Finished first week of 10 mg Viibryd. I have gained two pounds, and am needing to lose weight. Viibryd is not supposed to cause weight gain, and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. So far, my depression is much better. Any comments are appreciated!
Has anyone experienced weight gain on Viibryd?
Question posted by loridiane on 17 Sep 2011
Last updated on 26 November 2020
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
51 Answers Page 4
rammom4
4 Jan 2012
I have been on it since September 2011 and to date I have gained over 30 lbs. My Doctor is also my boss and keeps telling me that the weight gain isnt from the medication but from my acute streess and binge eating ... (I have many recent life changes). I have always battled my weight and have always been able to control my weight by poriton control and self control... I seriously think that this medication has somehow taken away my "filters" when it comes to food. I find myself CRAVING junk food 24/7 and have zero will power.
My life has calmed down and now that the holidays are over I will be tapering off this medication.
Kimber_1682
5 Jan 2012
I stopped Viibryd because of the weight gain and started Celexa and it works wonders! Feel like myself again!
johnhopps
22 Jan 2012
I gained 33 pounds on prozac. Ive been off 5 months and have lost 7 pounds. This is with doing tons of excercise and wathching my calorie intake. It is the meds so show your boss this please. My thyroid checked out ok.
rammom4
31 Jan 2012
I am happy to say that I am 100% off ALL medication and I lost 10 lbs the week following my last pill. The medication worked well for me other then the weight gain... if I still needed the medication I would gladly be chubby and mentaly stable vs a "thin mess". Good luck to everybody!!
shannaann
1 Feb 2013
I agree with the craving problem. and I now crave sugar and junk to the point of being rediculous. also have even less will power than ever
willard65
18 March 2013
I've been on viibryd for almost 3 months (at 30 mg, going to 40 soon) 0 weight gain, and if anything ,I'm eating less. It is suppossed to be taken with food, but a small amount of protein based food is probably sufficient.working good on depression, let's see what happens.Libido is getting better too!!!
stella marie
1 April 2013
I've been on it over a year now and gained 20 lbs. I am starving all the time. I am especially hungry at night and eat things I'd never normally eat before - sweets for one. I feel the same way you do. I can't stop myself.
krissy_o
8 April 2013
My doctors also told me that my weight-gain was due to stress! It has been so frustrating for me to hear that over and over again! I do not binge-eat; my diet has stayed the same as before I went on Viibryd. I was even given a thyroid medication because my doctors were so sure that the weight gain was due to stress. But, the thyroid medication didn't help at all! I gained 86 lbs in 6 months! I am sure, now, that it IS the Viibryd and I will see my doctor tomorrow to talk about whether or not to continue with this medication. If she is willing to give me a medication for weight-loss I will be willing to continue; if not I will be going off. I sincerely hope that you are part of the 2-3% that is gaining weight due to increased appetite, or that it IS stress, and that you are able to put a stop to your weight gain!
Kimber_1682
13 Dec 2011
I started Viibryd 10mg for two weeks then increased to 20mg. I've been on it for about 4-5 weeks now and have gained 10 lbs! My doctor thought it was strange because Viibryd is supposed to be weight neutral. I'm tapering off and going to try Celexa.
Dee1959
10 March 2012
I was on Lexapro for about 6 months but it was expensive so my health care provider switched me to Celexa 20mg & in 5 wks I gained almost 15 lbs! He changed my rx from Celexa to Viibryd ystrdy. I hope it doesn't cause weight gain!! Also, he didn't tell me to tapper off Celexa b4 starting Viibryd so not sure what to do... should I stop Celexa G just go on the Viibryd??
Kimber_1682
12 March 2012
If it were me I would just go right off the Celexa and switch to Viibryd. I think the 20mg Celexa is a low dose anyway. Good luck!
menyg35
4 April 2012
Kimber, my doctor told me the same thing about Viibryd, being 'weight neutral'. That was not the case with me. I was on Viibryd 40 mg. for about 8 weeks when I just stopped taking it cold turkey (do not recommend doing that.) I am back on Cymbalta which I was on for years and had no negative side effects. Actually had no appetite and lost weight when I initially started Cymabalta. However, I would skip the Celexa. That was THE worst AD when it comes to weight gain and it's not just me to say that. Pretty much everybody who takes it gets off of it because of the weight gain. It's a personal decision, but having been on Viibryd and Celexa and hearing your concern, I would consider a different drug. Prozac is know to cause absolutely no weight gain. That was the very first AD I was put on to treat my bulimia. I did lose weight on it because it helped me manage my obsession over food and helped to focus on other things.
unfortunately, 15 years later, and having tried it again, it's just not strong enough for me. I wish you all the best. Please keep me posted :)
annmckenna
27 Aug 2012
I have been on 40 mg. of Viibryd for about 5 months and have an increased appetite and have gained 15 lbs. I especially crave sweets. I have tried every other antidepressant and feel the best on this so I don't think I'll change. If I continue to gain, though, I will consider it seriously.
annmckenna
27 Aug 2012
I also am experiencing bloating. Is this common?
Sanvean
30 Nov 2011
I started taking 10mg a little more than a month ago. I have gained around 10 lbs. Other than that, I have had no other side effects.
JKvista
26 Nov 2011
I have been on Viibryd for about a month and a half now and I have gained quite a bit of weight. I keep seeing things that say it's not a side effect but it definitely is for me, and obviously everyone reacts to things differently. I have been on numerous medications and have learned that they all react differently with different people.
I started taking Viibryd because I was tired of my decreased (almost not even there) sex drive when I was on Zoloft. Viibryd has improved my sex drive quite a bit but I've also gained weight (probably about 5 lbs in 1.5 months). I feel constantly hungry. BUT, my depression seems to be better too. I'm going to try to stay on it for a while and see if I can control the food cravings.
krissy_o
8 April 2013
I also was very happy when I learned that Viibryd does not affect sex-drive! That was a major plus for me. And, because my MDD is refractory, I was very excited to see an improvement in my depression! But for me, the improvement is small (I just came out of a Major Depressive Episode), compared to the side-effects I have experienced. I am now considering going off of it...
ChrisDDD
17 Sep 2011
I have heard about the weight gain. I have not gained any weight and my appetite, if anything, has decreased. I have heard several other people say they were gaining weight on Viibryd, though, so it doesn't seem to be an unusual side effect.
ctgal
19 Sep 2012
You are very lucky. I usually lose my appetite on antidepressants. This one makes me crave sugar so much that I can barely control it. I hate it. I also bruise like crazy. It has improved my depression, but I am asking my dr. for another drug. I hate this!!
shannaann
1 Feb 2013
I have been on viibryd a few months now and have cut the dose in half to 20 mg a day. but I have gained 20 pounds and have massive swelling. wonder if I can just stop taking it or not.
shannaann
LauraLea41
15 March 2013
Shannan, If you quit, don't quit cold turkey like I did. I have had some horrible withdrawl symptoms like itchy skin, bad mood swings, severe tiredness, loss of interest and even suicidal thoughts. The itchy skin is driving me nuts!!!
willard65
22 April 2013
I've heard a lot of different reactions from people regarding viibryd. I haven't experienced weight gain (yet anyway) and it has helped my depression a lot. (30 mg daily in am). One thing that i found out is that it's not good to even miss 1 day of viibyrd. I don't feel good if i forget to take it daily. With most anti-depressants I've had, the blood level of the drug doesn't drop off real fast so missing a day doesn't seem to be that big a deal. My shrink doesn't have an answer for this. This drug hasn't been around very long so i often wonder if long term use will be safe and that someday i might be able to taper off. We will see. willard
sabrli
26 Nov 2020
If I don’t take it the same time every morning I feel terrible. I may even sleep all day almost like withdrawing I would guess. Works very well for me though.
Rajive Goel
17 Sep 2011
Increased appetite has been a reported side effect of viibryd for around 2-3% who take this med., if you think this could be the cause of your weight gain; you could ask your doc who prescribed the med to give you an alternate.
Take care, be well, please.
krissy_o
8 April 2013
That is great information; thank you so much. But I have not experienced increased appetite. In fact, I eat so little that I often experience low blood sugar! Yet I gained 86 lbs in 6 months! I eat healthy (except for the not enough part), and I exercise at least 2 hours daily, but I still gained the weight. This experience is very similar to when I was taking Seroquel. It has to be the Viibryd affecting my metabolism or something, because I was losing weight on this same regimen prior to going on Viibryd!
Related topics
depression, weight loss (obesity/overweight), weight, viibryd
Further information
- Viibryd uses and safety info
- Viibryd prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Viibryd (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.