jen5276 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I have been off Lexapro for almost a year now, and I feel kind of like I did before I went on it, anxious all the time, depressed then manic, more anxiousness, panic, etc.. I just can't take it anymore so I feel I might need to try a new med. The problem with the Lex was the weight gain. I gained over 30 lbs on that stuff, and it kept on going. I know I could very easily gain more weight on Prozac, but I'm REALLY hoping I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't. What do you guys think the odds are that I will gain again? Last time I went to see my doc, he suggested Wellbutrin, but I suffer from such bad panic attacks, I'm terrified of the stuff. I would love to hear any input on Prozac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I am just starting prozac too. My appetite is completely gone. So I may be losing weight. I don't know yet. I'm on 200mg. I'm interested in this topic also because I wonder about it myself. I found several articles on pubmed that used prozac as a weight loss drug. It has proven its efficacy. I hope the same goes for me. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remote_swimmer Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I have been off Lexapro for almost a year now, and I feel kind of like I did before I went on it, anxious all the time, depressed then manic, more anxiousness, panic, etc.. I just can't take it anymore so I feel I might need to try a new med. The problem with the Lex was the weight gain. I gained over 30 lbs on that stuff, and it kept on going. I know I could very easily gain more weight on Prozac, but I'm REALLY hoping I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't. What do you guys think the odds are that I will gain again? Last time I went to see my doc, he suggested Wellbutrin, but I suffer from such bad panic attacks, I'm terrified of the stuff. I would love to hear any input on Prozac. Weight gain is a side effect for all SSRIs. So is weight loss, but weight gain is more common. To be honest, it's a crapshoot. Paxil and Lexapro made me fat. Prozac and Effexor were weight neutral for me. Other people might have the opposite effect. Although I can honestly say I've never heard of anyone not gaining weight on Paxil. The point is, this is one big experiment and YMMV. Also, the amount of food you consume may not have any effect on the weight gain associated with SSRIs. No one is exactly sure why they cause weight gain although there are many theories. I didn't change my diet and exercised more than I ever had when I took Paxil last and I still gained 15 lbs. The question to ask yourself is: which is worse, some potential for weight gain or depression and anxiety? Wellbutrin can be a problem because increased levels of norepinephrine can produce anxiety. Interestingly, Effexor which also inhibits norepinephrine is approved for treating GAD. It works well for my anxiety although the norepinephrine reuptake at my dosage is probably clinically negligible. So, if you have major anxiety issues, an SSRI or SNRI is a better bet. Give Prozac a try. Also I would consider Effexor. Despite the horror stories, not everyone who takes it has a terrible reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpmaster Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I have been off Lexapro for almost a year now, and I feel kind of like I did before I went on it, anxious all the time, depressed then manic, more anxiousness, panic, etc.. I just can't take it anymore so I feel I might need to try a new med. The problem with the Lex was the weight gain. I gained over 30 lbs on that stuff, and it kept on going. I know I could very easily gain more weight on Prozac, but I'm REALLY hoping I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't. What do you guys think the odds are that I will gain again? Last time I went to see my doc, he suggested Wellbutrin, but I suffer from such bad panic attacks, I'm terrified of the stuff. I would love to hear any input on Prozac. Ive been taking prozac for quite a while now - over a year, maybe 2 years. Ive found it to be the best ssri Ive tried. It is the least likely ssri to cause weight gain. Its less selective than the other ssris so it works well for some, not so well for others. Sounds like its worth a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetkat Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I agree with CM. There's a good chance that Prozac won't make you gain; it didn't for me. The only way to find out for sure is to take it and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springtimevoodoo Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I agree with CM. There's a good chance that Prozac won't make you gain; it didn't for me. The only way to find out for sure is to take it and see. Prozac for me I believe has slowed my metabolism. which means...I have to exercise at least 2x weekly and not eat junk/crap for my weight to stay the same. If I slip up in any way, I gain weight. So....I don't believe Prozac will just start packing pounds on you, but I will say that you might have to work at it to keep the weight off. Just keep an eye on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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