Question:
Will I have trouble with weight gain post-op while taking anti-depressants?

I tried asking this question last night but it must have gotten lost. I put on 40+ pounds when I went on anti-depressants. I am still on them and it looks like I will be on them for some time to come. My surgery is next week and I worry about gaining the weight back, not losing the weight, having difficulty losing, all because of the anti-depressant. I put most of it on while on Paxil and Effexor. I was switched to Wellbutrin XL and it has worked great along with Lexapro. Now I will be changing to bupropion a generic Wellbutrin that I will need to take 3-4 times a day. Anti-depressants have such a bad reputation for weight gain. How does this effect us after surgery?    — jeh (posted on March 1, 2004)

March 1, 2004
Everyone is different but I was on Prozac before my surgery and and am still on it now. I am out 7 months and have lost 95 lbs. I don't think my being on Prozac has hampered my weight loss at all. But again, everyone is different. I didn't gain weight when I went on them either. Good Luck with your surgery!
   — Tami S.

March 1, 2004
Hi Jane; I have problems with Paxil following my surgery and changed to Lexapro and also had problems but later changed to Celexa and no problems. I have lost 98 lbs in 10 months. My PCP looked all the anti-depressants up in his medical books and we felt Celexa had the best testing reports on not interfearing with weight loss. Good Luck! Hugs:
   — Barbara S.

March 1, 2004
I guess my question would be what do you mean when you say your anti-depressant caused a 40 pound weight gain? Are you saying that you didn't increase your calorie intake at all, and the 40 pounds just appeared and you don't know why? I don't know if surgery would help eliminate that problem or not. Are you saying that the anti-depressant made you so hungry that you ate and ate and gained 40 pounds? If hunger was the issue, i'd guess surgery would help that. If the issue was that your anti-depressant alleviated your depression just enough to make you more aware of the problems you face, and this made you overeat - I'd say post-surgery you will still have that problem.
   — Kim A.

March 1, 2004
Hey, I have gained weight before on antidepressants, but not on wellbutrin. I was on the xr before surgery and switched to the regular after surgery. I had trouble swallowing them at first, but now I am taking 150mg 2x's a day with no problems and no weight gain. I in fact have lost 100lbs in 4mths and 1 week postop. I wish you all the luck. Lisa postop lap/rny 10-23-03 339/239/???
   — Lisa H.

March 2, 2004
I have never noticed any weight gain from any of the meds I have tried (zoloft, trazodone, wellburtin and celexa). I have been on celexa for about the past 5 years and it has not affected my weight loss one bit. I'm 13 months PO and at goal. Lost 245 lbs.
   — zoedogcbr