Lowering my dose

luvmy2cats

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I have gained so much weight since I've started taking a higher dose of my antidepressant. I asked my doc if that could be causing it and he said it's not likely. I looked up some things on-line and discovered a lot of people have gained weight on the medication. So, I think I'm going to go back to the ten milligrams I was taking. The medicne I take is called Lexapro.
 

starryeyedtiger

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I've never taken antidepressants before, so i have no advice as far as that goes. But i have taken steroids before for my asthma/heart- and that made me gain weight at the time- when i went off of them, i lost the weight. (when i was on them- i was very sick and unable to workout- so being inactive helped me gain weight).

Do you have a normal exercise routine? A good exercise plan along with eating healthy can usually help people avoid gaining a few lbs here and there when changing meds.
Maybe you could ask your doctor about your concerns again or get a second opinion! Good luck!
 

strange_wings

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How long have you been on the Lexapro? I would not advise to lowering the dose without discussing it first with your doctor. Some people that have been on antidepressants for a while, or even those that have been on them only for a few months, can have problems lowering doses or coming off them.

As for the weight gain, it's common knowledge that both antidepressants and steroids can cause weight gain. ..No idea why the doctor wouldn't know this.

For anyone on any medications, if you can, look up side effects online and read the information that comes with your prescriptions. You can also ask your pharmacist as they're more likely to be aware of the side effects and possible interactions with other medications.
 
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luvmy2cats

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

How long have you been on the Lexapro? I would not advise to lowering the dose without discussing it first with your doctor. Some people that have been on antidepressants for a while, or even those that have been on them only for a few months, can have problems lowering doses or coming off them.

As for the weight gain, it's common knowledge that both antidepressants and steroids can cause weight gain. ..No idea why the doctor wouldn't know this.

For anyone on any medications, if you can, look up side effects online and read the information that comes with your prescriptions. You can also ask your pharmacist as they're more likely to be aware of the side effects and possible interactions with other medications.
I've been on ten milligrams for years but in June I was upped to 20. That's when I started gaining weight. I've gained like 35 pounds!!!! I'm just going back to ten not completely coming off it.
 

kaylacat

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If you are set on going to 10 you might want to try to take one and a half for a couple days then go to 1...that way you arn't coming completely off of it that fast and your body can get used to lower doses slowly. Believe me....coming off of them can be yucky.

Maybe you can ask your doctor if you can switch your meds to something else if you are having a problem with these. A long time ago I was on depicote and they made me gain weight so I know how much that sucks...I switched and havn't had that problem.
 
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