On this blog I have often talked about my experiences of weight gain when using the drug Citalopram / Celexa. It has been pointed out to me that these are not the only drugs that can have this side effect. Mirtazapine, which is a NaSSA (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant) and Venlafaxine, which is a SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) have both been known, according to readers of this blog, to cause weight gain. In the case of Mirtazapine weight gain is listed as a common side effect, whereas with Venlafaxine it is listed as a rare side-effect. Interestingly, Venlafaxine also causes weight loss in some patients.
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Weight issues with anti-depressants can and do happen, and it is worth talking to you doctor about them if you are worried. In my case, after sometime I was able to reduce my dose and then exercise more to lose the excess weight. It did take some time. I would also like to add that doctors should be wary of prescribing the worst wight-gain antidepressants to people for whom weight is an issue, including those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Do not stop taking medication because of what you have read here or anywhere else on the Internet. Antidepressants, whether they are SSRI’s, SNRI, NaSSA or something else, can have side effects but can also do you the world of good. There is a lot of negative publicity but that is partly because few people go on the Internet to talk about what is good, many more prefer to complain!
I welcome feedback on antidepressant use and am always on the look out for any news that would be of interest to readers of this blog. Email me on info@anxiety2calm.
Yes, this is right, there are a few anti-depressants that cause weight gain. I know someone who has been taking Mirtazapine for a couple of years. They have not put on a lot of weight, but it certainly makes them hungry and I can see how this could be an issue for some people. As you point out, especially those who are already very self-conscious about their body. It also makes people sleep a lot as it is a strong sedative. This obviously contributes to the problem.
I was wondering if you’d find my article on the Genetics and Biology of Social Anxiety interesting as it relates a lot to medication use.
Best wishes,
Nick
I found this article very helpful – thank you. I was on venlafaxine for 2 years and in that time gained about 3 stone. I was a healthy weight to begin with (9 stone), but my weight shot up uncontrollably, and my weight gains coincided exactly with my dosage increases. I talked to several doctors and they all told me that venlafaxine only causes weight loss, not gain. I increased how much I exercised, and cut out most fat from my diet, as well as all caffeine and alcohol – nothing worked. I finally talked to a doctor about 2 months ago who did some research and found out that other patients have had weight gain as a result of venlafaxine as well, and I have come off of the drug and onto fluoxetine. Since then I have already lost about 10 lbs.
So, if anyone is finding that their weight is increasing while they are on venlafaxine despite a healthy lifestyle, I would strongly recommend talking to your doctor about changing medications. Venlafaxine is extremely difficult to come off of though (or at least it was for me), so if you do decide to change make sure you reduce your dosages very gradually and over a long period of time. It can be very frustrating when a negative body image only makes you feel worse about yourself, especially if, like me, you were told by numerous people that you’re lying about how much you eat and exercise.
I have found very little recognition of weight gain as a side effect of venlafaxine, and yet it does seem to be relatively common. I feel that there should be a way to raise awareness that this does happen – not as a discouragement to using the drug necessarily, but just so that when it occurs it doesn’t take as long to recognise as it did in my case. Any suggestions?
That was very interesting and after careful consideration I would say that I also agree with this. This makes sense. I like this blog.
Mario