Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 11)

I have been on Pristiq now since November of 2008...not quite 5 months...and I have put on 15 lbs since starting it. DESPITE working out with a trainer at the gym twice a week weight training, 3 days a week of cardio AND counting calories. My doc assured me that I would also have a decreased appetite on Pristiq, which I have yet to find true...so he has now increased my dosage to 400 mg. Does anyone have anything to add to this?? I'm just frustrated!

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My doctor put me on pristiq about 6 months ago - it was supposed to be for anxiety --- I am not depressed but I have gained weight - they gave me pristiq because I do not have insurance and that is what they have samples. I may wean myself off. My anxiety caused me to itch and after three years it has finally cleared up -

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Mine is for anxiety as well. I've been taking Xanax for 14 years and it works great, but after all that time the doctor will put me on an AD that works for anxiety. I got another month's sample free today, and then I'll see if my insurance will pay for it.

I can control the weight issue with exercise, and once I get back at yoga and running I'll have more energy, but I'm not paying for Pristiq - it doesn't work THAT well.

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I have been on pristiq for about a year and have gained over 15 lbs and this is worse than the depression. I have always worked out and watched what I ate and it still keeps coming. I recenly just quit it. I kept thinking it was just me but it is also very frustruating so I understand those of you with the same issues.

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I recently started pristiq 50mg with Abilify 5mg and It was like turning on a light switch for me.There has been an increadable possitve change in my life and just when i was ready to give up as i have tried every other rx out there.Im much better with few side affects.I do recomend seeimg a phsciatrist,MD. knot your regular DR. as they are no good at diagnosing difacult cases.

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I know a lot of ppl have had appetite changes, judging by the posts, and have either gained weight or lost weight rapidly. You should have your thyroid checked as the thyroid controls metabolism. Since Pristiq is a serotonin/norephinephrine inhibitor, it might make you happier or have more energy so that you want to eat more if you don't eat when you are depressed, or less if you seek comfort food. I, unfortunately, had the radioactive iodine treatment to destroy my thyroid because the idiot doctors told me that the thyroid inhibitors (that were supposed to help with anxiety) were causing my liver levels to send me to the ICU. After I desperately let them destroy my thyroid as a supposed last resort, I gained 50lbs in 2 mos and still ended up in the hospital. If you are taking Pristiq and are not happy because you either gained a lot of weight or lost too much weight, have your thyroid levels tested while you are on the medication and then again after you WEEN off. I, personally, have done well on Pristiq. It has been the only medication that has really made me feel better. I learned that Cymbalta, Celexa and Prozac are all processed thru the liver, and thus put me in the hospital. I can tell you because I have my blood test results before medication, that my liver was fully functional. After Cymbalta and Celexa (twice) my liver levels skyrocketed. For me, Pristiq has afforded me the least amount of side effects and has made me feel better than I have in awhile, but if you feel like your appetite has changed, please have your thyroid checked while on the medication and after you ween yourself off so that you can see the difference in your metabolism and make sure you don't have another issue on your hands. Trust me, I just want to help people with the crap that I've learned the hard way. I had a primary care physician that kept me on the wrong meds for 2 yrs and told me it was my fault that I didn't feel better. If you aren't happy with your meds, find a new doctor, preferably someone with a psychopharmocolgy license. If you live in the dallas area, try Kanthi Raju in Richardson, because she listens and, for me, she was able to make sure that I didn't take any medication that is processed through the liver, since it is weak due to the radioactive treatment of my thyroid. For your own sake, have your thyroid checked while on your meds and after you ween off to compare to see if that has been the culprit of your weight issues. Also, don't do the radioactive destruction of your thyroid until you personally have decided that its really the only possibilty.

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You should take Pristiq in the morning, same time every day, because its a norephinephrine inhibitor so its designed to give you more energy. Most of us who have anxiety also have insomnia, so you definitely want to take Pristiq first thing in the morning. It can cause nausea, at least for me, so a bottled yogurt smoothie or a cereal bar can help with that if you aren't ready to eat breakfast when you take your meds. Also, Klonopin, generic Xanax and Ativan, you don't want to take too often if you can help it. They are all benzodiazapines that can cause severe withdrawal issues not to mention overdoses. I took Xanax twice a day every day for awhile and my prescription ran out so I stopped cold turkey. a week later, I was having seizures and ended up in the hospital. When I was on ativan, at regular dosages, was no problem, but I was having night terrors so my husband took me to the hospital since he couldn't wake me up and they drugged me full of ativan until I passed out. I almost died from an overdose and the next hospital I went to had to detox my system to get me to wake up. They thought I was going into a coma. Just be careful with your medicine and make sure you have a knowledgeable doctor and blood tests to make sure everything is running smoothly.

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I've been on Pristiq for 2 years now. (I started at 50 mg and after 1 year jumped to 100 mg which works well. Switched to pristiq after 3 years of Wellbutrin.) ANYhoo, yes I've gained about 15 pounds which I know is from the drug. I am an active and fit guy, but on Pristiq I have become a big eater and have trouble controlling my appetite, which was never a prob before. An hour or so after eating a big meal, I could be hungry again. For now it's a trade-off I can live with because the Pristiq works so well - it's been a very nice 2 years free from anxiety and depression. But I am pushing maximum density and if I get any bigger I will consider switching.

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i too have gained 20 lbs while taking Pristiq..although my doc keeps telling me i shouldnt be..now im depressed about my weight gain..decided to change docs and look for a new medicine!

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It has been 4 months since I stopped taking pristiq. I have not lost more than 5 lbs. I work out every day and watch what I eat. This is one of the worst side effects that I have had from a drug. Also, when I weaned myself off of prisitq, it was pure torture. Be careful! I would never take this drug ever, ever again.

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I have been on 50 mg ofPristiq for about 6 months. I wonder if I need to have my dose upped or try something else. I am back to feeling very upset and cry very easily. I have been having thoughts of life without me. I feel so upset and alone even though I am in a room with family and friends. I just want to be happy again. I am so tired of feeling so emotional and crying over anything and everything. Has anyone else had changes like I have mentioned after being on Pristiq for awhile? Did a higher dose or a different med help you? Please give me some insight.

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To the last person that posted: you should definitely talk to your doctor. I am on Pristiq and have been for a little over a year and a half. I recently started weening myself off because of weight gain, from 50mg to 25, and am feeling sad. This could be attributed to pms, but most likely has something to do with the medicine too. Anyway . . . there is no reason to feel sad. Talk to your doctor ASAP!!!

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hi i feel so much better reading others comments i have put on about 10 kilos since taking pristiq and its horrible i now feel beta about life in general but horrible about my body. is there any success stories where people have stopped taking it and lost the weight? i work out 2 hours 5 times a week and it wont budge.

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Leah: I've weaned myself this past May, and I'm STILL fighting the weight I gained (32 lbs over the course of a year and a half). I have weaned myself, and though I was watching diet and exercising throughout, it must have slowed my metabolism, which hasn't kicked back into gear yet. I'm still working on weight loss, and it is slow -- not nearly as fast as the weight packed on. Hang in there. If it took you months to put on, it will take months to get off. Mine took more than a year. I'm trying not to get frustrated or give up on the weight. Don't you either. I just wish I went off Pristiq earlier, but my doctor insisted the gain had nothing to to with Pristiq. I wish I had listened to myself (who knows me better than me?) than him.

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I was on prozac for 2 years and gained 30 pounds and my doctor said " oh no, its not the prozac it must be something else". I have been off of the prozac for a year and a half now and have lost 25 of the 30 I gained. Bad news was I started getting bad anxiety again. Went to the doctor who prescribed Pristiq and I took it for 2 weeks. Some of the initial side effects did go away but here is one that did not. About day 3 - I started getting constantly hungry and could not stop eating. I would eat until I felt sick to my stomach. Definitely, not normal. After two weeks I tossed the bottle where it belongs , in the trash can. I will try to find something that does not cause you to want to overeat all the time. Of course, all medications have different effects on different people. If one person didn't have the side effect of weight gain then that is great for them , but for those of those who did - stay far away from Pristiq. Fish oil does help but not enough. Still looking for the perfect one ?? I didnt feel comfortable staying on Pristiq with it making me so hungry right from the get go.

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to Shea: I had the same reaction from my doctor when I asked about my weight gain. "Watch your portions / Are you exercising? / Try eating smaller meals all day to make yourself feel fuller " etc. My weight has always held steady, and even with high activity levels I've gained 15 pounds on Pristiq. My intuition is that Pristiq is messing with my hormones or whatever normally regulates appetite satiation / fat storage. I can't get a better explanation from anyone, so I figure nobody knows exactly how it happens.

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For me - Pristiq has been the BEST med. so far - and I've tried most of them - including wellbutrin and lexapro. It takes at least 2-3 months to feel the full effects of Pristiq - but, it's worth going through the difficulties of the incubation period. HOWEVER, I've also gained 15 lbs. which I'm extremely upset about. This sets up quite a dilemma - do I stay on an excellent med that's really changed my life? - or do I switch to another one (that won't be as effective) and lose the weight? Also, my libido is better than ever - which is another wonderful benefit. So, for now, I'll probably stay on Pristiq - but, make no mistake about it - YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT ON THIS MED!

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Bob:
I agree with you. Pristiq was the best for a long time for me. I think I overstayed my welcome on it though. After about 1 1/2 years, it seemed to lose the "magic" yet I continued to gain the weight. I'm off now and just take Xanex (spelling?) as needed. I've never been anxious 24/7, so I question myself as to why I took Pristiq since it was a 24/7 kind of drug. I still haven't lost the weight, but I'm working on it. It was impossible to do while on Pristiq. Now that I'm off, it's just hard. But I can do it. Good luck to you. My advice to you is to stay on Pristiq until you feel it isn't working. I should have probably gone off within a year. By 18 months, I was just fat and anxious. So there was no point to the Pristiq at that point for me.

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Wow! I feel so much better after reading all of the posts. I have been on Pristiq since Nov 2009. I have gained 40 pounds since then. I had been loosing 3-4 pounds a week prior to starting the medication and even though I am monitor my portions, utilize my home and fitness gyms, and saught a dietician...I continue to gain. Today, I made the switch to Zoloft. I was not getting any relief from the Pristiq for the past few months and decided it wasn't worth staying on anymore. I am hoping I can start to loose weight again which will help with my anxiety and depression off the bat.

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Started taking pristiq about 4 months ago, and I have been gaining weight even though I have been exercising and watching what I eat. I have been very frustrated lately about the weight gain. I am so glad to have read this site. My doctor also told me you would not gain weight on this drug. I am going back on Lexepro asap.

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I have been on pristiq for almost 3 months now and I have gained18 pounds!!! I eat health and work out at least 3 times per week. Never have been this heavy in my life. It has to be the pristiq

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