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Mirtazapine - weight gain!!!!

Posted , 67 users are following.

bekstar
bekstar

Hi,

I've never posted on a forum before but wondered if anyone could give me any advise.

I was diagnosed with depression just before christmas, I had quite a traumatic year with a series of bad events occurring, I was also getting married which I think was the only thing keeping me going, looking back now I realise I was slipping into a depressive state for about 2 months before I finally broke. I fell into quite a catatonic state being unable to function at even a basic level, it was as if my brain had just shut down.

The doc started me on sertraline but this made my anxiety so bad that I couldn't even go into my back garden, unable to leave the house or speak to anyone for a month, he then gave me citralopram, this reduced my anxiety but gave me insomnia, so I spent another month sleeping (or rather not sleeping) on my sofa and only getting a few hours of sleep here and there.

So my doc decided to try mirtazapine, my depression has reduced dramatically but I've have gained a lot of weight, which at first I thought was a welcome side effect compared to anxiety and insomnia but now this is really starting to lower my mood again,

When I was at the beginning of my illness and was unable to function, eating didn't even enter my head and I lost around a stone and a half (my usual weight sticks around 10 - 10 1/2 stone) to 9 stone, I looked really unwell at this weight, but since being on mirtazapine I have gained 2 1/2 stone in the first month (I'm into my second month now) and it's just staying there. I have tried changing my diet and exercising but I'm stuck at nearly 12 stone.

I look overweight, none of my clothes fit me and the worse part is that I look 6 months pregnant and because I am only just venturing out again after months of solitude, a lot of people think that I am pregnant and that's why they haven't seen me, I'm struggling to keep my smile and tell people I'm not as I am infertile and this has been one of the issues that led to my depression in the first place.

I'm not sure if anyone can help, I guess I'm just looking for advise on losing the weight or whether I should change my meds (again!!!!)

5 likes, 147 replies

147 Replies

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  • maz222
    maz222

    Posted

    Hiya bexstar

    i was like Racheal could eat for england and not put any weight on....however since starting mitazapine i have gained weight gone from a dress size 10 to 14 i do not eat anymore than i used to or excercise any less i was painfully underweight but now i am thinking same as you can i put up with this weight gain? i have been on mitaz for about 2 years and the weight increase has stopped i'm trying to say to myself it's middleage spread now lol good luck with it hope this helps x

  • bekstar
    bekstar

    Posted

    Thank you all for your replies. Speaking to my councillor last night I've realised that it's not really about the amount of weight I have gained and can not shift, I think it's bothering me more about to the way it's settled, I look like I'm pregnant, and as I'm infertile it's upsetting when people ask 'how's the bump' (this happened last week) I have changed my diet so that I am eating even healthier than before I became ill and exercise more but it's still staying there. I think I'm going to speak to my doctor because this us really starting to get me down again.
  • maz222
    maz222

    Posted

    It may be what your eating is making you bloat....yeah speak to your g.p and get to the bottom of it good luck
  • rachael42781
    rachael42781

    Posted

    Its a shame that it has this effect when it hekos you mentally. I'm willing to deal with the weight gain if it gets me back to normal. I'm not planning on being on mirt forever but I have implemented exercise into my life (never done it before) not just for the weight but because exercise is proven to help anxiety too. It is so weird though how I could eat big Mac after big mac or cake after cake...put nothing on but now...I'm packing it on! Lol
  • bekstar
    bekstar

    Posted

    Ok so 3 weeks later, I'm running 3 times a week, going to yoga every week, and using ab circle everyday as well as a heathier diet, Special K for breakfast, salad for lunch, a nice healthy meal for dinner and I haven't shifted a pound!!!, I've been back at the docs today for my check up and expressed my concern. It's not a fact of being vain, or the fact that not one item of my clothing fits anymore, like I said before it's the fact that I can't have children and right now I look 6 months pregnant and this is really started to drag me down again. My doc totally understood this and has changed my medication to Venlafaxine. I'll let you know how I get on.
  • chris92448
    chris92448 bekstar

    Posted

    Hi,

    I started Mirtazapine about 6 weeks ago and have noticed a big difference in my metabolic rate. I do high intensity exercise 3-4 times per week plus am a little weight obsessed so I know my body well. I've gained around 2-3 kilos which doesn't sound a lot but when you work out hard and keep really fit 2-3 kilos is a lot of weight. What's interesting is my appetite has decreased. I am probably consuming 10% less calories than normal and a big workout isn't triggering my appetite like it usually does. No matter how hard I work out I just can't drop these 2 or 3 kilos and I've really felt something is not right physically. I've also struggled a little bit in my exercise, quite possibly due to the extra weight. I've been reading in these forums about the drug and weight gain. Some people say their appetite increases and they gain weight. Others say they eat less and still gain weight. I am certainly in the latter category. I've done several experiments with calorie intake but my body just doesn't respond. It's like it's saying no matter what you do you aren't going to shed these few kilos. Given that gaining weight gets me down anyway I have decided I am going to stop taking the drug immediately. I know you're not supposed to do that with AD's but I've done it in the past and never had issues. 

    • jenny_55468
      jenny_55468 chris92448

      Posted

      Hi Chris , you are very early in your regime with Mitz. Dont give up yet , you have not said what dose you are on . see your doc. again before you stop , as you are on it you need something to help you . Please seek advice . My appetite goes up and down . I have only gained a couple of pounds in 5 months . Stick with it until you see doc. if you stop you may need to replace it with something else . Good luck and wishing you well . Jenny
    • Vancouver
      Vancouver chris92448

      Posted

      Hi Chris. Weight gain is a well-know side effect of mirtazapine, at least formany people. I stopped taking it because of that. For me, putting on the pounds REALLY makes me depressed! One doctor suggested I could take Metformin, which is something diabetics take to regulate their metabolism. I declined, but you might want to consider it. Talk to your doctor about it. All the very best!
    • chris92448
      chris92448 jenny_55468

      Posted

      Jenny thanks so much for your concern but I've weight it up (excuse the pun) and decided that the cure is worse than the disease. Gaining weight and not being able to perform at my best aerobically really gets me down. I just haven't felt right on them. Having major flatulence issues too which seems to have coincided with starting these too. I think they are not for me. Seeing my psych in ten days so will be able to report how I feel off them v on them. 
    • chris92448
      chris92448 Vancouver

      Posted

      Thanks Vancouver. Did you find you lost the weight when you stopped? How long did it take you to get back to normal?
    • Vancouver
      Vancouver chris92448

      Posted

      Hi Chris. Took a few weeks to lose the poundage, and in some ways, I am still not back to normal -- but I had a very sedentary winter, too depressed sometimes to go cycling or to the gym, so it's hard to say. Also I am 69, and I think my metabolism has slowed down anyway, altho the Mirtazapene did not help! Hope you find an antidepressant that works for you -- I never had a weight gain before and I've been on Paxil and Zoloft (not at the same time) for many years.
    • chris92448
      chris92448 Vancouver

      Posted

      Thanks Vancouver. I've probably tried 6 or 7 AD's in my adult life and to be honest have always felt better off them than on. Just my experience anyway. I gave the Mirt a try on advice of my psych and while I think it was probably worth a try it's just not for me. I take Seroquel for anxiety and have been on them for 6 years. They are excellent and I get no adverse side effects even on higher doses. I'll stick with them for now.
    • bekstar
      bekstar chris92448

      Posted

      Hi, I came off them a week and a half ago and I've already lost most of the weight, my friend said it was like someone had popped me with a pin. It was definitely the AD.
  • purplebeats123
    purplebeats123 bekstar

    Posted

    Do you exercise? I think you can get it down if you exercise as well as incorporate a healthy diet and monitor your intake on a site such as myfitnesspal which tells you how many caloroes you are eating and if you are over or even under eating that can affect your weight.

    Make sure that you drink enough water too as sodium can cause bloating and water counteracts that as well as replenishing your muscles.

    Once you build up the muscle, that muscle will help you burn off the calories. 

    You need to do cardio and resistance as well as crunches etc. Crunches alone don't work. Believe me, I tried to just spot reduce my stomach and that didn't work. 

    I got Jillian Michael's 30 day shred dvd , a set of weights and a mat. I also bought No More Trouble Zones by her because my belly was getting big, although I am not on any medication (stress can also cause weight gain because the body produces a hormone called cortisol)  and colleagues were asking if I was pregnant too. 

    My belly has gone in after 2 months of hard work and not drinking any juice or fizzy drinks. 

    I tend to eat Bulgar Wheat and Quinoa with omega 3 fish fingers or red salmon.

    I tend to have porridge in the morning and sometimes add strawberries to it. Sometimes I boil a couple of eggs (organic) and have a couple of grain bread toast with it for breakfast. 

    The exercise is helping the stress a lot. I get a rush from it. It has actually been likened to anti-depressants according to the latest research. It is a natural non-chemical antidepressant. 

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