Weight loss after stopping antidepressants

[BillyF]

Hello all I was wondering if any of you could help. I've been on and off antidepressants for many years and have noticed after long term use I gain weight and no matter what I do I cannot shift it.

I tapered off effexor a couple of years ago and despite some weight loss the withdrawal was awful so I went onto prozac. After a year or so on prozac I again have gained weight and despite 1 hour of hard cardio exercise a day I cannot shift the weight. I tapered from 20mg (lowest dose) and stopped completely a week ago. I know the half life of prozac is long, but my weight has not shifted despite being off it. In the past when I haven't been on antidepressants and I do exercise like I am now - the weight easily came off.

Billy

 

[AtTheGates]

what do you mean by "weight has not shifted"?

I took wellbutrin for a few years but stopped taking it about a year and a half ago and slowly gained like 30 pounds (which im STILL trying to lose)...I did some research MYSELF and it turns out that meds like wellbutrin can alter your metabolism but idk why I still have trouble losing the rest of the weight..I dont take ANY meds at all anymore.

 

[AtTheGates]

what do you mean by "weight has not shifted"?

I took wellbutrin for a few years(from 16-22 or 23..idr) but stopped taking it about a year and a half ago and slowly gained like 30 pounds (which im STILL trying to lose)...I did some research MYSELF and it turns out that meds like wellbutrin can alter your metabolism but idk why I still have trouble losing the rest of the weight..I dont take ANY meds at all anymore.

 

[Psychedelicious]

AntI

Whenever I was on antidepressants I always seems to be about 15-20 pounds heavier. In my experience, it happened with both Paxil and Prozac. As soon I stopped taking them I eventually returned to my normal 120ish lbs, from 140. I hated being heavier, and I hated all the side effects of these stupid meds. They just weren't worth it for me. I'd say give it a little more than a week and see if your weight returns to normal. It might take a bit longer than just one week for your body to adjust to the changes of stopping it entirely. Good luck.

 

[AtTheGates]

^ yeah I feel like meds did me more harm than good...I initially started taking adderall when I was in elementary school and only LATER found out that long term use of amphetamines can actually CAUSE depression in children and teens..I was just a kid though..nobody actually TOLD me that shit..I had to do research for MYSELF later on when I was older...anyway so amphetamines(adderall) led to antidepressants, which led to antianxiety meds until eventually I had realized that i shouldnt be on ANY of that stuff and just quit all of it cold turkey..then my metabolism fluctuated and I gained a bunch of weight...you've really got to read the fine print when it comes to medication because doctors wont always inform you of all the side effects.