Do antidepressants slow metabolism?

Antidepressants may affect metabolism, causing the body to burn calories more slowly.


Can antidepressants mess with metabolism?

Antidepressant medications are often associated with weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in vulnerable patients. It is well known that obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes are associated with a large number of deaths all over the world.

How can I fix my metabolism after antidepressants?

How to lose weight after antidepressants
  1. Change medication. Some antidepressants aren't linked to weight gain. ...
  2. Look at your lifestyle. One study on SSRI use and weight gain found that weight gain was more likely in people who also had a Western diet, were sedentary, and smoked⁸. ...
  3. Get active. ...
  4. Get a good night's sleep.


Why is it so hard to lose weight after antidepressants?

Increases in appetite: Some people lose their appetite due to depression. As an antidepressant changes the chemical balance in your brain, your appetite may return, leading to weight gain.

Why do people gain weight on antidepressants?

Antidepressants interfere with serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety and mood while also controlling appetite. In particular, these changes may increase cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta, and desserts.”


Why do you gain weight with antidepressants and mood stabilizers?



How can I avoid gaining weight on antidepressants?

In addition to talking to your physician, there are other steps that you can take to lessen weight gain that might be caused by antidepressants. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes may help you manage your weight effectively as you continue to treat your symptoms of depression.

Do antidepressants make you hold onto weight?

What medications cause weight gain? Antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants , and mood stabilizers are common drugs that have the most potential to increase weight gain. All 12 of the leading antidepressants, including fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), make gaining weight more likely.

Will I lose weight if I stop taking antidepressants?

If you decrease your daily calorie intake as a result, you could potentially lose weight by stopping your antidepressants. On the other hand, if you experience loss of appetite with depression, and your depression comes back after stopping antidepressants, you may also lose weight.


Do people ever lose weight on antidepressants?

Weight changes can be a concern with antidepressants. While more antidepressants typically cause weight gain, a few can reduce appetite, and cause nausea, vomiting, or weight loss. This might be temporary until your body gets used to the medication.

Does Zoloft affect metabolism?

Currently, there doesn't appear to be any evidence to show that sertraline has a negative effect on your metabolism.

Does your body go back to normal after antidepressants?

In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.


Which antidepressants cause the most weight gain?

The antidepressants linked to the most weight gain include:
  • tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (brand name Elavil), and nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl)
  • monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as phenelzine (Nardil)
  • tetracyclic antidepressant mirtazapine (Remeron)
  • SSRI paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)


Does Lexapro affect metabolism?

According to research, Lexapro treatment may cause your body to burn less calories by slowing down your metabolism or affect your appetite by causing you to crave certain foods (e.g., carbohydrates) and overeat [5].

Does anxiety medication affect metabolism?

Two anxiety medications that cause weight gain are tricyclic antidepressants and atypical antidepressants. The anxiety medications that result in weight loss are SSRI's also known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and SRNI's also known as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.


Which antidepressant is most likely to cause weight loss?

Bupropion (Wellbutrin), an atypical antidepressant, works by altering the brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine. In addition to being the only antidepressant consistently associated with weight loss, it's also associated with fewer rates of sexual side effects and sexual dysfunction than SSRIs and SNRIs.

What are metabolic side effects of antidepressants?

A known iatrogenic risk of antidepressant medication is weight gain, dyslipidemia, increasing risk of impaired fasting glycaemia and diabetes. Careful counselling and metabolic risk assessment is required when initiating these medications.

How to speed up metabolism?

Here are 9 easy ways to increase your metabolism.
  1. Eat plenty of protein at every meal. Eating food can temporarily increase your metabolism for a few hours. ...
  2. Drink more water. ...
  3. Do a high intensity workout. ...
  4. Lift heavy things. ...
  5. Stand up more. ...
  6. Drink green tea or oolong tea. ...
  7. Eat spicy foods. ...
  8. Get a good night's sleep.


Is it OK to take antidepressants for life?

For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.

What is the best anxiety med for weight loss?

Best anxiety meds that cause weight loss

These include: Bupropion (Wellbutrin; see Important Safety Information) Fluoxetine (Prozac; see Important Safety Information) Duloxetine (Cymbalta; see Important Safety Information)

How long should you be on antidepressants?

It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.


Does SSRI weight gain go away?

Once they start taking an antidepressant, however, they begin to feel better and as a result, their appetite may come back, they may eat more, and eventually return to their previous weight.

Does weight gain go away after stopping antidepressants?

So if weight gain is caused by the medication, then weight loss should follow its discontinuation. And it does, for many people: Once the medication is out of the body, normal appetite returns, fatigue diminishes, and the patient returns to eating and exercising normally.

Does Lexapro make you lose weight?

People who take Lexapro for depression or anxiety may experience weight changes; however, the drug is not usually associated with weight loss. Lexapro is an antidepressant that affects chemicals in the brain. Some people may experience weight changes while taking it, but that's not a common side effect.


Which antidepressant has the least weight gain?

Weight gain is also less likely to occur with the following SSRIs when they're used for less than six months:
  • sertraline (Zoloft)
  • fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • citalopram (Celexa)


How fast is weight loss on Wellbutrin?

How long does it take for Wellbutrin to work for weight loss? In people who lose weight as a side effect of Wellbutrin, it is possible to notice weight changes within eight weeks.