MIN 

Apparently Prozac is an appetite suppressant. I started taking Prozac 2 months ago to combat a long battle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is my first time on an antidepressant. Interestingly, I've been losing a significant amount of weight. 10 pounds in the first month and another 5 pounds the second month. I ride about 100 to 150 miles per week these days.



I am now 5"11" @ 160 pounds and still losing weight... mostly fat.

Now, I can climb so fast that it's scary. It's a good feeling and completely foreign to me since I've been 175 lbs for the last 10 years!

The only drawback to losing this much weight is the need to buy new clothes... I lost a pant size (now 30") and went from a medium to small shirt size.

Do you have any similar experiences?

NealH

Every anti-depressant that I am aware of increases the appetite. I guess everyone is different though. Anyway, it's a good thing to bring you weight into line consistent with your size but, don't overdo it. Eating disorders can be much worse than simple depression.

cedric

Don't keep taking it because it decreases your appetite, and nothing else, though.

cjj14u

I am on Paxil and it decreases your appetite as well. I think it is a side effect of all antidepressants...

celticfrost

You've been riding your bike 100-150 miles a week for the past 2 months and you think you're losing weight due to prozac?

jimx200

I'm on Viagra and thanks to my gf's crave for sausage, just this past week alone I have lost 5 lbs. This is getting a bit much as I'm in my late 50's and she is late 30's. If she kills me, someone here gets my Bianchi Eros.

Sprocket Man

You, sir, are my new hero!

MIN 

During the summer I ride 250 miles per week so clearly it's about diet vis-à-vis the Prozac.

caloso

I actually gained a little bit of weight on Paxil. I think it helps with my OCD and part of the "O" was a tendency towards bulimic thinking. All in all, it's healthier though so it's a good thing.

matthew_deaner

Just my experience with antidepressants...
I used to take Effexor XR. I'm 6-feet tall, medium-large build. My weight, before getting on the Effexor, was 160. After 2-years on the drug, I weighed 135. I improved my life (new job, girlfriend;etc) and got off the Effexor about 2-years ago, and started going to the gym to rebuild my bod. Now I weigh 165 and feel lots better.

celticfrost

250 miles p/ wk and you didn't lose weight before the prozac!!!???

I can't imagine what you must've been eating.

pharmboyrx

If I remember correctly from my therapeutics class. (about 2 years ago) Prozac is useful as a weight loss tool, but really only for the first 6 months of therapy. After that you can actually start to see weight gain.

Yeah, studied for 12 months at 60mg daily, showed advantage over placebo at 6 months, no advantage after 12.

briscoelab

Maybe you ate too much because you were unhappy... and you were unhappy because you ate too much.

change

Jesus. I'm also exactly 6'0" with a med-large build. Before getting in to cycling I was a little chunky at 235 with a 36" waist. Now I'm 205 with a 32" waist and have another 20 pounds to lose. I think I would die before ever getting down to 135.

What did you look like at that weight?

jpatkinson

FYI: You were not 'medium-large' build at that weight [nor at 165], certainly not my any reasonable standard!

jpatkinson

Prozac affects everyone differently. My clinical suspicion is that you stopped 'feeding' your depression/anxiety, and started acting on it [becoming more active]. Cheers and congratulations!

MIN 

Thanks, I feel that way. Riding in the snow is fun again. :tear:

pharmboyrx

ding ding ding ding ding! We have a winner!

But seriously, congratualations. I'm glad things a moving towards the better.

matthew_deaner

I looked like I had anorexia. I mean, really bad. I was so weak, my arms were sore at the end of the day at work from holding them up to type at a keyboard. I have a pic around here someplace - I'll post it if I can find it.

matthew_deaner

I look very thin at 165 (size 30-waist)... My shoulders are broad and I'm large boned. I once weighed 225 and I was overweight but I carried it well (36-inch waist). But thanks for your opinion.

brundle_fly

I'm on Remeron which makes you put on weight,and offers little benefit so i'm stoping it.
I've always thought Psychiatry was a lot of bullshyte anyway.

aham23

seriously? the first day of winter is what, Dec 22nd. we still have to look forward to sub zero temps and mounds of snow. just saying.

later.

jpatkinson

Like nephrology, or cardiology? It's just another discipline of medicine, just as legitimate, and vastly more complicated [at least from my experience]. Remeron is known for increasing appetite, and is typically prescribed to people who need to gain weight [like the frail elderly]. There are lots of other options!

MIN 

Prozac needs 4 to 8 weeks to build up to operating efficacy according to my doctor.

MrCrassic 

As far as looks go, I'm 5'8" with medium frame build and I currently weigh 167 lbs. Most people I know regard me as being skinny, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing, since previously I was 20 lbs heavier and I had a very large (but not muscular) midsection...

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