I've been taking 10mg of paxil for about a month. I'm formerly anorexic and am scared to death of weight gain. When I told my doctor he thought prescribing 100mg of Wellbutrin SR along with the paxil would be a good idea to counteract weight gain. Will it work? Will it make me lose weight while on the paxil or just maintain it?
Paxil and Wellbutrin SR taken together?
Question posted by Anonymous on 11 Sep 2015
Last updated on 24 April 2021 by GmanPA
4 Answers
GmanPA
24 April 2021
10 mg is a low dose so you shouldn’t worry about weight gain. Paxil can change hormone levels and make you gain weight but that’s generally only on high dosages. Trust me, I was on Paxil for 17 years. Good luck
chuck1957
24 Oct 2015
Anonymous; I do agree with Laurie when I was on Paxil I gained no weight But the wellbutrin is a good match but remember it has a loss of appetite and weight loss. So you must be very careful to at least maintain your weight and keep track of your calories you don't want to end up where you were prior to getting help. Have a good day.
kismetangel
24 Oct 2015
I'm actually on 450mg of Wellbutrin XL and 20mg of Paxil daily. The combo is working quite well. In the beginning I lost about 10 pounds in about 4 months and now I'm mostly stable, a pound up or down here or there.
My family has commented on my weightloss and positive change in my disposition.
After years of struggling, I think I've found a combo that works for me.
--- Kismet
LaurieShay
11 Sep 2015
First, let me say that just because you are taking Paxil doesn't mean you will automatically gain weight. Watch your calories and exercise reasonably and you will be ok. The Wellbutrin is a good adjunct to the Paxil and may reduce your appetite some, but be careful you don't slip back into bad eating habits. It truly is a matter of monitoring calories in vs calories burned. If you eat reasonably, you should be fine.
King990
12 April 2016
This is absolutely incorrect. I am a Dietitian and it is not always calories in vs. calories out. its actually much more than that. They way your body metabolizes each and every calorie you take in can be different for everyone. It has been suggested that paxil and many of the other SSRI's can lead to weight gain by actually reducing your basil metabolic rate. please research this term if you are unfamiliar with it. With this reduction, it is possible to gain weight without making any changes to your diet. With this reduction it can also make it much harder to lose weight once gained. Generally speaking if you eat healthy, and exercise daily, the weight gain may come at a slower rate, but if the medication does indeed affect in such a way that it lowers your BMR, then you will most likely gain weight. Every medication effects each and every one of us differently.
in my experience, many patients will initially lose weight with paxil because it decreases your appetite in the beginning. this is a huge red flag that it may make you gain weight eventually because that initial decrease in appetite is your actual metabolism slowing, and your brain telling your body that you actually need less food now to function. Just do your research and maybe get multiple opinions from qualified professionals before you make your decision.
Related topics
paxil, wellbutrin, wellbutrin sr, weight loss (obesity/overweight), anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, weight, anxiety and stress
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