Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 22)
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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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@Beth: My doctor told me it was weight neutral (meaning I wouldn't gain weight -- and I believed him. I worked out and I did Weight Watchers as well. Finally after more than a year, I decided Pristiq was NOT helping me as much I would have liked (it was amazing in the beginning. It gave me my life back), but it got to the point, where I didn't feel it was helping me. That and the depression that started over being fat, not fitting into any of my own clothes -- they led me to realize that it was time to stop the Pristiq. I'm doing well now, but the weight is NOT coming off as easily as I might have hoped. I weaned off over time (about a month or so), and it's been about three months.

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@theangelwhisperer. Seven lbs. is not a lot of weight if the medicine is helping you. I could have lived with 7 lbs. I could not live with 32 lbs. And my doctor kept acting like I was CRAZY every time I came in telling him I was convinced I was putting weight on due to Pristiq. Don't go off of it if it is helping you and you feel fine. I went off of it because I had put on 32 lbs over the course of the year AND I got to the point I no longer felt it was helping me.

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I have been on Pristiq for several months. Though I feel better emotionally, I am gaining weight. About 7 pounds so far. I do have an increased appetite and exercise doesn't take the weight off. After reading everyone's comments, I am going to gradually stop the pristiq and continue my exercise. That should help with the anxiety. Thanks for your input.

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I have been taking pristiq for over 2 months and I am gaining weight fast. Always hungry. The drug does not affect my sex drive, makes me feel more relaxed in difficult situations but the weight gain is fast. I will stop taking it.

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@John: I also noticed that I felt much better mentally (and my anxiety was definitely improved by Pristiq) during the first year. But I also started putting on the pounds a few months after I started Pristiq. A year later, I had put on 32 lbs. total. At one point, I was doing Weight Watchers and working out with a trainer. She kept saying, Once you eat right and exercise, you will start dropping the pounds. It never happened. I also turned 40 during this time, and thought perhaps that may have slowed my metabolism down. After trying Weight Watchers a second time and -- and I admit, I didn't adhere the points exactly, but in the past I could eat almost double the points I am supposed to and lose weight. I was eating 5 or 10 points above what I should have been and wasn't losing. It was very frustrating. I went off Pristiq a few months ago, and I'm so bummed out that the weight hasn't just fallen off me.

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I've been on Pristiq for several years now but at 50mg. I noticed a difference in my mental status. I feel better, the depression is at bay, I also take Xanox XR 2mgs daily. Neither of these drugs have interferred in my sexual drive, its as normal as it's always been. My concern is that I feel like I gain 5 lbs every day and I can't seem to lose it. I'd like to think it has nothing to do with the meds I'm on, but I'm just not sure. My doctor assure me its poor diet and exercise. But I changed my diet and i go to the gym 4 times a week for an hour, and I still keep gaining weight.

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I HAVE BEEN ON PRESTIQ FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND COMING OFF OF IT IS A NIGHTMARE!!!

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I have been on pristiq for about 5 months I am now gaining weight and I hate it. I take weebutrin also is there anything else

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@Marie: Congratulations. You sound like you are doing awesomely. I did every other day this past week, and this week. I just feel so relieved to know I'm not going to be this bloated looking forever.
@Anita: Good luck and do what is safe for you. I was to the point that Pristiq wasn't really helping my anxiety anymore. So I wondered what the point was when it wasn't helping and I kept gaining weight. It just seemed ridiculous. I agree with you: I was sitting in Weight Watchers, telling them that I've lost weight so much faster in the past, and this time, I was really working hard and NOTHING was happening (this is over the course of about four months). That's when it really sunk it then it wasn't me. It's Pristiq. Good luck!

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I have also gained weight with Pristiq. Before Pristiq, I was on Wellbutrin and weighed 135 lbs and wore a size 10. Now, on Pristiq for over a year and half.. weighing close to 170 and size 14s and 16s. Doc is not wanting to let me get off the Pristiq or get back on Wellbutrin because of heart palpitations on Wellbutrin. If he won't let me get back on Wellbutrin, I'm finding another doctor. I am sick of being fat again. It's more depressing than anything else.

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@ Shea, I was on Pristiq for about 13 months. I was weaned off by taking it every other day for a week, then 3 days then 4 then off. I had no withdrawals at all. My total weight gain was over 40 pounds!

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Awww, thanks Auggie! I wish too ! I think I should move to the USA ! lol . Its probably some money saving bulls#!* from our wonderful government ! I was so excited when I read about it too , I think it really would be exactly what I need ! But eh STUPID GOVERNMENT! What can you do! It has me baffled as to why other countries allow it as a AD but we class it as a stop smoking aid only - weird if you ask me !!!!! Im in Adelaide , Australia . Lucky country my butt - theres nothing lucky about being told by the government we cant take something that could greatly improve our lives ! Bah !

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WOW, REALLY?? I live in GA and I took it for at least 18months. Someone is making this really hard on you, and that is just not fair!! I don't know where you live, but I wish I could help you, girl!

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Hey guys and girls. I actually asked my doctor about wellbutrin - as I had read it didnt seem to cause weight gain - seemed the perfect choice for me. Unfortunately Wellbutrin is only available in Australia as a stop smoking aid - thats all - and its very heavily regulated that you only get a short course of the tablets and only once per year ! The stop smoking part would have been great too , as I am a smoker & would have definately tried this one as it would have killed 2 birds with 1 stone - so to speak! Something that tackled the Depression & smoking ... would have been awseome ... thanks Australian government ... wouldnt want to make life easy now would they ! Totally sucks!

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I don't know if any of you want to try this, but effexor, pristiq and cymbalta are all from the class of SNRI antidepressants, and they almost always cause weight gain.They work with the seratonin and the neronoreph (sorry,can't spell it!!).But, I used to take wellbutrin which worked real well for awhile and it's for the SSRI class of antidepressants.....I never gained weight on that. So some of you ladies could ask your drs about that? My body is just much more less depressed when I am taking a SNRI type of medicine.

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To Barbefos, Pristiq was my first and hopefully last experience with anti depressants ! My symptoms went I went cold turkey were nausea, dizziness, headaches and a general rotten feeling from one day to the next for around 4 to 6 weeks. But my weight was coming off, so that was one darn good thing ! Laurette.

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Marie: You give me great hope! How long were you on Pristiq? if you don't mind my asking -- how much weight did you gain? How did you stop Pristiq? Cold turkey (and symptoms?) or did you wean? And if you did wean, how long did it take you (it's supposed to take me about six weeks total. I'm so OVER Pristiq already.)

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Girls, we are smarter than we give our selves credit for. You know your own body. What started this wanting to know about Pristiq was because I wanted to come off Efexor and the doc gave me a new script for Pristiq. He didn't tell me to go off s l o w l y.....Now starting my third week since then I've realised it isn't good timing at the moment. The main factor for going back to my normal dose is because the withdrawal symptoms still haven't finished even though the dose is back to normal. I had another nightmare last night, screaming in my sleep, the third time my husband has had to wake me. I'm still dizzy, enough to bump into the door-jam, headaches etc.etc. I'm slow to realise not only were their withdrawals but the symptoms are from the Efexor. We may need meds but we just have to try others with no weight gain or other nasty symptoms. Good luck Shea and Mariane - we will get there yet.

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I am now 3 weeks off Pristiq and I am down 5 pounds. I'm not excercising as much as I was when I was on it but the weight is just coming off!!! I am sooooo happy!

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Marianne: I am thinking doctors aren't perfect, and I don't know why I actually kept listening to someone who doesn't know me as well as I know myself! I kept looking for reasons I was putting on the weight, and it just was packing on so quickly despite everything I was trying to do. Last week at Weight Watchers, I said that I am on a drug for anti-anxiety, and at this point, I believe it is contributing if not the main cause of my not losing weight. That's when I made up my mind that I need to stop the Pristiq. This forum has been so extremely helpful to me. Especially when I see how many people have put on significant weight with Pristiq. It made me feel validated to see that people were putting on this weight on this weight neutral drug, just like I am. Good luck in your weight loss. Just remember, it took you a while to put on, so give yourself at least that amount of time to take it off. I just hope my metabolism goes back to being how it used to be when I am completely weaned from Pristiq. Actually, however I end up, it can't be worse than how I am now. Good luck to you!

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