Posted by JohnL on October 1, 2000, at 7:19:55
In reply to need antidepressant that doesn't cause weightgain, posted by maccy on September 30, 2000, at 9:07:52
> I am on a low dose of effexor.I really want to lose the 20 pounds I have gained on it (and paxil).I tried prozac because it works as an appetite depressants.(my daughter lost on it) but it made me dizzy.I know it would go away after a while but I just could not stand it.any suggestions?
An antidepressant that doesn't cause weight gain? Funny. Comedian, eh? :-)
Seriously, your best bets would be either Prozac or Wellbutrin. But like anything else, you'll have some side effects to get used to. If you wanted to retry Prozac, here's a trick to help... Empty the capsule into a glass of juice, stir it up, and drink 1/4 of the glass, save the rest in the fridge for the next day, then drink another 1/4 the next day, and so on. The Prozac won't dissove, but will be suspended and will settle to the bottom of the glass. So you have to stir it real good before drinking.
The advantage of this is that you can customize your dose for the first week or two to allow yourself to get used to it easily. Instead of taking a 20mg capsule for example, you could drink just 5mg. Then work your way up. It's MUCH easier this way.
Wellbutrin has a spotty record, at least with my psychiatrist. It often causes more anxiety, dry mouth, irritibility, insomnia, or whatever than can be tolerated. It definitely suppressed my appetite, but actually made me feel worse instead of better.
Some people have tried Meridia for weight loss. That's what it's for. They accidentally discovered that their longstanding depression went away as well. As it turns out, Meridia is similar to Effexor, in that it is a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin, NE, and dopamine, in addition to whatever else it does to suppress appetite. Could be worth a look-see.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:45517
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000926/msgs/45589.html