I have been taking Lexipro for a year now and although it has helped with my anxiety it has also caused me to gain 10 pounds. I’ve asked my doctor if there’s a medicine that doesn’t cause weight gain and she recommended Pristiq, and mentioned that it might cause weight loss. As a slim guy I can’t afford to lose too much weight, but at that the same time I certainly don’t want to gain any more weight.
Pristiq - Has this caused weight gain or loss in you, and if so how much?
- Asked
- 2 May 2013 by TE Desire
- Updated
- 15 May 2022 (3 days ago)
- Topics
- lexapro, pristiq, obesity, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, weight, doctor, medicine
37 Answers
Inactive
2 May 2013
Less serious side effects of desvenlafaxine may include:
increased sweating;
dizziness, drowsiness;
**loss of appetite;**
tightness in your jaw;
mild nausea, constipation;
sleep problems (insomnia); or
decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
Gastrointestinal side effects including nausea (up to 41%), dry mouth (up to 25%), diarrhea (up to 11%), constipation (up to 14%), and vomiting (up to 9%) have been reported. Postmarketing reports have included decreased appetite.
briards
2 May 2013
i gained 15 pounds in one year from pristiq.
Piece of Cake
13 Sep 2018
Same here. From 155 to 170 the first year.
Heaviest I ever got was 178 (+23 over start weight about 4 years on), but I managed to get it back down and hold steady at 170 after that.
Alrett
6 May 2013
I have been taking the generic version of Lexapro since December 14th, 2012 when my anxiety levels reached unmanageable levels. Since then I have put on 10 pounds and I am not eating anything different. I only take 5 mg daily. I will begin to taper off as the excess weight gain in my stomach, legs and hips is causing additional stress. I am also chronically lethargic and nearly impossible to wake up on time in the mornings and I take it at approximately 8 pm every night.
Margaret Lewellyn
26 Aug 2018
I have pain and chronic fatigue. Just read where ADD meds are helping. Research is being done because of the similar problems of both. They have found people with ADHD untreated for years end up with Chronic Fatigue. ADD meds help CFS and pain. Very interesting
Canuckgal
27 May 2013
Neither. I was on PRISTIQ for seven months for circumstantial depression. It had no effect on my weight, was easily tolerated, and the only side effect I noticed (not reported elsewhere, that I have seen) was canker sores on my tongue. These diminished as the dosage decreased to wean off the drug. No loss of libido, either.
BeckyKS4
16 Jun 2013
Pristiq caused weight gain for me. I was on Pristiq for almost one year, I gained a little over 22 lbs. It effected my appetite to the point all I wanted to eat were carbs and sweets. I had no control over my appetite at all, it felt like my brain was telling my body to eat, comparable to an addiction problem. It also caused me to have terrible TMJ, the pain was unbearable and I also got hot flashes. The longer I was on Pristiq, the greater my cravings became and also the greater the pain of my TMJ. However, on Pristiq, I felt wonderful (beside the side effects), it did exactly what it is was supposed to do for depression. The side effects for me were not tolerable, so I decided to discontinue using it.
Jaylouie
21 Oct 2014
Curious to know if the weight dropped after coming off pristiq. If so how long did it take?
BeckyKS4
21 Oct 2014
No, it did not. I was put on Viibryd and the weight gain continues. It is so frustrating!
Jaylouie
21 Oct 2014
I'm going to get my Serotonin levels checked now. Both pristiq and viibryd play with serotonin and this can be linked to obesity. I'm hopeful there's an answer not too far away that's drug free. I'm off medication now and haven't felt better.
Rob Johnson
20 Oct 2015
I have been on Pristiq for four years, against my wishes and gained 17kg!!! I feel huge now!!!
They have now put me on Esitalo and my weight continues to increase. Now another 9kg in three weeks - will it never end???
pi_girl
2 Oct 2017
I am trying to get off Pristiq now. I have gained a lot. I have found a good diet that has helped me called Isagenix. I have lost 7.5 pounds on it. I’m now down to 250, but am trying to lose more. It is a nightmare of withdrawal symptoms coming off Pristiq!!!
LadiLori
5 Feb 2018
I've been on Pristiq for about 4 months now and I am having the same issue with weight gain. I have was always been very slim (averaging 105-108 lbs.). When I was full term pregnant I weighed 132 lbs. In the short time I've been on Pristiq, I have gained 20 pounds (3 lbs. just last week!). I have the same issue where my brain tells me to eat even when I'm not hungry. I have INTENSE cravings for sweets as well, and I even have the overwhelming desire to eat when my body is physically full. I've had to consciously skip meals to allow my body time to digest what I've eaten as I sometimes even have physical discomfort due to the amount of food I've eaten. I thought I was the only one and that I was crazy or something. I'm also on Gabapentin for my fibro which I've read has caused weight gain for some, but I have been on Gabapentin since September 2016 and weight gain was never an issue until Pristiq was added. I'm seriously bothered by it and contemplating switching.
kbf0702
12 Sep 2018
I'm curious as to your age. I take pritique 100mg for several years and have found that as I have gotten older I have gained a lot of weight (60 lbs. in past three years). My activity level has decreased due to the weight gain, but my appetite and food consumption hasn't changed. My psychiatrist insists that pristiq doesn't cause weight gain. I realize that weight gain is to be expected as one gets older but this is crazy. It's so bad that I totally isolate myself out of embarrassment and physical discomfort because of my weight. I'm honestly getting tired of my psychiatrist insisting that my meds have nothing to do with weight gain (also prescribed 4.5mg of Vraylar (even though I'm not bipolar but only depressed) which psychiatrist also denies is cause of weight gain but I rarely take it). My primary care doctor agrees with me and says psychiatrists just "don't care." why don't they get that weight gain only contributes to feeling lousy?
Newyorkgal35
20 Jul 2014
I have been on Pristiq for a couple of years it hasn't caused any weight gain. I don't find it very effective as an antidepressant 100 mg.
dmos1128
14 Oct 2014
nope it does not cause weight gain, I lost 8 to 12 pounds first few weeks. Lost libido first week, then everything was fine. Dont know about the problem of having orgasms, it has always taken me a long time which I learned how to do on purpose at a young age. After two weeks, I was fine having an orgasm when I was ready.
sweetann0617
24 May 2015
I am currently in the process of weaning off Pristiq. I have gained over 20lbs. I can not sleep, sex life shot. I have a husband that have needs. This regimen is not working for me. I've lost my job and about to lose my husband. This never help my anxiety. Tried Zoloft, Cymbalta, now this. Back to the MD
Rob Johnson
20 Oct 2015
How slowly did you wean yourself off and by what incriminate? My weigh gain has been huge and I was on Pristiq for four years...
Jenlady
4 Jan 2016
Have you tried Effoxor ER??? I lost 60 pounds on it, It worked wonders for me, until they made the generic, my depression does not respond to generic medication for some reason. Talk to your dr about Effoxor
Jade12329
27 Mar 2017
I was on pristiq since 2012 i had alot of fluid and weight gain!! It took me 6 months to wean my self off!! I started taking every other day 50mg then cutting them in half with taking half everyday to every other day then i got down to a crumb and the side effects were still bad but taking 50mg tramadol helped me come completely down to now my legs doesnt swell im actually losing weight!! Good luck bc pristiq is very hard to come off!! Now i don't crave sweets or no fluid or weight gain
Myboys14
29 Jul 2015
I have been on Pristiq for about 6 weeks now and the weight is pouring off me. I have no appetite at all. I've lost about 5 kgs. I'm not sure if it's also a case of me moving around a lot more as with my depression I was In bed a lot of the time, so I'm burning more calories. But my weight has dropped dramatically. I have also suffered with a bit of diarrhea but nothing to bad. My energy levels are awesome and the black foggy cloud has lifted heaps. Still requiring a valium 5 mg for social outings for anxiety. But I think Pristiq is awesome.
Jenlady
4 Jan 2016
This medication has worked wonderful for me!!! 2 years ago I was put on Effexor ER and done great until they gave me the generic, doctors and pharmacist swear its the same, but for some reason my body says other wise!!! I've been on Pristiq for a couple of months now and its WORKING GREAT!!! I just pray they don't make generic. Does anyone else have this problem??
Irescueboxers
25 Oct 2016
@Jennlady I had the Effexor had the opposite effect on me. I gained 30 lbs. in 2 years on in causing my depression to plummet even more!
Akansha
30 Jul 2015
Hi, I was having depression and anxiety due to certain relationship factors. I was on Pristiq for about 8 months. Now some background, 8 years ago I lost about 20 pounds and since then I have not gained weight (I am extremely careful about my diet and exercise but there are months that I dont really diet and exercise and I still DON'T manage to put on weight - probably because I eat less portion sizes and just watch what I eat) so basically in the last 8 years I have probably put on 2 pounds. Now, going on this medication, I was extremely cautious about weight gain, I did a lot of research and it said it affects each person differently. However for me, in the last 8 months..I have put on 6 pounds!!! And I am shocked! Mainly because I was super careful. Seems to me the kilos just CREEP IN. I wasn't regularly exercising and dieting while on this pill but my eating habits were still quite good and from time to time I would exercise.
This med definately makes you put on weight! I was loving the effects of this magic pill and it was really helping me emotionally and I planned to stay on it as long as I could but unfortunately no matter what I tried, the weight WAS STILL CREEPING ON. Now me being such a weight loss fanatic, I tried to figure out what exactly was going on with this pill inspite of controlling my diet and exercise program.
What I found out is this pill definitely 'increases' you appetite. You will want to eat 'fast' and 'quickly' (even though I have practised eating slowly for many years) and for some reason your body doesn't get it when your 'full' and you keep eating. In short it increases your appetite and generally U don't stop until Ur full (but Ur mind and body are unable to get that indication at the right time so U keep eating)
By the time you are 'full' the area around your waist is big! And that remains..
Everything just gets accummulated around the waist area
Even when I really tried to control my diet by just eating really less, to a point where I wasn't full..I still has a good big band around my waist area! This is what this medicine does and no it is not bloating.
Now it has been almost a month since I have been off this pill and im back to exercising and diet trying to loose my 6 pounds but nothing seems to working. I am hoping going on a strict calorie controlled diet and high intensity exercise plan would drop off the kilos. I thought as soon as I quit this pill the weight might drop off but it doesnt seem like it.
In short, this is an excellent pill for treating depression, anxiety and related mental illness but most likely the weight will creep in.
Also while on the pill I noticed that my metabolism hd dropped down and I wasn't as active as I used to be..
Rob Johnson
20 Oct 2015
I hear you loud and clear!!! The problem is, the doctors don't want to admit to the problem and in the meantime my weight just keeps going up and up!!!
lreed6
22 Jan 2016
I'm 24 and I've battled anxiety and depression for a number of years and Pristiq was the one drug that helped with both. I feel as though my weight gain of 10kg was a mixture of the Pristiq, an implanon and a borderline overactive thyroid disorder (not officially diagnosed). Implanons and Pristiq are both known to impact on people's weight and I am no longer on the implanon, I did lose a little weight coming off it but I'm still not back down to where I used to be. Needless to say I'm not considered overweight by any means; I was super skinny before. I'm currently weaning off Pristiq so hopefully I might see a little bit of positive weight change
jamesemmett
9 Jun 2016
I'm 26. Before I started taking Pristiq, I was slim (55kg, 165cm) and enjoyed regular bowel movements.
At 24, I sought help for my mental health after over 10 years of struggling, and was diagnosed with major depression and generalised anxiety disorder. I struggled often with suicidal thoughts. I was recommended cognitive behavioural therapy and continue to persist with it. After about a year of CBT it was apparent that it alone was not enough to tackle whatever was going on in my brain.
A psychiatriast decided to put me Escitalopram (100mg) for 6 months. It had no effect. I went the following 8 months with no medication and fell into a deep depression.
A different psychiatrist then put me on Pristiq. I started with 50mg and moved up to 100mg within two weeks and within the next two weeks I was bumped up to 200mg. I have now been on 200mg for close to 4 months. Frankly, Pristiq has been magical. I am no longer consumed by rumination and anxious thoughts throughout the day and enjoy life immensely. I can actually honestly say that I love life.
There is only one issue: weight gain. Prior to commencing with Pristiq, I had regular bowel movements due to an unusually fast metabolism. About two months into Pristiq, my bowels began to back up. My appetite is through the roof and I eat in much larger quantities and more frequently than I used to. I don't poop as often or in as large quantities I used to and although I am not constipated, I miss my old toilet days. Not surprisingly, I am now noticing that my belly is steadily growing.
I would also mention that my libido has dropped significantly and I experience a stinging sensation when I orgasm, but this doesn't bother me or my partner too much. I exercise and do yoga regularly and run about 3 times a week (5km).
I now weigh 62kg. I've gained 7kg in 4 months since being on Pristiq.
kimble 73
19 Jul 2018
I would be concerned about the weight gain, reason I say this is you don't want to get Diabetes, I am not trying to scare you but you have to be careful, with antidepressants if they make you gain weight.
Riverratq
9 Jun 2016
I was in Pristiq for about 3 yrs. I was also on Topamax at the same time more for the other drugs I was on. I would say for me it was not a weight gainer. It's a good med with few side effects.
kimble 73
19 Jul 2018
Can you tell me more about Topamax never heard of it?
Pelagicide
29 Jun 2016
I have gained over 25 pounds after being put on Pristiq and this was after I I had bariatric surgery and lost 60lbs. My Dr. Is going to take me off it and have me try TMS, the procedure that directs magnetic fields to the area of the brain that controls depression. Apparently it doesn't have side effects and everything I've read has said it is much more effective than drugs.
qoth1070
29 Aug 2016
I've gained abt. 25 lbs since I started Pristiq in late 2013. :(
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