Prescription Drug Side Effects
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Prescription Drug Side Effects
Sasman | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 06:28 am     I have been taking an antidepressant for the past year; I am on a small dose that has worked very well for me. The only problem I have had is a weight gain. I have always been pretty thin and weighed pretty much the same for the past 20 years. But now I've gained 20lbs since taking this drug. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Have you had any troubles maintaining weight or any other side effects? |
Jeep | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 07:04 am     Sas, yes I have had the same situation. Years ago I took an antidepressant and I gained a lot of weight. I have since read that almost all of the antidepressants have that effect. Maybe your doctor can change the brand to one that does not have that effect. I wasn't smart enough back then to ask for something different and there are so many new ones now. |
Secretsmile | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 07:44 am     Sas, I've been on anitdepressants different times in my life, and different types of these meds. If as I suspect, you are taking an SSRI,(Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft are a few) weight gain is a common side effect. The weight gain shouldn't be excessive and it's most often been found to level out rather than continue. In my opinion you should discuss this with your doctor since; 1)it bothers you 2)Hypothyriodism can be mistaken for depression and weight gain is a side effect of this disorder 3)The doctor may choose to adjust the dosage to better suit your expectations. |
Sasman | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 07:52 am     thanks guys for the responses. yes, it is paxil and my weight has leveled off. because i am taking a small dose and its working so well, i don't want to change meds even though my dr. said he'd prescribe another. Its just that dw has been kidding me about the big belly i've acquired. now i look like the rest of the men in my family after so many years of priding myself on my trim figure lol. went to a nutritionist couple of weeks ago and actually lost a couple of pounds!!! |
Adven | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 07:55 am     Sas, if you'd like to write to me and provide a little more information, I'd be happy to respond. My professional backgound is in psychiatric illness, particularly the use of anti-depressant medication, so feel free. My e-mail address is in my profile. |
Adven | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 08:12 am     Which reminds me, and I'll post this in the Depression thread as well: the anti-depressant Serzone has been banned in Canada and Europe. Recent research has suggested it to be the cause of liver dysfunction - from the mild to the fatal - in up to 16% of users. It is still being prescribed in the USA with a warning on the label, but with growing evidence of liver disease and pending lawsuits springing up against the manufacturer in Canada, it is likely it will either be banned in the USA as well or pulled by the manufacturer voluntarily to avoid legal action in America as well. If you know anyone who is currently taking Serzone they should talk to their family doctor for further information. |
Tishala | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 09:19 am     Can I hijack this thread just for a moment? It's really a result of what secretsmile said above and it completely concerns my self-interest. OK...my congestive heart failure specialist has referred me to an endocrinologist because I have a messed up reading on my blood tests...it's the TSH [thyroid stimulating hormone] and I am wondering whether anyone knows about this at all. I know that one of the side effects of one of the drugs I take for CHF is weight gain [a side effect of Coreg], but he insists it's not that at all. I also have never known anyone diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which is apparently what I have as a "co-morbidity" of my CHF. I HAVE gained some weight as a result of this (even though I thought it was other drugs), but I have been lethargic and my hair is much less thick and lovely than it was before. I try to stave off weight gain by exercising a lot--besides, it's good for my heart--but the other symptoms have not abetted. Oh. I have to pose this as a question, I suppose. Has anyone else experienced hy[othyroidism? If so, what can I expect from it? Is this ever a transitory ailment? Thanks. |
Squaredsc | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 09:25 am     tish, my mom has hyperthyroidism and had her thyroid removed some years ago but i know nothing really about it. |
Bigd | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 09:35 am     I took the anti-depressant Paxil for a few years and also experienced weight gain. I changed to Zoloft and didn't have as much trouble, BUT, when I stopped taking Paxil I had difficulty with I guess what you would call withdrawal symptoms. I experienced severe dizzy spells and nausea. |
Lumbele | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 01:24 pm     Tish, I have hypothyroidism, i.e. underactive thyroid. So does my mother. We were both diagnosed in our early thirties. I have been taking a replacement hormone for about 15 years, Mum for about 45 and we will for the rest of our lives. No big deal. Weightgain and fatigue are the most common symptoms. It takes a while to find just the right dosage and has to be monitored and readjusted regularly. After the right level has been established the symptoms tend to reverse to a large extend, unless you also take anti-depressants (see above) and retain/gain the weight for that reason.LOL Here is a site about Underactive Thyroid P.S. Hyperthyroidism, is the opposite condition, i.e. overactive thyroid. |
Ginger1218 | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 02:56 pm     I took Serzone for about 5 years and it did screw up my weight. Thank God, I don't have liver problems. I am now on Effexor, and it is wonderful - and I am finally losing weight, so whether it physically works, or mentally has made me able to do it, I don't know. Tishala, has your doctor mentioned the name Hasimoto's Disease regarding your Hypothyroidism? |
Ddr1135 | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 02:59 pm     Sas, I'm on prozac (I call it my vitamin) and have experienced no weight gain due to it. I started taking it when my hubby went crazy, LOL. (I actually take it for severe PMS.) |
Gidget | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 04:14 pm     Hi Tish. I have been on thyroid medication for 33 years. It is no big deal. It helps to take meds same time of day. For me, morning is best. Too late in the day and I'm too stimulated to sleep. The ongoing bloodwork is a pain. Everytime my insurance changes and I get a new doc they want tests every six months for like 18 months. Once your dose is properly adjusted and you know the syptoms of too much or too little thyroid hormone, you can usually get away with a once a year test. The reason you should acquaint yourself with the symptoms is so you will know if your dose is off and you can run it past your doc. Again, no big deal. I read somewhere that thyroid replacement therapy is one of the most sucessful medical stories around. |
Marmosquirm | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 04:26 pm     Sas, I was on Paxil for awhile and had weight gain too. My dr. switched me to Celexa and it's been much better. Plus, it seems to work better for me. He says Celexa has the least possibility for weight gain. Also as Bigd said it was REALLY hard to get off of. If you're sensitive to it, the best way I found was to use the liquid formula and cut down really slowly. Hope this helps! |
Tishala | Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 10:08 pm     Thanks for the info all. I'll keep you updated. Ginger, I have my first appt. with the endo next week...so I will hear then what it is specifically. My understanding though is that it is just a common co-morbidity with heart failure. If I can handle that, I think I can handle anohter pill in my purse. Heehee. |
Lilbuns | Monday, November 03, 2003 - 11:02 am     i was on prozac after my mom died ten years ago. i tried to come off of it many many times because i felt i didn't need it anymore. After being off of it, for a few weeks, the waterworks started again. I become very insecure without it, cry over everything, am overly emotional and over react to EVERYTHING. Well, yes, i gained a lot of weight while on it, but was also on hormone replacement after a hysterectomy. so i was never sure that prozac caused the weight gain. i'd heard of people who LOST weight on prozac. well, this past summer i was having a reunion with my high school sorority. i went on my atkins diet in january. i wasn't losing the weight...have disk disease, so exercise isn't an option. (i also found out i had an underactive thyroid last year, so thought for sure i'd lose weight with this new find. no such luck.) well, finally, in march, i bit the bullet and thought i'd try to stop the prozac to see if it helped with the weight loss. i finally lost the weight...22 pounds. NOW...KEY is, will it stay off if i'm not on prozac? Was it REALLY the prozac or was it the summer that had me more active with the diet? i won't know until the holidays come by and i'm pigging out!!! |
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