Rexulti and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Doo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I would give this drug a 10 if it didn't make me gain a little weight. I have had depression my whole life and also have ADD and OCD. It seems to be helping with my depression and my OCD. I am not taking any other antidepressants, and maybe that is the key. I know it's supposed to be an add-on, but my doctor said I could take it alone. I am also taking Sam-e, which only helps a bit. I have been taking Rexulti for only about a month. It started working after only a few days, and I hope it doesn't stop working. I have taken so many other antidepressants, all with side effects, or they only worked for a while. I have even had transcranial magnetic stimulation, and it didn't work for me. :("

• FLT...
• July 16, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have tried this medication as an add-on to Lexapro twice in the past year. Both times, I felt an immediate (within 3 days) change/improvement. I started at 0.5 mg and stopped because of weight gain. After several months of unrelenting depression and strong suicidal thoughts/intentions despite exercise and avoiding alcohol, I knew I had to try it again. Now I am on 1 mg and feel quite good. I am sleeping pretty much through the night, except when hormonal, but that has been a consistent experience. Overall, I do use less Xanax on this medication. My appetite has increased but has leveled off. My physical exercise routine has also increased, so I would say that I've only gained about 3-4 lbs total, whereas before I had gained about 7-9 lbs previously."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been anxiety-ridden since 7 years old with depression. Would not take psych meds until I finally had a severe breakdown with agoraphobia. Zoloft helped, but 5 years ago at 56, I needed inpatient care and outpatient programs. I tried over 15 additional meds, nothing worked. Abilify a bit, but too hyper. Rexulti has been great. Gets rid of anxiety fast and depression too. It does stimulate my appetite, and I've gained 20 lbs."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have MDD severe/recurrent, gen anx w/a big social element, ADD & intrusive thoughts. I was about ready to go to an inpatient facility until my doc prescribed Rexulti. While still on the starter pack, I noticed significant improvement. I also take Effexor & Klonopin. (Ritalin for the ADD) I have mixed feelings about the side effects. I was super morbidly obese and lost 1/2 of my body weight. The weight gain, up at 3-3:30 am and severe am dizziness are starting to wear me out. My doc says no more than 6 months but I have gained 7 lbs in 3 weeks so I am not sure I want to see how much I will gain over the next 5 1/2 months... but, I was 1st diagnosed at 16, now 44 & I will say this drug is a lifesaver. The discount card program makes it 0.00!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 15, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "Probably the best antipsychotic I have ever been. I have only responded to Abilify, and yet I still had some intense residual depressive, obsessive-compulsive, insomnia, and anxiety symptoms not allowing me to function well half the time-the side effects of Abilify were also too much. My doctor told me about Rexulti and how it is a better and cleaner version of Abilify, therefore, I agreed to try it. I have now been on it for a year, and it has helped me in ways that I am glad that I switched to it. The only issue is that it still causes weight gain and diabetes, but these are less severe than on Abilify. It is worth dealing with those side effects because now I no longer have insomnia and can function thanks to Rexulti."

• Jun...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 19, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Go ahead and take this medicine if you want to mentally feel better, but be prepared to gain 30 pounds and never be able to lose it. Honestly, I don't recommend it at all because the weight gain has ruined my life. Good luck in whatever you decide to do."

• Kel...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 1, 2020

For Depression "Ok, so I've been on Rexulti for a few years now for depression. This is the best advice I can give someone thinking about taking this medication. Currently, I am on 2 mg, I take it for major depression. My doctor started me off on 1 mg. It seems like I had side effects from the drug in the beginning: dry mouth, weight gain, irritability, and fatigue. So I started taking it at night. After about 2 weeks, I then switched to morning again. Side effects went away except for me eating :(. Overall, it's a good drug if it helps. I would recommend it. DOWNSIDE: do not just stop taking the drug! You must taper down on the medication. You will have effects if you just stop taking it. For example, moody as heck. Then it takes a few days to build the medicine back up in your body for it to go away."

• Sop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Rexulti took time to start working, and now I feel better than I have for a while. I've lost my parents and my ESA in the last 6 years. The downside is the weight gain. I've gained 20 lbs in a short period of time. I can't afford to gain weight, I'm already big. I eat the same things, I don't snack. In comparison, before Rexulti, I ate more than I do now and didn't gain weight. It's the weight gain that makes it problematic."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 3, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Rexulti is amazing in two categories: 1) depression and 2) massive weight gain. The weight gain does NOT come off when you stop Rexulti. Four years later, I’m still struggling with the 40 lbs I gained."

• Ink...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I believe this drug has been the best to treat my depression, bipolar, and PTSD. I went from having suicidal ideations on a daily basis, and now I only have intrusive thoughts on occasion. I would recommend trying this drug if you get a chance. I tried Seroquel, Abilify, and all they did was make me tired and gain weight. Rexulti has been a great addition to my Lamictal to help balance my bipolar depression. I give Rexulti a 9/10."

• Ear...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 28, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have bipolar disorder, MDD, and GAD. I tried Abilify as an add-on, and it made me so tired all the time, and I gained weight. We switched to Rexulti, and I immediately felt fabulous. I was stable and optimistic! Soon after, I noticed I was eating nonstop. It was like an addiction. I struggle with weight as it is. I take Vyvanse for ADHD, and it helps curb my appetite a little, but the Rexulti still makes me want to eat all the time. Also, I've noticed it makes me really restless and irritable. I think it actually induces hypomania in me. I end up having major outbursts of anger and rage. It's even taken a toll on my marriage. I had to stop. I feel a little depressed, but it's better than being out of control."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I took this medication for a couple of months in high school, and it didn't help with my depression at all, and it caused me to gain serious weight. In four weeks, I had gained two inches around my waist, which likely equated to about 15 to 20 lbs. My eating habits did not change, nor did my appetite at all. This medication caused me serious stress and was not worthwhile for me."

• Sno...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "Rexulti made me feel the best that I had in years. However, it made me want to eat myself to death, and I was left with permanent body movements. My legs can't be still, and my hands shake all of the time. Very frustrating."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2019

"I was put on Rexulti when my regular antidepressant did not work for me anymore. Rexulti made a difference right away. It really helped with my OCD and depression. However, if you take this medicine, be prepared to gain a lot of weight (basically pork out). I am/was thin and hardly eat much at all and still gained 30 pounds! It slows down your metabolism to nothing because I am very active. I could not handle the weight gain and went off of it and lost all the weight I gained."

• Mr ...
• October 12, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’ve been on several different mood stabilizers, and Rexulti has been, by far, the best for my mood. That being said, it has also made me gain a tremendous amount of weight in a short time-25 pounds in the first 2 months with no signs of slowing down. I’m on long-term disability, so I’m not very active. I go for walks and avoid fast foods, but it doesn’t seem to matter. This drug is good and bad, hence, the 6 out of 10 rating."

• Obe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

For Depression "I'm only in my second week of the Rexulti, but feeling terrible. Hot flashes, dizziness, blurred vision, weight gain, bloating, shortness of breath, and suicidal thoughts. My depression feels much worse! I'm kind of at the end of my rope because I've tried everything else, even MAOIs. But I'm definitely going to have to get off of this med. :("

• Sca...
• July 20, 2016

For Depression "I've been on Rexulti for four months now, and I'm up from 142 lbs to 170 lbs. This weight sucks!!! I've never been this big! Unfortunately, it's done exactly what I needed it to as far as my mental health goes. I'm seeing my doctor today and will be discussing alternate medications."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I suffer from MDD, anxiety, and PTSD. I added Rexulti to my Lamictal 100 mg. I started at 0.5 mg and progressed to 2 mg. I had tried 15 different medications in the previous year, all with no effect, or I had adverse reactions. I noticed an immediate difference in my mood on Rexulti. It helped me go from completely non-functional to the ability to get out of bed, shower, do laundry, etc. Now the bad news. I was extremely restless and had trouble sitting still, I had vivid dreams and nightmares, I gained 15 lbs in two months, and the worst part is it gave me high blood sugar. I was not willing to add diabetes to my list of diagnoses, so I immediately discontinued this medication. I was disappointed this was the first medication that seemed to help."

• mel...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2024

For Schizophrenia "Rexulti helps me keep my head on straight. It's hands down the best antipsychotic I've ever been on and I've been on quite a few. I'm not tired all the time or a zombie, like I was on so many other APs. It keeps my hallucinations at bay and helps my depression levels stay at a decent level. It doesn't get rid of all my hallucinations and I still have some depression but all in all it keeps things calm and quiet and I couldn't ask for much more. The main side effects that I don't like are: it makes it very hard for me to lose weight and it makes me dizzy. I take 4 mg."

• SAM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 31, 2021

For Depression "I have been on this medication for about 4 months now. Having been through literally double digits on trying medications, I was reluctant and didn't have high hopes. My diagnosis is BPD and BP1. The combination, along with BP1 being treatment-resistant, I had low hope in actually finding something that worked. Within the first week of taking Rexulti, it felt that mental clouds began to part and I could start to see the sun coming through. Skip ahead a few months later, and I am living virtually depression and anxiety-free along with minimal manic episodes. I started at 0.5 mg for a week, and I now take 1 mg daily. This medication was a literal lifesaver and also the reason I no longer self-harm. The only side note/side effect I have had is some weight gain and some tremors when I first wake up in the morning. Otherwise, no other issues."

• Pen...
• January 16, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "At first, I thought this was the miracle drug. I felt incredible and felt like my old self again. I had motivation, I was able to get so much more done in a day! I didn't feel like a zombie. I was able to stop having to take a daily nap. After 2 weeks, my clothes didn't fit right. On week 4, I got on the scale. WHAT??? I gained 9 pounds. Clearly, I am quitting Rexulti ASAP."

• Dec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2019

For Depression "Glad it helps some people, but not for me. Gained almost ten pounds in three weeks-made eating feel like a compulsion that was never satisfied. Tried one more week to see if any positive results with it would show up, but never noticed any."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I am not sure how many months I have been on this medication, but while I have been on it, I have managed to gain almost 10 pounds. I do not feel like I overeat either. The weight just seems to pile on. I feel incredibly sleepy during the day. So much so that on most days, I take a long nap. I have very little energy. My stomach seems to bloat out more. Otherwise, I seem to be doing just fine, both mentally and physically. So if you don't mind being fat, lazy, and lifeless, but not crazy, this might just be the drug for you!"

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 14, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was on this junk for 4.5 months and gained almost 60 lbs during that time. Before being on Rexulti, I never in my life experienced weight gain like that. It was like I was a balloon that just kept inflating bigger and bigger no matter what I did. I had to stop taking it once I hit 200 lbs because both me and my doc were afraid of how the rapid weight gain (with no signs of stopping) would affect my general health. I went on this due to major depression with suicidal ideation and self-harm, and the weight gain made all of that 100x worse. Now that it's been about 2 years off this stuff, when I try to remember my life from when I was on it, I can't. I only recall the weight gain because it was documented by my doctor and myself. I became completely withdrawn and didn't care about anything. During the time I was on this stuff, I quit my job, remained unemployed, stayed in bed all day, lost all my friends...and I didn't do anything about any of it because I was in a 24/7 haze. AVOID THIS MED."

• MLC...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 7, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on Rexulti for about 5 years. When I first started taking it with my antidepressant, I saw 70% improvement in depressive feelings, it was wonderful. And then I started gaining weight. While it does work, be prepared to gain weight (I gained at least 20 lbs). That being said, the pros of the medication were enough for me to stay on it, even with the weight gain. It works that good."