Weight gain an adverse affect of discontinuing citalopram
Posted , 43 users are following.
Hi I was put on citalopram for a few months, within a month of stopping I started to gain weight within 6-8 weeks I was 2.5 dress sizes bigger and for 5yrs I exercised twice a day burned 2000 cals and ate under 1000 a day and couldn't shift the weight. The doctors did all sorts of tests and nothing came up. Thats when my normal happy life stopped i only went on them because i was ancious about a break up. I continued visiting the doctor with new research as to what it may be. Then 11 months ago something happened and I was prescribed citalopram again and within a few months I'd lost the weight I just assumed it was stress but I exercised less and ate more which was odd. Then 4months ago I came off the citalopram and got my energy back and started running again but started gaining weight and within 6/8 wks I was 2dress sizes bigger which is when I started researching citalopram I found American forums with many people in the same situation and someone called it paradoxical weight gain iv been in touch with lundbeck the makers of the drug but they so say have had no reports. This I find hard to believe there are so many people with the same reaction on the American sites. Also in the research iv done there are studies in animals that suggest the brain does not renormalise after coming off citalopram and they deny this could have anything to do with weight gain. How can it not? Your body needs serotonin and tryptophan receptors to burn fat, if this function does not renormalise surely it can affect weight?? Does anyone have anything to help me?? I'm thinking of taking them to court as I am now depressed on diazipam having panic attacks all because I was a little anxious about a break up 6 yrs ago. Please help if you know anything x
4 likes, 73 replies
michael75078 tamsin
Posted
Hi, I'm glad I found this discussion, but I'm also worried as I hardly read that anybody seems to get back to their original weight. I've been around 82-83 kilos for the last 10 years (am 1.82m in height). When I drink a lot and eat crap I gain a bit, but I always loose it after a couple of weeks of training. I got of Citalopram 20mg 3 weeks ago (been on it since Maj this year). I started to go in therapy, quit drinking alcohol, started to train regulary and eat healthy. I went from 83 to 87 kilos in these 3 weeks. I have had mayor side effects of the drug whilest on it (enlarged prostate, the orgasm problem, and the complete absense of emotions and feelings). It doesn't supprize me that it affects my weight. I just want to kow if this is a temporary thing and how long it will take to get back to normal? I will never get back on this drug. I rather walk the earth with a backpack in order to get my stuff sorted.
karen29661 tamsin
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lara00638 karen29661
Posted
cat34298 tamsin
Posted
I'm glad, but also so discouraged,to have found this. I just finally tapered all the way off Lexapro and literally gained 1.5 pounds just this week. I was on 30mg, and tapered off over 3 months.
Is there any hope?
alfio35696 cat34298
Posted
Hey, tapering only over three months has the same effect on your body as you quite over one day. I have learnt this in the forum called surviving antidepressant. It's full of useful information and protocols to minimise the withdrawal effects. I have actually tapered in one month over 3 years ago and my life is getting normalish just now. I discovered that forum too late, but rexomand you to have a look at it.
cat34298 alfio35696
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karen29661 cat34298
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tamsin karen29661
Posted
Hey Karen sorry for the delay.
If you do not stick to protocol it will not work and the potential to actually gain.
Read the manuscript over and over before and during treatment.
http://www.poundsandinchesaway.com/content/downloads/Dr-Simeons-Manuscript.pdf
It is extremely strict and the new versions do not work for me.
I'm super sensitive with my intolerances but have learned what they are through this protocol.
Consolidation is the hardest part and i found I could not stabilise the route of protocol. I suggest increasing calories with only the food you have eaten on protocol and using coconut oil. (It's the only fat I can use without gain. You need to get calories up within 10 days and do not introduce new foods till atleast 2 weeks in. I add green peppers and eggs at that time but sometimes gain.
🌺
tamsin karen29661
Posted
I'm not sure that was very clear. I just wanted to get it down for you. I will try and answer questions on it but again it's not a permenant fix for me and probably anyone with the damage from the drugs. It's hormone based which is why it works for me. When it kicks in I feel balances and normal. But it's very hard to do. And no exercise allowed.
In my previous message the second part is for consolidation only. No fat or green peppers or eggs on protocal. Iv found I can only have chard asparagus and chicken. There are more choices though. 🌺
tamsin
Posted
Hello everyone
I'm so sorry to have started up this conversation and left for so many years. For the first few I was quite depressed and suicidal. I didn't have anything good to tell anyone. I finally saw a neurologist a couple of years ago and he said he had no doubt the cetalopram has damaged my brain irreparably but he cannot prove it or help me fix it. He disagrees hugely with the drug. I think that helped in a way to have someone believe the theories I had. No one would see it as brain damage and I'd requested a neurologist for years. My situation is only better because of the hormone treatment I found. I didn't want to push it on here as there are so many new versions that don't work and it's possible to gain on it if you do not stick to it. And it's a very lengthy difficult protocol to follow. Its also not a permanent fix. Not for me anyway as after my reaction I have developed so many intolerances and after I loose the weight any foods eaten that I'm intolerant to can trigger another rapid weight gain. I'm up and down with my weight every 3/4 months by a 1-2 stone. My poor body takes a beating from the weight:-( it's a torturous cycle. I'm also suffering from bulimia which initially started due to the intolerances I developed. So I could eat normal foods without reactions. Stupid me:-( so I didn't come back because I don't have anything good to say, except I'm not depressed lol And for a few months of the year when I'm a healthy weight I'm actually happy🙂 even though I don't have much of a life. I'm very beautiful and it's a terrible waste. This drug has taken so much of my life from me. Which I feel very sad about.
Tamsin🌺
Cjt tamsin
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cat34298 Cjt
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I appreciate the update and encouragement!
Over the course of a couple years on it, I've been gaining, and suddenly have even more now that i stopped it -- to where I'm the biggest I've ever been even with healthy eating and really exercising. I'm busting out of my "fat pants". Ugh. I'm going to restart at the smaller dose where I stopped-- I'm thinking too soon, given awful mood, irritability, and dizziness. I'm looking forward to having my regular body back.
tamsin Cjt
Posted
Hey In total it's 11 years I haven't renormalized😕 And it's not just a few pounds. I have rapid weight gains of up to 2 stone in less than 2 weeks where I can feel my skin ripping. The only way I can loose it is to inject hormones. The head of lundbeck cannot tell me when my brain will renormalise. In the meantime any thing can trigger rapid gain and then I'm back to square one. And the intollerences continue to get worse. I'm glad your recovering fast but for me it's unlikely that I ever will now. We all react differently. 🌺
lara00638 cat34298
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cat34298 lara00638
Posted
Hi,
I've gone back onto 10mg, and it has helped a bit with the weight -- I've lost that sudden withdrawal weight -- I'm back where I was struggling with the weight just from the tablets. I plan on meeting with my psych and still work my way back down...
lara00638 cat34298
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tamsin lara00638
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Hi Laura
Can I please ask when at the doctors that you fill in a form with her. That reports your reaction. As aparsntly this reaction has never officially been reported. So the head of Lund beck said when I asked why it’s not included or even been researched. He said 3 people had to reportbit through their gp. I’m actually going to follow this up with the company this week. My gp was horrified at my rapid weight gain and had no idea how to help me. She could see the weight piling in over the two weeks. She was very keen to report it and assist with the forms. This was so May years ago and still the drugs companies are not dealing with it. I’m sure there must have been more than 3 reports in all these years.
Tamsin🌺
lara00638 tamsin
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tamsin lara00638
Posted
Hey Laura
Sadly my weight is never stable. Iv had the reaction both times I’ve taken ectalopram. I do not gain on it. I gain in the discontinuation of it. It first happened around 11 years ago when I only took it for a few months. When I stopped I had the rapid gain. Never lost it till I went back in it 5 ish years later so my body is reliant. I realized it was the citalopram when I came off years later agiain and had a rapid gain of 2 stone in less than two weeks. My skin was tearing and I was hysterical. I was eating healthy and running 5 mikes a day. I would have killed myself if I didn’t have my daughter to look after. I can only loose the weight with a hormone injection. But I will look at what you have mentioned in your last post. For me I think it’s permenant😕 many people have renormalised though. We are all different. 🌺