Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 6)

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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Again, I hated pristiq for the following reasons: 1. weight gain when I ate less and worked out more 2. night sweats and 3. chemical smell to my body (sweat). It took me forever to lose the weight. I finally lost it and continue to lose a bit more. Good luck. Get off of it if you gain weight or have any of these side effects that bother you.

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Anderson, I don't know how much weight you gained, but when you said it took forever to lose it, could you kind of narrow that down to a time line..like, how long? I gained about 28 pounds, and since I am short, all those 28 lbs ended up in my MIDDLE!! I look like a pear. ;-( I've switched to cymbalta and it gives me more energy - I hope the added energy helps me lose all that rotten weight....Good Luck, and my best to you all!

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I have not taken the Pristiq at all now for 10 days and I feel great! The withdrawl even weaning myself was hell. I had to take a week off of work just to get through it and that is not easy when you own and operate a restaraunt. But the anxiety has passed, the nerve twitching fades, tons more energy, and I feel normal again! Just have to lose the weight now. After reading all of the post it is apparent that everyone gained an average of 5lbs a month. So that's probably the rate that it will go with diet and lots of exercise. The exercise seemed to speed up the process of detoxing the body as well. Lost 2lbs so far, we shall see how long this takes!

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Yes, you are gaining weight because of Pristiq. My doctor told me that this is not a side effect, but I have gained 32 lbs. in one year. I am disgusted with myself. I tried Weight Watchers, and haven't been able to do anything other than go up and down the same pound every few weeks. I've eaten far worse in the past, and I truly believe Pristiq is to blame. As a result, I'm going Tuesday to find out my options. This weight gain is making me more depressed than I have been in years. And I'm not grazing all day long. I'm just plain frustrated.

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You know, I used to eat alot and never exercised. But, after I gained 30 lbs on Pristiq, now I watch what I eat and I exercise every day....and I can't seem to lost a thing. I'm not taking the pristiq anymore, but I am taking cymbalta - which by the way is helping my fibromyalgia. Everything I read, said the cymbalta wasn't supposed to put the weight on like pristiq does. What did the pristiq do to my body that I can't lose any of that 30 lbs?? I am so upset and frustrated. I feel like I might just as well eat all the chocolate and ice cream I want, if the dieting and exercising isn't helping me at all. At least I would be able to eat a diet I enjoy!!

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Reading your note is EXACTLY what is going on with me. I had been working out and started running. My weight kept going up up up up. I had heard Cymbalta in some cases sort of killed the appetite. But I think if it's an SSRI like Pristiq is, it doesn't matter, that it still slows the metabolism. I am, with my doctor's help, weaning myself off Pristiq over the course of six weeks. I hope to lose the 32 lbs. by the end of the year.

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To Shea, I had found it hard going weaning myself of pristiq, as I felt horrible as soon as I missed a tablet, which is why I chucked rest of my tablets in the rubbish and went cold turkey. Best thing I did as I am back to my normal weight. Took 7 to 8 weeks to lose extra 6 kilos that I had put on with pristiq. So you musn't give up, even when you feel really sick. Each day without pristiq is a big step forward ! Laurette.

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When my doctor took me off pristiq and put me on cymbalta, it was so easy with no side effects. He said you're never supposed to stop medications like pristiq, that affect the chemicals in your brain, cold turkey. So all I had to do for my last week on pristiq was take one pristiq tablet and one cymbalta every morning for that last week, and then I never took another pristiq - just the cymbalta. No side effects at all. The cymbalta hasn't caused me to gain any weight, but I'm still having trouble losing those 30 pounds I gained on pristiq.

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Laurette:
Thank you for your post. I am supposed to be on a day, skip a day for three weeks, and then go to one every three days over three more weeks. So in six weeks total, I should be done. I have to say, I was going to just quit it cold turkey, but I'm the person who can't win a lottery, but would be the one in 10 million to die of some sort of stroke. It freaks me out. So I will wean over the course of six weeks, knowing that there is an end in site. Thanks for letting me know you also lost the weight. It sounds like I have a little more than double than you had to lose, but if it took me a year to put on, I can lose it in a year -- hopefully sooner. Are you on any other medications now, or you're done with SSRIs for good? Thanks for your post! It truly gives me hope.

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This is to Laurette also. What happened to your symptoms when you stopped Prestiq 'cold turkey'. Did you still need to take a SSRI? if so which one?

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Barbefos: I know you asked Laurette, but I'm adding my two cents. I was supposed to take a Pristiq tonight (every other day), and I was just going to quit cold turkey, but I was feeling really sort of dizzy all day. Almost like a low-sugar feeling, but even after eating, it didn't go away. I thought that was my problem (I am not diabetic, but I've had that low-sugar feeling before), and I decided to take a Pristiq and quit gradually. I feel like myself again. Good luck. I know you didn't ask my opinion, but I'm throwing it in here as well.

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Started Pristiq just over 2 weeks ago - lost nearly 2kgs (probably due to feeling so sick!) was relieved that I hadnt put on weight - as I had put on sooo much (over 30kg!) when I was on Lexapro - But have decided to stop taking the Pristiq. I took mine each morning and within a couple of hours of taking my 50gm dose I felt spaced out and not quite with it,by late afternoon I was jittery,my anxiety was 100x worse than I have ever experienced and couldnt sleep at night... it wasnt pleasant! Im not sure if anyone else has had this problem with Pristiq? I have been on so many different anti-depressants over the years and I have decided that the depression is easier to deal with at the moment than the side effects of these pills. Im feeling okay - for now, although I cry at the drop of a hat-but at least Im not feeling like I am on another planet watching the world go by! I read on other posts that ADs slow the metabolism - I had never heard of that (the doctors all told me the ADs I was on were weight neutral nothing about slowing metabolism!),very interesting,the weight gain makes sense now ! My metabolism was slow anyway it didnt need any help to slow further!

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Marianne: When I started Pristiq I had no appetite, and I was delighted. I thought it would make me lose weight (and I was taking it for anxiety). It seemed like a win-win. I have been on since Nov. 2008, and I JUST in the past week finally accepted Pristiq has caused this enormous weight gain (32 lbs. in a year). I had been working out: Strength and Cardio, and I just kept packing the pounds on. I was eating less than I had been, and I just kept gaining. It's finally been through Weight Watchers that I have been working really hard, and nothing is changing, that I am realizing Pristiq has shot my metabolism. I am thankful that Pristiq helped me through a difficult and anxious time of my life, but now it's time to move on without it. I believe all SSRIs do slow the metabolism and cause weight gain. I had been to my doc numerous times, and he kept telling me Pristiq is weight neutral. I finally found this site and 1) am relieved that I am not alone and 2) glad for the support of others. Good luck to you.

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Shea: All the best to you , I wish you all the luck in the world :-) I wish the doctors would give ALL the information to their patients - like about the slowing of the metabolism - its seems they have their head in the sand and would prefer to just say weight neutral - I used to cringe everytime they would tell me that because it means nothing! They really need to do more research into the weight gain side especially because the weight gain ( I know for me anyway ) made my depression much worse until it was the main factor causing my depression! You just cant seems to win sometimes. Although I was happy not to put on weight in the short time I took Pristiq I was under no illusions that in the long run that weight gain wasnt a high probability with my history - and honestly how many real people with their real stories on this forum have actually continued or even had any sort of weight loss, the most part people have gained and that was a risk I wasnt willing to take having ballooned to my current weight I cant afford to put on another kilo! Anyway good luck to everyone, on Pristiq or not , everyone deserves to feel happiness !

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Marianne: I think the worst part was that since my doctor told me it was weight neutral, I believed him! I was exercising and the scale just kept going up up up. Finally after working hard on Weight Watchers (I was so disgusted by myself.) I realized that it wasn't turning 40 that did me in (I'm sure it didn't help), but I do believe it's the Pristiq. I think that realization caused me more depression than Pristiq was helping with. I feel strong enough and like Im going to be OK now. I just have to wean myself off of it. I was going to do it cold turkey, but after being shaky and feeling off I thought it would be safest to wean slowly. It took me more than a year to get this way. I know I won't go back to how I was overnight. And I'm OK with that. Thanks. Good luck to you too.

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Shea: Yeah the cold turkey way is not fun at all ... my doctor kept coming up with excuses why I should stay on the ADs (it was Lexapro at the time) and disregarded my weight concerns , gee it is weight neutral you cant put on weight so the doctor says. So I thought I will show him ! I went cold turkey and omg what a nightmare. I was sick and just not myself at all - even a bit dillusional at times ,wasnt sure what was real what was a dream,it was REALLY hard. So looking back my smartypants mission to show that doctor kinda backfired for a while and when I did finally go back to see him - feeling like I had been run over by a bus still- he basically said oh well,you did this to yourself now put up with it! He straight out refused to give me anything to help with my terrible anxiety or for the insomnia, I was only sleeping a max. of maybe 2-3 hours a night .... bout that time I found myself a new doctor ! I guess now being left trying to lose this weight will be my next challenge !! All the best :-)

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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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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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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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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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