Putting on weight from anti-depressent medication

Why do people who take anti-depressent meds put on weight? What leads to this side effect? Do the meds cause the cells in the body to enlarge somehow? What is causing the body to put on weight?

water retention .

a reply to: Marcus069

Could you be more specific as to which medication you're on?

I know that people suffering from depression often have a suppressed appetite. So anti depressants tend to have that effect of increased appetite.

Benzodiazepine gives some people the munchies, I hear.

a reply to: ColdWisdom

they certainly do lol

a reply to: ColdWisdom

Im not on meds. I just noticed that people who take them are overweight, when they used to be slim. So what is it - increased appetite or water retention?

a reply to: robbeh

But why does it cause water retention?

a reply to: Marcus069

It depends on the person and the medication. Some will gain weight, some not. For some antidepressants the percent chance anyone will is higher. They change brain chemistry. Some cause little appetite, some cause sexual dysfunction, some cause restless legs, some cause indigestion or headaches. Weight gain and sexual dysfunction (or loss of interest in sex) are the biggest complaints of anti depressant medications.

In this case, food ends up stimulating a reward center of the brain, though the medication may or not be helping the depression.

originally posted by: robbeh
water retention .

It's not water retention, these chemicals don't do that.

a reply to: reldra

So you basically saying people are putting on weight from their appetite? But I know a person who is on meds and limits her calories every day and basically has salad. Surely it cant all be down to appetite. There must be another process involved.

a reply to: reldra

iv a lot of friends on those kind of meds they will tell u what I said is true ..

a reply to: robbeh

How do the meds actually cause water retention if that is the case?

a reply to: Marcus069

iv no idea but my friends all blew up like balloons after being on for a while and a good few of them don't have big appetites.

a reply to: robbeh

yeah, thats what i noticed. There must be something happening at the cellular level to cause the cells to have extra water in them? I just wonder how these meds actually do this.

a reply to: Marcus069

I asked this question a while back to my Dr. because i was concerned about gaining weight. Apparently they don't really know the reason why some cause weight gain and some don't. He said at least a 5 pound weight gain is expected. I didn't gain any more than that while i was on them.

It just depends on the persons metabolism i suppose. But i know several people who have taken different ones and i've never heard them say it increases their appetite or causes water retention.

a reply to: EchoesInTime

So its still unknown how the meds cause this? I never knew it was such a mystery.

a reply to: Marcus069

I don't know for sure. It could be wrong. The cause may be known. I am just relating what i was told.
You could check a medical site for more information.

a reply to: EchoesInTime

Yeah, I have checked a few medical sites but none mention how anti-depressants cause weight gain, just that it does as a side effect.

a reply to: reldra

I take anti-depressants and I have experienced both weight gain and lack of libido.

a reply to: reldra

Weight gain and sexual dysfunction (or loss of interest in sex) are the biggest complaints of anti depressant medications.

That's probably the most common complaint I hear. This is from SSRIs. I don't hear this about Wellbutrin (bupropion), which targets dopamine. A long time ago I was on Wellbutrin and my libido got a huge boost hah.

Interestingly enough it's also said to cause weight loss:

Bupropion Only Antidepressant Linked to Weight Loss

a reply to: Marcus069

Despite all of the ideas about water retention, the type of med, the strength and frequency of administering the med, etc. The reason why people put on weight is because they are eating more calories than they are burning. It's not complicated.