Is your antidepressant why the numbers on the scale keep dropping?
Verywell / Emily Roberts
While some antidepressants are linked to weight gain, others are associated with weight loss.
If you havedepression, there’s a solid chance your doctor or therapist will recommend therapy and/orantidepressant medications.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Antidepressants can help you feel better, but they can also have side effectswhich may includegainingor losing weight.
Like with most medications, individual results may vary.
Any side effectincluding weight-related side effectsdepends entirely on how your body reacts to a medication.
For some people, the fluctuation in weight is only temporary.
Which Antidepressants Cause Weight Loss?
Weight changes are among the reportedside effects of antidepressant drugs.
It’s natural to get really frustrated with this side effect.
You might lose weight, or you might not.
For some people, these weight-loss effects fade after a few months of antidepressant use.
Prozac is aselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor(SSRI).
Effexor is aserotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor(SNRI).
Wellbutrin is an atypical antidepressant that doesn’t change serotonin levels in the brain.
Rather, it uniquely alters other brain chemicals like noradrenaline and dopamine.
This is associated not only with weight loss but also improved sexual functioning.
However, Wellbutrin may not be appropriate for everyone.
This is especially true of people with a history of seizures or aneating disorderlike anorexia or bulimia.
Like all antidepressants, Wellbutrin, Prozac, andEffexorcarry a black box warning.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
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The hows and whys of this aren’t quite clear.
That’s because weight gain while taking an antidepressant is complicated.
Each person’s situation is difference, and their response may vary.
In addition, individual factors seem to play a role.
These include Trintellix (vortioxetine), Manerix (moclobemide),Pristiq(desvenlafaxine), andtrazodone.
Why Antidepressants Affect Weight
So what’s the link between antidepressants and your weight?
Antidepressants that cause weight loss may do so by causing your appetite to decrease.
Those that cause weight gain may stimulate the appetite instead.
It’s hard to feel motivated to work out when your mood and energy levels are low.
So, as the medication begins to reduce feelings of depression, these behaviors can also change.
As these behaviors change, you may find that you gain or lose weight.
Your family history may even impact whether your weight will change while taking an antidepressant.
Choosing an Antidepressant
Treating your depression is paramount to your mental health and well-being.
Your physical appearance and health are also important.
Have a candid discussion with your doctor about depression treatment, as there are a lot of options.
Often, it is difficult to know which antidepressant will work best for you.
Always discuss your treatment with your doctor (never stop taking your antidepressant without your doctor’s go-ahead).
The strategies to manage your weight can also improve your emotional and mental health.
Often, a combination of medication and a healthy lifestyle is the best treatment plan for depression.
Walking, stretching, and moderate-intensity resistance training can all be helpful.
What’s most important is consistency.
Small but consistent changes can add up to big changes in your health.
Eating a well-balanced diet can help with weight management.
It’s also a great way to boost your mood, since there is a connection betweendiet and depression.
Try making small swaps and changes every few days or every week.
Taking these medications for that purpose has negligible results.
There’s no proof that it helps any more with losing weight than diet and exercise alone.
The use of antidepressants for weight loss is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Some researchers suggest that doctors may want to take a weight-centric approach when choosing antidepressants.
Can Prozac make you lose weight?
There are some prescription medications approved for the treatment of obesity, including Contrave.
Your efforts in one area will support the other.
However, there is no guarantee that taking Wellbutrin will give you energy or cause weight loss.
However, these are not antidepressant drugs.
Some antidepressants may be associated with weight loss, perhaps due to an effect on appetite or improved energy.
But scientists are still working to understand why some people lose weight while taking antidepressants.
It is more important for your antidepressant to treat symptoms of depression than to promote weight loss.
However, every person’s experience is different.
Antidepressants are often prescribed to treat anxiety.
There is no specific anti-anxiety medication that causes weight loss.
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