Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 20)
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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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I am 24yrs old and was on Lexapro for 2 weeks, but after an appointment with a mental health specialist, I was commenced on Pristiq 50mg daily. I have only been on Pristiq for 2 days now and haven't noticed any major side effects as yet (only the common ones like nausea and headaches etc). I'm now stressing completely about gaining weight on the medication based on all of the previous comments. I'm an average size now but can't really afford to put on weight because I'm a bit of a shorty. I'm really glad I stumbled across this site - I'll really have to make sure I'm very careful about diet and exercise now. I hope I don't gain weight.

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I was on Pristiq from May 09 to May 10 when I began trying to stop taking it. I gained 15 lbs right in the middle and hip area...I am 5'10 so when it got to the point when I was going buy size 12..could not get my pants past my hips..I decided being fat and happy wasn't cutting it. It took me 3 months to stop taking it and 2 weeks after my last pill...I dropped 10 lbs. 5 came off a few weeks later. I also take synthroid (sp?) for my thyroid so I am not srue how all that works with it. I could really use the medicine to take the edge off our hectic life but the weight was killing my attitude. Any recommendations....

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Wow - Thanks for the posts everyone. I am challenged with Dermatomyositis and ended up on Pristiq to save $ after being on another AD. I'm not hungry all the time and I get full easily, but have battled my belly increasing for no reason. I too work out with a trainer and do extra stuff on my own. To no avail. Yes, I eat healthy, etc. etc. I attributed the lack of energy to my medical challenge. It takes every fiber of my being to get out of bed because I don't sleep, when I do sleep it's short lived. Needless to say, it's very hurtful that others would assume you're not doing the right things with your body if science says it shouldn't have certain reactions, even when it obviously does. Prior to taking this med, I was actually losing clothes sizes. Now, I've reversed and gained about 12 lbs. I agree, that makes me even more depressed. I too have recently stopped taking it. Praying with the continued work outs, etc. lbs will fall off soon! So glad I'm not alone on this either! The best to each of you battling this issue and whatever your other med challenges are.

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Thank goodness I found this blog. I am on day 1 of getting off prestiq. I have taken this medication for 9 months. Am so glad I made the decision to get off. I too have had weight gain, vivid dreams, napping quite a bit and its good to know I'm not alone and that I'm making a good decision getting off this stuff. I am following my doctor's schedule of taking one pill every other day for 2-3 weeks, one every 3rd day for 2-3 weeks and then none. She will talk to me at the end of 9 weeks. This makes sense to me. I believe that you should get doctor's help when on meds such as these. Thanks for sharing all your info and making us feel like we're not imaging symptoms.

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I guess after only 17 days off Pristiq I shouldn't be expecting the 13 pounds to melt away?!?!? I so appreciate the support and sharing of this site. All I knew what what the doc told me, too, and she had never experienced taking it but only believed the information given out by the drug company. Amazing that the stuff takes so long to stop its effects. I still feel great not taking it, appetite decreased and energy increased. Would love to report weight normal by month's end but will be realistic :). Thank you again for the support!

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Thanks for your brilliant insight Jamie.........guess reading comprehension is not your forte......dumb@ss

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Lizard: You are NOT alone. It is very frustrating. I've never been petite, but I've been thin. And even though after the birth of my third child, I had a harder time losing weight, I was still able to lose it within six months. The weight gain from Pristiq sort of blind-sided me because I was told it was weight neutral. Then I thought I wasn't doing enough exercise, and I wasn't eating well enough. I had even been going to Weight Watchers (still am) and for months I didn't lose .2 of a lb. About three months after going off Pristiq, I am now finally starting to lose the weight. People who haven't seen me since before I went off have commented, You lost so much weight. Really I hadn't lost more than five lbs. but one thing my Weight Watcher attendees can notice is that I no longer have the bloated puffy face that I had on Pristiq. I actually searched and googled for months looking to see a tie between Pristiq and weight gain before -- thank God -- I found this board.
Methinks Jamie is a pharmaceutical rep for Pristiq. Clearly Jamie has never been on it or at least not longer than a few months.

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Shea, thank you for your supportive e-mail. It makes me know that I am not alone.

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Wow, Jamie: I can't speak for all of us, but I can say this: I DO exercise. I had been working with a trainer. When I noticed the weight gain, I worked out harder, but I noticed I was eating more and sleeping more. My doctor kept insisting that Pristiq was weight neutral and was not the cause of my weight gain. I believed him. At first I thought maybe it was thyroid. Then metabolism, though I had always been thing. It's only been four months since I've STOPPED Pristiq, and I find I am not as exhausted all the time, and I am not hungry all the time. I am even exercising LESS than when I was on Pristiq, and I am FINALLY losing weight. Slowly, but at least I am FINALLY losing. Hmmm. So in my case, I think it's safe to say, it was the drug and not excuses. Seriously, if you're not going to offer support, go find somewhere else to spread your negativity? Are you even on Pristiq? If you have just started, come back in a year, and let everyone know how well you're doing on it.

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Jamie, Really? Why have I never gained this type of weight before?And it was after I started taking Pristiq. Stop judging and start helping.

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I think all of ytou that say you gained the weight because of the meds, might be looking fot excuses,....Did you eat right, did you get cardiovascular excercise....Did you drink alcohol? If you did not exercise, drink and sleep all the time...chances are the pills were not the problem.

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I gained at least 15 lbs. on Pristiq. I am huge. I gained weight in my legs, arms, and stomach. It has been very awful for me, becasue I have always been very petite. I weaned myself off of it, because I was even more depressed with the massive weight gain. Never again... Now, it will take months to lose this awful weight.

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Day 11 of withdrawal from Pristiq and I feel fabulous! More energy than I know what to do with (you should see my spotless house!), creativity at maximum, and good sleep, not too much, not too little. God, I'm glad to be off it! Maybe I simply didn't need it anymore, I have no idea. But I'm so grateful to have my personality back! Thanks for the support. It's amazing how everyone has a different reaction to meds. I wouldn't dream of giving anyone advice but I went off it cold turkey and have only now a residual and intermittant balance issue, can't even be considered dizziness.

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These comments have been helpful. I have been on a major diet since open heart surgery and lost about 50 pounds. Started taking Pristiq 2 weeks ago and have gained 5 of it back while on the same diet and exercise regime.
Will chat with the Dr this week about it.

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I have been on Lexapro for 8 months. My doctor increased my dose from 5 mg to 20 mg when I wasn't showing improvement. When the does was increased, I gained 25 pounds in 2 months. I was horrified. My doctor said that it was a lot of weight gain. I've now been on Prisiq for only a few days. I've taken naps every day, don't sleep as long at night, have very vivid dreams, and nauseous. I'm hoping that some of the weight will come off. Very nervous about gaining more weight, I'm not sure which is worse-being overweight, being stress about it and cuasing anxiety or getting off the meds and being depressed, anxious, suicidal and maybe losing the weight? I'm getting impatient.

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I have been on Pristiq for about 4-5 months. I have lost 20 pounds and have lost my appetite.

I was on Paxil for 5ish years and feel better on Pristiq.

My doctor put me on 100 mg(2pills a day). Is anyone else on 100mg?

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Day 5 of withdrawal and iti's SO MUCH BETTER!!!!! Dizziness subsiding, no need for the dramamine so far today. Got on the scale this morning and I am 14 pounds heavier! Hopefully with the cessation of the drug, it will come back off. Also notice more energy, not as much fatigue, more brain-energy if that makes sense. So glad to have this blog for the support! Thank you all!

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I just recently got off Pristiq and glad for it. I was on it for almost one year and I'm convinced that it is the cause for my extreme weight gain and more importantly, inability to lose weight. I was only prescribed Pristiq for chronic pain for which I couldn't hold a full time job nor work out like I wanted to. When I started feeling better, I finally started working and doing Pilates all the time. Did I lose weight? No! I gained it. I was way more active then I was before taking Pristiq. Does that make sense? Not only did I gain unsightly weight in my belly I was hungry all the time and all I wanted to eat was dessert. I'm a nutritionist and Pilates instructor. Come on folks! Now that I'm off it, my appetite has become normal again and the sugar cravings are subsiding.

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Day 3 of Pristiq withdrawal and other than the dizziness which is worse when I turn my head too fast, my symptoms are manageable. Nausea was awful yesterda (day 2) but today not so much. NO signs of depressive thinking, energy seems increased already. This is a cold turkey withdrawal, I know it's not recommended but as much as I love my PC, I think she doesn't know as much as a shrink would know about ADs. I think Wyeth gave her lots of samples and kind of encouraged her to prescribe this wonder drug. She MAY know a lot more than I'm giving her credit for, to be fair. However, as difficult as withdrawal is, I think that it needs to be looked into as far as real drug safety goes. I'm glad to be getting off it!

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Well, saw my doc and decided to really try to keep a log of everything I was eating and my exercise to determine if it's just me eating too much or the pristiq. She also gave me something else at nite, can't remember what it is at the moment but supposed to help me sleep better. It's a vicious circle, you are depressed and you eat more and you get more depressed etc. I do think the pristiq has helped with my depression but has it added to weight gain? not sure. I am over 50 and have really hard periods so it could be hormones too - there are just so many factors - ugh! So, I will keep you all up to date with my weight loss experiment - I really do hope it's just me eating too much and not the meds. I eat pretty healthy - I think it's just portion size - we shall see!

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