I have taken antidepressants for years because I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. I have tried going with out, and decided that for better quality of life, it is best for me to take antidepressants. Having made this decision in my life, I expected the rest to come easily. I figured the doctor would prescribe a medication, I would take it and all would be well. I was slightly off with this assumption.

The antidepressants that I have tried over the years include Prozac, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin. With each of these medications, I initially had success. I took the medications as were prescribed by my doctor and in most cases did very well for several years. I went off of the Prozac with my last pregnancy for obvious reasons and stayed off all anxiety medications until I had nursed my daughter for a year after her birth. My doctor suggested that we try Lexapro when I was ready to resume my therapy. She said it was a new drug on the market at the time, and she really liked it for anxiety. "OK" I was all in.

I took this drug for 18 months without incident, and then at my last physical I noticed that my weight was up 21lbs from the previous year. How did this happen? I was stunned, and upset and baffled. I spoke with my doctor who confirmed that yes, my weight was up, this despite the fact that I walked daily with my husband and was on a low cholesterol diet in support of him. Panic set in and my physician reviewed my chart. She told me that it was a common side effect for weight gain after being on an antidepressant for 18 months which was right where I was in the course of my treatment with this new drug. After discussing my options, she decided to switch me to Wellbutrin which isn't a favored drug for anxiety though it is still often prescribed. It is liked because it can be used and also has a side effect of weight loss. She also put me on a diet and exercise regimen.

Two weeks later, I was down seven pounds. By the end of the first month, I had lost 13lbs. By my two month check up, I had lost 19 pounds. And on a recent visit for an unrelated matter, I was down another four pounds. It became very clear to me that it was indeed the medication that had caused my weight gain, and I have been having great success on the Wellbutrin.

Intrigued by this, I did some research, something that I encourage everyone to do if you take antidepressants for any reason. What I found out was enlightening. MAOIs are rarely used anymore, but if you are taking an MAOI, watch out because these types of antidepressants have a common side effect of increased appetite, and can cause patients to over eat when they are not hungry. Most commonly used today are the SSRIs- these are the class that I take, they have less side effects than the older MAOIs. It is believed that weight gain is a result of some of the side effects of the antidepressants. A lot of antidepressants cause drowsiness and fatigue. Neither one of which are conducive to weight loss or a healthy lifestyle.

If you suspect that your antidepressants are making you gain weight, the first thing you need to do is go to your doctor and discuss your concerns. The worst thing you could do would be to discontinue taking the medication-cold turkey because that could have more serious side effects than a few pounds gained. Many of these medications need to be titrated down in dose before discontinuing. It is not uncommon to have to change medications after a period of time as your body adjusts to the medication. Most importantly, don't worry about it because that will just make matters worse.

Learn more about this author, Amelia Tibbett.
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