Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 16) (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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Hang in there, Cheryl. I truly believe these drugs ruin your body. I'm afraid I'll never be like I was before the depression, or the drugs. Keep up your walking -it's bound to do your body good & hopefully eventually your mind. I've been walking too but must say I'm impressed you can do 3.5 miles. I've got a lot of spinal issues, so I do good to go 2 blocks! Good luck to you & keep us posted. I think the people who post here really do care because we can all relate. I think Pristiq is the worst anti-depressent I ever made and it should be taken off the market.

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Girls, I can't tell you how glad I'll be when I can get off this Pristiq! I've had to really taper off sooo slowly. I'm scared though that I'm addicted to it because when I try to go off it completely (after being on the lowest possible dose for 2 weeks) I start getting the horrible side effects. I get "waves" of dizziness, nausea, running to the bathroom, heart racing, headaches and cannot sleep at all. The withdrawal symptoms are so difficult and scary to deal with that I go right back on the pill to make them go away...it's been a vicious cycle and I always go back on the pill too because I don't want to be struggling with this at work, but I know I can't get over it in just a weekend. I can't get the motivation to exercise as I know that will totally help me. I'm on the lowest dose and am now GAINING more weight - what am I supposed to do, starve myself?? It's like any little amount I put in my mouth now is causing weight gain. I remember the days when I was 117 lbs - I'm now 160 lbs and I'm only 5'2"!!! This stuff has messed up my metabolism so bad I wonder if it'll ever be the same!

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Kristy: I agree with you that it's bad stuff. My doctor told me to go off by taking one every other day for two weeks. Then one every two days for another two weeks. Then one every three days for another two weeks. You get the idea. I was so frustrated. I just wanted to be off it and done forever. I put on 32 lbs. in the course of a year and a half, all the while the doctor insisted it was "weight neutral." I honestly believed it must be that I was turning 40, etc. I had felt so good that I told everyone, "If I put on 20 lbs, I'd be OK." Well, I was OK with 20. I was NOT OK with the 32. It got to the point I was more depressed over the weight gain AND it wasn't working as well as it was when I first went on it. Good luck getting off it. The way I did it, I honestly had zero withdrawal, but it took a painfully long time. I just wanted to be done period, but sanity prevailed, and I wanted to really do it the safest way possible. So I don't know if it was my reaction or the way I went off it, but I had no side effects. I will be off it one year in May. Let me just tell you, I've only lost 7 of the lbs., and I'm working my ass off. I guess it's better than when I was on Pristiq. I was doing Weight Watchers and actually had a trainer, and I just kept packing on the lbs. I think it messed up my metabolism bad. Even being off it for almost one year -- I don't think I will ever be the same.

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I gained 27 lbs in 5 months. I was great on Wellbutrin but after my divorce, I wanted to lose the sex drive so I switched meds. Huge mistake. Weight gain has made me more depressed. I'm going to try Cymbalta and the weaning off Pristiq has been difficult. We'll see what happens.

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Please double check with your doctor and pharmacist.I was strongly advised and told by both my doctor and pharmacist that you cannot take both of those together?

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Please update us on how Pristiq works for you. I have not dropped a pound in months and I am depressed not on meds. Not sure what to do or try now. I know pristiq will not be it and I also realize it made me crave alcohol! I hardly drink anything now and when on it I had wine every night. Another friend craved cigarettes and she does not smoke...what is this stuff??

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The alcohol cravings I believe are directly related to the sugar cravings this drug causes. I have been off this drug for over a month and still have the sugar cravings. I won't drink alcohol with it because I believe it can or will cause siezures or death.

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did you gain after stopping it? I gained about 6 on it and now another 7 after stopping it..NOT Hungry and feel full and bloated all the time...I run and workout...not dropping and ounce and I do not pee much either....

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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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