Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 13)

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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Been reading about Pristiq's side effects and feel like a light has been turned on for me! I was switched from Cymbalta which was giving me side effects like low/no sex drive, dizziness and basically I was still depressed. I felt depression improvement almost immediatey after starting the Pristiq (50mgs) but still had dizziness and INCREASED appetite! My libido returned although not to my natural level.Now, a year later, I am 20 lbs heavier. All belly fat. I want to eat all the time, especially craving sugar; I work out and it only makes me hungrier! I am now weaning myself off and it is a living HELL and I don't recommend going cold turkey to anyone. Anyone else want to share their withdrawl nightmares? Thanks...

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Monica: My withdrawal wasn't horrible. I think the doctor told me to take it three times and then miss one, for a week, and then bring it down to two times, and miss and two times and miss for a week. Eventually I went to every other day. I had no side effects, which was great.
I agree with you: I gained 32 lbs of belly fat. I exercised, but ate a lot. I have been off for maybe 9 months, and I have only lost about 7 lbs. I've been working out and watching my diet. I do believe Pristiq has screwed up my metabolism. I'm still going to work to lose the total of 32 lbs. I know I can do it. I slept a lot on Pristiq. I think it actually made me more depressed. I know the weight gain did.

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Monica, It was very difficult when I weaned myself off of Pristiq. It took me about a month to do it. It was not a pleasant experience and I really can't even describe what I went through, but it was very bad. This drug is the worst. Between the weight gain and the horrors of weaning yourself off of it, it should be taken off of the market.

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My psychiatrist wants to put me on Pristiq with Topirmate. The topiramate is suppossed to help with the weight gain. Has anyone tried this combination?

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Did you gain AFTER stopping?? That is what is happening to me 12lbs in 3 weeks so far and it is not stopping!! Did it stop for you? How long before it did and how long to lose it??
Thank you!

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Shell,
I have been off for about 9 months. I have lost only 7 lbs of my 32 I put on. I am beyond frustrated. I am doing Weight Watchers and 30 minutes of cardio (at least, most days it's 40 minutes), seven days a week. I am not lying. And I am doing strength 3 or 4 days a week in addition to the cardio. I'm not buying the "Muscle weighs more than fat" at this point. What I am buying is that Pristiq is some mean stuff, and that it screws with your metabolism bad. I can't believe mine hasn't "snapped" back by now. My biggest fear is that this big fat self of mine is the "new normal." I can't imagine what I'd be if I wasn't watch what I ate and exercising. I am beyond disgusted and frustrated. You have no idea.

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Shea...I can totally relate...I know it has to do with stopping as I tried one other time to stop and gained right away so I went back on it. Well I have been off weeks not and it just keeps coming ...I am a runner and I work out 1-2 hours a day.NEVER gained weight from any AD...I just do not know what to do..I look so BLOATED!

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I have been on Pristiq for about 3 months and have gained 15 pounds. My doctor also told me that it couldn't be the medication. There is no other explanation for my weight gain. In reading everyone's comments about withdrawals, I scared to come off it. Does everyone go through this? The weight gain is making me very depressed. I can't even wear clothes I purchased two weeks ago. The weight is all around my belly area.

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Cheryl, it is so the Pristiq. I never had a belly until I was on Pristiq. I still have one and it is 6 months later. However, it is not quite as large. I am giving it another 6 months to lose the rest of it. I can't fit into most of my clothes either and I refuse to buy new ones. So, I am patiently waiting for the rest of the weight to come off. I am trying to eat better and I have always exercised.

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Cheryl: I did not have bad withdrawal symptoms. But I did something like two in a row, drop one day for a week or maybe two. Then one every other day for a week or two. Then one day taking the pill and then two days without until I was off it. I think it took 6 weeks, but I wished it took sooner to get off. I am almost off it a year. I gained 32 lbs during the time I was on (1 1/2 years). I have been off since May of 2010. I have lost only 7 lbs. I agree. It is all belly fat. I am now doing 30 to 40 minutes of Cardio a day AND Kinect Active 2 four times a week. And 7 lbs. is the best I could do for weight loss. That being said, I can see I look less bloated. Your doctor is wrong. Pristiq IS causing you belly bloat and the weight gain. My doctor said the same thing as yours and I stupidly believed him. No one knows you better than you. Good luck!

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Just stay away from the Pristiq is at all possible. This is the worst drug ever. I think the Dr's are getting kickbacks from the pharm company's. There are so many Dr's wanting to change patients medication even though they are doing fine on the meds they are currently taking. Something is going on that we don't know about. Stay away from it. It's not worth it.

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Thank you for your reply! I stopped this drug cold turkey on Saturday, this is day three. I have already lost four of the 15 pounds I gained in less than three months of being on this drug. I am sure it's due to water weight this drug causes. I have felt A LOT better and have a whole lot more energy than while taking the Pristiq. This drug is very dangerous. I was itchy, bloated, blurred vision, exhausted, nightmares and every once in a while I felt I was being electricuted in my brain durning sleep. It would wake me up and I was very, very scared.

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I am 20 years old and I have gained a crazy amount of weight on Pristiq, about 30 or so pounds. I have been on it for 8 months. My doctor told me it probably wasn't the Pristiq, but I'm pretty sure it is. I exercise multiple times a week and eat healthy and although I feel my body gaining muscle and getting stronger, the fat still won't come off. This can't be normal for someone my age. I also experience night sweats and thought it was due to my anxiety, but now I realize it's because of the Pristiq. My doctor also prescribed me Gabapentin to help me sleep through the night, but I guess it's just covering up for the problematic Pristiq. I plan on getting off it asap, although I'm not looking forward to the withdrawal. I do feel much better on the medication, but the weight gain is too hard to deal with. Hopefully my continued exercise will help to alive stress and anxiety off medicine.

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I too had the sweats ect..I went to cymbalta 30 mg and every few days dumped a few of the balls out of the capsule...the withdrawls were not bad at all..BUT 4 weeks out I am SOOO tired like I am catching a cold and it will not go away. As for anxiety it is much better but I am more snappy...not sure if that is still withdrawl or ME....? I liked the no tears no emotion on Pristiq to a point then I could not take no happy moments. I hope the moods I am having go away! have not lost weight yet....I work out hard every day and have a trainer...crossing my fingers! good luck to you!! Keep us posted!!

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Day 4 of going off this drug cold turkey. My appetite is back to normal although I am a little dizzy. I am still having nightmares but not as bad as they were. I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not drink, I don't overeat and I get plenty of excersize. The person that posted that maybe EVERYONE that was taking Prisitq was overeating and drinking alcohol needs to re visit what she wrote. Does she think that any man or woman would intentionally take a drug that immediately put 15 lbs on them in record time? Not only is it bad for your heart, but what it does for your psyche does not make any sense at all.

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Cheryl: Glad you are doing OK. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms, which I thought was crazy, but I am thankful and not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. One thing I totally agree with you on here is that I just was hungry all the time. Not looking for trouble, and I tried to do healthy snacks, and I was exercising and doing Weight Watchers, but the problem was that I was always hungry. And I agree with you: If someone on here is questioning whether we are eating more or drinking more -- it's obviously a person who hasn't had the reaction we have had on Pristiq (gaining a lot of weight in a short period fo time). Good luck with your continued withdrawal. Hang in here.

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Thank you Shea, Day 5. The only thing I feel a little fuzzy in my head. Other than that, the bloated feeling is going away and the weight is coming off. Thank you God. And I mean that. I would rather excersise more, it feels much better than being on drugs. Thank's for being my "sounding board". Nothing like having someone that has gone through the same thing and totally understands!

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Day 6 of being off this horrible drug and I feel so much better. Everyday, I get better. Today I don't have any fuzziness in my head and there aren't any "brain zaps" that was having. Bloating going down, no constipation, not snapping anyone's head off and I slept like a baby last night. First time since I had started taking the Pristiq. No tremors, no sweating and my appitite is almost back to normal. Although I didn't act on the sugar cravings, I am really happy the cravings have subsided. There is hope for everyone that is trying to come of this drug, I just hope it hasn't caused any permanent damage to something I don't know about yet.

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Cheryl: Glad you are getting off and feeling better. I wished I had this when I was on Pristiq for 1 1/2 years (I only found this just as I was getting off. I was glad to have validated through this board, what I believed was the cause of my weight gain, Pristiq. Despite what my doctor was telling me. Live and learn.

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A couple of months ago I was put on Pristique for a situational stress problem. The thing that was making me stressed had caused IBS like symptoms, problems sleeping and I had lost ten pounds. After two months of nonstop eating, I feel great and have only gained 3 pounds. With all of the eating I should have gained 20. I now am trying 25 mgs a day down from 50, so I'll have to see how that works. I would recommend this for anyone who did not have chronic anxiety and drepession, but had a situational problem.

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