Antidepressants Help Weight Gain … How Depressing

A recent online article from healthcentral.com detailed the answer to the question that some antidepressants cause us to gain weight. Even though there are as many reasons as there are people to gain weight being depressed is one of them.

When one is mildly depressed over a long period of time, there is a tendency to in mindless eating and gain weight. And when you feel better you tend to enjoy food more and also may over eat. Everyone is different.

An underactive thyroid problem can cause both depression and weight gain. An underactive thyroid can greatly change your energy level for the worse. The person who suffers from an underactive thyroid feels great fatigue, feels cold, has diminished concentration and memory, and suffers from weight gain. So if you are feeling tired, depressed, and gaining weight, it might be wise to go see your doctor to check out your thyroid.

Many antidepressant users and medical experts say there is a connection between antidepressants and weight gain. Recent research has shown that people who gain weight within about the first week of starting antidepressant treatment are more likely to have significant weight gain from the medication over an extended period of time.

So if you start gaining weight right away while on an antidepressant, it may be tough to maintain your weight in the long term. Antidepressants cause increases in appetite, slows metabolism by 10%, and increases fluid retention. In terms of calories, this is a pound every seven to 10 days, if you don't change your diet. Patients on lithium can gain 20 to 30 pounds - or even more - in a year.

You may be wondering which antidepressants are more likely to cause weight gain right?

Well it depends on the individual, and these findings and statistics may not be what you experience, but much of the medical literature agrees that Paxil can cause you the most weight gain (20-50 lbs). Janet Kinosian, in her article entitled, "Antidepressants & Weight Gain, also reports that Zoloft, Remeron, and Luxox cause the most weight gain. Also in this category are amitriptyline, Tofranil, Parnate and Nardil.