe that it causes weight gain.

This post has been edited by KeepingAwake: Jun 24 2006, 04:31 PM

I started Seroquel at the same time so I can't be sure if it was effexor or not, I gained a little weight but then I gained some sort of life too.

Grrrrrr you sound like my doctor A MYTH ??? Please LUPUS read through this forum and you will see that weight gain is a definate FACT of taking most SSRIs - here are the real life clinical studies and no these people are not afraid of taking medication weight gain or not.

Ive tried 4 different kinds of snri/ssri even tcad and they ALL made me gain at least 15-20 pounds over a 9 month to year period. I have pictures to prove it. When i stop taking them - i return to normal weight.

Efexxor is the med that didnt gave me weight gain.

You wont find any "offcial" clinical study performed on weight gain - The drug companies would loose billions if there was.

This post has been edited by over thinker: Jun 26 2006, 11:10 AM

I've actually lost the weight that I gained on Desipramine, my appetite is less - thank goodness!

Interesting, but I guess you are one of the ones who has never gained weight on an anti-d? Now, in my experience Prozac WAS HALF responsible for me gaining weight - what it did was MADE me crave carbs, be constantly hungry, eat TWICE the amount of any normal person, no motivation to exercise because I was soooo tired all the time. This is directly attributed to the Prozac, because I'm not on it now, and I don't have ANY of those feelings and I am eating normally, exercising and losing weight.

There was one point where I stayed strong and went on Weight Watchers and tried my best and the weight did SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY start coming off, but d*** that was near impossible and terrifying as the moment I put anything carb-laden in my mouth the weight would come back. And I was ALWAYS hungry.

So, as i said above, now I am not on Prozac and it's all good. What does that tell you?

I put on weight when on Effexor, definately. This could also have had something to do with getting older and slowed up metabolism, and being on the pill. I'd say with confidence that it did make me eat like a demon though ! Late night fridge raids. Especially bad if you are on some sort of sleeping tablet too, and happen to stay up and eat your own weight in chocolate...I'd recommend both apple cider tablets and hoodia gordonii for curbing intense hunger and cravings, especially of the late night variety.

I totally lucked out. No weight change on the Effexor and I was on a couple hundred mgs.

when i was first put on the medication i lost a little weight, but my appetite has slowly come back. doh!

unfortunately, Efexor does that. YOu get the queasy stomach for a few weeks, lose some weight and then put it back on when the appetite comes back.

Lost weight, but not due to feeling sick. I'm just eating less overall. It could be circumstantial however, becasue I am sleeping about 11hrs per day now.

i have slowly put on about 1.5kg each year since i have been on effexor - i think it is also due to age - i am now 48 - so it could be metabolism slowing down - i exercise but i do eat too many cookies after dinner

So far I have been losing weight. I like that. I could stand to lose a pound or 5 :>

This post has been edited by cdub998: Mar 12 2007, 11:47 AM

Hey everyone,

On Effexor 300 m.g.... no difference in gaining or losing weight however my diet sucks due to high stress/anxiety disorder... so I'm probably gaining five pounds from my diet, not from Effexor.

Effexor rocks! (IMHO)

Thanks for the info,I thought it was just me!

I find that on Effexor I don't eat much during the day because I'm still depressed and inactive (trying to do more lately though) but at night, I have cravings for salty or sugary stuff, i.e....chips, crackers, jelly beans, stuff like that.

I will try the apple cider tabs, not sure about hoodia though.

Moe

I have gained 15-20 pounds in one year on effexor, but ironically enough my weight is now NORMAL for my height... I have been underweight all my life. Lol another bonus!
-WS

Altogether I lost more than was good for me on efexor. I already have anorexic tendencies, so this was not good. For the whole year I was on it I had no appetite, nausea... I've been on remeron a year and a half, and things are much better.

weight gain for me on effexor

So far it's been 9 weeks and no weight gain.
Sally

Good to hear, Sally.

Please keep us posted.



-Bean

Gained about 15 lbs in 9 weeks... Devastating for someone with an ED. As a result, I'm more unhappy than ever and torturing myself more than before. Yay.

Charlie Chan:

When you say "torturing myself" do mean psychologically or are you physically hurting yourself. Since you have an ED, have you discussed this weight gain with your doc?



-Bean

Restricting, purging, running, cycling, mentally berating myself. The whole vicious cycle again. I am the fattest I've been in a year. It's absolutely horrible. I can't believe how quickly it came on. It seems uncontrollable. And no amount of restriction and exercise is making it budge. I had to pack a bag for a trip this weekend last night and trying to find anything that still fits (only fat clothes) made me purge my granola bar. Taking Effexor was the biggest mistake I think I've ever made. Either the withdrawal effects or the added weight is ruining my running performance, too, which just depresses me more. I'm doing another half marathon in a month and I'm panicking because I feel suddenly out of shape even though I just did one last month. I wish this was just a nightmare. WHY WHY WHY did I have to start taking it? I'm back to where I was, only fatter.

I'm not going back to my doctor. He'll only prescribe more chemicals. I can only hope that this poison gets out of my system soon and I can lose this weight. I'm never ever ever taking medication again. After the headaches, tremors, the suicidal thoughts, the breakdown with the cutting episode and throwing away all of my stuff in preparation for death, the brain zaps, and the getting huge... Getting 'help' has made me more miserable than I've ever been in my life.

CC:

Please see a doc. You need help with your ED and you need help now. I understand that you no longer want meds, but you can't go on purging, restricting, etc. I urge you to call a doc for help.

Please keep us posted.

-Bean

my doctor said that MOST ppl lose weight....and so far..i have lost some weight......
but i notice alot of ppl say that have gained weight?....but is it the effexor fault???

Devon:

I gained weight, but I was taking 6 meds in all. I can't say which med it was that caused the weight gain. To be fair, I must also lay the blame on myself. I could have gained weight because I was a self-made prisoner in my home (deep depression, high anxiety) and didn't get much exercise.



-Bean

No of course it's not the Effexor's fault. It's my fault for eating like a fat pig.

I gained weight and before I could not gain any it was almost impossible and made me feel like a freak I was happy I put on 20 lbs and I still have a hard time to maintain 150 to 155 lbs and I'm still too skinny! I hate the pills though.

Useless:

What exactly is it about the pills that you hate?



-Bean

I haven't gained weight on Effexor (250mg), though once I added risperdal...... 20 lb in 2 months time

MJY:

Sorry to hear that. I tell ya, these meds can wreak havoc on a body. I also take Effexor and Risperdal (along with Wellbutrin, Lithium, Xanax, Halcion - I'm schizoaffective) and I have gained a lot of weight over the years. I'm just now starting to lose some of it.

-Bean

This post has been edited by Beanchop99: Aug 12 2007, 02:53 PM

i have only been on effexor for 3 weeks so i cant really say if it has affected my weight.i have had a couple of days where i couldnt stop eating but i think that was hormonal(i get that every month!).

weight gain is the side effect i worry most about really,as i have a bad self-image and my weight has an effect on how i feel,my relationship,etc.

luckily i have a sympathetic gp who understands how i feel about my weight.i am doing well on this medication sofar so i hope it doesnt make me gain weight.

I have gained weight. Effexor make me so tiered all the time. I get home from work and I have to take a nape. And I go to bed at 9 or some times 8 is that sad or what. If I don't get a good night sleep then some times I have to go home sick from work just so that I can sleep.

law055car:

Yeah, Effexor can make you tired. Very tired. This SE should diminish over the next couple of weeks as your body adjusts to the med.

Be sure to keep us posted.



-Bean

Not me I'm on 600mg and have been for a year. I finnaly told my doc I can't take it no more. So she is cutting me back, and sending me to talk to some one. Because no pills will work for me. But its not until Oct is the earlyest I can get in.

law055car:

Can't get an appt with a doc until October? I'm so sorry. Can you contact your current doc before than if you have to?

Remember, you can always come here to talk. We're all here, ready to listen, no appt necessary.



-Bean

This post has been edited by Beanchop99: Aug 28 2007, 08:17 PM