lexapro and weight gain

I am glad to hear I am not the only one with this side effect. I was on Lexapro for 15 months, and I have gained 25 pounds. I am very active as I have four children. I have weaned myself off and I am hoping that the weight will start to come off. Doctors realy need to warn people abou the amount of weight they might gain.

Thank goodness I am not the only one who has gained weight with Lexapro. I can't understand how doctors can't find the validity in people saying it is due to the Lexapro. I was proud of myself losing 25 extra pounds after the birth of my daughter. However coping with being a parent and trying to work full time lead me to taking Lexapro. I feel great on it, but the weight is creeping up and up. Now I am two pounds away from where I was when I gave birth to my daughter. I want to get off of it so bad, but I am scared to when I read all of the messages about brain zaps and freezes. I wish my doctor would have told me this before I started taking it. Although, it is my own fault for not doing the research and just accepting the drug.

I can't believe this. I am sitting here angry that I did not research this. I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for 2 years. My weight has increased by 30 pounds during that time. My doctor also told me my metabolism would change in my 40's ( I am 44) but this is ridiculous. I can have a couple bad days and gain 3-4 pounds. I am going off this product now. I do believe it has helped me emotionally but my situation has changed so I feel I am fine without it. NOW I need to lose this weight!! Ugh. Thanks for all your comments, they have made the decision for me.

So I've been taking Lexapro for over a year now and have gained significant weight for my small frame. I am only 23 and 5'1. When I started Lexapro I wore a size 0-2 and was 100 pounds. I am now 115 pounds and wear a size 4-6. I had to give away all of my clothes and I while I feel that Lexapro has helped my anxiety emensley I feel my self esteem has lowered due to the weight gain. Today is day 3 of the "no Lexapro" routine and I feel like someone is shaking me violently every 3-5 minutes. It goes away, and then comes right back.

Any suggestions? And will the weight go away?!

I've been on Lexapo (10 mg) for about two years because of my panic attacks. I have gained close to 30lbs. I've tried losing it and have always watched what I eat, but nothing helps take the weight off. THIS is causing me anxiety! I feel like a blimp, so I've stopped taking it on my own. It's been three days and the only side effects I've had is a bad headache today. It helped me alot with the panic attacks and I'm hoping I will be able to calm myself now without having to take it. Wish me luck.

Lol my Dr told me that even though I was getting into the obese range for my height and weight, I still looked good and not to worry about it. Thanks, I guess. His solution for me to lose weight was to jack me up to 20mg and check back in 2 months. I am an avid runner and Jazzerciser. I have packed on 20 pounds (from November 07 to April 2008) and have been eating my 22 points from Weight Watchers almost everyday. I sometimes cheat.
I took the Lexapro 20 for 3 weeks and after 3 days of forgetting to take it before bed, decided to go off altogether.

Today is the 8th day off Lexapro and I thought that I had the flu. I had no fever, and no obvious symptoms other than aches and weak legs. I also feel very heavy like I can't lift my arms. Had I seen these posts before stopping I would have not gone off cold turkey. Since it's been 8 days I will just let the symptoms ride. I never realized how bad this could be.
I really feel like hell and have made an appointment to go see a new DR. I am going to try a psychiatrist. I think the best person to prescribe mental meds would probably me a mental Dr. and not my family Dr. It to me is worth trying anything else other than brain altering meds to stay healthy. The side effects of Lexapro from getting used to it to, to weight gain, to severe withdrawl and just not worth it. It is definitely almost as bad as my anxiety in the first place.

I have gained over 40lbs in two years on this. Until I saw this forum, I couldn't figure out why I was gaining so much and I can't get the weight off. Thanks for the info. As of tomorrow I am going from 10mg to 5mg and weaning myself off of this.

I was on lexapro for about 6 months almost two years ago and in the first three months of taking it I gained 30 pounds. i went from a very athletic 140 pounds to a flabby 170 pounds. I was more depressed and anxious from the weight gain that it was pointless to continue the meds. I ran every day in the mean time as I was in the military. Luckily I found out I was pregnant and left the service and stopped all medication. Unfortunately I still haven't lost the lexapro weight I gained. I gained another 28 pounds during the pregnancy bringing me to 198 pounds! In two weeks after having my little bundle of joy i lost the 28 pounds and about 2 more. I am now stuck at 168 pounds and feel so disgusting. I can't lose the weight gained from the Lexapro two years ago! I try to exercise but with the little one it's tough. i also eat like a bird and still nothing. Not a single pound has shed from my large body. On top of the normal post-baby bod issues I am still depressed dealing with the weight from the meds. It's so sad that something that works so well has such a horrible side effect. Stretch marks from the baby and the cute skinny jeans staring at me from the closet depress me so much I want to eat to sooth myself. I'm thinking of Liposuction.

I have been on Lexapro for only about 7 weeks now, but have lost at least 5 lbs. My doctor warned me beforehand that if I did gain weignt, it's not because of my appetite, meaning hunger, but lack of feeling full. I have found that it's harder to get "full" when eating, so I am assuming that most people overeat since they don't feel it as quickly as normal. Luckily for me I get bored if I'm not feeling satisfied, so I actually eat much less in regards to portions than before......

I had never heard anything about anti-depressants causing weight gain until just this moment.....but ya know...everything you all have said is true now that I think about it. I went on lexapro right after my first child was born....and then switched to the generic citalopram shortly after that for financial reasons. Even while pregnant with my second child.....I took it with special attention from my ob/gyn.
I have gain a considerable amount of weight since my children were born, and it seems harder now than ever to lose it....which makes me depressed and then i gain more. Its a vicious cycle definately......
however, I have been thick most of my life.....and the extra weight, while burdensome, can not compare to the freedom of mind and spirit I have found by taking this medication.
I recently saw my baby doc, and i stopped him out in public and told him, that i just wanted him to know that he saved my life when he prescribed that medicine for me. I truly think my life would have been very different if i would have had access to this medication before the children came.
Even still, I would not consider going off of it for any reason until I felt I could handle it psychologically. I am finally as close to normal as it gets for me, lol.....and im not going to risk losing that

Its a big decision, but with a clear mind, and understanding.....I think the meds are worth it for anyone who has ever been in that dark place.

Now that i know the medication is part of the weight problems though....I can be a little more aware of things and not get so discouraged when i look at the scale. Now I know that I have something working against me....so I have to push just a little harder to overcome it!

Good luck everyone!
Shannon