Can Weight Gain Caused By Medications Lead To Long
As mentioned earlier, weight gain that leads to obesity can cause long-term issues, such as diabetes or heart problems.
Some of the medications listed above are used for a long time, such as those taken for psychological conditions, seizures, and birth control, and this may increase the risk of weight gain. As such, you may need to change your medication due to this weight gain over time.
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Additional Treatments For Depression
In some cases, depression can have a medical cause, such as hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, low testosterone, or side effects of medication. A healthcare provider can diagnose and treat these.
Unfortunately, most cases of depression arent caused by medical issues. For depression that doesnt have a medical cause, the main treatments are antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.
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Which Antidepressants Cause Weight Gain
Though most antidepressants can cause weight gain as side effect, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others, including:
- Amitriptyline
- Mirtazapine
The effect of SSRIs on weight is mixed.
Despite the fact that many SSRIs cause weight loss during short-term treatment, other studies show that these drugs may cause long-term weight gain. The effects of these drugs will need continued study before we know more.
Why Do Antidepressants Cause Weight Gain
Scientists are unsure exactly why antidepressants cause weight gain, but they have a few theories.
The first is relatively simple — people with depression may experience changes in appetite as part of their condition, including eating less, which cause them to lose weight.
Alternatively, treatment with antidepressants can help reduce the symptoms of depression and bring back a persons appetite, causing them to eat more. In some cases, these patients may consume more than they normally would.
However, antidepressants may also impact metabolism, as some patients gain weight without substantially changing their consumption.
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Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service
The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.
How To Choose The Best Antidepressant For Weight Loss
Millions of people in the United States are diagnosed as having anxiety or depressive disorders. Symptomatic relief often comes in the form of prescription antidepressant medications. Unfortunately, many patients soon find that physiological effects of some formulations lead to undesired weight gain. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are especially noted for this particular side effect. Studies estimate that 25 percent of the patients using SSRIs experience a weight gain of 10 or more pounds. However, fluvoxamine or Luvox is a SSRI that does not cause weight gain or loss. The antidepressant fluoxetine or Prozac is actually equated with weight loss. There are many other antidepressant drugs that do not affect weight.
Also known as Wellbutrin, the medication belongs to the class of drugs referred to as norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors or NDRIs. The pharmaceuticals act by inhibiting the brain from breaking down and reabsorbing dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine is responsible for many different cognitive and physical functions while also acting as the body’s natural pain reliever. Norephinephrine is a natural stimulant. The average number of patients taking the pharmaceutical lose up to five pounds.
Viibryd
⢠Cymbalta-duloxetine
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Antidepressants And Weight Gain: The Diet And Exercise Link
Not surprisingly, experts also say that some of the same tenets that help us control our weight under normal circumstances may also help us while using antidepressants — including eating healthy and getting enough exercise.
“The best thing you could do would be to head off the weight gain before it starts by switching to a more nutritious diet and increasing your daily exercise as soon as you start taking an antidepressant,” says registered dietitian Samantha Heller, MS, RD.
If, in fact, you’ve already started packing on the extra pounds, Heller says switching to a healthier diet, cutting calories, and increasing exercise are still worth the effort.
“Even if you don’t lose weight immediately, you can begin controlling the gain and help your body to stabilize for a while,” says Heller.
Moreover, a steadily growing body of scientific evidence suggests that increasing your daily exercise may affect not only weight loss, but also help your depression. In one large study of more than 3,400 Finnish men and women published in the journal Preventive Medicine, researchers found that those who exercised at least two to three times a week experienced significantly less depression, anger, and stress than those who exercised less frequently or not at all.
Experts warn, however, not to severely restrict caloric intake while taking antidepressants. Not only may this affect brain chemistry in a negative way, any strong sense of deprivation may contribute to feelings of depression.
Weight Changes Due To Antidepressants
While some antidepressants cause weight loss, some may cause you to gain weight. In fact, experts say that as many as one in four people gains ten pounds or more while taking antidepressants such as Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft. The reasons behind the weight gain vary, but researchers suspect depression medications slow down the metabolism, causing a weight increase even though eating habits havent changed. Also, some people who are going through depression may turn to food for comfort, and the medication has no actual effect on appetite or eating habits. Another theory is that antidepressants help a person rediscover the pleasures in life, including food and eating. The truth of the matter is that some people will gain weight when they are depressed, and others will lose. The weight change may not be a side effect of the drug.
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Bupropion For Weight Loss
Bupropion is one of the best antidepressants for people who are hoping to lose weight, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
The medication is consistently linked with weight loss among patients for up to two years. However, the study continues to note that weight loss did not occur in patients who were smoking tobacco regularly.
However, Bupropion is considered one of the best drugs to prescribe for non-smoking, obese individuals who are interested in losing weight.
How Can I Manage Weight Gain From Medications
There are several options if you gain weight from taking your medications. Lifestyle management such as exercise and diet changes may help. But if the weight gain does not improve with lifestyle management and a medication is the likely cause, then changing the medication may be a better option and worth talking to your provider about.
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Tip For Choosing An Antidepressant
The results of this study indicate that worries about weight gain shouldnt influence the choice of antidepressant for most people. One antidepressant is generally as effective as another. If you need to choose an antidepressant, let cost and potential side effects be your guide.
Many antidepressants are available as generics. Generics work as well as brand name drugs, but cost less.
Here are some tips for choosing a treatment based on common side effects:
- Sexual side effects, such as difficulty having an orgasm. Bupropion may be less likely to cause this side effect. Its also the one associated with the least amount of weight gain.
- Sleepiness. Some antidepressants make you sleepy. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, taking one of these before bed, like trazodone, might be a good idea. Paroxetine is another good choice.
- No antidepressant leads the pack in terms of being more stimulating. Perhaps bupropion or fluoxetine might be a good first choice.
If you start taking an antidepressant, dont expect to see a major improvement right away. It often takes 6 to 8 weeks to see a response to an antidepressant. And dont give up if the first one doesnt work. Trying a different one may do the trick.
Another option to consider is psychotherapy, especially if the first drug doesnt work. People who do not respond to the first antidepressant can often do as well with talk therapy as they would with another drug.
Whats The Best Antidepressant For Energy And Weight Loss
To answer this question, youll need to know a few things.
The first thing is that antidepressants are not really designed for weight loss. Rather, weight loss is more of a side effect. For some people, this side effect can be beneficial. However, weight loss from antidepressants isnt as natural or healthy as weight loss caused by, say, exercise and a healthy diet.
That said, there are some antidepressants that will be more useful than others if youre hoping to lose weight and gain energy. And remember the safest and healthiest choice is not to rely solely on these drugs. Use your enhanced energy levels to take up a regular exercise routine and prepare healthy food for yourself.
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How To Avoid Weight Gain On Psych Meds
Asking for a referral to a qualified weight loss program in your area is a good idea, says Dr. McGee. What else?
- Focus on what and how you eat
- Don’t eat for gratification, boredom, or self-soothing or overeat to punish yourself
- Discuss whether weight loss medicines, in addition to the structured weight loss program, may be appropriate, at least to start.
According to Dr. Gonzalez-Campoy, ”along with a prescription for antipsychotic medications and most antidepressants, a concomitant prescription for weight management should be provided .”
And for those on antipsychotics, you should be made aware of the health risks that come with significant weight gain such as the development or worsening of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, he says. These are medical issues that should be monitored as well, he says.
How To Prevent Weight Loss If Youre On An Antidepressant
Many antidepressants have been reported to cause weight gain rather than weight loss. You may initially lose weight with an SSRI medication, but that changes the longer you take it.
Also, as the medicine works to improve your symptoms, your appetite might increase and return to normal levels. This will help with weight maintenance.
If weight loss is a concern, talk to your doctor about the best ways to manage weight while on antidepressants. They can offer tips and strategies to maintain healthy weight through diet.
Stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep can also impact weight negatively. Cognitive behavioral therapy and improved self-care plans can help with managing these concerns.
You can also consider consulting a nutritionist about foods that might be helpful in gaining and keeping weight stable.
Antidepressant medications arent prescribed for weight loss for several reasons:
- theyre not approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration
- they havent been proven to be
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Serotonin Modulators And Stimulators
Serotonin modulator and stimulators , sometimes referred to more simply as “serotonin modulators”, are a type of drug with a multimodal action specific to the serotoninneurotransmitter system. To be precise, SMSs simultaneously modulate one or more serotonin receptors and inhibit the reuptake of serotonin. The term was coined in reference to the mechanism of action of the serotonergic antidepressant vortioxetine, which acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor , partial agonist of the 5-HT1A receptor, and antagonist of the 5-HT3 and 5-HT7 receptors. However, it can also technically be applied to vilazodone, which is an antidepressant as well and acts as an SRI and 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist.
An alternative term is serotonin partial agonist/reuptake inhibitor , which can be applied only to vilazodone.
Can Weight Gain Caused By Antidepressants Be Prevented
It may be possible to prevent weight gain that results from treatment with antidepressants.
Some medications, as noted above, are less likely to cause weight gain, so switching to one of these medications may help some patients. Lowering the dose of the medication may also help.
However, not all medications work the same way for each person, so it is important to stay on the medication that works best for you. Taking a nutritional supplement that is designed to support a healthy metabolism and balanced brain chemistry may also help.
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What Are Antidepressants
Over 264 million people worldwide live with depression and an estimated 40 million people in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder in any given year.
Thankfully, both anxiety and depression can be treated with antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy, or a combination of treatment modalities.
Antidepressants are a popular prescription treatment for several mental health conditions, including:
Most antidepressants work by affecting chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters, including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
There are five main classes of antidepressants which affect these neurotransmitters in different ways:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors : SSRIs are often the first-line treatment prescribed by doctors for depression and anxiety. SSRI medications generally cause fewer side effects and are less likely to cause problems at higher therapeutic doses than other types of antidepressants. As suggested by their name, SSRIs work by increasing the activity of the chemical serotonin in the brain. Examples of SSRI medications include sertraline , fluoxetine , paroxetine , fluvoxamine , citalopram , escitalopram and vilazodone .
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors : SNRIs work by blocking the reabsorption of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Examples of SNRI medications are duloxetine , venlafaxine , desvenlafaxine , and levomilnacipran .
When To See A Doctor
If you are concerned about or are experiencing significant weight changes while taking an antidepressant, you may want to talk with your healthcare provider. A doctor may be able to change your medication, alter your dose, refer you to a nutritionist, recommend lifestyle changes, or help address any questions or concerns you have about your medications.
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Sertraline And Weight Gain: What You Need To Know
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Sertraline, sold under the brand name Zoloft®, is a widely used antidepressant that belongs to a class of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.
Like other antidepressants, SSRis including Zoloft , Celexa and others can cause certain side effects, including weight gain. In fact, some studies have shown that the more often you use them, the more weight you may gain.
Below, weve discussed the relationship between sertraline and weight gain, as well as what you can expect if youve been prescribed this medication.
Weve also explained what you can do to reduce your risk of gaining weight after you start using sertraline or other antidepressants.
Are There Antidepressants That Dont Cause Weight Gain
Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. Although they are generally well tolerated by most people, antidepressants do often come with a long list of side effects, including weight gain.
Gaining weight at a time when you are experiencing feelings of low self esteem can be very troubling for some patients, so much so that some people avoid taking antidepressants altogether for fear of gaining weight.
Many people wonder if there are antidepressants that dont cause weight gain.
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Seek The Help You Need
If you are feeling anxious or depressed, its important to seek out the help you need. Speak with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional to figure out whether antidepressants, therapy, or a combination thereof are right for you. If you are concerned about weight gain or weight loss on antidepressants, be sure to discuss that with your healthcare provider as well. Together, you can determine a treatment approach thats best for you.
Can Antidepressants Cause You To Lose Weight
Weight changes with antidepressants depend on an individual. Its difficult to say how a medication will affect your weight.
Although exact causes are unknown, the brain chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are thought to play a role in depression, and some also show depression and weight are linked.
A few antidepressants have had reports of causing weight loss:
- bupropion this has the most studies connecting it to
- fluoxetine results vary though some people experience weight loss
- duloxetine while results are unclear, some people report weight loss
SSRIs may cause weight loss with short-term use, but taking them for 6 months or more can lead to an increase in weight.
Your doctor will discuss benefits, risks, and side effects before you start any new medication. This includes weight-related side effects of antidepressants.
If side effects are bothersome, there are other options your doctor will discuss with you. However, weight loss is generally not a major concern when taking antidepressants based on current scientific
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