Question:
CAN ANTI DEPRESSANTS SLOW DOWN WEIGHT LOSS??AND WILL YOU STILL LOSE THE SAME AMOUNT

JUST SLOWER? IT SEEMS MY WEIGHT LOSS HAS JUST HALTED AFTER STARTING LEXAPRO FOR PANIC ATTACKS AND I AM ONLY 2 WEEKS POST OP. I AM WONDERING IF I NEED TO SWITCH MEDICINES OR IF I AM ALREADY ON A PLATEU. THE SCALE HASN'T MOVED FOR 1 WEEK. HELP!    — Patra R. (posted on June 18, 2003)

June 18, 2003
I have taken anti-depressants off and on for my entire life it seems like... and some of them take away your appetite... so they say... because NONE of them ever stopped me from eating. But I have GAINED plenty of weight on several different pills. Maybe you are not doing enough fluid? Is it water just sitting there? When you starve your body for water it holds onto every thing you drink. At any rate, I agree with you that it may be your medicine. Have you called your surgeon to ask him if you should take that particular pill? Oh well, take my advice about the medicines with a "grain of salt" as I am not a doctor and I still not have had surgery yet and surgery changes your body so much. But I do know about those antidepressants. I am going for my second surgical consult next week. God bless and Good Luck on your Journey!
   — Eleanore Davis

June 18, 2003
I was on Lexapro before the surgery and stopped it when I got the surgery. I am now back on it after 2 months. My weight loss was slow with or without it. I am hoping now that I am back on it I will exercise more and the weight will come off faster. Stick with it and don't change your meds until you have talked to your doctor. Good Luck
   — Judith H.

June 18, 2003
Patra - Please go easy on yourself - it's a bit early at 2 weeks post-op to worry about how fast or slow you are losing. It is very natural for your body to take a break in losing pounds. That said, Lexapro is supposed to be a better formulation for appetite regulation. In terms of anti-depressants affecting how your body holds or releases weight, I've never heard of any of them causing you to lose slower. Now, some anti-depressants certainly affect your appetite and hunger levels, and can cause you to either feel hungry(ier) or reduce hunger. As I said, lexapro is one that is supposed to help reduce hunger. So does Wellbutrin for some people. Give yourself a month on the lexapro before you decide you are a slow loser. I'm 13-1/2 weeks post-op, taking Celexa (the mother to Lexapro) and have lost 44 lbs to date. That is slower than most, but still within my surgeon's average range. As I said, be gentle with yourself. The weight will come off, no matter how slow or fast. Many blessings, Robin
   — rebalspirit

June 18, 2003
Some very good advise here...it's very common to plateau at 2 or 3 weeks out (I had my first plateau at 2.5 weeks out) The body just needs to catch up. If your Lexapro is helping with your panic attacks, I don't think you need to switch meds (or go off them) in the name of weight loss. I've seen many on here who suffer from depression and/or anxiety who go off their meds soon after surgery, only to crash and burn a month later. Maybe you will lose slower (who knows at this point?)...but most likely you need to make your meds that combat your anxiety, and your weight loss, work together. I don't think one is any good without the other. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 18, 2003
Each antidepressant is different and each person is different, so there are no hard and fast facts about how you will be affected by them. I was on Lexapro for a short time and although I was not eating more than usual, I did gain weight. (I am not post op yet.) I also had other side effects such as racing thoughts, insomnia and suicidal ideation along with that weight gain. On the other hand, I have a friend who is taking Lexapro and is doing great - no weight gain or any other side effects. Whenever I take any new medication, I always look them up on the net to see what side effects there are with them. I never rely only on my pharmacist or doctor. I react differently to drugs than most other people. Taking my meds after WLS will be very interesting. Be aware of how you are feeling and thinking on any psych med. I hope the Lexapro is helping your anxiety. I'm sure you will start seeing the scale start moving again soon. Best wishes, :)
   — Judy K.