Weight Gain On Pristiq? (Page 21)

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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Ooo thank you!!! Ill try weaning off that way....sounds healthier....think part of my issue was fear...of not taking something...i appreciate it!!

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I have been on Pristq since last May. I too have gained weight. Stomach pooched out-constipated & lazy. But...I love what this drug did to my life. I couldn't get through a day without crying. I am going to try Atkins. Started today. Don't know if it'll work but I need to do something.

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So...i finally bit the bullet...and stopped taking pristiq..been off 4weeks...slowly losing the extra lbs...my stomach issues are seeming to clear up..i feel more like myself..but ive noticed i cant sleep well again from my mind being permanent on now...but able to talk thru my thoughts and calm...a bit more work mentally...lol!! But worth being myself again....

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400mg. is a very high dose. I am on 5omg and seem to havesettled down on this and initially i felt a bit bloated but everything seems to have settled down again. My weight has gone up a bit but my biggest problem is lack of energy and always feel lethargic. Not sure if this is causedby pristiq though.

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I was told never to cut seritonin in half rather take one every second day.

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I'm down to one 50 mg per week of Pristiq. I do notice after a few days I start getting over sensitive. I worked through it though. Hoping I get rid of this weight. I've not as of yet seen much weight gone, still have the bloating belly. I sure hope it comes off. I never had a problem with weight on Trazodone which I take at night for sleep. I swear Pristiq has good benefits but the the bad side effects are not worth it. Let me know if any of you see your weight going down.

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Sounds exactly like me. Never gained weight my entire life (just turned 40) until I started taking Pristiq, tall, thin and gained 15lbs mostly in belly and havent changed the way i eat. Taking it for chronic tension headaches and helped with irratibility.

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Since ive been off pristiq...i have lost some weight n also started..when i was on pristiq n tried crazy diets i didnt lost a pound...i also am over sensitive now and obsess over stupid things...not on cleaning or anything productive...lol!!! But yes i do feel better overall....no more stomach issues or bloated feeling...

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You mentioned weird dreams. i have been taking Pristiq for 2 yrs. with a 20 lb. weight gain, sugar cravings, alcohol cravings & bizarre dreams (baking red babies in the oven!!) I have an appt. with my dr. soon to try & get off this drug.

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I'm finally off of Pristiq. The weight hasn't come off like as fast as I gained it, but I can tell I am losing weight S L O W L Y-lol I've not told my dr. yet cause he is the one who said you don't gain weight with Pristiq. I also gained most of it in my belly. Hope I can lose it cause all that med did was made my back cond. worse cause I got to pack my belly around now. Anyone let me know what works for you to get rid of the weight. Good Luck!

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I Have tried EVERY diet to get the weight off. Right now I am doing H HCG and it WORKING!! I am down 5lbs and feel much better! Supposed to reset your metabolism. Pristiq messed mine up big time. Hoping to be getting it back on track and lose the last 10lbs!

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Hello All,

I posted back in Feb/March, soon after I stopped taking Pristiq. Since then, I've had a host of health issues--some new, some old. I contracted with an independent lab to have a hair mineral analysis done, thinking it might help me figure out if I'm lacking in certain minerals. While some levels were off, the most disturbing finding was toxic levels of certain metals like Bismuth, Cobalt, and Thallium. These are highly toxic and not supposed to be in the body in any quantity. Mine were way out of range. Heavy metal poisoning, esp chronic, doesn't get a lot of press. Doctors don't test for it often, people don't suspect it, and hair tests are expensive and sometimes unreliable. But if you can afford one, I highly encourage having one done by a reputable lab. I'm currently awaiting results from a urinalysis/tox screen ordered by a toxicologist, who took my concerns more serious after I showed her my hair results. I'm also considering detox options--a FAR infrared sauna is supposed to be amazing at helping the body rid metal and chemical overload. These saunas are expensive and not many salons/wellness centers offer them. I had to purchase mine.

Point is, I have no idea if this medication contains trace amounts of toxic metals, but it's now worth investigating. Per my hair test results, levels would have been their highest in March/April. I officially discontinued Pristiq around Feb 1. I came off the drug after being on it 1.5 yrs with no real improvement in mood (long term) and lots of strange side effects. When I noticed my mood start to fall off late last fall, I decided to increase my dosage, thinking that would help matters. After only a few weeks on a higher dose, things got much worse and new symptoms appeared. So, I stopped early in the new year. Weight gain has also been an unwanted side effect (10-15 lbs), and I've never struggled this hard to lose medication-induced weight. A lot of it still remains, but heavy metal toxicity can make weight loss next to impossible. Metal toxicity also causes the body to break down, wearing on all major organs--especially the digestive, kidneys, bones, and brain. Central nervous system gets hit very hard, which is why mood disorders like depression and anxiety get much worse. This drug is relatively new, so very few studies have been done to test its long term efficacy. If you've developed strange, unrelated symptoms (over a year's time or more) which doctors have been unable to diagnose, or you have stopped the med without much improvement or even a worsening in symptoms, you ought to consider being tested for heavy metals. Note: doctors aren't in the habit of testing for this, so you may not get a GP to order one. Mine laughed at my hair analysis report. You may have to contract with a lab and pay for one yourself. Make sure the lab is reputable and follows appropriate guidelines. There are plenty of detox options available, but because conventional medicines and herbal remedies can be harsh, I've opted to try the sauna, which has been tested and proven effective in full body detoxification. Again, I do not know if Pristiq or other antidepressants contain trace amounts of foreign metals that are toxic to the body. But I intend to find out, and if this sauna helps me detox and get my life back, I will devote my energy to spreading awareness of this hidden disease.

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If you find out please let me know!I have been off pristiq 50mg for 3 months ..took it for 8 weeks before it made me physically sick in bed . I had flu like symptoms . It took me about a week cold turkey to even get out of bed from withdrawals. After all that I noticed how my body blow up in stomach and upper tighs. I'm 5'3 and normal weight is between 110 to 115 and now pushing 121 to 125.( it's is fatty water weight ) I can't seem to loose it, I'm a high energy person and it is the most uncomfortable bloating ever! help

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I posted (359) back on March 11, 2012. Although I have been off Pristiq since March, my weight has increased 20lbs more! I notice most of the problem in my abdomen. You all must know how awful this feels when I never weighed this much in my life. I believe Pristiq did something to my metabolism that has continued despite my discontinuing the medication. I eat right (cheat occasionally) and exercise but nothing is reversing this trend. I have had a colonoscopy and a abdominal x ray and everything is normal. I appreciate reading your posts because I know that I am not alone in my struggle. I am 54 y.o. and 5'3. I am post menopausal for 7 years. My normal weight is 145 but since taking Pristiq for just a few months, my weight has soared to 178. If you are considering taking Pristiq, please consider that it might screw up your metabolism for a long time which might make you gain a lot of weight in your stomach area.

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Debbie when I read your post, I thought I had wrote it-lol same story. I weight more than what I did when I was 9 months pregnant. I'm so surprise these Dr.'s think you don't gain weigh with Pristiq. I'm sure they must be getting a nice little kick back for writing these prescriptions. I'm so frustrated with this weight gain. I actually eat fewer calories but it does not help. I'm just waiting for a recall on this stuff.

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As I read all these posts i can't help but to cry, i have been obsessing about this big belly i have. I gained 20 lbs since February and my doc reassured me no weight gain. I have done the herbal life diet a month of boot camp and just signed up for weight watchers. I don't notice any changes with my health other than more depression bc now i'm fat. I'm stopping this medicine ASAP.

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I've been on low carb now for about 6 weeks and have managed to lose a little bit of weight..BUT not near as much as i should have at this point..very few people are noticing at all. It's very discouraging doing all this hard work and it's barely coming off. I have probably lost about 8lbs of about 60lbs I need to lose since being on this drug. I'm determined to keep at it though. I'll post again. This week I'm adding exercise to my weight loss journey to see if that helps. I'm sooo afraid to go off this drug because I can't dedicate 4-8 weeks of being sick/withdrawl at this time. I feel like a drug addict at this point too afraid to NOT take my drug but afraid of what it's doing to me!

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I have been on Pristiq for just over 5 weeks, and stopped taking it yesterday. The side effects, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, aggressive behavior out of no where, irritation over the smallest things, have now tripled since yesterday. I cannot drive my car, my sense of balance, and vision is so impared. i am so angry at my Dr for giving me this med, I was on Lexapro, and she convinced me that Pristiq was better. It has been my worst nightmare.

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I stopped it only 2 days ago and I as well have had the headaches and dizziness, but with time this should pass. I hope...

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Started Weight Watchers 14 weeks ago. I have always lost weight at a reasonably rapid pace. Now, I weigh and measure everything, am walking 5+ miles a day, have given up salt, processed foods, am drinking 64 oz of water per day, eating 10 points less than my weight watchers' point allowance and show a weight gain when I get on the scale. After reading the posts here, I have come to realize that the problem is Pristiq. None of my doctors have associated this with Pristiq because all the documentation indicates no weight gain.

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