Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 10) (Top voted first)

I have been on Pristiq now since November of 2008...not quite 5 months...and I have put on 15 lbs since starting it. DESPITE working out with a trainer at the gym twice a week weight training, 3 days a week of cardio AND counting calories. My doc assured me that I would also have a decreased appetite on Pristiq, which I have yet to find true...so he has now increased my dosage to 400 mg. Does anyone have anything to add to this?? I'm just frustrated!

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Started Pristiq just over 2 weeks ago - lost nearly 2kgs (probably due to feeling so sick!) was relieved that I hadnt put on weight - as I had put on sooo much (over 30kg!) when I was on Lexapro - But have decided to stop taking the Pristiq. I took mine each morning and within a couple of hours of taking my 50gm dose I felt spaced out and not quite with it,by late afternoon I was jittery,my anxiety was 100x worse than I have ever experienced and couldnt sleep at night... it wasnt pleasant! Im not sure if anyone else has had this problem with Pristiq? I have been on so many different anti-depressants over the years and I have decided that the depression is easier to deal with at the moment than the side effects of these pills. Im feeling okay - for now, although I cry at the drop of a hat-but at least Im not feeling like I am on another planet watching the world go by! I read on other posts that ADs slow the metabolism - I had never heard of that (the doctors all told me the ADs I was on were weight neutral nothing about slowing metabolism!),very interesting,the weight gain makes sense now ! My metabolism was slow anyway it didnt need any help to slow further!

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Shea: All the best to you , I wish you all the luck in the world :-) I wish the doctors would give ALL the information to their patients - like about the slowing of the metabolism - its seems they have their head in the sand and would prefer to just say weight neutral - I used to cringe everytime they would tell me that because it means nothing! They really need to do more research into the weight gain side especially because the weight gain ( I know for me anyway ) made my depression much worse until it was the main factor causing my depression! You just cant seems to win sometimes. Although I was happy not to put on weight in the short time I took Pristiq I was under no illusions that in the long run that weight gain wasnt a high probability with my history - and honestly how many real people with their real stories on this forum have actually continued or even had any sort of weight loss, the most part people have gained and that was a risk I wasnt willing to take having ballooned to my current weight I cant afford to put on another kilo! Anyway good luck to everyone, on Pristiq or not , everyone deserves to feel happiness !

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Shea: Yeah the cold turkey way is not fun at all ... my doctor kept coming up with excuses why I should stay on the ADs (it was Lexapro at the time) and disregarded my weight concerns , gee it is weight neutral you cant put on weight so the doctor says. So I thought I will show him ! I went cold turkey and omg what a nightmare. I was sick and just not myself at all - even a bit dillusional at times ,wasnt sure what was real what was a dream,it was REALLY hard. So looking back my smartypants mission to show that doctor kinda backfired for a while and when I did finally go back to see him - feeling like I had been run over by a bus still- he basically said oh well,you did this to yourself now put up with it! He straight out refused to give me anything to help with my terrible anxiety or for the insomnia, I was only sleeping a max. of maybe 2-3 hours a night .... bout that time I found myself a new doctor ! I guess now being left trying to lose this weight will be my next challenge !! All the best :-)

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I am now 3 weeks off Pristiq and I am down 5 pounds. I'm not excercising as much as I was when I was on it but the weight is just coming off!!! I am sooooo happy!

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Girls, we are smarter than we give our selves credit for. You know your own body. What started this wanting to know about Pristiq was because I wanted to come off Efexor and the doc gave me a new script for Pristiq. He didn't tell me to go off s l o w l y.....Now starting my third week since then I've realised it isn't good timing at the moment. The main factor for going back to my normal dose is because the withdrawal symptoms still haven't finished even though the dose is back to normal. I had another nightmare last night, screaming in my sleep, the third time my husband has had to wake me. I'm still dizzy, enough to bump into the door-jam, headaches etc.etc. I'm slow to realise not only were their withdrawals but the symptoms are from the Efexor. We may need meds but we just have to try others with no weight gain or other nasty symptoms. Good luck Shea and Mariane - we will get there yet.

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Marie: You give me great hope! How long were you on Pristiq? if you don't mind my asking -- how much weight did you gain? How did you stop Pristiq? Cold turkey (and symptoms?) or did you wean? And if you did wean, how long did it take you (it's supposed to take me about six weeks total. I'm so OVER Pristiq already.)

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I don't know if any of you want to try this, but effexor, pristiq and cymbalta are all from the class of SNRI antidepressants, and they almost always cause weight gain.They work with the seratonin and the neronoreph (sorry,can't spell it!!).But, I used to take wellbutrin which worked real well for awhile and it's for the SSRI class of antidepressants.....I never gained weight on that. So some of you ladies could ask your drs about that? My body is just much more less depressed when I am taking a SNRI type of medicine.

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WOW, REALLY?? I live in GA and I took it for at least 18months. Someone is making this really hard on you, and that is just not fair!! I don't know where you live, but I wish I could help you, girl!

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@ Shea, I was on Pristiq for about 13 months. I was weaned off by taking it every other day for a week, then 3 days then 4 then off. I had no withdrawals at all. My total weight gain was over 40 pounds!

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I have been on pristiq for about 5 months I am now gaining weight and I hate it. I take weebutrin also is there anything else

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@John: I also noticed that I felt much better mentally (and my anxiety was definitely improved by Pristiq) during the first year. But I also started putting on the pounds a few months after I started Pristiq. A year later, I had put on 32 lbs. total. At one point, I was doing Weight Watchers and working out with a trainer. She kept saying, Once you eat right and exercise, you will start dropping the pounds. It never happened. I also turned 40 during this time, and thought perhaps that may have slowed my metabolism down. After trying Weight Watchers a second time and -- and I admit, I didn't adhere the points exactly, but in the past I could eat almost double the points I am supposed to and lose weight. I was eating 5 or 10 points above what I should have been and wasn't losing. It was very frustrating. I went off Pristiq a few months ago, and I'm so bummed out that the weight hasn't just fallen off me.

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I have been taking pristiq for over 2 months and I am gaining weight fast. Always hungry. The drug does not affect my sex drive, makes me feel more relaxed in difficult situations but the weight gain is fast. I will stop taking it.

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I have been on Pristiq for several months. Though I feel better emotionally, I am gaining weight. About 7 pounds so far. I do have an increased appetite and exercise doesn't take the weight off. After reading everyone's comments, I am going to gradually stop the pristiq and continue my exercise. That should help with the anxiety. Thanks for your input.

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@theangelwhisperer. Seven lbs. is not a lot of weight if the medicine is helping you. I could have lived with 7 lbs. I could not live with 32 lbs. And my doctor kept acting like I was CRAZY every time I came in telling him I was convinced I was putting weight on due to Pristiq. Don't go off of it if it is helping you and you feel fine. I went off of it because I had put on 32 lbs over the course of the year AND I got to the point I no longer felt it was helping me.

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@Beth: My doctor told me it was weight neutral (meaning I wouldn't gain weight -- and I believed him. I worked out and I did Weight Watchers as well. Finally after more than a year, I decided Pristiq was NOT helping me as much I would have liked (it was amazing in the beginning. It gave me my life back), but it got to the point, where I didn't feel it was helping me. That and the depression that started over being fat, not fitting into any of my own clothes -- they led me to realize that it was time to stop the Pristiq. I'm doing well now, but the weight is NOT coming off as easily as I might have hoped. I weaned off over time (about a month or so), and it's been about three months.

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I've been on 100mg Pristiq for a little less than a year. I have always been very petite, but have gained about 25lbs. despite working out and watching my diet. The extra 25lbs. looks DISCUSTING on my small 5'3 frame!! Went to my Dr. yesterday and told her I was tired of being fat, so she has decided to switch me to 40mg, Fluoxetine HCL taken once daily, and 150mg. Bupropion SR twice daily. For the first week she has cut me down to 50mg. Pristiq to ween off, and then stop the Pristiq completely. I'm excited to get my body back, but am worried about side effects once I stop the Pristiq. My Dr. assures me that the fluoxetine will help with the side effects and make for an easier transition. Anyone have any experience with using fluoxetine to get off Pristiq? Glad to hear I was not the only one who experienced a ton of weight gain on Pristiq!

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I was just wondering if anyone has tried taking Pristiq every other day instead of every day?

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I had been on Effexor XR for several years, and have gained 60-70 pounds over the last several years while taking various anti-depressants. Wanted to go off the Effexor since I thought it was messing with my memory, but come to find out I have severe sleep apnea. Pretty rough going off - but my doc switched me to the generic so I could go down in mg. slowly. Now my doc put me in Pristiq and after reading these posts I am scared. Can there be an anti-depressant that doesn't make a person gain weight?! It just adds to an already rough situation!!! So frustrating.

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I have been on Pristi for about 2 years and l feel a lot better with it less depression,obsessive thoughts and less anxiety although l still do have anxiety.I don't know if its the drugs fault or mine coz l love to eat but since being on Pristiq l can no longer fit into any of my jeans this upsets me apart fom that the drug is good for me but l have to seriously address my weight gain.

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I have only been on Pristiq for about a month. I love the medication. Before taking the Pristiq, I would lay around the house all the time. I would only leave for work and church. I did not feel confident enough to dirve myself any where other than my routine driving. Since taking the medication, I have driven to New Orleans (in the traffic). I drove six hours home from Florida, and I love my husband and my children more. With all of this being said, I am concerned about the weight gain. I am hungry more often then before taking the medication. My though process to justify this extra eating was since I feel better, I will walk the weight off. I am beginning to feel like I am going to lose the battle with weight gain. I DO NOT want to go back to who I was before pristiq. What do I do????

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