Side Effects?

[WolfieKate]

Hello

I have been on Mirtazapine for 4 days but the side effect of weight gain has made me stop. I am hypersensitive to any form of weight gain as I have a history of eating disorders and compulsive exercise. My tummy swelled up like a beach ball and even my husband could see plainly that I was gaining weight.

The next one down on my GPs list was venlafaxine and I see her on the 7th to tell her a) I have stopped Mirt and b) what do I do next - go it alone or try another drug..

My husband wants me to stop taking any medication because he thinks the side effects are just too foul. But I had been taking prozac for 11 years and coped with the dehydration and low blood pressure OK.

I am not sure what to do. What are the main side effects of Venlafaxine and is weight gain one of them?

Thanks

Kate

[Geoff2301]

I wouldn't take the side-effects too seriously........ they have to list all the possible ones but in reality, you'll probably only experience one or 2..... if that. I never put any weight on when on Mirtazapine..... if anything, I lost weight! If I remember rightly, weight gain is not a side-effect of venlafaxine.

[suzy-sue]

Possible weight gain is a side effect of all ANTIDEPRESSANTS .unfortunately .But it can be controlled .Avoid carbs and reduce sugar .Excercise on a regular basis and eat plenty of fruit and veg to fill you up instead of eating sweets and cakes /desserts .Mirtazapine was first used as a drug for eating disorders /Anorexia .Geoff .Im very suprised you didnt put on any weight at all .Ive never heard of anyone else who didnt tbh .Maybe you just have a fast metabolic rate ? and being a Gardner you use a lot of calories .No one will get all the side effects listed and most of them go away when you reach your theraputic dose .Life style changes are sometimes necessary to combat the ones that are persistent ..Good luck with the new Drug ..its well worth trying it .T/c Sue x

[kibbutz83]

Hi Kate, I think that if you feel as though you've reached your rock bottom then I would definitely say give the venlafaxine a go... it's the only one that works for me, and I've had no weight gain at all. I also had to stop mirtazapine as I found it absolutely hideous! Good luck

[emma6981]

Venlafaxine saved my life,it got me back to work and gave me a life. Try not to ficus on side effects as you will never take anything,even paracetamol has side effects. Just concentrate on getting well and taking care of yourself.

Best of luck x

[Anxious_gal]

Well I lost weight on this antidepressant, thats pretty much all it did for me, but I'm at the lower end of the health BMI, so the last thing I needed was to lose weight
My friend gained weight on it, but she is on the highest dose, she tried coming off of it but Effexor apparently is hard to come off once you've been on it a while and on the higher dose.

ell it all depends on if the benefits out way the side effects for you and also you may have to try a few different kinds before you find one that works for you.

I don't have an eating disorder , but I think I would feel awful if I gained a few stone!
But I do think it's worth the risk, you won't know if you will gain weight until you try the medication, plus the meds might really help you x
Maybe seek out therapy if you are worried that any weight gain may trigger you x

[WolfieKate]

Thanks everyone.

I see my GP on the 7th. I am undecided at the moment. It's either venlafaxine or citalopram or sertraline. Or go back on the prozac which I was fine with but maybe a higher dose? But it feels like it had stopped working, maybe inevitable after 11 years.

Or... go it alone with no drug and live at the bottom until I can dig myself out but I am not sure that is a good idea either. I really want to get a job as my youngest just started school.

I have a counsellor I pay for which is a bit tight on the pocket but worth every penny as she is awesome. I am 9 months sober after a long alcohol addiction and long past the sober is easy bit which doesn't help.

Cheers everyone!

Kate

[Lizziesaurus]

I like also lost weight on these, in fact I've lost weight on all I've been on.
Read up on the withdrawal effects though, I wish I had and taken them seriously as I'm now stuck on a 37.5mg dose of these awful things.
Yes, they worked at first but now they just make me suicidally depressed, worse than I ever was. Bit of a bummer having to deal with that as well as trying to cope normally.
They were wonderful at first though, worth a shot but maybe ask the doc how they would help someone come off this drug.

I see you mentioned citalorpram and sertraline as well, these didn't do much for me but side effect wise I'd say the sertraline was better. Hope that helps & good luck