Posted by galkeepinon on July 19, 2003, at 14:16:58
In reply to Galkeepinon -- re Effexor gain, posted by kashley on July 18, 2003, at 16:01:01
Hey there, yeah, threads get lost around here a lot it seems. Anyway, here's my thoughts. True, a 38-pound weight gain in a six-month period of time is quite a bit. I actually gained close to that in 1 month's time when I went on Depakote for a short amount a time EEK!!!!! I have heard in the past and read in the drug literature on Effexor that anorexia or weight loss can be a side effect. For me, it wasn't. In the beginning (like the first 2 weeks) I lost about 6 Lbs.-but it came back. I truly don't believe Effexor has the added benefit of weight loss. I can't even say that any anti-depressants MADE me lose weight. BUT, I can say that the only anti-depressant I DIDN'T gain weight on was Celexa. I hope this helps. If you need anything else please let me know :)
I wish you the best.
**Doctors still cease to amaze me..... I've had about 5 of them since I began this journey with my mental health problems and each one of them have acted differently on the weight gain issue with meds.
Some simply ignore a patient's concerns, Some are very caring and cooperative, and some simply do not know, after all, they are human. It is hard to answer a patient when they ask their doctor "Will this drug or that drug make me gain weight" when the primary, most important issue at hand is that of what any doctor would expect it to be-"Will this drug or that drug make me feel better and/or help me to cope better/help therapy be more productive......whatever?"
Sometimes I feel really bad for doctors-they have a tough job, and sometimes I get angry with the ones that do not listen. If they listen, and truly cannot help then they need to explain to their patients, but we all have egos and doctors do too and sometimes they let theirs get in the way. But when they truly do not listen and instead totally ignore not only concerns of this weight issue that so very many patients experience, but also don't set some sort of example (and I don't necessarily mean a physical one here) it is sad.That is why I am always doing my research. I look up every medication I am on. I try it out. I ask my docs a lot of questions. I have been called annoying. I don't care. I have been "fired" I don't care. I used to. I would cry about it. I don't anymore. And you know where all that got me? It led me to a wonderful, understanding, intelligent, patient, kind, extremely helpful primary care physician and a well-known, reputable, good-listener, open-minded, flexible, kind psychiatrist.
To me, it was well-worth it!Keep me posted on your progress!
Gal
> Hi, its Kashley again. The thread I started about hoping to lose weight on Topamax after gaining on Effexor got buried. This is such an active board!
>
> Here's what I posted in response to your question to me about my 38 lb. weight gain.
>
> As much as I'd love to blame the weight gain on the fact that I have entered my late 30's, I just can't. Considering that my nickname had been "Barbie" for over 15 years (because of my Barbie doll-like proportions), I simply can't blame a 38-pound weight gain in a six-month period of time on the "aging process", ya know?
>
> My eating habits have been the same since I began living on my own at age 17. The only change in my life was the addition of Effexor to it. And I swear to goodness -- one day my clothes fit just fine, the next day I was buying a new wardrobe because NOTHING fit. Do you have any idea how ... WEIRD... it is to outgrow your panties and bras at my age?? I hate to get this graphic but, do you know how uncomfortable a tight g-string can be?
>
> I went from a size 0-1 to a size 9-10. I think the reason why my initial male doctor didn't think the weight gain was an issue was because he was seriously obese (he had a heart attack and died at age 42 because of his weight) and I just don't think 38 pounds in either direction (gain or loss) would have startled him.
>
> What are your thoughts?
>
>
poster:galkeepinon
thread:242302
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030718/msgs/243484.html