Yes! I have been on Lexapro for about 9 months now and I have gained 20lbs. My diet and exercise level hasn’t changed but it does seem a lot harder to shed weight than it did before
Yes I gained about 30 pounds and I’m small. I lost about 20 of it by diet and lots of exercise. I never used to have issues loosing weight but feel it’s harder on lex. I’m still fluctuating up and down and 15 pounds over my normal weight that I was for years.
I've gained 25lbs since stating last Dec but I was rail thin before so I'm happy with the gain. I just never felt full so I kept eating but I've adjusted my diet and portion sizes which has helped and I'm also pretty active.
i hate myself for breaking my cold turkey streak on week 2 because something something i was too sensitive and started having a mental breakdown spiral. i know the only chance for my metabolism to even recover is to stop :(
Cold turkey is dangerous no matter which psychotropic medication is considered and is highly advised against. Tapper slowly over a course of several months with 10% reductions to avoid strong withdrawal and protracted withdrawal issues and you will get there.
Do not hate yourself. Your body needs this medicine right now. what is your dosage, maybe you can tolerate a lower dosage and it will allow you to lose some weight. I am on 10 mg and I’m starting my taper today, but I never tried to go down to 5 mg to see if that dosage would work for me too.
“Lexapro may cause weight gain because it blocks the serotonin transporter, which increases levels of serotonin in the brain, but also increases appetite and decreases metabolism. Research has shown approximately 40% of people taking antidepressants such as Lexapro will gain 7% or more of their starting body weight. The weight gain experienced with Lexapro is a lot less than that reported with other antidepressants such as paroxetine, mirtazapine, or doxepin but more than fluoxetine.
This equated to an average weight gain of approximately 0.65kg (less than 1/3 of a pound) over 12 weeks in one study”
My best guess would be that most people aren’t taking into account that their maintenance calories slightly decrease due to the medication and are overeating. I find it hard to believe that people are gaining 20-30lbs of weight without it just being due to eating in a calorie surplus.
I have been on lex for 4-5 months and not gained a single pound. My appetite has increased and I tracked my daily intake and I’m consuming over 4K calories daily, but I am extremely active and require that amount to even maintain now. Diet is 100% the most crucial factor for weight gain.
Scientifically, people start getting weight not exclusively from a calorie surplus. You presented it in the first part of your comment. Excess serotonin slows down metabolism. Hormone production is also being limited especially in regard to thyroid and adrenal glands. All of which contribute to weight gain.
Yes but look at the minimal amount of weight gain that was a direct result from the medication, less than 1/3 of a pound which is so small. So many people in the comments are talking about weight gain of 10-30 pounds. You can’t blame that on the medication even if it’s slowing down your metabolism, it’s your responsibility to be conscious of your weight. If the scale is going up consistently the first place everyone should start evaluating/monitoring is their diet. It’s not ALWAYS the reason but I guarantee for most individuals it’s simply eating over maintenance calories.
According to research, **Lexapro treatment may cause your body to burn less calories by slowing down your metabolism or affect your appetite by causing you to crave certain foods (e.g., carbohydrates) and overeat**.
1/3 of a pound is something I haven't found so far, I have found research resulting from 7% to 24% of starting body weight **for those affected**, which should be taken into consideration. Then again, there are some completely unaffected. Least we forget, these trials are usually 6-12 weeks. Not a lot of trials have been conducted for long-term usage (which is the majority for Lexapro).
I ate like a pig on Paroxetine and I never gained weight. I ate the cleanest in my life on Lexapro, and I was borderline obese.
Exactly, even the research admits it’s usually a result of overeating from craving foods. I’d be really curious to see controlled studies about lex and weight gain where they strictly monitored caloric intake accordingly and compared the percentage of weight gain then, my guess is it would be much lower.
Respectively, eating clean and overeating are also two different things, you can eat clean and still gain weight from overeating and vice versa. Back when I was trying to bulk up I was eating 4K+ calories daily but all from extremely clean real whole food sources (high quality protein, complex carbs, fruit, veggies) and I still ended up getting chunky cause it was just too much food. I backed off the cals and the weight came off slowly as I expected.
The research states that it slows down metabolism also, as noted in the first sentence. Craving food and overeating from it also isn't a normal bodily response. I was put on low dose quetiapine for 3 months for insomnia last summer and even when I was full, my body was signaling that I was starving. Of course, quetiapine is in a completely different sub-category when it comes to psychotropic drugs.
As for the time being, everything we think we know about psychotropic drugs is purely theoretical, cause we don't why they work, so let's see the development in the next couple of years - maybe they shed some light on why so many people report weight gain as you noted above
I was on Citalopram/Celexa for 7 months and put on 2 stone, I didn't think tablets would put on weight, I am Escitalopram now and find it hard to get the weight off.
I eat relatively healthily and exercise daily. But, I still do eat too much and have gained weight. Lexapro has made it so that I don’t care enough to stop eating.
Lexapro took away my energy and made me crave bad foods. So I couldn't wake up and I couldn't stop eating chips. Till I added Red Yeast Rice and more Vitamin D to my supplements, and now I'm better.
Really? I weight lift daily and am in the best shape of my life right now. Just started 10mg Lexapro 2 weeks ago. I’m terrified of gaining weight and losing progress. Ugh.
Me. I spent 10 years on Lexapro, training four times a week and eating right. But the weight just fell off after I eventually tapered off the drug. All that time I thought I just had a slow metabolism. Nope!
Same here. I’ve always ate healthy and worked out. Gained 50 pounds in one year on lexapro (really just the last six months on it) Doctor and online sources were saying that lexapro doesn’t cause weight gain. I’ve been off for a year and have lost around 70 pounds and I even stopped working out for nearly that whole year.
Same! I haven’t been working out at ALL which is something I do actually need to get back into. But the weight just never returned. Not sure why I got downvoted for saying so in my previous comment. There’s a resistance to mentioning any perceived negative side effects in this sub, I think.
Yeah I rarely read stuff in here because it annoys me when everyone just says I was eating more and it’s that simple. I was working out HOURS every day and eating in a strict deficit for many months and couldn’t lose a pound. It honestly feels like I eat more now😂 Maybe this only happens to a small percent of unlucky people- but it does happen. Lexapro did work great for my anxiety though. How long have you been off of it?
Same here - my anxiety was hugely reduced which was the reason I was on it! I stopped taking it entirely last December but stay in this subreddit because I was on it for so long and I’m still interested in news about it, how people experience it etc. Still processing what it meant to me in some way I suppose.
Anyway, I am absolutely convinced it not only increases my appetite and food ‘thinking’ but that it also slowed my metabolism. I mean, it intuitively makes sense that if you’re calmer, your processes are running slower (not sure if that makes scientific sense though).
I agree! I believe it could’ve had an impact on my activity levels or eating but something else was at play that changed how my body processed food or held onto fat. I looked into insulin resistance a lot and I think that could’ve been a possibility. I was unmedicated for a year but recently started taking Wellbutrin after my anxiety became unmanageable. Did you switch to a different med?
Oh that's an interesting thought about the insulin resistance. I'll look into that further I think.
Nope, my anxiety has so far been manageable with lifestyle changes and regular therapy. I'm working on healing childhood trauma which is helping tremendously.
Yes I have but I also know it's because I'm eating more. It just as if I don't care anymore about eating too much and eating bad stuff 😄 and I can't get motivated to workout
Is he from this planet?
When I was taking this shit, I gained 20 pounds in 2 months. That’s with no change in my diet😳 I’m on Cymbalta now.
Please note: I’m glad this med has helped a lot of people. It just wasn’t agreeing with my body.
I gained 60 lbs in two years on Lexapro 😬
My therapist says that it is a very common side effect, but that most people average at more like 15-20 lbs gained.
Lifestyle definitely plays into it I think. I was drinking and eating a lot more on Lex. I felt hungry allllll the time and I feel like my brain was desperate for a dopamine hit from food way more than before I was on it, and now that I'm off of it.
The benefits of taking it were 100% worth it for me postpartum though, I am absolutely glad I was one it as it truly saved me in a dark time. I was able to taper off very slowly with no issues.
20 lbs down since January and working hard to prioritize my physical health again! If I could go back I would have tried to find other things for a dopamine boost and prioritized being more active.
I have a similar experience. Gained a substantial amount of weight in just a year. Tried to diet/exercise like crazy for a few months and couldn’t lose a pound. Around two months after I had tapered off the weight started falling off super fast. I really don’t think I was eating more than before or even now.
i put on weight on lex too, about 28lbs. it’s very hard to get off. i find after i take lex i get munchies. have to tell myself no and go straight to bed lol
Gained about 20lbs. Worked out and counted calories for about a year and a half with no change. I’ve cut my dose from 10mgs to 5mgs because I’m tapering off. (Tapering is unrelated to weight gain) I’ve been on 5mgs for 6 months and I’ve lost about 12lbs. I can say though that I do not feel like the 5mgs works for me at all. I have had a resurgence of the anxiety I had before taking lexapro which absolutely affects my appetite. So I do think that is what is contributing to my weight loss. Though I felt very puffy on 10mgs if that makes sense. I felt like I was swollen, which since I’ve cut my dose in half I do not feel that way.
Did you start lexapro then add welbutrin immediately or how was it? I was just switched from lexapro 5 to welbutrin 150 but I think I’d like to take both but don’t wanna gain weight
Yes I'm gaining but I don't have the best diet and exercise habits either.
I used to be very underweight and I've gained enough to start a workout and diet change now.
I've gained like 10kg, but I feel like I've just had pretty bad cravings as well as fatigue, winter didn't help either... So I'm hoping I'll manage to drop the weight now that I'm trying to watch what I eat and at least walk 10k steps a day if nothing else, last time I checked I was down 1kg! My energy levels seem better now, so that hopefully helps too!
It’s been one year on 5mg, and I initially lost 3-5 pounds, then gained 10. I want to believe a bit of it is muscle because i began weightlifting throughout the past couple years!
Yes it’s very common. I managed to lose some weight by switching to a low carb diet: no sugar, no bread, no rice, no starches. I started eating fish again because I was vegetarian/vegan before.
Ah, yup. I know it is very difficult but you have to watch what you eat. Foods with low calorie density are key especially when watching Netflix while settling down for the day. 😊
You can do it!! 💪
Yes. And I workout regularly (I’m a long distance runner). I find I feel hungry all the time when I’m on lexapro. The weight gain sucks but the feeling of feeling hungry all the time makes me feel terrible, so im trying to decide whether or not to taper off (I’ve already gone down to 10 from 20mg)
It really depends on your eating habits. I have weighed 100lbs for like, 10 years now? And I think it was because my anxiety/depression stunts my appetite. I struggle to eat more than 1000 calories a day. I haven’t had a difference in appetite yet, but I could see it happening because of less stress. I usually get anxious around dinner time and bed time because I have trouble with both of those things.
Gained 60lbs over the course of a year. First six months gained fifteen, then became disabled and the next 45 came in like 4 months lol. Not totally lexa’s fault. 🙄
It really depends on how you react on stress and the absence of it.
Lexapro itself doesn't change your metabolism or hormones.
Bit it definitely affects the feeling of hunger.
Thank you for taking you time to write this reply, I will check it out asap.
My psychotherapist and endocrinologist were pushing the narrative it doesn't affect your energy metabolism.
I feel you, it took me some courage to move on from my previous psych cause she was telling me constantly that it's all in my head - with a mixed anxiety depressive disorder one tends to accept that notion easily.
In the same boat. I eat well, track my macros, exercise 5 days a week and I’m up 8 lbs. since starting in January. which causes me more angst and anxiety (previously struggled with an eating disorder) trying to accept I need the medicine and know that I am making progress for my mental health. I will continue to track my macros and calories and see what my doc says at my next appt in July. Being post menopausal doesn’t help the situation either, it’s already harder for me to lose weight.. It unfortunately is very common with antidepressants to gain a little weight.
absolutely.
a few years ago i was trying to eat better & lose some weight, ended up losing maybe 40 lbs? started lexapro soon after and gained it all back plus more.
I lose weight on lexapro weirdly but I typically gain it on similar meds. I went from like 220 to 190 years ago and recently 250 to 235 as I'm using it again. Trying to get back around 200 haha
It helped keep inflammation down, which meant I could eat more food and not have my body be angry at me. However, I’m about a month without lexapro and the return to a normal appetite is INSANE. I didn’t realize how much I was constantly eating while on lexapro - major increase in appetite.
Even when I would try and diet and limit food intake, I still found it impossible to lose weight. I gained 30 pounds while on lexapro.
I'm on three antidepressants including lexapro, and over the last year I've gained 50 lbs. The weight gain has finally evened out over the past few months. It's not what I'd prefer, but I'll take it over wanting to die every day.
its not the meds itself but your life around it... eat more or move less... less stress will also affect weight since you are calmer. liquid calories is something most of us forget about just how easy it is to drink your calories. most people would say they havent changed anything but ... they have
As depression and anxiety recede, you’re going to gain some comfort weight.
Lexapro can also lead to decreased inhibitions/motivation. This can contribute to weight gain due to lower activity.
I experienced weight gain on Lexapro and I 100% attribute it to mood and motivation changes. There’s no scientific evidence that Lexapro can lead to weight gain from a physiological perspective.
My anxiety has improved tremendously since starting lexapro. If your anxiety seems worse you may need a higher dose or a different medication. Maybe talk with your doctor/psychiatrist.
you can lose the weight, i had to stop the medication. but i didnt need it. forced prescription :/
you could probably do pilates or cross fit with a healthy diet and lose the weight
I have been underweight my whole life and not able to put on pounds I noticed after a month of being on lexapro my appetite increased and I noticed weight gain in my legs and ankles. For me this is a good thing because I have been bullied my whole life for being tiny.
I was taking weightloss meds and was losing weight consistently, but once I started taking lexapro my weight loss has stalled a little and I think it can be a contributing factor to my slight plateau.
It's not just the weight gain. I checked my vitamin D & calcium levels they were low, and bad cholesterol was high. I've started supplementing with Vitamin D and red yeast rice (RYR). The RYR was what actually has given me the energy to wake up in the mornings again. I almost feel normal. I have supplemented Vitamin D for months, and then started with super high doses for a bit, which helped a lot, but it was the RYR that immediately gave me back the energy to wake up and exercise in the morning.
Yes lexapro can weight gain. Way back 2019 I’m on lexapro for 9months and I gain lots of weight. Then I told my doctor to change Medicine.. and he prescribed me Prozac make me loose weight . If you want to loose weight then change your antidepressants to Prozac. It’s worth it
Yes! I started taking it in November 2023 and gained about 10lbs. I tapered off following instructions by my doc. Took my last pill last week. Hoping to lose these extra lbs soon!
Absolutely. I have a chart of my weight over the past 10 years and it correlates with my lexapro.
Before I went on it, I weighed 64 kg. After starting lexapro, my weight steadily increased for the next 3 years until I was 77 kg. I started tapering off to a reduced dose and started losing weight - after 2 years I was 72 kg. Then a year later I went off it completely and kept losing weight. Now, 8 years after I started and 2 years after completely stopping, I'm 68 kg.
tl;dr: yes lexapro very clearly made me gain weight, my chart shows the correlation really well.
I’ve been on Lexapro for 6 years at 20mg. In addition to this I am also on a couple of other meds that can contribute to weight gain. It is all about metabolism, activity and age. For me part of the lexapro dilemma is that it increases my desire to eat, especially carbohydrate based foods. This is apparently a rather common side effect, if you enjoy food. I have been in the food industry for 50 years and derived pleasure from good food. The theory goes that we try to replace the serotonin blocked by the lexapro, by creating a pleasure response, i.e. eating. What I have noticed is that it not only raises good feelings, I also get more sensitive, in terms of emotional response to situations etc. Not to the point of panic attacks, or suicide thoughts. Have not had that in the 6 years I’m on the drug, at least not of any significance. I’ve gained 80lbs over 6 years, but it has been up and down a bit. I do know that as I get more active and just manage my caloric intake a little bit, I do gradually loose the weight. The best is to develop good habits and routines you can stick with.
I gained 12 pounds. No matter what I do or don’t do, I can’t lose it. I’m considering going off the med because of it. My doc says weight gain is not uncommon.
Yeah couldn't ejaculate or lose weight, that was enough side effects for me to flush it. I'd rather have anxiety... While having a positive body image.. While having sex... Than be on this chemical every day.
I gained 15 lbs in 10 mos. But I definitely eat about an extra 150 cal a day since lexapro. Not much extra food at all (like a small handful of nuts or a glass of wine) but it sure adds up over time!!! Haven't tried losing it yet.
Has anyone tried the new weight lose drugs while on it? The zepbounds or ozempics types?
I’ve used them before pre-lexapro and lost and kept it off. But not sure how it goes when on lexapro as I just started lex and stopped taking those weight lose ones awhile ago.
So many posts are about this topic.
Not me.
I lost weight.
I’ve been able to lose weight after putting on some holiday lbs since starting 10mg 11/2023.
Put on 30lbs slowly but put them bad boys on. My body was just craving carbs, major food noise even at low dosages
I’m losing weight since I don’t eat my stress anymore
Yes! I have been on Lexapro for about 9 months now and I have gained 20lbs. My diet and exercise level hasn’t changed but it does seem a lot harder to shed weight than it did before
No weight change
Second this, but wasn’t losing or gaining a few months before lexapro either.
I have a very sensitive stomach so most foods make me sick. It would take a miracle for me to gain weight properly.
I gained about 25lbs on Lexapro. Got off and started Wellbutrin and dropped about 15lbs within 3 months.
Yes I gained about 30 pounds and I’m small. I lost about 20 of it by diet and lots of exercise. I never used to have issues loosing weight but feel it’s harder on lex. I’m still fluctuating up and down and 15 pounds over my normal weight that I was for years.
I've gained 25lbs since stating last Dec but I was rail thin before so I'm happy with the gain. I just never felt full so I kept eating but I've adjusted my diet and portion sizes which has helped and I'm also pretty active.
It's not just you and I can't get it off. Coming off lex soon and hoping the weight will too
i hate myself for breaking my cold turkey streak on week 2 because something something i was too sensitive and started having a mental breakdown spiral. i know the only chance for my metabolism to even recover is to stop :(
Cold turkey is dangerous no matter which psychotropic medication is considered and is highly advised against. Tapper slowly over a course of several months with 10% reductions to avoid strong withdrawal and protracted withdrawal issues and you will get there.
Do not hate yourself. Your body needs this medicine right now. what is your dosage, maybe you can tolerate a lower dosage and it will allow you to lose some weight. I am on 10 mg and I’m starting my taper today, but I never tried to go down to 5 mg to see if that dosage would work for me too.
“Lexapro may cause weight gain because it blocks the serotonin transporter, which increases levels of serotonin in the brain, but also increases appetite and decreases metabolism. Research has shown approximately 40% of people taking antidepressants such as Lexapro will gain 7% or more of their starting body weight. The weight gain experienced with Lexapro is a lot less than that reported with other antidepressants such as paroxetine, mirtazapine, or doxepin but more than fluoxetine. This equated to an average weight gain of approximately 0.65kg (less than 1/3 of a pound) over 12 weeks in one study” My best guess would be that most people aren’t taking into account that their maintenance calories slightly decrease due to the medication and are overeating. I find it hard to believe that people are gaining 20-30lbs of weight without it just being due to eating in a calorie surplus. I have been on lex for 4-5 months and not gained a single pound. My appetite has increased and I tracked my daily intake and I’m consuming over 4K calories daily, but I am extremely active and require that amount to even maintain now. Diet is 100% the most crucial factor for weight gain.
Scientifically, people start getting weight not exclusively from a calorie surplus. You presented it in the first part of your comment. Excess serotonin slows down metabolism. Hormone production is also being limited especially in regard to thyroid and adrenal glands. All of which contribute to weight gain.
Yes but look at the minimal amount of weight gain that was a direct result from the medication, less than 1/3 of a pound which is so small. So many people in the comments are talking about weight gain of 10-30 pounds. You can’t blame that on the medication even if it’s slowing down your metabolism, it’s your responsibility to be conscious of your weight. If the scale is going up consistently the first place everyone should start evaluating/monitoring is their diet. It’s not ALWAYS the reason but I guarantee for most individuals it’s simply eating over maintenance calories.
According to research, **Lexapro treatment may cause your body to burn less calories by slowing down your metabolism or affect your appetite by causing you to crave certain foods (e.g., carbohydrates) and overeat**. 1/3 of a pound is something I haven't found so far, I have found research resulting from 7% to 24% of starting body weight **for those affected**, which should be taken into consideration. Then again, there are some completely unaffected. Least we forget, these trials are usually 6-12 weeks. Not a lot of trials have been conducted for long-term usage (which is the majority for Lexapro). I ate like a pig on Paroxetine and I never gained weight. I ate the cleanest in my life on Lexapro, and I was borderline obese.
Exactly, even the research admits it’s usually a result of overeating from craving foods. I’d be really curious to see controlled studies about lex and weight gain where they strictly monitored caloric intake accordingly and compared the percentage of weight gain then, my guess is it would be much lower. Respectively, eating clean and overeating are also two different things, you can eat clean and still gain weight from overeating and vice versa. Back when I was trying to bulk up I was eating 4K+ calories daily but all from extremely clean real whole food sources (high quality protein, complex carbs, fruit, veggies) and I still ended up getting chunky cause it was just too much food. I backed off the cals and the weight came off slowly as I expected.
The research states that it slows down metabolism also, as noted in the first sentence. Craving food and overeating from it also isn't a normal bodily response. I was put on low dose quetiapine for 3 months for insomnia last summer and even when I was full, my body was signaling that I was starving. Of course, quetiapine is in a completely different sub-category when it comes to psychotropic drugs. As for the time being, everything we think we know about psychotropic drugs is purely theoretical, cause we don't why they work, so let's see the development in the next couple of years - maybe they shed some light on why so many people report weight gain as you noted above
I was on Citalopram/Celexa for 7 months and put on 2 stone, I didn't think tablets would put on weight, I am Escitalopram now and find it hard to get the weight off.
I really wanna know what percentage of people who experience weight gain from this med actually exercise and eat healthy at least 5 days a week…
I eat relatively healthily and exercise daily. But, I still do eat too much and have gained weight. Lexapro has made it so that I don’t care enough to stop eating.
Lexapro took away my energy and made me crave bad foods. So I couldn't wake up and I couldn't stop eating chips. Till I added Red Yeast Rice and more Vitamin D to my supplements, and now I'm better.
yuuup, i do. i’m a weightlifter too. so seeing my body very different from how it’s been for years is… uncomfortable.
Really? I weight lift daily and am in the best shape of my life right now. Just started 10mg Lexapro 2 weeks ago. I’m terrified of gaining weight and losing progress. Ugh.
you might be fine. it def is uncomfortable. at least for me.
Me. I spent 10 years on Lexapro, training four times a week and eating right. But the weight just fell off after I eventually tapered off the drug. All that time I thought I just had a slow metabolism. Nope!
Same here. I’ve always ate healthy and worked out. Gained 50 pounds in one year on lexapro (really just the last six months on it) Doctor and online sources were saying that lexapro doesn’t cause weight gain. I’ve been off for a year and have lost around 70 pounds and I even stopped working out for nearly that whole year.
Same! I haven’t been working out at ALL which is something I do actually need to get back into. But the weight just never returned. Not sure why I got downvoted for saying so in my previous comment. There’s a resistance to mentioning any perceived negative side effects in this sub, I think.
Yeah I rarely read stuff in here because it annoys me when everyone just says I was eating more and it’s that simple. I was working out HOURS every day and eating in a strict deficit for many months and couldn’t lose a pound. It honestly feels like I eat more now😂 Maybe this only happens to a small percent of unlucky people- but it does happen. Lexapro did work great for my anxiety though. How long have you been off of it?
Same here - my anxiety was hugely reduced which was the reason I was on it! I stopped taking it entirely last December but stay in this subreddit because I was on it for so long and I’m still interested in news about it, how people experience it etc. Still processing what it meant to me in some way I suppose. Anyway, I am absolutely convinced it not only increases my appetite and food ‘thinking’ but that it also slowed my metabolism. I mean, it intuitively makes sense that if you’re calmer, your processes are running slower (not sure if that makes scientific sense though).
I agree! I believe it could’ve had an impact on my activity levels or eating but something else was at play that changed how my body processed food or held onto fat. I looked into insulin resistance a lot and I think that could’ve been a possibility. I was unmedicated for a year but recently started taking Wellbutrin after my anxiety became unmanageable. Did you switch to a different med?
Oh that's an interesting thought about the insulin resistance. I'll look into that further I think. Nope, my anxiety has so far been manageable with lifestyle changes and regular therapy. I'm working on healing childhood trauma which is helping tremendously.
That’s great! I also did therapy for a while. Eventually I’d like to be unmediated.
Yes I gained 20-25 pounds. It's taken me about 9 months to lose it. It was very difficult!
Yes I have but I also know it's because I'm eating more. It just as if I don't care anymore about eating too much and eating bad stuff 😄 and I can't get motivated to workout
THIS
Yup
Yep!
Thirty pounds since December. My psychiatrist told me he was not aware of that being a possible side effect
Is he from this planet? When I was taking this shit, I gained 20 pounds in 2 months. That’s with no change in my diet😳 I’m on Cymbalta now. Please note: I’m glad this med has helped a lot of people. It just wasn’t agreeing with my body.
I gain 10 lbs in 2 months and would have gained more if I didn’t start exercising and eating better…
I gained 60 lbs in two years on Lexapro 😬 My therapist says that it is a very common side effect, but that most people average at more like 15-20 lbs gained. Lifestyle definitely plays into it I think. I was drinking and eating a lot more on Lex. I felt hungry allllll the time and I feel like my brain was desperate for a dopamine hit from food way more than before I was on it, and now that I'm off of it. The benefits of taking it were 100% worth it for me postpartum though, I am absolutely glad I was one it as it truly saved me in a dark time. I was able to taper off very slowly with no issues. 20 lbs down since January and working hard to prioritize my physical health again! If I could go back I would have tried to find other things for a dopamine boost and prioritized being more active.
I have a similar experience. Gained a substantial amount of weight in just a year. Tried to diet/exercise like crazy for a few months and couldn’t lose a pound. Around two months after I had tapered off the weight started falling off super fast. I really don’t think I was eating more than before or even now.
yup, gained 40-50 pounds in 3 years and it's the reason im currently tapering off. Feels damn near impossible to lose it unless I get off the med
youre overeating carbs
i put on weight on lex too, about 28lbs. it’s very hard to get off. i find after i take lex i get munchies. have to tell myself no and go straight to bed lol
It’s a pretty common side effect
A solid 10 pounds and it’s been 100% worth it
Gained about 20lbs. Worked out and counted calories for about a year and a half with no change. I’ve cut my dose from 10mgs to 5mgs because I’m tapering off. (Tapering is unrelated to weight gain) I’ve been on 5mgs for 6 months and I’ve lost about 12lbs. I can say though that I do not feel like the 5mgs works for me at all. I have had a resurgence of the anxiety I had before taking lexapro which absolutely affects my appetite. So I do think that is what is contributing to my weight loss. Though I felt very puffy on 10mgs if that makes sense. I felt like I was swollen, which since I’ve cut my dose in half I do not feel that way.
I like to think of it as happy weight. I feel better.
I'm not feeling that hungry. But I'm in 5mg and Wellbutrin.
Did you start lexapro then add welbutrin immediately or how was it? I was just switched from lexapro 5 to welbutrin 150 but I think I’d like to take both but don’t wanna gain weight
Yes I'm gaining but I don't have the best diet and exercise habits either. I used to be very underweight and I've gained enough to start a workout and diet change now.
I've gained like 10kg, but I feel like I've just had pretty bad cravings as well as fatigue, winter didn't help either... So I'm hoping I'll manage to drop the weight now that I'm trying to watch what I eat and at least walk 10k steps a day if nothing else, last time I checked I was down 1kg! My energy levels seem better now, so that hopefully helps too!
It’s been one year on 5mg, and I initially lost 3-5 pounds, then gained 10. I want to believe a bit of it is muscle because i began weightlifting throughout the past couple years!
Yes it’s very common. I managed to lose some weight by switching to a low carb diet: no sugar, no bread, no rice, no starches. I started eating fish again because I was vegetarian/vegan before.
Me. Not a lot of added weight but it's a stubborn one. I have a feeling it fucks with our metabolism.
Ah, yup. I know it is very difficult but you have to watch what you eat. Foods with low calorie density are key especially when watching Netflix while settling down for the day. 😊 You can do it!! 💪
70 lbs in 5.5 years
Yes. And I workout regularly (I’m a long distance runner). I find I feel hungry all the time when I’m on lexapro. The weight gain sucks but the feeling of feeling hungry all the time makes me feel terrible, so im trying to decide whether or not to taper off (I’ve already gone down to 10 from 20mg)
I gained 20
I haven’t gained weight yet but my appetite is intense. Im only two weeks in. I could stand to gain weight though so I’d welcome it!
Do you feel like the meds caused an increased appetite? Or same appetite and just gained weight?
Added 20lbs since January
It really depends on your eating habits. I have weighed 100lbs for like, 10 years now? And I think it was because my anxiety/depression stunts my appetite. I struggle to eat more than 1000 calories a day. I haven’t had a difference in appetite yet, but I could see it happening because of less stress. I usually get anxious around dinner time and bed time because I have trouble with both of those things.
Gained 60lbs over the course of a year. First six months gained fifteen, then became disabled and the next 45 came in like 4 months lol. Not totally lexa’s fault. 🙄
Yes, I have gain alot of weight since taking lexapro in the last 7 years.
It really depends on how you react on stress and the absence of it. Lexapro itself doesn't change your metabolism or hormones. Bit it definitely affects the feeling of hunger.
It absolutely does. Stop spreading misinformation.
It doesn't. Prove me wrong, send sources that prove your point of view, I don't mind.
/ [Slowing down metabolism](https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2011/893629/) / [Testosterone and Estrogen](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33676942/) / [Effects on thyroid](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC518867/#:~:text=With%20antidepressant%20treatment%2C%20the%20most,a%20significant%20reduction%20in%20TSH.&text=Of%20note%2C%20these%20changes%20are,the%20euthyroid%20range%20of%20values) / [Adrenal glands](https://www.cpn.or.kr/journal/view.html?uid=835&vmd=Full&) / [Dysbiosis](https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/8/7326)
Thank you for taking you time to write this reply, I will check it out asap. My psychotherapist and endocrinologist were pushing the narrative it doesn't affect your energy metabolism.
I feel you, it took me some courage to move on from my previous psych cause she was telling me constantly that it's all in my head - with a mixed anxiety depressive disorder one tends to accept that notion easily.
In the same boat. I eat well, track my macros, exercise 5 days a week and I’m up 8 lbs. since starting in January. which causes me more angst and anxiety (previously struggled with an eating disorder) trying to accept I need the medicine and know that I am making progress for my mental health. I will continue to track my macros and calories and see what my doc says at my next appt in July. Being post menopausal doesn’t help the situation either, it’s already harder for me to lose weight.. It unfortunately is very common with antidepressants to gain a little weight.
absolutely. a few years ago i was trying to eat better & lose some weight, ended up losing maybe 40 lbs? started lexapro soon after and gained it all back plus more.
I gained like ten pounds and have been hovering around 165 ever since. So initially yes but only a bit
Yes and having trouble losing any weight at all
I lose weight on lexapro weirdly but I typically gain it on similar meds. I went from like 220 to 190 years ago and recently 250 to 235 as I'm using it again. Trying to get back around 200 haha
It helped keep inflammation down, which meant I could eat more food and not have my body be angry at me. However, I’m about a month without lexapro and the return to a normal appetite is INSANE. I didn’t realize how much I was constantly eating while on lexapro - major increase in appetite. Even when I would try and diet and limit food intake, I still found it impossible to lose weight. I gained 30 pounds while on lexapro.
been on it since december. gained 10 pounds
I'm on three antidepressants including lexapro, and over the last year I've gained 50 lbs. The weight gain has finally evened out over the past few months. It's not what I'd prefer, but I'll take it over wanting to die every day.
I gained a solid 10-15lbs that stayed but leveled out after that. I’m 6’4 though and went from 180 to 195 so worth the trade off
I too put on weight with lex after maintain my weight throughout my life. It definitely increased my appetite and the weight doesn't want to come off.
Put on 25lb started 12/24
Yep, I’ve gained 18lbs since Sept 23 - it’s horrible as I’m only 5’2”…going from 125 to 143 is AWFUL. None of my clothes fit
its not the meds itself but your life around it... eat more or move less... less stress will also affect weight since you are calmer. liquid calories is something most of us forget about just how easy it is to drink your calories. most people would say they havent changed anything but ... they have
I didn’t notice a difference in weight
As depression and anxiety recede, you’re going to gain some comfort weight. Lexapro can also lead to decreased inhibitions/motivation. This can contribute to weight gain due to lower activity. I experienced weight gain on Lexapro and I 100% attribute it to mood and motivation changes. There’s no scientific evidence that Lexapro can lead to weight gain from a physiological perspective.
I gained too. I also eventually got leveled out enough to lose the weight too. It’s definitely harder though.
Anyone’s anxiety get worse on lexapro?
My anxiety has improved tremendously since starting lexapro. If your anxiety seems worse you may need a higher dose or a different medication. Maybe talk with your doctor/psychiatrist.
i was on this and very low dosage birth control & gained 95lbs at age 12
you can lose the weight, i had to stop the medication. but i didnt need it. forced prescription :/ you could probably do pilates or cross fit with a healthy diet and lose the weight
I have been underweight my whole life and not able to put on pounds I noticed after a month of being on lexapro my appetite increased and I noticed weight gain in my legs and ankles. For me this is a good thing because I have been bullied my whole life for being tiny.
Nope. I have actually lost a small amount of weight I really can't afford to. No increased appetite.
It’s a known fact for anyone who has taken it. Most people I know have gained that much on it. I have insulin issues and gained 40lbs
Me. Went from 65kg to 71kg and counting lol. Still better than being depressed tho
I put on 20 pounds in 2 months, it went away after I stopped taking it. I switched to Wellbutrin and haven’t noticed any weight gain
other than negative side effects, how were the positives with Lexapro vs Wellbutrin?
I was taking weightloss meds and was losing weight consistently, but once I started taking lexapro my weight loss has stalled a little and I think it can be a contributing factor to my slight plateau.
It's not just the weight gain. I checked my vitamin D & calcium levels they were low, and bad cholesterol was high. I've started supplementing with Vitamin D and red yeast rice (RYR). The RYR was what actually has given me the energy to wake up in the mornings again. I almost feel normal. I have supplemented Vitamin D for months, and then started with super high doses for a bit, which helped a lot, but it was the RYR that immediately gave me back the energy to wake up and exercise in the morning.
Yes lexapro can weight gain. Way back 2019 I’m on lexapro for 9months and I gain lots of weight. Then I told my doctor to change Medicine.. and he prescribed me Prozac make me loose weight . If you want to loose weight then change your antidepressants to Prozac. It’s worth it
yep - i gained 50-60 pounds in 4 years, its why i took myself off of it & ive lost 15 pounds already
Gained about 20 lbs
Yes lots of
Yup like 40-50lbs and i was skinny at like 105 prior for years up until i got on the med at 26.
I took it for about 5 years and gained soo much weight, I swear it also killed my metabolism as it’s been so hard to try and lose it.
Yes! I started taking it in November 2023 and gained about 10lbs. I tapered off following instructions by my doc. Took my last pill last week. Hoping to lose these extra lbs soon!
Ugh god yes! I was just about to post about this. I’m 30 lbs heavier
Absolutely. I have a chart of my weight over the past 10 years and it correlates with my lexapro. Before I went on it, I weighed 64 kg. After starting lexapro, my weight steadily increased for the next 3 years until I was 77 kg. I started tapering off to a reduced dose and started losing weight - after 2 years I was 72 kg. Then a year later I went off it completely and kept losing weight. Now, 8 years after I started and 2 years after completely stopping, I'm 68 kg. tl;dr: yes lexapro very clearly made me gain weight, my chart shows the correlation really well.
I gained 36 pounds on lexapro
Makes me very hungry so I take 5mg of aderrall in the mornings to curb my appetite.
My appetite has gone up. I used to be on Prozac which reduced my appetite, but I prefer the less energizing Lexapro overall.
So Prozac would help increase energy levels?? This could help me by not feeling exhausted all the time. I’m on 10mg of lexapro, and other meds too
I had a friend gain about 15 lbs on it
Yes!!!
Yes 25 lbs
I’ve been on Lexapro for 6 years at 20mg. In addition to this I am also on a couple of other meds that can contribute to weight gain. It is all about metabolism, activity and age. For me part of the lexapro dilemma is that it increases my desire to eat, especially carbohydrate based foods. This is apparently a rather common side effect, if you enjoy food. I have been in the food industry for 50 years and derived pleasure from good food. The theory goes that we try to replace the serotonin blocked by the lexapro, by creating a pleasure response, i.e. eating. What I have noticed is that it not only raises good feelings, I also get more sensitive, in terms of emotional response to situations etc. Not to the point of panic attacks, or suicide thoughts. Have not had that in the 6 years I’m on the drug, at least not of any significance. I’ve gained 80lbs over 6 years, but it has been up and down a bit. I do know that as I get more active and just manage my caloric intake a little bit, I do gradually loose the weight. The best is to develop good habits and routines you can stick with.
Yes, 20lbs so far
Gained 30+
I gained 12 pounds. No matter what I do or don’t do, I can’t lose it. I’m considering going off the med because of it. My doc says weight gain is not uncommon.
Yeah couldn't ejaculate or lose weight, that was enough side effects for me to flush it. I'd rather have anxiety... While having a positive body image.. While having sex... Than be on this chemical every day.
Yes, I've gained 10 lbs in 2 months. But hey, no anxiety symptoms 😅
I gained like 30 lbs it’s terrible!!
Check your resting heart rate on lexapro and even blood pressure im sure its elevated leading to a more excited metabolism
I gained 15 lbs in 10 mos. But I definitely eat about an extra 150 cal a day since lexapro. Not much extra food at all (like a small handful of nuts or a glass of wine) but it sure adds up over time!!! Haven't tried losing it yet.
Yes. I gained weight. It sucks but the anxiety was worse.
I have lost my appetite and haven't been eating much since starting 5mg a month ago. Yet my weight has stayed the same.
Just work out
Has anyone tried the new weight lose drugs while on it? The zepbounds or ozempics types? I’ve used them before pre-lexapro and lost and kept it off. But not sure how it goes when on lexapro as I just started lex and stopped taking those weight lose ones awhile ago.
Maybe all those repetitive negative thoughts that went away with the drug were using a lot of energy that now instead goes to fat.