loosing weight on celexa

Wow, i am so glad i'm not the only one gaining weight on Celexa. I have been on it for over 2 years and have gained over 30lbs. I used to weigh 128lbs and was a size 6/7, now i'm 162lbs and a size 10/11. I only eat 1500 calories a day and I work out daily for at least an hour. No matter what I do, i can't lose the weight. I also noticed stretch marks all over my legs and they weren't there before i started taking Celexa. I've had my thyroid tested and other various things that can cause weight gain and they have found nothing wrong. My doctor keeps telling me that Celexa has no calories and therefore i can't be gaining weight from it, but what else could it be. I'm getting off it right now. I refuse to be fat.

From what i've been reading, all these doctor's are saying basically the same thing: that Celexa has no calories or that is physically impossible that Celexa is the source of the weight gain issue. Well I disagree. I strongly believe that Celexa is precisely the source and it is because the longer you take this drug the more it affects your metabolism. I've read nutritionists say that it doesn't matter what drug you're on, it's calorie intake vs. calories you burn, and to not blame weight gain on a tiny pill. I am not disputing that weight loss or gain is dependent on calorie intake vs. calories burned. But it is my personal theory that Celexa and other similar drugs, very much affect your resting metabolic rate. For whatever reason, and this should be studied much more closely, Celexa and similar drugs progressively slow your resting metabolic rate. Your bodies ability to burn calories, even with much exercise, becomes impaired. So for instance, if you eat 1500 calories in one day, and an average persons body burns in the area of 1800 calories a day, it is safe to say that over time this person will lose weight. But say someone who has been taking Celexa takes in the same amount, 1500 calories a day, but now their impaired RMR is only capable of burning 800 calories a day, they would definitely be gaining weight. And quickly. Even with exercise, it is my theory that even with much exercise, somebody who is on Celexa is only able to burn half, or less than half the calories of an average person on the same exercise routine, depending on the individual of course. So in other words, depending on how affected your body is to this aspect of this drug (and I believe that after taking this medicine long enough everyone is affected by it in this way), potentially you could starve yourself to an 800 calorie a day intake, work out hard every single day, and only then expect to loose the weight while maintaining your regular Celexa dosage. That just sucks.

How'd you do that exactly? And if you don't mind, be as specific as you can.

Replying to Celexa and weight gain: I have experienced that on 1200 calories a day I'm not losing the 50 lbs. I've set out to lose, and that's sad because I feel good now....no depression....Anxiety has been treated just the last few days with Klonopin...a suppressant to the metabo....ugh!...What's a 55 year old woman to do?.....I guess I could go on a 800 calorie/day diet....It worked in my 30s.

I originally went to see my new doctor in the new town our family recently moved to. I had been suffering from lots of stress and recent weight gain. I used to excercise a lot but have always struggled w/ weight gain if I'm not constantly working at it. A good weight for me is between 145-150. After 8 months of struggling w/ our new town and the 'big change' I put on 15 lbs and THAT was why I went to the doctor in the first place! I had her check my thyroid, chlosterol, etc...as I'm 44 and thought maybe my tiredness, lack of motivation, and mood swings were cause by thyroid...but I was MOSTLY concerned about my weight. Well the DOC immediatley wrote me a prescription for CELEXA in April. I feel much better, but it's only September and I'm at my highest weight ever of 180 lbs in just 4 months. So, you know what??? I guess I really don't feel better, In fact, I'M TRIPPIN-- So, my question is....do you think this stuff makes us gain because we think we feel better therefore we are eating and relaxing more ( I'm sleeping SO Much Better) or is it a direct result of lower metabolic stuff? (I thought stress made you fat, not sleep and relaxing...) I mean my metabolism was ALREADY BROKEN! At any rate, I think Celexa IS causing gain and I'm weaning myself off this stuff, down to 10mg every other night and next week only 10... I'd rather let God deal w/my heart than let this medicine make me any heavier!!!

In response to the last post: Though it is easier to lay burdens of "the heart" on God, the reality is that it probably won't be a permanent or even temporary solution to depression/anxiety. Not to say that it's impossible, but I have never heard of that. It's debatable as to what causes depression/anxiety. Some doctors believe it is a legitimate chemical imbalance, while others argue that it is in fact a route emotional issue. I think it could be either one and it really depends on the individual. Some folks benefit greatly from medication. Medication saves lives in many cases. Others feel that they can and prefer to live without it because the side affects outweigh the potential benefit. If you ween off of Celexa or any other SSRI I think it is important to take note of your quality of life, over all, before and after the medication. Are you willing to deal with these side affects as long as you can be happy, or stable, or not terrified every single second of every day? Don't sacrifice mental stability and happiness for vanity. And to answer your question, I believe that the weight gain can be a result of either one. In some folks, I personally believe that the fact that they are generally happier and more relaxed puts them in a position vulnerable to weight gain, precisely because of their new found positive outlook. But on the other hand, there are those people that are aware of the side affects, have always had a healthy weight, and do everything they can to guard against weight gain, only to see the pounds just fly on. It isn't difficult to find out which of these two is the source of your weight gain. Simply watch closely what you are putting in your body. Count every calorie. Exercise. Know, and be sure that you are doing everything you can to guard against weight gain. And if you are still seeing these pounds come on, then it is my belief that the medication is affecting your metabolism. Good luck.

I am 25 years old and have been on Celexa for almost 2 years for anxiety with panic attacks. Thus far, I have gained about 40 lbs and went from a size 6 to a 10, talk about panic-attack city. I've obsessed over the weight gain for months now and have taken myself off the Celexa (after consulting my physician) and am turning to homeopathic remedies which seem to be doing the job. As for my plan of action to get my body back in shape, i'm giving the metabolic diet a try because the medication just completely busted my metabolism and I must rebuild and work my way up. All I can say is I feel your pain! Most doctors just told me, well its a side effect and would you rather be overweight but stable or off the medication and unstable? (uh, well if the meds are causing me to double in size i'm pretty sure that will push me off the deep end.) So maybe try a different medication, or see a nutritionist about possible solutions.

Hello. I feel better after reading some of your posts..but I am still not happy with my current situation. I am 24 years old and have been on citalopram (celexa generic) for 1 year and 3 months. I worked my way up to 40mg and in the last 3 months cut myself back down to 20mg. When on 40mg I felt 'in a fog' and was always dazing off and tired, I didn't like being that way so I talked with my doctor and cut back to 20mg. However in the last year and 3 months I have gained 20-25 pounds and my number keeps going up. It sounds like a lot of us are having the same problems but has anyone found a solution?? My husband and I just recently decided to start trying to have a baby so I am cutting back to 10mg and hopefully weening myself off of this drug soon. Does anyone have an answer on this weight gain problem or have any tips on cutting back/getting off this medicine??

I am a 40 year old male and have been on Celexa for a year or so. Started out with 20mg and gained 20 -25 lbs. Since then I have dropped down to 10mg and have started to lose some weight. I have never been overweight in my life and work out 3 - 5 times a week and am muscular but after starting the Celexa I noticed a lot of weight gain especially around my waist. Looking back and comparing my workouts then to my workouts now I noticed a difference. When I was taking the higher dose of Celexa my workouts weren't as strenuous as they are now. I found that I was more tired and didn't have the energy to push myself to run further to lift more. Now, after reducing the dosage I have that energy back and my workouts are more intense and the weight is really coming off. It has been a long process in getting the weight to come off, I almost gave up and then suddenly it was like my metabolism kicked in again to where it use to be. I don't know if this helps anyone, but this is what i've gone through on Celexa.

Wow. I am actually scared to start this med. My doctor just started me on it and today was my first day. Obviously I didn't gain weight yet, but today was miserable! Headaches, fatigue, nausea, etc. I have bipolar and was on lithium for 6 years and it just made me sicker and sicker. I went from being diagnosed from bipolar NOS to bipolar type 1. Sucks. Doctors are supposed to do whats best for you, yet obviously they are not. A big thing I complained to my doctor about was that I was gaining too much weight. I mean I had 2 kids in a year and a half and gained weight but I lost almost all of it both times. And in a matter of 2 months, I gained 45 lbs. He said it's probably my thyroid and my bipolar acting up so he was supposed to start me on something to make it all kind of better? It doesn't seem right to put me on a pill that causes weight gain when I'm already gaining weight from having an inactive thyroid. Should I not take this pill and get a 2nd opinion? I don't know what to do. I'm so depressed and I need to be back on my meds. I just don't want to be more depressed when i look in the mirror.

Thanks.

My boyfriend, who's 27, has been taking celexa for a little over a year. Prior to starting the drug, he weighed about 145lb from what he told me. He now weighs 197lbs. He started the drug because his wife left him (because he was working all the time trying to support his family), and his life basically spiraled out of control. He began drinking more, and continued to eat like he had before he started taking it. Thing is, before he was on the drug, he could eat whatever he wanted, and even drink in moderation and not gain a pound.
When he and I got together earlier this year, he was a happy, basically carefree guy, minus the fact that he hated the weight gain, excessive sweating, and all the other side effects he was getting from this drug. He had heard that weight gain was a possible side effect, but didn't think that something that had helped him to feel better and get through a tough time in his life could be causing it. It was only after I saw pictures of him last year, and heard him constantly saying that he was so fat now that I started to do some research. I talked to my own doctor, who validated that yes, for a lot of people, celexa does cause weight gain because it slows the metabolism, despite what you eat, or how much you exercise or live a healthy life style.
When we first got together, he was drinking quite regularly; not excessively, just a couple glasses of beer a day, but still, everyday. When we realized that not only was the drug helping to pack on the lbs, but his lifestyle was just downright unhealthy, he stopped drinking, and started eating better. Still, there was no change in his weight; he just seemed to stay stuck at around 200lbs. Then, he lost his job, and health insurance, and he thought he could no longer afford his prescription, so, he stopped taking it when he ran out. Within a couple weeks, I started noticing that he was looking a little slimmer. After 3 weeks of being off of it, he had gone from 197lbs to 176lbs. He also at first didn't really seem to be having horrible withdrawl, he just seemed a little less happy in general. In fact, he actually started writing again, (he's a singer/songwriter), which he hadn't done since before he got on celexa.
It wasn't until after about a month of being off of it that he really started feeling depressed again. The difficult "little things" in life that he'd been able to look past and get through before really started getting to him. After another month, EVERYTHING started to get to him, so much so that he ended our relationship saying that he had fallen out of love with literally everything in his life. I wasn't strong enough to get him, me or us through it. It was during this time that I started taking Wellbutrin (go figure huh). I moved out of our house, but found a place in our neighborhood, and within a few days, he was starting to come around again, feeling like having our own space again was just what we needed. He also found out that even without insurance, his meds were only $15.00, so, he started taking them again. This was the beginning of October. By the end of October, we had gotten back together because he realized that he had never actually stopped loving me, or his life. But, he'd also gained back ALL the weight. (Honestly, at that point we didn't care because we were just happy to be back together and feeling normal again.)
He's since moved in with me, is still trying to eat healthier, exercise, and still isn't drinking, but the weight just keeps climbing. We're both afraid that if he gets off the drug again, the same kind of withdrawl will happen., even though we know now that it will help his weight. (And no, this isn't a case where he only loves me when he's on meds, so please, don't even comment on that. He seriously lost the love for everything that he cared about.) He just doesn't want to go through that kind of withdrawl again, and even though I'm a stronger person now myself, I know that I wouldn't be able to handle that again.
I love him for who he is, and not what he looks like, but he's a father, and will again be a husband, and he doesn't want to be an overweight either of those. His doctor keeps telling him to stay on the drug; that it's not the drugs fault, while my doctor is saying that he should at least try another medication, like Wellbutrin, and eventually wean himself off of everything as he feels himself getting better. BUT, my doctor has also said that the comparison of Celexa to Wellbutrin is like comparing Heroin to pot, and I don't think he could be anymore correct in that statement. If you're having withdrawl from heroin, pot probably isn't going to help much. So, WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO????

Must be the medication... I gained 10 pounds in two months after weighting 100 lbs for over 10 years. I stopped, took a couple of diuretics ( be carefull ) follow instructions please!!! the weight eventually came off in a few weeks... even today I still struggle, body memory is hard to get rid of. Good luck!

I'm 54 years old and I've been taking Celexa for about 18 months. Yes, my weight too went skyrocketing. I was gaining weight again (like I do from time to time). Usually, I do some dieting and the weight goes back down. But recently my weight went up to 192 pounds. That's about 25 pounds higher than it has EVER been!! And really, there was no apparent reason for this huge gain. I joined a gym and started working out and dieting. After a month of this, I actually gained 2 more pounds!! I wondered how this could be humanly possible!! Very, very frustrating!! Anyway, I'm only taking half the dosage now and my doctor is taking me off of it once my current perscription is gone. I still go to the gym and do what I can. Hopefully I can bring my weight back to its normal range once I am off of the drug.

Hi,
I am 20 and have been on Celexa for just over 5 years. I gained 30 pounds.. and I have been working out and dieting ( many different times) but specifically this time for 2 months and lost 9 pounds.. but it was VERY hard. I was only eating 1200 calories a day and working out at LEAST once a day. I am currently going off celexa.. very slowly. I was told by my doctor that the celexa does not make you gain weight after I went back for a visit and she said I was up 8 pounds. I laughed and said well I've been going to the gym for a few months and eating healthier so how the hell can you say its not the celexa.. I am hoping that as soon as I am off it.. the weight starts to come off sooner.

My older sister who was also on celexa for about 2 years gained weight and could not lose it while on the drug. She went off and continued what she was eating before and the same amount of exercise and went from a size 14 to a size 2.

Good luck to everyone!

I'm 26 and I was on Celexa/Citalopram for OCD for 2 years, and I was on a dose of 120 mg per day. That's right - a very very high dose to treat OCD. I watched my compulsions melt away, and I felt great, until I started to put on weight. Before I started the meds I was 135 pounds, and I watched my weight because I am very curvy and put on weight easily. 2 years later, I finally hit 190 and realized it wasn't just "being a student" and working at the computer that was causing me to put on weight. I went off the meds as soon as I found this blog 2 months ago. Now I'm at about 185 after beginning to diet and exercise, but I should be dropping the weight much faster, just like I used to before celexa. I don't know what that drug did to me, but I would rather try to live with OCD than be 60 pounds heavier (or more!) than I want to be.