Librax and antidepressants...weight gain ?

Q.According to my doctor weight gain is typical with antidepressants because content people tend to eat more. I don't know how true it is, but that is what I was told when I had the same problems.

A.Certainly if depression has taken away your appetite, as it does in many people, getting treatment for it will probably cause a weight gain -- but that would just restore your normal weight. On the other hand, some people eat more when they're depressed (it's the only thing that makes them feel better, or they have nothing else to do) and most people exercise much less. I don't think this is always the mechanism for weight effects of antidepressants, though. It would be odd if antidepressants *didn't* affect weight, because many of them manipulate the levels of neurotransmitters that affect appetite, satisfaction, and pleasure. Furthermore, there's an interplay between neurotransmitters, hormones, insulin, and weight that we're just beginning to understand. The SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil...) often suppress appetite, at least temporarily. They're also good at stopping compulsive behavior, which includes binge eating. The tricyclics (desipramine, nortriptyline...) often cause weight gain, either by increasing the appetite (over and above the restoration of normal undepressed eating behavior) or by some more direct effect. People have reported having more difficulty losing weight while dieting if they are taking tricyclics. But all I have on this is anecdotal evidence. Several anti-seizure medications, some of which are also given as antidepressants, can increase appetite and/or cause weight gain, even in someone who wasn't depressed to start with. Depakote, for example, makes weight control very difficult.

Other Questions :

Clinical Depression Brain. Theory on depression ?

Perhaps clinical depression is actually a term that describes a whole group of illness. and there are infact many different psychological diseases that are diagnosed as depression, Ill stop here, the possibilities are endless, my point is, th...

Difference between anxiety and depression medication ?

My doctor is recommending anti-depressants for me but I'm not sure if it's the right way to go. She seems to think I have dysthymia (chronic low mood) and I agree but I feel as though anxiety is worse than any depression I might have. I use...

should i be on some kind of depression medicine? ipls read pls

is this depression? i always feel like something is bothering me or i am worrying about something. but in reality, i have alot to be happy about and i'm a pretty good person. sometimes my mind plays with me though, it'll put stupid thoughts ...

If a doctor suspects clinical depression ?

If a doctor suspects that some or all of a patients symptoms are caused by clinical depression what are the proper scientific/medical ways to rule in or rule out clinical depression? What are some incorrect ways?Clinical depression is usually ...

Depression: How Medicine Can Help ?

How will my doctor choose an antidepressant for me? Your doctor will probably think about the following 10 points when choosing an antidepressant medicine for you: If you were depressed before and a certain antidepressant worked well, tha...