Will Lexapro cause weight gain if Zoloft didn't?

Question

I've been prescribed Zoloft (100mg) & while mentally it worked well, physically I couldn't handle it (too tired). I liked that it made me stop eating emotionally. Mainly, I stopped taking it because I could not focus on grad. school work & didn't care about my classes. I got switched to Wellbutrin SR (150x2/day) and physically worked out (a little crack-headed though) but mentally I became moody & unstable. Again, I liked that it reduced my appetite. Now, I've been switched Lexapro (10) but I'm worried about the weight gain & I'm almost ready to just stop trying to find something that will reduce my anxiety. Given my past experiences, should I worry about taking Lexapro (weight gain, motivation/focus) or try to tell my dr. to just give me something for my paranoia & mini anxiety attacks? I am so new to all of this & confused.

Answer 1

I was on Lexapro 10mg for almost 3 yr. I had to be switched off cause it made me lose my sex drive and I gained 45 lbs in 1 year. (which is a side effect.) I got switched to Wellbutrin. Even though the side effects from Lexapro are gone I think Lexapro worked better on my depression than Wellbutrin. I hear a lot of people gain weight on Lexapro. I was one of them. But there are those few that don't. You'll just have to try it out for a month or two and see if it works for you. Every person reacts different to different meds.

Answer 2

All I can tell you is what works/didn't work for me. I had been on 200mg of Zoloft without weight gain/loss or any side effects (other than some slight sexual ones). It actually did nothing positive for me and I was still very depressed with terrible anxiety.

I'm now on 30mg of Lexapro for the depression (works great, no weight gain), 1.5mg of Klonopin for panic attacks and anxiety (works great, no addiction) and 10mg of Abilify (a "weight neutral" antipsychotic) for mood swings. Abilify seems to be working so far but it makes me very tired so I take it at night.

If anything, I lost weight. I started these meds about 7 or 8 months ago and I've lost about 15 lbs. Not sure why but I assume it's mostly because I'm more active in the long run. I may have a slight loss of appetite but I'm not sure which medication is causing that. I almost think it may be the Klonopin. I do feel a bit tired sometimes for no reason but I still leave the house everyday unlike before.

Answer 3

I am on Lexapro (10) and haven't gained any weight. I have however stopped having my panic attacks and have been able to focus more on my work. I also have more determination in the morning to get up out of bed and work out even if it is just for 15 minutes a day. It took me about 2 weeks to get totally used to the drug, but now I feel great and have lost 17 pounds.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Every person and every medication is different. The only medication for depression that I know of that wont cause weight gain is Cymbalta. The sad thing about anti deprssants is the weight gain and unless you are a tooth pick thats enough to depress you even more. I tried Zoloft and felt like I was going to bite someones head of after 3 days then lexapro didn't seem to work either. My best advise is to read the info. or ask your doctor that knows you best.

Answer 5

In my personal experience, I'd say no. I've been on something like 19 different psych meds over the years (including Lexapro and Zoloft) and am lucky in the aspect that weight gain has not been a side effect for me...as it is for so many people.

Answer 6

The short answer is: MAYBE ?

Just because you did or did NOT get weight gain with a previous depression med does not predict what side effects (if any) you will likely have with a different med.

Each of those meds you talk about are a different chemical structure - thus it will effect you a little differently with each one.

The only way to know - try it and find out. If it works for you- don't monkey w/ it. If not - discuss w/ your doc and try something else.

That's the only way to use the psych meds - only YOU really know if they are working. So the doc has to treat the symptoms as you tell them while trying to minimize / eliminate any unwanted side effects.

Answer 7

Although I've never taken Lexapro, my mother has. She did have slight weight gain, but the main reason she stopped taking the drug was that it kept her awake. She was to take it in the morning but that didn't help that much.

Answer 8

every medication is different for everyone some gain weight on some people others weight stays same and othersa lose weight just like medications work for some people and not for others.everybodies metabolism is different and body chemistry is different.