Has anyone used Lexapro for anxiety and gained weight?

I have been on Lexapro for 14 months for anxiety related insomnia. It was so bad, I was afraid that I would take my own life. After 8 weeks with dose up to 20 mg, I found my sanity again, sleeping and enjoying life. But about 6 months in, I started to gain weight. I’m have been exercising for 30 years regularly, eating healthy with minimal alcohol intake. But no matter what I did , 10 hours a week at the gym, from strength training, Pilates, yoga, Zumba, plus Intermittent fasting…..going to bed hungry , still nothing. I have always been slim, so 10lbs is devastating to me, and it’s all in the middle .I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I’m an Asian woman but I’m now look like an Amazon woman….I finally asked my doc to take me off but I’m afraid that I won’t sleep again. So as of yesterday, I’m went on buspirone 5mg twice a day. Wish me luck

Oh yes! I gained 20-22 pounds after using Lexapro. Been on it for 8 years.

I have been on it for 4 years and I seem to gain 10 lbs a year. My eating habits have not changed for the worse I actually eat less now. I feel great mentally but not too happy with the weight gain.

I got on in 2015 and I’ve had five pregnancies since so I’m not sure how much is from that and how much from lexapro but I haven’t changed what I eat or my exercise. I am constantly active (mom life

I have been on it for years, it does not make you gain weight. If anyone does during that time, they are gaining due to something else & putting it on the lexapro cause most depression meds do cause weight gain. I actually just left a Dr appt and was discussing getting off of the lexapro b/c I don’t believe it’s working well for me any longer. And that was one of our main topics, weight gain. My dr.’s exact words were “Lexapro is one of the few that does NOT cause that.” I normally wouldn’t have commented on this if I hadn’t literally just spoke to my Dr. about that today. This is coming from a Dr. not the opinion of of others who have taken it. Even though I have been taking it and have had no weight gain from that particular medication. And I have tried almost everything. Unfortunately. Good luck!

Hello - I was on Lexapro 20 mg, I gained 35 lbs and felt worse on meds vs off. I was taking it for PMDD, I've been good for two years, now it's back in my life, and I feel terrible before my cycle. I went to the dr. e=and expressed, I will not take Lexapro (it did make my PMDD go away but ... ), so he recently put me on Citalopram 20 mg (I take 10mg because it's too strong for me.) I've lost weight on this meds, I feel like superwomen!! FYI - It's in the same medicine family. I totally recommend it!!!

Hi, I switched from Citalopram (10 years on ) to Escitalopram 20mg 3 months ago and have lost 10 kilo.
At the start I did nothing different but am now doing intermittent fasting as I was excited by the initial loss and wanted to keep it going. So 108 kilo to 98 kilo today

I have take lexapro for about 4 years started at 10mg w Klonopin as needed. I am usually 115-120lbs . Dancer active 5’1. I gained over 20lbs on lexapro especially when I upped my dose to 15 and 20mg. I was 143lbs at my highest. It wasn’t me I was so bloated. I also wasn’t getting better w anxiety. I am not on Prozac and have lost 15lbs getting back to normal weight n feel better

Hi, Sashaw!
Both these medications are considered "weight neutral" because if any weight change occurs as a side effect it could go either way, weight loss or weight gain. Only about 10% or less of users will experience any change. The thing is that the the majority of the reviews you read are written only by the people who have experienced some weight gain... that doesn't take in the majority of patients who have few if any side effects at all. I took Lexapro for over 7 years and my weight never changed.

Lexapro: Common (1% to 10% of users): Decreased appetite, increased appetite, weight increased, weight decreased
Paxil: Common (1% to 10% of users): Decreased appetite, increased appetite, increases in weight gain, weight loss

Both are excellent choices to treat anxiety disorders and are among the medications most commonly prescribed. Worst case, if you do gain weight you can always try another medication because you will lose any weight you gain after stopping the drug you're on.

No. I'm actually losing weight. I really don't need to tho cause I was only 110 lbs. Now I'm 105. It's strange cause I'm eating alot to keep weight on, but obviously that's not working for me. Everyone's experience is different.

Yes

I gained about 20 pounds, though I was also switching to lexapro from prozac(which had been making me nauseous for years) so maybe it was a delayed freshman 15 once my appetite became more normal? I had also trained myself to force feed during those years otherwise I’d skip meals and become shaky.