Why does the antidepressant Effexor cause weight gain?

21 May 2006

Well the reason they can cause weight gain is actually two fold, one is because when you suffer depression and mood disorders, you often don't eat as you should, so when the meds help the problem, you get your appetite back and start to eat normally again.

The second of course, is the metabolic changes that they can cause.

By eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, you can help to stave off these effects.

3 Aug 2009

SHORT ANSWER: Your may be right about anti-depressants altering appetite or altering metabolism etc.
LONG ANSWER: When I was on Paxil I gained weight. When I quit my whole psyche re food reversed: No more cravings, etc., and a very small appetite. I ate small servings & only ate to keep healthy. If I did indulge in chocolates, pigged out on pizza, etc., there seemed to be no affect. The weight melted off & I lost twenty pounds in two years. I could wear my clothes in comfort & felt very pleased. But I was SEVERELY depressed.
Now I've been on Effexor for about 8 months. I did a complete flip-flop re food & the cravings are back. I regained my taste for junk. If I try to control my appetite, I feel deprived, so I rationalize that this snack, that drink, those potato chips are OK for me. Yeah sure! And the weight has been steadily creeping up again: 10 pounds in eight months! This is DEPRESSING! So I joined Weight Watchers this week and hope to stop the trend. Stay tuned.