Anoj Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 so do all ssri's cause weight gain? why is that? i know many who say florenisef causes weight gain too. just saying, i don't run marathons so dont want to have issues down the road from an ssri due to weight gain. i know you are supposed to "trial" and if you have to get off you have to wean off like benzos. i was put on a snri buspar before dx'd and had no probs weaning off. i don't think most people gain as much as i did. weight gain is a common side effect; however, they say that different meds cause different side effects, and i've heard of people switching from one to another and having success mitigating their side effects. for me, every one i've tried caused weight gain. i've tried 2 different SSRIs (zoloft, celexa) and one SNRI (effexor). supposedly you are less likely to gain on an SNRI, but i gained on effexor! the withdrawal from effexor was pure HE-double-L, and i don't want to put my fragile brain thru anything like that again.i ended up being allergic to celexa and becs it is related to lexapro, i can't take either of those. the only SSRIs i haven't tried are paxil and prozac. i have heard horror stories about weaning from paxil becs of the short half-life and also weight gain with that one. i have heard that prozac is supposed to be weight-neutral, so if i ever decide to go the SSRI route again, i will probably pick that one.for me it is all about appetite. i see people say that they aren't eating more and they think the weight gain from SSRIs is related to metabolism, but SSRIs have always made me hungry 24/7, and i KNOW i eat too much. i mean, i pig out, but i can't help it! i even DREAM about food. i remember being upset when i gained 20 lbs. i wish i could go back to feeling like that, becs now i have about 80-90 extra. i went from a size 6-8 to a size 20. sorry to ramble about this, but it's been a very upsetting situation. i look at pictures of myself and can't believe what i see. add to that trouble walking and getting thru the day, and sometimes i just feel like a big fat loser! when i look at myself from 3 yrs ago, it's definitely a feeling of grief at the person i used to be, not just in the way i felt but also the way i looked. was it worth taking the SSRI, though? ... i would say yes, becs i got to live a lot more of my life while on the drug. i am only trying to get off now becs i feel my body has reached a point where it may be strong enough, and i also am not working as much so i have time to deal with the withdrawal.ANYWAY, sorry again to ramble. it's nice to be able to talk. i'll move along now. BTW, did you know buspar is not an SNRI? that may be one of the reasons it wasn't too hard to wean off of.speaking of buspar, there is another drug (vibryd) that is a combo SSRI + buspar-like drug that is supposed to not cause weight gain. i have trouble buying that, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 what? oh, i see it is categorized as am azapirone but yet did nothing for me.i also see that it doesn't require tapering off of. my neuro had me taper a little tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anoj Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 tapering off anything seems smart to me, imo. buspar has been shown to not be very effective for anxiety clinically. i don't think doctors prescribe it much anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 yeah, he was a kinda old school neuro, mainly focused on Parkinson, said he didn't treat pots when he referred me to a cardio who dx'd me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jangle Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Neither SSRI's nor benzodiazepines helped my lightheadedness which is my only symptom. I got the most relief from florinef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbyw Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I gained 10 kilos (22 lbs) in 10 months on Lexapro. I was underweight before, so I wasn't upset about the first 5-10 lbs. Then, I was not happy. Switched to Effexor, because it supposedly does not cause weight gain and may even cause weight loss in some people. Did nothing for my weight either way, but I felt bloated all the time, and the short half-life is a killer. If you are late by 1 hour on the dose, you feel it. I was also nervous because of the weaning horror stories. I started Prozac and started to lose some of the weight. Now I am pregnant, so it is hard to know.I agree with Anoj about how it helps me feel. Just overall better. No more HR jump on standing either.Wanted to try Wellbutrin because I thought it would have less side effects, but right now I am sticking with what is working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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