Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 15)

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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I have been taking pristiq for 3 months now and have gained 16kilos, ive also started to work out and change my diet, still im gaining weight. Ive never had a weight problem before i started taking this medication.

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I lost 25 pounds when I first started taking Pristiq. I missed almost two weeks of it and felt like I was out of my body. I just started taking it again today because for number one..I started gaining weight back and Pristiq always keep my appetite under control and for number two I may snap out on somebody if I don't. I was wondering why I was feeling dizzy and sick at the stomach. Thanks to you guys I see now that it's Pristiq withdrawals!

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I am really gaining after stopping it, but I lost tremendously while taking it..

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ME TOO!! 11 lbs now.... did not lose on it but gained the as soon as I stoppped Been a couple months and not stopping. What is going on????

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i am currantly weaning off three antidepressants, one of which is prestiq, i was a fitness model, and super lean, in the yr and half i was taking pestiq i gained 30lbs, there went my career, down the tubes, so the depression was even greater, i will not go on any more meds in the future, just try to work through my depression in other ways, i just dont know how long it will take to lose some of this weight, soo mad!

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I just want everyone to be aware of the weight gain that Pristiq seems to cause, but then there are the other drugs that you may take along with the Pristiq that are a problem, too. I was taking Ambien along with Pristiq, because the Pristiq caused me to have problems sleeping. After I weaned myself off of the Pristiq, I continued to take the Ambien. Ambien is also a problem as far as gaining weight! Beware! I have been off of the Ambien now for about three weeks and feel 100 times better. I no longer am bloated and I actually feel like my normal self again. It is such a relief. I still have weight to lose, but I now feel confident that I will be able to do so.

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I am a male in my early 20's and am trying to gain weight for sports by muscle mass. Will Pristiq make it hard for me to do this? I have anxiety problems and want them to go away, but I am scared of taking Pristiq because I do not want all my hard work of building muscle mass go down the drain. Can anyone help me with this question?

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Eric:
The Pristiq weight gain for me was all around my belly. Seriously, it's that diabetic/heart attack weight gain. Are you anxious 24/7? I asked my doctor for Xanax (to be taken as needed). For me, I was willing to put on 10 or 20 lbs if it made my anxiety better, and for the first year, Pristiq did make me feel like I couldn't remember what it was like to be anxious, which was awesome. However, a year later, I was 32 lbs heavier, and my anxiety started up and I could feel it despite taking Pristiq daily. I was more depressed with my 32 lbs AND the fact that Pristiq was no longer helpful. Good luck. (And I worked out with a trainer and watched my diet. I honestly think Pristiq slowed down or messed up my metabolism. I have been off it a year, and I have only lost 10 of the 32 lbs. I have hope it will all come all eventually, but it has been a very hard road.) Good luck to you.

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My daughter weighed about 120 pds was slim and she is about 5'2 as soon as she started pristiq, about 1 to 2 mo max she got a jelly belly lots of fat like loose hanging fat around her mid section of her body then her face got round and her butt got larger and her upper legs too, she has never been this big she is now 29 going on 30 yrs old, and had never gained weight like this. She said she has too take it because it's the only thing that helps(?) she works out 7 days a week and only look more solid has not gotten smaller. The only time I saw weight loss is when she forgot to take her med's for 4 days. I would tell anyone not to take this pill, try to take Zoloft instead even if you have to take a high dose, my friend has taken this med and has lost about 75 pds all over, she takes 3, 50mil at night. Said she is never hungry. I think this is the way too go, Prisiq is very expensive too cost my daughter with insurance of $300.00 and the lowest price she can get it for in just under $200.00 at Cosco, and Zoloft is not expensive only a 10.00 or less co pay DON'T TAKE PRISTIQ!!!!.

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I have been on pristiq for 1 year and have gained 30lbs.... My doctor says he does not think this is from the meds... I have never been this heavy my whole life... I had been on Prozac 2 years prior and it stopped working... I though it was just me... I kinda gapy to see so many other people having the same issue... I was actually happy when I had gained some weight because I of the depression I had become too thin... Now everyone is wondering why and his I got do fat... I eat healthy and exercise!!!Now my depression is getting bad again.... I hate this disease!!!!

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my husband just looked up this site, and handed me the the computer! he knows that i have been sooooo frustrated that i have gained so much weight in the last 6 months. i keep being told that it's not the prestiq, it's my diet! i am so happy that my husband found this site. i am so sorry that there are so many people suffering, but it's also a relief that i am not alone and i am not stupid, or making things up. that's how my doctor makes me feel. now i know what i need to do. and with all this information, i can talk with my doc with alot more confidence! thank you all for sharing your stories and i will be praying for all of us!

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I'm so regretting taking Pristiq. I've been off it almost 2 months and have lost ZERO weight and I'm hardly eating!! I've never seen my stomach like this, pretty much like every one else has described - it's still distended, still look like I'm 5 months pregnant! I feel so gross and unattractive - even gotten bigger in my arms, thighs, etc but the worst is my stomach. I'm so afraid I'm never going to lose this weight. I'm definitely still depressed, tried making it on my own without meds but it's been hard. I've tried going back on Wellbutrin that I took in the past but it's giving me bad side effects that I don't remember having before. I guess ALL anti-depressant meds will have side effects. Guess I'm looking for that "happy pill" and it's just not out there. People don't understand this is an illness..they just tell you to "think positive and just be happy"...easier said than done!! I'll hopefully find another med I can tolerate or just resolve myself to forever fight this problem..

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I understand your frustration!!! I just visited my pcp, yesterday hoping that I would get better understanding from him. Basically I was told to get up off my rearend and quit eating so much. He did tell me thought that PRISTIQ does cause wait gain. He said that it can cause "carb" cravings!
Well I have decided that I am going to do exactly what he has told me to do, I am going to walk at least 30 minutes a day, and I am going to journal everything that I eat and what time of day, and how much I eat!
I want my life back, and if this is what I have to do to prove that I am not just sitting around with something in my mouth all day, then that is what I am going to do.
I may have to go on ANOTHER med, but I am willing to do what I need to do, to be a healthy person.
I'm suppose to go back to my doctor in 6 wks, if the weight does not start coming off with his recommendations. I did feel better that at least he acknowledges that this drug is part of the problem, and he acknowledges that not everyone will react the same way. But I still came away, feeling tired, and angry.
I will report my progress, and maybe together we can get through this.

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i also take pristiq and ambien i thought the pristiq was makin me gain weight, i have went from 140 to 186 , i quit the pristiq 2 days ago, ive been on ambien for yrs. so how did u go off the ambien, i just cant sleep without it?

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I was on Pristiq for 3 months. I stopped taking it because from January to March, I gained 15 lbs...all around my hips and belly! It is weird flabby fat. I have a spare tire..so gross! I am 34 years old, have had 3 kids, and have never had issues with weight. I have not changed any exercise or eating habits, so it must be the pristiq! I am eating healthier than ever, but can't seem to get rid of this. This definitely does not help with the depression. The withdrawals were horrible also! I was sick on and off for weeks. And I weaned off slowly. I would not recommend this stuff!

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I gained eight 8 pounds on Pristiq in 3 weeks. That is enough alone to get you depressed.

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And the funny thing my Psychiatrist told me it does not cause weight gain but he was pounding it into me and pounding it into me to exercise the first day I was there and he gave it to me. And i wasn't even that heavy for him to be so adamant. Now I know why. Prestiq had me gaining so much weight so fast my back started to hurt. Forget that. I am day number 5 off cold turkey.

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Go to Pristiq website. I sent in a complaint about serious side effects. I was sent a letter in the mail to explain, list my dr ect. I would suggest everyone do this....I am free of this med and down 5 lbs...5 more to go but There needs to be a 25 mg and 12.5 to tapper off this med and YES it causes Weightgain...along with so many other side effects!

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i have been off prestiq for a month now, weaning was difficult because i was on 50mg for three yrs, and i there is no pill less than the 50mg, i am happy to say all weaning side effects are now over, and i am feeling so much better, getting off that stuff was wicked hard, i weaned for 6 weeks, had a weight gain of 20lbs, and was furious, because i was always rail thin, i am working out and on a sick diet, we will see, so far scale not budging, im pissed off that i ever went on it

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tiredandangry 2 I have restless legs and sleep apnea along with depression. You will feel really super tired if you have bad sleep apnea. Getting a cpap machine will make a world of difference if you have sleep apnea. Ask them about restless legs too when you do your sleep study. If not happy with your Dr. look for a Dr. that specializes in depression too. Good luck with things.

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