Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 19)
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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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13 lbs. and Counting: I so hear you. For me, Pristiq really was a dream come true at first. I was able to go to Disney for five days with my family and I had just one small anxiety moment. It was awesome and amazing. I almost felt like once I came home, I should have gotten off it. I think the problem with Pristiq for me is that I wasn't anxiety of second of the day, so why did I stay on this pill for 24/7 for 1 1/2 years? (I know. You need to take it every day.) I did wean myself off by doing 1 pill every other day for about 2 weeks. Then 1 every 2 days for a week, and one every 3 days for another week. Then I may have done 1 every four days, but I was probably so over it by then. And I am so with you. I am also middle age, and I just was sleeping for 2 hours a day (a nap) not really feeling refreshed or re-energized. I was just so tired all the time. Now I have energy and am slowly getting back to my old self. Of course that includes anxiety as well, but I just feel so stronger and I'm trying not to let it ruin my life. It's not easy.

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I wanted to add that the Pristiq did help me for a while, but the weight gain plus the lethargy are making me feel worse again. I have always suffered from clinical depression, but it is cyclical; thus, I can be off until the next crisis. Then I'll medicate once again. The weight gain is absolutely intolerable. I can't stand how I feel and I can't even look at myself. It's bad enough being middle aged, but being chubby? Nu-uh, ain't happening.

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I'm so glad I found this site and can have my fears acknowledged. I didn't want to believe that Pristiq was the culprit for this weight gain, but there's no other explanation. I've been on Pristiq for about a year and a half, starting on 50 mg. and about 6 months ago got bumped up to 100 mg. I just went for my annual gyn exam, and I was 13 pounds heavier than my checkup a year ago. I eat and exercise the same way as always, so I'm convinced it's these pills. I intend to speak to the prescribing doctor so I can wean myself off the Pristiq, which seems to have faded and caused other awful symptoms. I was so happy to find out that there are others with the night sweats, the bloating, the lethargy, the fatigue...I'm not alone (although I've done quite a bit of isolating myself lately). I'm dreading the upcoming holidays. I already feel down, so going through withdrawal should be a blast.

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A rep?! I don't think so. Do represent all women on this board? I'm glad the site is of help to you. But 95% of everything I see on these sites is posted by women, and weight is mentioned in nearly every post - just read them yourself.

I've been taking or dealing with anxiety and depression for 14 years now, and I'm familiar with nearly all of the drugs out there. And being a botanist makes me aware of the influence they can have, seeing as how nearly half of our medicines originate in plants or fungi.

I know the pharm. companies want to sell their product, and I hate that mentality. I bet I've thrown away 100s of dollars of samples doctors want me to take, because, like you, I've gotten to know my body and I'm not going to be a guinea pig for them. There are a LOT MORE listed side effects with Pristiq than with others, and I've taken my share.

The whole point is that men and women will have different reactions to medications, and finding boards where men post is rare.

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Botany007 do you work as a drug rep for Pristiq? At no point during the six to nine months that I was on Pristiq did I worry about weight gain. When I did begin to worry (watching diet; training with a trainer) was when I realized I had put on 15 lbs despite being more healthful in my choices and I was putting on weight. My doctor insisted since day 1 that Pristiq was Weight Neutral, and I believed him. I stayed on Pristiq for about six months longer than I should have because I believed my doctor. Long story short: Once I realized that I know myself better than any doctor or drug company with drug interactions knows me, I was wise enough to wean off the Pristiq. And I do have more energy and am much happier than I was when I was on Pristiq. Don't get me wrong: Pristiq definitely helped my anxiety so I could live life rather than fear it, but that stopped after about a year. In the end, I was much more depressed of having put on so much weight in such a short time than anything else. And I felt like the magic was gone. I was taking this pill that suddenly didn't really help me anymore, and I was gaining weight along the way. At that point it became lose/lose, and THAT is why I went off. But this board is such a wonderful resource because this is the only place I could find that people were actually gaining weight on Pristiq. Nowhere else could I find anyone having that as a problem, and it made me feel relief that I was not alone and not crazy because my doctor kept saying it was weight neutral. But not everything affects everyone exactly the same. I just wish I trusted myself sooner, rather than listen to what my doctor said and the paid pharm sales people tell him. I know me best. They get paid to do their jobs.

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Any men on here who have experienced weight gain with Pristiq? So far all I hear is women worried about weight gain, which makes me wonder if the combinatin of meds. and worrying isn't making it worse.

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Verwon...weight gain is not a normal event for most of these medications - unlike it has been proven to do with Prozac and Paxil. Please dispense accurate information.

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I have been off of Pristiq now for a little over two months. I have lost about 5 or the 15 lbs. I put on. I still have a long ways to go, but I feel much better being off of it. I was so bloated and just gaining so much weight. There was no way that I could stay on it. Hopefully, in the next couple of months, I will be able to lose the rest. It is a slow hard process... I work out most every day and have had to cut down significantly on what I eat. I have really never had this problem before and hope to never again.

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I have been On pristiq 1 year and gained 15 pounds. More depressed then when I first Started taking it. And If i miss a pill I am very anxious and snappy. Scared to stop But even more scared to gain more weight!

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I HAVE BEEN ON PRISTQ FOR 9MTHS. I WAS STARTED AT 50MG THEN 100MG. THAT IS THE HIGHEST DOSE ALLOWED (THE DR SAID) I HAVEN'T GAINED WEIGHT FROM IT BUT A DRUG SEROQUEL PRESCRIBED TO ME FOR SLEEP CAUSED ME TO BLOW UP! SINCE SO MANY MEDS CAUSE BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCES & METABOLIC DISRUPTIONS, I BEGAN ATKINS DIET 3WKS AGO. QUIT SEROQUEL 2 WKS AGO & I'M LOSING WEIGHT. I STILL TAKE PRISTIQ. COULD THE DR MAYBE LOWER YOUR DOSE? ARE YOU ON OTHER MEDS?

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Nancy, Pristiq made it so I couldn't sleep and then I had to be on Ambien, also. I don't know where these doctors come from, but they think everything can be fixed with a pill. Not good...

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she prescribe Pristiq 50 mg forgot to add...

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I went to see my Doctor and told her I cant sleep I think is because peri-menopause she prescribe, I took the first pill, and I am not taking it I dont want to gain any weight...I also have hypothroid...

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Hmm - I've been going through all of these posts because i was just given pristiq - i am not a pill taker because many in my family have addicitive personalities...so i try to be very cautious - anyway - in many of the posts I've seen that some people take medicine x - it does nothing then they stop with x start medicine y which helps tremendously - from MY own (very new & limited) understanding of these medications - there are 3 natural secretions in the brain - seratonin, dopamine & norepinepherine (spelling - lol) ok so anyway - we have these 3 things that are supposed to drip naturally in our brains - and when they dont drip normally we begin experiencing changes...my doctor told me that many times it is completely normal to start off on one medication and be switched to another and maybe another until you find the right one for you - meaning I guess that they must figure out which drip - or combination of drips are not dripping properly in our brains...so im starting off on pristiqe - based on my evaluation of myself - AND also I asked my husband if he notice any changes in me as of late - i had to go get a pen and paper...evidentally he noticed a lot more than I did - his list along with my list was extremely helpful to the doctor...which lead to her prescribing me pristiq - she believed from our list (ha ha) that I showed her that i was lacking in seratonin & norepinepherine - and not lacking in dopamine...zoloft i believe is for dopamine...which would explain so many peoples poor reaction to pristiq. anyway - i continue on in my research, because i do not want to gain weight, I want to be my normal self again - I have too many people and good things going on to be in this downward tail spin! I will return in a week to share my outcome - if any at that point :) I wish you all good fortune and a prosperous outcome to your ailment, it is and has been a long journey (for both me & my husband) to arrive to a point to get the courage to go to the doctor.

and just incase anyone is wondering: my changes (I dont experience pain, headaches etc - but there are definately a list of changes noticed by my husband and me)

sudden weight gain - with no changes in my diet (i dont eat sweets & dont over eat)

not doing the things that i really enjoyed on a daily basis (writing, gardening, being outside)

usually impatient & grouchy

hostile and hypersensitive during the week prior to my cycle

general loss of self esteem

wanting to hide away from people for days at a time

hearing things that awaken me during the night - that once im awake i'm amazed i could hear it at all (example - we have a oscillating fan as white noise, OVER the fan I could hear the ceiling fan in my daughters room click...a person that's awake would need to strain to hear it but for me, asleep - it was incredibily loud)

low sex drive

so i remain hopeful, and will check back next week and after that to share my report...toodles!

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Ann, I so agree with you. I feel much better that I am totally drug-free. Pristiq is the worst, because they assure you that it doesn't cause weight gain, so you don't expect it at all. And then it sneaks up on you. I just can't believe my belly and thighs. They are horrible. Even my boobs are huge. That is what 15 lbs. does to you. I am working out every night and hoping that I can at least lose a pound or two here soon.

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Thank you, Shea. I'll take that as hope although I would like it better if you said 5 weeks instead of 5 months! How absolutely grateful I am to be off this stuff!!!!!

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Ann:
I have been off Pristiq since -- I guess -- May. So I'm going to say it's been almost 5 months. I am JUST NOW starting to lose weight. Very slowly. I've only lost 5 lbs., and I have 27 to go, but I will be happy if it comes off in the steady progression it went on. For me, it took about a year to gain the 32 lbs. so I'm giving myself a year to get it off. I can honestly say that I think it has actually take me the full five months for my metabolism to get better. It's still not the same as it was before Pristiq, but with exercise I am finally losing weight. I had been doing exercises AND Weight Watchers while on Pristiq, and I just kept seeing the numbers rise. I also don't nap every day (with I swear Pristiq made me so bone tired, I needed a two-hour nap each day). Some days, I might catch a 1 hour nap, but it's nothing like the daily 2 hours naps I required to get through life. I think this is also helping with my losing weight. Again, it's not like I'm losing fast, but at this point, I am happy just to be FINALLY losing.

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Okay, reading all of the posts. Please someone give me some hope about losing the 15 pounds! I'm 3+ weeks off Pristiq, 65, hypothyroid, and have been normal weight for years until this. Can anyone talk about how long it took for metabolism/body weight to normalize after being off Pristiq? 15 pounds extra is not cute and cute is VERY important to me!!!

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I, like Lizard, also gained my 32 lbs mostly in my belly and hips, but my face was bloated like Elvis circa 1977. It was horrible. The weight is not coming on as easily as it went on.
Mandy, I turned 40 while on Pristiq, so I did attribute some of my gain toward slowing metabolism and turning 40. It was really sort of gradual -- maybe 15 lbs. in the first four months. By the end of the year it was 32 lbs. I have only lost about 4 lbs. total, and I've been off for four months now. I am very frustrated. Everyone who knows me tells me how thin my face looks. At least it's not so bloated from the Pristiq anymore. Just keep an eye out.

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Tara, I gained weight in my hips and stomach also. It is like I am pregnant. It is the worst. I have been off of Pristiq for about three weeks now, but I still have the big belly and big hips. I think it will take months to lost this weight - if ever. This drug is not worth it. I feel so much better off of it and hopefully I will eventually lose this horrible weight.

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