Weight Loss Associates

Question: Weight loss or weight gain on 10mg of lexapro?

(Posted by: vwbabe7463 on 2010-03-12 07:06:51)

Okay, heres my story and dilemma. I am 20 years old (female). I suffer from mild depression and social anxiety disorder. I took prosac (20- 40mg). I didn't feel like it worked at all and I gained about 11 pounds on it for 3- 4 months. I stopped taking it. Now... I am on lexapro 10mg for these past three weeks. I feel good. I haven't been tired. I haven't been like craving food or extremely hungry. My anxiety has gone down and over all feel pretty good. I went to research the pill and have seen horrible weight gain stories on this pill. Now I don't know what to do. I don't want to gain any weight because I will be more depressed then beginning. Now.. does any know if you have gained weight or lost weight? How many mg were you on? What was your age? Does this pill slow down your metabolism? Now, I haven't felt tired or hungry so should I stick to just eatting light and exercising to not gain weight or is this pill going to make me gain weight no matter what?? Some advice please !!! Thanks :)

Posted by: Paul A on 2010-03-12, 17:46:22

I take generic Wellbutrin SR (150 mg) in the morning, and Lexapro (10 mg) with dinner, for depression and anxiety. I've been taking that for over two years, and it's working very well for me. The Wellbutrin SR seems to help me to be more alert and active - and wanting to do things - while the Lexapro makes me more mellow, and it helps me sleep better, too. They are relatively low doses of each medication, which keeps side effects at a minimum. I really can't tell I'm taking any medication at all. There are a lot of people that take Wellbutrin with their SSRI's, it helps to counteract some of the possible side effects - such as drowsiness, weight gain, and the sexual side effects. It really does make a difference!! The last time I was in the doctor office, I had lost 8 lbs - not a lot, but in the right direction. I give the Wellbutrin SR the credit for the weight loss, since it does help me to be more active. Not everyone gains weight with Lexapro or other SSRI's. But... if you do, adding Wellbutrin will help out. You can also reduce the Lexapro dose, too.

Posted by: mommyof2 on 2010-03-12, 07:23:48

I have taken Lexapro before before also 10 mg and it didn't effect my weight at all in either direction. As long as you keep up with exercise and eating right you should not gain any weight. If you do I recommend talking with your doctor.

Posted by: YA Junkie on 2010-03-12, 07:54:47

Hi: I have major depression and attend a weekly support group for people with depression, bipolar disorder. One of the first things I learned is that people can react very differently to the same drug. I have been on many psych drugs and combinations of drugs, and my doctor felt that trying lexapro would be a waste of time for me. However, this is what I found on the web about lexapro and weight gain. According to the links below, up to 5% of people gained weight while on the drug. That's a pretty small percentage, but weight gain is definitely possible with lexapro. On the other hand, less than 1% actually lost weight on lexapro. depression.emedtv.com/ lexapro/ lexapro-and-weight-gain.html depression.emedtv.com/ lexapro/ lexapro-and-weight-loss.html So your chances of gaining weight are slightly less than 5%, while your chances of weight loss are less than 1%. At least, that is what the links above say. Doctors can look up the statistics in the Physican's Desk Reference (PDR) and other references. However, we unfortunately have to be our own guinea pigs. I suggest you try lexapro to find out for yourself if you lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same. I would say give the drug at least a month or even two before deciding on the weight issue. Beside it usualy takes 3 to 5 weeks for lexapro's positive effects to kick in. By the way, I just saw my shrink yesterday, and I complained that zyprexa made me urinate constantly. I had to see a urologist to get on bladder medication for this problem. My shrink refused to believe that zyprexa could cause the bladder problem, even though the scientific literature says it can. Sorry for the long-winded answer. I guess I am still angry about yesterday, and I am just venting against shrinks who don't believe their patients. I wish you better luck that I had.

Posted by: Twinkles on 2010-03-12, 07:57:58

Everything is trial and error with these drugs. Unfortunately, weight gain is the most common side effect and it may be something that you have to live with. Make up for it by exercising, doing something fun that requires physical exertion. Good luck!