Anti-Anxiety Meds made me a fatty, now I'm anxious about that!

[Mikus]

I'm addicted! It's not heroin, crack, or cocaine. I've fell dependant on the anti anxiety medicine Celexa.

Long story short about 8 months ago I worked an extremely high pressure job and started having mini panic and anxiety attacks. Tried to beat it on my own. Quit that job and the same thing happened at 2 other low pressure jobs to the point I walked off both jobs.

I went to the doctor because this is not normal and was prescribed Celexa. I've been taking it for about 10 weeks now and mentally I feel the best I ever have in my life. My wife has even commented on how much my general attitude has changed for the better. I've landed what seems to be a great job at an insurance company for sales and I've already had a decent start and am really happy.

The problem? I've gained about 30 pounds since being on the medicine. I'm 5'8 and weighed around 170lb give or take. Today, I weighed myself and minus cloths/shoes I weighed in at 201 lb. I'm pissed. I can actually feel my fatness and it grosses me out!

I'm scared to quit the medication because I don't want to start freaking out all the time again and mess up my new opportunity, but my weight is getting out of control. Weight gain/loss and appetite gain/loss is a side effect of Celexa and the majority of anti anxiety/depression medicines. But this is starting to depress me! lol not really but it does suck. Help a guy out!

[Callisto]

Keep the medication if it works and start exercising? I'm skinny with all sorts of anxiety issues and if I had insurance I'd take the meds over the figure any day lol

[isladar]

I'm fucking extra-helpful.

[Byrthnoth]

Wow, you sound anxious about your weight.

That aside, anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders and often leads to depression if untreated.
1) Talk to your doctor instead of BG. Ask him if it's okay to stop taking the drug and try to drop some pounds.
2) If he says "no" or something similar, start running and eat less. The drug has probably slowed down your metabolism (less anxious, sleep more, maybe eat a little more because you're less anxious) but not really changed your appetite. Contrary to american common wisdom, being hungry is not a lethal ailment.

Drugs are not really a solution.

[ⒻⓊⒸⓀⓎⒺⒶⒽ]

I'm in exactly the same boat, stopped taking my meds last week cause I've put on 46lbs in 5 months and fuuuuuck that. Gonna ask my doctor to give me something else though cause I've started to skip class again due to anxiety. There's only so much it can do before you realise how hueg you are and it stops working.

Edit: Eat less, move more didn't even help me maintain my weight let alone lose it.

[Mikus]

Keep the medication if it works and start exercising? I'm skinny with all sorts of anxiety issues and if I had insurance I'd take the meds over the figure any day lol

I do an exercise video once a week and the wife and I usually get in a 2 mile walk/jog a few times a week. Nice title change too!

[solanis]

did the meds increase your appetite, or just destroy your metabolism?

[Callisto]

don't look at me lol, if I had access to title changes I'd have been run off of BG with pitchforks and torches months ago

[Callisto]

I could see both effectively happening, YMMV when it comes to brainy defects but one of the main reasons I have trouble packing on weight is frequently getting my appetite killed by stress/anxiety/depression, once I get worked up the appeal of food goes right out the window.

[solanis]

I'm the exact opposite, job-related stress makes me fill the void with food. I have to work out several times a week and watch my caloric intake to keep the weight off :/

[TacoTaru]

If you're positive it's the medicine that's affecting your weight, you could try explaining it to your doctor and see if there's an alternative anxiety medicine that you could try instead. Really though, I don't think you're going to get many answers that extend from either A)Exercise more or B) Talk to your physician.

[Callisto]

I have an absurd metabolism on top of it so that doesn't help matters, but I'm sure adding some sort of chemicals to your daily intake could possibly slow your system down even aside from the mental aspects.

[Lyn]

I gained weight (15ish lbs) on Zoloft and couldn't keep it off until I lowered my dosage. I think weight-gain is an effect of a lot of anti-depressants/anxiety meds. But I never liked Zoloft to begin with so it's best to talk to your doc. And Byrth is right (GIVE ME BACK MY GAITERS), it slows your metabolism - my eating habits never changed.

[Mikus]

I'm planning to make an appointment with my doctor soon about it. For me, it's made my appetite huge. I'll eat a huge plate of food for dinner and I'll feel hungry an hour or two later. My metabolism I'm sure is a factor too since I'm 30. My diet isn't great, but not bad either. I eat 0 fast food except for a pizza every few weeks, no soda or other drinks(water only), etc. I crave pasta, breads, etc. I'll eat veggies and fruits if it's in front of me, otherwise I don't make real effort.

As stated, my concern is not freaking out at my new job when something doesn't go right. I think drugs can and are the answer for someone that fits the profile, but that's for long term usage. For me, I know deep down I don't need this forever.

Also, I do not have health insurance at the moment and a 3 month prescription of the generic Celexa cost me $12. I found a center in my town (not the welfare office or anything like that) that helps people on low income, unemployed, etc. I went there and told them I'm unemployed. I had to fill out a form, but did not have to show anything proving it. I told them straight up how much I made the previous year, but I hadn't worked in 6 months. They said no problem. Doctor visits are $25. Target, Walmart, and I think some other places participate in offering certain meds without insurance for real cheap. If people don't have coverage, dig deep around your town and see if there is a public facility like what I found.

[Lyrai]

Not that this is the total answer besides talking to your doctor, but sometimes you do have to make sacrifices for mental health. So you put on a little weight now, but the medicine is helping you, yes? Maybe 6 months from now they lower your dose a little bit, and that weight starts to come off. Just remember you can change those things and that you do have control over them, but that's part of the learning process of having that medication to help you right now.

[Emirii]

I have the same exact problem. I was on anti-anxiety/depression meds on and off my whole life. Recently I've been taking it for 6 months. I felt like I was a bottomless pit, I could eat all I wanted for dinner and then go back into the kitchen 2 to 3 times a night after that and snack... Also note that I ate healthy things just like you, but a coke and mc.d's here and there. As a girl you never want to think about gaining weight. However, my dad broke the news to me that I was gaining weight and i was getting "fat". Once i weighed myself, i had sticker shock that I had gained 25 lbs sense I last weighd myself a year ago (I was never worried about my weight before, i've been 160 pretty much my whole adult life.) Note that I'm only 21, and i'm only 5'2" with a large build...

I was upset, so I joined a Gym. I worked very hard but I was STILL gaining weight. I was dumbfounded, because I was doing a vigorous excersize (Zumba dancing). I decided to go to my doctor. Not only had I gained 35 lbs sense my last visit, I had stage two hypertension and pre-diabetic symptoms. At age 21 with my size, that was shocking to think I could have a heart attack or stroke at my age. He gave me a diet plan. It was the "South Beach Diet" and some steriod pills that suppressed appetite. What I didn't tell him, is that i had previously looked up my medicine on the net and I found that MANY MANY MANY MANY women have gained 30-50 lbs just taking this medication. I know it's no secret that they perscribe this stuff like candy now, which makes me wonder that if it's causing america's fatty problem. Anyway, I stopped taking it without tellning him.

In the first 4 weeks, I have dropped 25 lbs. I changed my diet, but I kept up the same excersize. It took a lot of hard work and self control on my part to do this, but it was worth it.

I still feel fine, no anxiety or previous symptoms yet. This is because the medication works in your brain, balancing chemicals that create the feelings of anxiety and depression. After taking the medication for a while it "fixes" temporarily these chemicals. It differs from person to person, but so far it's been 6 months for me and I have not needed to take it. Another bad symptom for me is that I could not orgasm during sex, which is obviously pretty frustrating in it's self. Although I dread the day where I might have to take it again.

Things you could consider is skip a month, excersize vigerously and skip things with high sodium. See how much weight you loose.

I feel a LOT better. I never knew how fake-happy I was. It really brings the term to "fat and happy" to a different level... Now I'm happy with
my new body and I'm REALLY happy. Mood is a little grumpy here and there, but I feel a lot healthier which improved my mood alone.

[Lyn]

I can relate to a lot of what Emirii said except one thing; don't ever ever stop taking your medicine cold-turkey (especially without telling your doctor). I did it once for a week and had constant nausea & dizziness. I felt like I was dying and couldn't get out of bed. It was a horrible detox. When one of my friends looked into the medication, he told me that stopping instead of "weening off" the pills could cause seizures.

[Mikus]

I still have about 5 weeks left of my prescription. I'm going to take it every other day for the next week, then every 3 days, etc, but still will talk to my doctor. Only med I've found doing my research that has mild weight gain/loss is Wellbutrin. I really don't want to rely on pills because as stated, my issues are minor. To be more straight forward, from being unemployed 7 months, savings depleted, and credit maxed, I can't afford to freak out at work and mess up.

Also, forgot to mention in OP, about 2 weeks ago I started waking up every night after sleeping for about 3-4 hours having to piss. I've never slept good, but this is retarded. Last time I had a good sleep was the last time I got drunk I think lol. Maybe it's related to the Celexa, but I didn't see anything about that being a side effect.

[Emirii]

I had trouble sleeping too, not because I had to go to the bathroom but because I had "frights". But luckily when i stopped taking my medication nothing happened. I guess just to be safe cut it in half or skip a day etc. But I can almost grantee you that the weight gain is the medication... Maybe not a lot of people have been prescribed your exact kind, but I know these types as a whole always have weight gain/loss as their major side effect.

[Mojo]

Exercise. Taking a walk a few times a week is what old ladies do to stop their bones from turning dust. It's not going to help you lose any weight unless you step it up.

Also, tapering yourself off medication without speaking with your doctor first is idiotic, especially if it's helping you as you say.