Lexapro and Weight Gain?

My RNY friend at work who is 5-6 years out asked me to post to the board and ask if anybody had experienced weight gain while taking Lexapro.

She is struggling anyway with re-gain and this isn't helping her.  She quit taking it a few months ago and dropped 10 pounds pretty quick.  Now she is taking it every other day and is struggling with the weight coming back on w/o changing anything else.

She tried Welbutrin and it made her hyper.  Anybody else have this happen?  What about other anti-depressants?

Thanks!

Sarah, I took Lexapro before WLS and put on about 35 lbs.  My OB/GYN put me on it not long ago (took it for a week only) and my PCP changed me to Cymbalta.  He had the lapband and told me that I would basically gain weight with Lexapro.  It's known to cause weight gain so he switched me immediately to the Cymbalta.

My guess is yes the Lexapro more than likely is causing some weight gain for your friend.

I was on Lexapro pre-op and dropped about 20 lbs. on it. My husband went on Lexapro and dropped 60. We must be weird...

I've been on Lexapro through my weight loss journey -  hit and miss - but I"ve been faithful at taking it for the past  6 months or so because I was just crying at the drop of the hat again!! Figured I better start taking it again.

I haven't noticed weight gain because of it........................but then agaiun.....I'M NOT LOSING EITHER.       But I have reasons that I'm not losing too !! 

Well........  my friend who has supported and encouraged me so much is struggling because she was never really told she would be facing weight gain if she didn't follow the dietary guidelines she was given after surgery.  You will still lose weight the first year whether you follow them or not and it gives you a false sense of security.

But, aside from her eating carbs first, protein last - she says she gained the extra weight w/o changing her diet and exercise when she took Lexapro and lost part of it when she quit.  But she LIKES the way Lexapro makes her feel.  She says she isn't depressed - she is a worry wart who worries about worst-case-scenarios all the time and when she is taking Lexapro she doesn't care as much LOL.  I told her a glass of red wine in the evenings will help with that as long as she doesn't end up with transfer addiction, but she doesn't like alcohol.

Before WLS I took Trazadone at night and Effexor and Welbutrin in the morning.  The Trazadone ballanced out the hyper feeling.  Right now, I take liquid Prozac with the Welbutrin, and it seems to work fine.  With just the liquid Prozac, I wasn't really depressed, but I was getting an emotionally blunting effect.  Adding a little Welbutrin with it ballanced it out.

In 2002 I lost around 80 lbs by starving myself and excercising 4 hours a day.  It was hard work, but I loved how I looked and felt.

Then I went on Lexapro and gained 60 lbs in 2 months.  Was it the Lexapro?  Who knows, but the timing was sure suspicious.