citalopram

[hereatlast]

just wondered if anyone has any experience with citalopram i took it for a few months but was putting on loads of weight blamed that but was still drinking i had to restart the citalopram but stopped drinking and am now losing weight anyone else on this

[Ripley]

citalopram

Hi - I took 20mg citalopram for depression for 4 months then 10mg for another 4 months. I drank heavily on it too. I gained weight on it but frankly it was the booze honey: 2 bottles of wine a day are a LOT of calories. I started MWO whilst on 10mg citalopram, including topa. I gradually titrated up to 150mg topa and decreased down off the anti-depressants. I stopped drinking. I have lost 25lbs and am not depressed any more and am off the SSRIs totally and my drinking is under control (I moderate, I don't abstain completely).

Personally I don't think SSRIs are linked to weight gain, but I am not a doctor. It's just my view. I must aslo say that I combined topa and citalopram with no medical supervision - bad girl - but had no side effects whatsover. I also took adrafinil at the ame time to get rid of the topa-dopa effect I probably rattled when I ran, but I felt bloody fantatstic.

Good luck!

[hereatlast]

citalopram

thanks ripley i was kidding myself when i blamed citalopram for the weight gain oh and i also blamed it for "the benign tremor" how stupid was i lol stangely enough the weight gain and the tremor have stopped since i stopped drinking!!!

[Ripley]

citalopram

don;t worry sweetie we are all a bit crazy when we drink...!

[Kitty]

citalopram

Hi Hereatlast,

I've been on citalopram for 6 weeks and I have put on weight but I think that is due to the extra sugar and food in general I have been eating to help curb the cravings for alcohol.

I have taken citalopram in the past whilst I was still drinking heavily but not eating that great and I didn't see any difference in my weight.

It shouldn't have any adverse effects on your weight.

Hope this helps,

Kitty

[nancy]

citalopram

weight gain? yikes, thought it was me!

I looked this up on the internet because I also have gained some weight while on celexa but didn't associate it with the drug. There was some info about weight gain on the Net.

According to the book You are what you eat, Some SSRI anti-depressants are linked to weight gain, such as Zoloft. Celexa and lexapro are supposed to decrease appetite (not sure what they do to the metabolic rate though).

Others like Welbutrin are linked to weight loss, but also seizures.

I am going to ask my doctor.

[hereatlast]

citalopram

well just an update i am continuing to lose weight not fast put a pound here and there every 4 days or so. i have to admit it was not the citalopram and mentally i feel so much better

[tricia]

citalopram

hi i am on mirtazapine and not drinking but am putting on loads of weight its really getting me down. anyone any experience of this?

[nancy]

citalopram

antidepressants and weight gain

I read this thread and did some research. I can't believe I never knew most SSRIs were linked to weight gain. Have gained 10 pounds and unlike previous weight loss attempts, the weight does not go.

I thought about it and decided to go off celexa. If I feel depressed again I am going to go on one that does not have this side effect. In the meantime, essential fatty acids, B vitamins and lots of exercise.

So thanks for bringing this to my attention.

To the person who asked about mirtazepine (Remeron)...

I have the book Omega 3 Connection, by a psychiatrist.

According to this particular source, weight gain is a side effect but it is one of the few antidepressants that does not have sexual side effects.

[nancy]

citalopram

antidepressants and weight gain

I read this thread and did some research. I can't believe I never knew most SSRIs were linked to weight gain. Have gained 10 pounds and unlike previous weight loss attempts, the weight does not go.

I thought about it and decided to go off celexa. If I feel depressed again I am going to go on one that does not have this side effect. In the meantime, essential fatty acids, B vitamins and lots of exercise.

So thanks for bringing this to my attention.

To the person who asked about mirtazepine (Remeron)...

I have the book Omega 3 Connection, by a doctor named Andrew Stoll

According to this particular source, weight gain is a side effect, in fact it looks like it is associated with more weight gain than Celexa.

but it is one of the few antidepressants that does not have sexual side effects.

Here is a list from the book, + signs indicate weight gain. - is no weight gain

Wellbutrin -
Paxil +++
Prozac ++
Serzone -
Remeron +++
Zoloft ++
Luvox ++
Celexa +
Effexor ++

[imatree]

citalopram

hmmmm.... This has me thinking!
I began to gain weight over two years ago. Just about the time I began citalopram. Never thought it was the cause. I blamed it on a bad relationship. And thought the drinking was a big factor - and I'm sure it was but I wasn't drinking more than I had been for years (until the last 8 months). Before my drinking had increased I had gained nealy 60 pounds!! Eee gads!! Damn, you just can't count on doctors to tell you all you need to know, can you. If my weight doesn't begin to drop with AF and topa, I'll go for another antidepressant. Of course, I'm hoping that after a while AF I won't need it. I used to take St. John's Wort when my depression wasn't too bad and it was great.

[ScoobyDoo]

citalopram

Thanks Nancy! Now that most certainly explains my unexplained weight gain!

I'm off the SSRI. Now I just have to work out a away to get it off!

I've never had a weight issue up until now.

[adagirl]

citalopram

I have found that you really have to do your own research when it comes to drugs and weight gain. I thought all the side-effects would be listed in the info they give you at the pharmacy when you first get a new Rx. Well, last year my doc changed my BP Rx to Atenolol. I was doing Weight Watchers already and had lost about 25 pounds so he was well aware that I was working on losing weight and that was important to me. Yet, he never mentioned that weight gain is a very common side effect on Atenolol. So, I continued to take the Atenolol and continued on WW. I went into a plateau on WW that lasted NINE MONTHS before I figured it out. I'm so glad I didn't quit WW, but how FRUSTRATING!!! I was so pissed off when I figured it out!!!!!! But, now I've switched meds again and CAN lose weight when I am following the program correctly. Doesn't mean I always follow the program closely enough to be losing as much as I could, but the scale is going down again. On the Atenolol, I couldn't lose weight even if I was perfect on WW. And, the two times I completely went off for vacation, I would gain incredibly fast (like 10 pounds in two weeks). What I could put on in one week took me two months to take off. Ugh!

But, definitely, cutting back on alcohol should make a huge difference. Alcohol is A LOT of empty calories. Plus, it robs you of your motivation/energy to exercise and live an active life. When I've been able to 'white knuckle' it and mod really well, I've been able to lose weight a whole lot faster. I did one month where I only allowed myself to drink once/week and no more than five drinks on the one day I drank. It was soooooo hard, but it did totally improve my weight loss. The problem is its just too difficult for me to do that all the time. I'm hoping this program and taking Naltrexone will make it easier. Not that losing weight is my main motivation for addressing my drinking problem, but just one of many things in my life that has been difficult because of this monkey on my back.

[imatree]

citalopram

Here's another question for those of you who have been AF or mod successfully for awhile - with controlling the monkey, do you have as much need for antidepressants? I'd like to quit citalopram based on this conversation, maybe go back to St Johns Wort, but don't want to get that dreadful depression again. I hesitate talking to my doc - because as I've shared in other threads, when I saw her last and spoke frankly about my drinking she told me to dump my BF and go into rehab. Yeah, right...

[nancy]

citalopram

Can you get a new doctor? You really need one for this issue. or maybe she can refer you to a psychiatrist.

I don't think weight gain is worth getting horrible depression back.

and it might be hard to tease out all the reasons for the weight gain.

I had some life changes but the weight stayed on even though life went back to normal. and unlike the past weight loss attempts fail.

from what i read, St John's wort is good at the doses that are used in clinical trials showing efficacy.

I am going to go off celexa but I think my life has changed for the better and the problems causing severe depression are now gone. the weight loss failures make me depressed. so i feel safe trying to go off and if it comes back will ask for something else.

good luck