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View Full Version : Does citalopram cause weight gain ?



Itsonlyme26
17-07-13, 07:23
Ive been on 40mg citalopram , previously 20mg , since the beginning of the year and it has helped me a lot. I feel I can handle my moods as well as my uncontrollable emotions but I still do get ups and downs , which is part of life. I'm 100% sure though that this medication does NOTHING for my anxiety I know it's not anxiety medication but my doctor said 'when your depression lifts so will your anxiety' which has only been true a tiny little bit. I also asked him does citalopram make you gain weight to which he replied 'no , if anything they make you lose weight' and I know for a fact this isn't true , just look on google. Since starting this medication I have an appetite of two people and when I do eat there is no stopping me it's like the medication has knocked down my barriers. For example , if I'm at work or at home and I have a snack which could be biscuits or a flap jack instead of eating two biscuits I'd eat 9 biscuits ! Also if I eat a flapjack i start thinking about what my next snack or meal is going to be and I'll have thoughts such as 'go back in the shop you need more food' , 'mmmm just you wait to dinner I'm going to have a big massive meal' the most scariest thought is 'you need to eat more food everyday'. I dont know wether this actually does have anything to do with the medication or if I've developed an eating disorder through yo yo dieting , which I am so hard on myself about. I know the obvious thing to do would be to go back to my doctors and talk to him but I hate my doctor I really do he has to be the worst doctor I've ever had , he never listens to what I talk about. I had therapy last year and my therapist said I have health anxiety because I worry about health issues a lot , not anymore , so I feel my doctor thinks I'm always over reacting and never takes me seriously. So how can I get my eating under control or is it just the medication stopping signals in my brain ? How can I stop my anxiety naturally ?

abelpe
19-07-13, 21:53
Hi itsonlyme26

I too was on citalopram, I have just posted a thread about it!

I was on it for 2 years and gained 4 stone!!

I have just come off (4 weeks today) and I am easing myself into exercise slowly. but during the weaning off I started losing weight and people commented on how I looked slimmer.

When i was on it there would be times i wouldnt eat but still gain weight so I went to the doctors and they denied it being the tablets on 4 different occasions. They just said "oh your appetite is back so its just you eating more"
I went back not too long ago and said Im now overweight according to my bmi and its these tablets what can i do? to which they replied we cant treat you until you are obese.... It made me so angry, but exercise and a good diet did nothing for me whilst on them.

doctors did offer a different ssri but i didnt want to come off them to go on another one and go through the start up side effects again.

I did find personally a few things that helped with lifting my mood and helped me come off them:
- omega 3 ( i take a chewy tablet of them which have other vitamins in)
- time released vitamin b12 tablets
- lots of water
- dairy products (they are meant to help produce a chemical which helps you feel happy?)
- sleep lots and lots of sleep and naps
- crying to just get it out my system.

I know its easy to read what other people suggest and not do them, it took me a long time to help myself. Anything thats good for the brain I have - I just want to get better!

hope something here helps

take care x