Was taking Lexapro and it made me tired and listless. Started Pristiq and I have been on it for 10 weeks. Felt good, better mood , more energy and just better over all. Noticed a slight weight gain. Now, I feel lethargic again and listless and not very motivated. Has anyone taken a anti-depressant that will lift my mood, moral, spirits and give me more energy without weight gain? None of the SSRI or SSNI have effected my sex drive or performance. Any suggestions would help.
Mood, motivation and energy?
Question posted by D C 2013 on 12 Sep 2013
Last updated on 27 September 2013
5 Answers
lkp4uf
23 Sep 2013
Lexapro made me feel completely lifeless as I progressed in strength. Eventually I went completely off it and switched to Wellbutrin. Lots of energy with Wellbutrin, but depression came back. I am now on a low dose of Lexapro and Wellbutrin. Taken together I am feeling 100% better.
endlessPred
13 Sep 2013
Hello. As you have not mentioned the dose, it might be too strong for you. See your doctor and discuss. Also, be sure you take no alcohol or street drugs when on these pills.
pickles503
24 Sep 2013
Well, there goes the meth. Thx for reminding all of us, Karen. My choice of drug is 81 mg of aspirin. And oh yeah, coca cola, that is unless you drink it on the street.
MacIntosh12
24 Sep 2013
Anna, OMG, laughing SO hard! You are hilarious!!
endlessPred
25 Sep 2013
Coca cola if diet may cause headaches and other side effects including weight gain. Now, Pepsi is the drink of choice around here. We are able to handle it up in the north woods. Southerners, wilt here. We eat cheese and warm ourselves by making hats out of it. Doesn't interfere with most meds either.
pickles503
26 Sep 2013
I guess you are a bunch of cheese heads, then, huh Karen? Coke is a drug. I better change to Pepsi. I read that when Coke was first served, it had cocaine in it. Instead of tea parties, the ladies had Coke party's. I doubt they talked about tea and crumpets.
endlessPred
27 Sep 2013
How do you think they did all that laundry by hand, bake bread, clean a chicken and grow a great big garden while burping baby number seven?
pickles503
27 Sep 2013
Karen, that was a kicker!
kaw06
12 Sep 2013
Yes, abilify seems to help when added to another antidepressant.
WildcatVet
12 Sep 2013
Hi, D C! Yes, this can be a problem for a lot of people. It's an unavoidable side effect for some people, and others don't gain any weight at all. Unfortunately, it entirely depends on how it affects YOU, just as which AD best helps your depression.
Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, and Serzone are considered more *weight neutral*, while for some folks Wellbutrin can cause weight loss.
ADs can increase your appetite and/or cause some metabolic changes that tend to make it easier to pack on the pounds. Exercise and a careful diet can help a great deal in some cases, but it's kind of hard to feel motivated and energetic when you're a big, depressed lump. LOL!
There most likely IS a medication out there that will help your mood and not cause weight gain, but you may have to try a few til you find the one that works best for you.
In my own experience, I found that Effexor fits the bill for me. I feel great ~ and I've actually lost weight that I needed to get rid of since I've been taking it. Best wishes, WCV
MacIntosh12
13 Sep 2013
Hi WCV, I agree, Wellbutrin won't usually cause any weight gain.
Good answer!
Lara
pickles503
24 Sep 2013
I agree with Lara. You can lose a million pounds
Holdoll
12 Sep 2013
The only boost in energy I ever experienced with a antidepressant medication was adding on Abilify to my 40mg of Prozac. It was incredible but did cause weight gain (about 15lbs. unfortunately)
pickles503
24 Sep 2013
Really, Hold? I didn't know that.
Holdoll
24 Sep 2013
Yep it was amazing but then I went off both abruptly and didn't feel the same after going on them again a few months later :(
Related topics
lexapro, pristiq, depression, weight loss (obesity/overweight), anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, weight, energy
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