Weight gain on lexapro?

[Anonymous]

I am a woman in my 30s, I'm 5ft. and pretty small-boned. I've been taking Lexapro on and off since November 2022 along with Adderall (which was also new to me). I went from 143 lbs (working really hard to lose weight unsuccessfully) to 130 lbs by Jan 2023 and 124 lbs by March 2023 but I was not consistently taking my lexapro 5 mg.

Took Lexapro 5 mg more consistently fall 2023 which got bumped up to 10 mg until my weight started increasing despite the same habits and I went up to 132 lbs by April 2024 and I decided to stop taking it but my doctor didn't think it was causing my weight gain. My weight decreased some to 128 lbs but with some situational anxiety in the fall 2024 started taking 10 mg again and then doubled it to 20 mg in November 2024. My habits have not drastically changed but my weight is like 138 lbs and none of my clothes fit. I'm feeling worse about myself now because I am looking so heavy. I could start aggressively dieting and exercising again but I was able to maintain my weight with just regular exercise and healthy habits; nothing extreme.

Have any of you also had this increase and if you decreased your lexapro dose somewhat, did you notice an improvement?

[Anonymous]

All SSRI/SNRI drugs will cause weight gain, by increasing the amount of certain neurotransmitters in the synapse, such as the Serotonin as the drug name implies, which leads to overeating carbs and binge eating in general to deal with the excess Serotonin.

TLDR, ADMs will make you fat, among other even worse side effects.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I gained on Lexapro, but it also gave me my life back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I gained on Lexapro, but it also gave me my life back.

+1

With antidepressants one must definitely weigh (no pun intended) the pros + cons of each.

For many being a little chubby & mentally stable is definitely favorable to being thin and feeling depressed or anxious all the time.

Choose your battle.

[Anonymous]

My skinny 18 year old has gained at least 20lbs on it. I don't know why Drs lie about this to their patients. My daughter's doctor also said it's not the Lexapro and wants her to get bloodwork. We'll get the bloodwork, but the odds that something happened at the exact same time she started Lexapro seem pretty slim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My skinny 18 year old has gained at least 20lbs on it. I don't know why Drs lie about this to their patients. My daughter's doctor also said it's not the Lexapro and wants her to get bloodwork. We'll get the bloodwork, but the odds that something happened at the exact same time she started Lexapro seem pretty slim.

Money.
They are instructed to.
Both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I gained on Lexapro, but it also gave me my life back.

+1 it’s tough to accept, but I can lead a happy life on my SSRI rather than live with unrelenting anxiety. I’m happier now with 30 extra pounds than I was before I took an SSRI

[Anonymous]

Yes. At the time though, it was completely worth it. A decrease in dose did not lead to easy weight loss for me. Still worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a woman in my 30s, I'm 5ft. and pretty small-boned. I've been taking Lexapro on and off since November 2022 along with Adderall (which was also new to me). I went from 143 lbs (working really hard to lose weight unsuccessfully) to 130 lbs by Jan 2023 and 124 lbs by March 2023 but I was not consistently taking my lexapro 5 mg.

Took Lexapro 5 mg more consistently fall 2023 which got bumped up to 10 mg until my weight started increasing despite the same habits and I went up to 132 lbs by April 2024 and I decided to stop taking it but my doctor didn't think it was causing my weight gain. My weight decreased some to 128 lbs but with some situational anxiety in the fall 2024 started taking 10 mg again and then doubled it to 20 mg in November 2024. My habits have not drastically changed but my weight is like 138 lbs and none of my clothes fit. I'm feeling worse about myself now because I am looking so heavy. I could start aggressively dieting and exercising again but I was able to maintain my weight with just regular exercise and healthy habits; nothing extreme.

Have any of you also had this increase and if you decreased your lexapro dose somewhat, did you notice an improvement?

I gained 40#

[Anonymous]

I started Lexapro approximately two months ago. I actually wanted to gain some weight because part of my anxiety caused me to lose about 15 pounds. I feel better, and I have gained back approximately 2 pounds. I seem to be holding steady there though. I’m not sure weight gain is universal. I don’t see how it’s possible to gain weight if you’re eating the correct amount. I understand that’s very hard for many people but it isn’t for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started Lexapro approximately two months ago. I actually wanted to gain some weight because part of my anxiety caused me to lose about 15 pounds. I feel better, and I have gained back approximately 2 pounds. I seem to be holding steady there though. I’m not sure weight gain is universal. I don’t see how it’s possible to gain weight if you’re eating the correct amount. I understand that’s very hard for many people but it isn’t for me.

You must eat less on SNRIs, and especially SSRIs, to avoid weight gain.