If you suffer from depression, you are aware that your symptoms can range from minor to severe, including bodily symptoms such as pain and fatigue, as well as feelings such as hopelessness, sadness, and anxiety.
Depression can alter your appetite and cause you to gain or lose weight, and serotonin levels can induce hunger fluctuations. High levels promote appetite reduction, whereas low levels cause increased hunger.
Antidepressants are frequently connected with weight increase rather than weight loss, which could be due to a mix of factors such as genetics, race, age, and gender.
Let’s look more closely at antidepressants and see which ones may cause weight loss.
What are antidepressants?
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects more than 17.3 million adults in the United States each year, according to estimates.
Many of the symptoms of depression can be effectively managed with antidepressant medicines. Along with counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, these drugs can be a significant aspect of treatment (CBT).
Antidepressants alleviate depressive symptoms by affecting neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These changes can also cause changes in weight.
There are five basic classes of antidepressants, and many of them indicate weight gain as a side effect, but individual outcomes may vary.
Antidepressants are classified into five types:
- serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
- tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
- atypical antidepressants
Can antidepressants cause weight loss?
Individual weight changes with antidepressants are unpredictable. It’s impossible to predict how a medicine will affect your weight.
Although the underlying causes of depression are unknown, the brain chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are likely to have a role, and some studies reveal a link between depression and weight.
A few antidepressants have been linked to weight loss:
- bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo, and Wellbutrin) has been linked to weight loss.
- fluoxetine (Prozac); outcomes vary, although some patients lose weight.
- duloxetine (Cymbalta); while the results are unknown, some people claim to have lost weight.
Short-term use of SSRIs may result in weight loss, but taking them for 6 months or more may result in weight gain.
Before you begin any new drug, your doctor will discuss the advantages, dangers, and side effects with you. This includes antidepressant weight-related adverse effects.
If the side effects annoy you, your doctor will discuss other options with you. According to current scientific research, weight loss is generally not a big problem when taking antidepressants.
How to Avoid Weight Loss While on an Antidepressant
Many antidepressants have been linked to weight gain rather than weight loss. An SSRI medicine may cause you to lose weight at first, but this will change as you use it longer.
Additionally, if the medication works to alleviate your symptoms, your appetite may increase and return to normal levels. This will aid with weight management.
If you’re worried about losing weight while taking antidepressants, talk to your doctor about the best ways to accomplish it. They can provide advice and solutions for maintaining a healthy weight through nutrition.
Stress, anxiety, and a lack of sleep can all have a bad impact on weight. These issues can be managed with cognitive behavioural therapy and better self-care routines.
You can also talk to a nutritionist about meals that can help you acquire and maintain your weight.
Are antidepressants ever used to help people lose weight?
For numerous reasons, antidepressant medicines are not prescribed for weight loss:
- The Food and Drug Administration has not authorized them for weight loss (FDA)
- They have not been shown to be useful as weight loss supplements.
- They have the potential to have major adverse effects.
- The majority of antidepressants are linked to weight gain.
If you have depression, your doctor will discuss the best pharmaceutical option for you based on your needs. This involves taking weight into account.
Several studies have demonstrated that taking bupropion for MDD can result in weight loss. If your doctor believes that this medicine would assist you more than other antidepressants, they will discuss it with you.
What if I gain weight while on antidepressants?
Weight gain has been linked to newer antidepressants in studies. Furthermore, studies indicate that depression might lead to weight increase.
Weight gain can be caused by antidepressants, as well as signs of mental disorders, a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking.
Some antidepressants that have been linked to weight gain include:
- MAOIs (isocarboxazid, phenelzine)
- TCAs (amitriptyline, desipramine)
- SSRIs (paroxetine, sertraline)
- mirtazapine (Remeron)
- atypical antidepressants (olanzapine, quetiapine)
If your medication is relieving your symptoms but you’re concerned about weight gain, don’t stop taking it suddenly. Consult your doctor. There are methods for dealing with weight gain.
This could include:
- discussing a healthier diet with a registered dietician
- altering the medicine’s dose or schedule switching to another medication
- Including a daily workout regimen to maintain weight goals
- obtaining adequate sleep
Remember that switching drugs can result in new side effects or a return of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, some drugs can take weeks to take action. Consult your doctor for any help.
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
Almost all antidepressants can cause weight gain as an adverse effect. However, everyone reacts differently to antidepressants. Some people gain weight when they take an antidepressant, while others do not.
In general, some antidepressants appear to be more likely than others to cause weight gain. These are some examples:
- Amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil), and doxepin are examples of tricyclic antidepressants.
- Certain MAOIs, such as phenelzine, block monoamine oxidase (Nardil)
- Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (Paxil, Pexeva) (SSRI)
- Mirtazapine (Remeron), an atypical antidepressant (medication that does not readily fit into another antidepressant group).
While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn’t always the direct cause of the weight increase. Weight gain during antidepressant therapy can be caused by a variety of circumstances. As an example:
- Weight gain can occur as a result of depression-related overeating or inactivity.
- Some people who are depressed lose weight. In turn, greater weight may arise from a better hunger associated with improved mood.
- Adults, regardless of the medications they take, tend to acquire weight as they age.
If you gain weight after starting an antidepressant, talk to your doctor about the medication’s benefits and adverse effects. If the benefits outweigh the negative effects of weight gain, consider managing your weight by eating healthier and doing more physical activity while benefiting from the medication’s increased mood.
You can also ask your doctor if modifying the dose or switching medications would be beneficial — but, as always, weigh the pros and downsides before making a decision.
While some antidepressants cause weight gain in some people, they are an effective treatment for a large number of patients suffering from depression.
People using antidepressant drugs should consult their doctor if they notice any side effects, including weight gain. Many people will prioritize managing their depression over reducing weight.
Engaging in a better lifestyle while taking antidepressants, or switching to another antidepressant medication, may help some people reverse their weight gain.
Before changing medications, food, or amounts of physical exercise, a person should always visit a doctor.
In conclusion
Weight gain might be a problem when using antidepressants. While the majority of antidepressants produce weight gain, a handful might suppress appetite and cause nausea, vomiting, or weight loss. This could be brief while your body adjusts to the drug.
While you are on antidepressants, your doctor will closely monitor your weight changes and can provide advice on how to maintain your weight.
Keep in mind that weight fluctuations could be due to a mood disorder or other factors. It is critical to consider all factors of weight loss.
Don’t ever stop taking your prescription abruptly. It may result in a more serious mood and behaviour changes, such as withdrawal or a return to depression.
If a medicine isn’t improving your symptoms or if your weight is a severe concern, your doctor can devise a strategy to help you change medications. Remember that new medications may take some time to begin functioning, so be patient.