Antidepressants & Weight Gain

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My DW is about to start back to work (she's an RN), after an extended time off due to illness. Right now she's battling some depression and anxiety so her GP is looking at starting her on some meds. Does anyone know of any antidepressants, etc., that don't cause weight gain?

Also, has anyone ever been in a similar situation? Did you find any good ways to combat the stress of returning to nursing?

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Hi there. I have battled depression ever since I was young. I have been on MANY different meds. The best one that I have been on, and still am on, is Wellbutrin. Actually when I started it many years again for the first time, I had actually lost weight. Go figure. I have nothing but positive outcomes with Wellbutrin.

I have tried Prozac, way too much for my body to handle, it would make me horribly ill. Paxil, I went on the highest dose and it still did not do it for me.

Zoloft, forget about it.

However, everyones body and depression is different from the next persons.

I have heard that most Bipolar meds cause weight gain, not simple anti-depressants.

Here is a website that gives you some answers to your questions. Hope it helps.

http://diet.ivillage.com/issues/0,,7lskq86h,00.html

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The only SSRI with weight gain as a significantly reported event is Paxil.

Zoloft and Prozac may cause weight loss. I'm not familiar enough with the SE profile of some of the newer drugs like Celexa or some of the prototypical drugs like Wellbutrin.

Amanda

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Wow, Zoloft caused me to loose weight.

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My PCP told me that Celexa is 'weight neutral', and, if anything, it inhibited my appetite for a while. Didn't lose any weight though

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Wellbutrin is associated, if anything, with weight loss.

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I'm more of a cardiac guy and wasn't aware of the weight loss/gain issue until I googled it. It's hard to know which ones are good and which are bad...

Thanks for the input. :)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

This question needs to be directed to a doctor, not here.....I am sorry, but per our Terms of Service, no medical advice can be offered at allnurses.com. ALL antidepressants have unwanted side effects, and weight gain is common among many. The right one should be found only with the help of your health care provider, who knows your wife's personal health history and with whom she can keep in close touch to see how it's going when therapy is started.

I wish her well----lots of experience w/depression and various meds here. It may take time to find what will work for her. But do NOT give up.

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