I need some help, gang....I stopped taking Prozac after having been on it since 1991 (holy cow, that's 14 years). Anyhow, I was fine the first few weeks since the drug was still in my body, but now I don't know if I am missing the Prozac or just going through a tough time. All I want to do is cry (and I have done plenty of that), I am bitchy, I don't want to be around people, and I am eating more!!!

These are my classic symthoms...

I spoke to my PCP about going back on the Prozac, but he said I do risk dealing with the weight issue while on Prozac.....I can't take that chance. I know this is very personal, but is anyone taking an antidepressant that has not affected their weight?

Thanks for you help.....I really need it...

Hi,

I have the same problem. My Psychiatrist prescribed Effexor, which is one of the few that don't cause over eating. It works and I don't eat all day long.

Good luck.

I take Zoloft(100mg). I have been on it since Jan.1,2005. I gained 8-10 pounds but not sure if it was because of Zoloft or not. I am really bithchy and have lots of anxiety with out it(except when I am away from husband and kids) LOL

Margo,

Prozac takes about 55 days to fully clear the system, but most people begin to feet the loss of the medication after about 2 weeks. It sounds to me like your symptoms may be coming back. I would absolutly speak to a psychiatrist about this.

The weight gain issue with prozac is not as bad as with some other antidepressants, but it is real for some people. Nevertheless, if the medication was helping you I'd still reccomend it if you were my patient. Other non-psych meds cause weight gain and you wouldn't stop them, also if you have chronic depresion, coming off of the medication may in fact worsen the depresive symptoms (depression gets worse with each successive bout a person has).

As for wellbutrin, it is a wonderful medication, but as your depression was responsive to a serotonin based medication, and welbutrin is a norepinephrine based medication (it does not increase serotonin) it might not work for you. Also since we bandsters may not do well with tablets you would not be a candidate for the sustained release varieties of welbutrin. That would mean taking the immediate release pills (crushed) three times daily. What a pain in the butt. I hope that this is helpful.

Benet

Did you wean off the prozac? My friend stopped taking it suddenly and went crazy for awhile until it got out of his system. He was pretty bad for a few months - and I mean badddd. I believe in alternative medicines - wow 14 years? I've only been in a position to go on anti-depresseants twice in my life and one was well-butrin and the other was prozac and neither of them worked for me. Are there any other alternatives besides being on medicine for so long? You have to do what you need to do, it just worries me to hear of people being on these medications for so long! Keep us updated We're here for you

Wow, you guys are really great and so supportive....I can't thank you all enough for caring.....

I spoke to my PCP again and I made a decision to go back on Prozac. It has been so very successful for me and I just have to face it....I need it. I have been diagnoised as clinically depressed and the Prozac does the job.

I will fight the drug if my appetite comes back...and I can put up a good fight!!! I have to.....

One of the posts by BenetP really freaked me out since it said that this drug is stays in your system for a while after you stop....this I knew, but the post said up until about 55 days....I counted from the day I stopped until the day I fell into this deep depression.....59 days....scary.....

Now I wonder how long before the Prozac starts working again????? Anyone know? I can't remember from 14 years ago when I first took it!!!

My Mom's been on Prosac for years; it doesn't make her gain weight; it sure helps her though. She cannot live without it.

hi I'm in the mental health field so I know alot about this.

1. First, your PCP telling you that is not very responsible. Untreated depression is worse than possibly losing weight more slowly. Also, as said by many, there are many other options to try.

2. Prozac usually doesn't cause that much weight gain, so you may want to try it again, since it did work for you in the past. Antidepressants usually make you gain weight by making you want to eat more, which you are limited by the band.

3. People rarely (although there are exceptions) gain weight on Wellbutrin, Lexapro and zoloft.

4. Avoid Paxil which is notorious for making people gain weight.

5. Effexor sort of so-so : some gain weight, some don't.

6. Not alot of evidence completely out on Cymbalta, but most don't seem to gain weight on it.

Hope this helps! the important thing is to get on something now, before it gets worse. We all know depression is most likely of all to make us gain weight!

I take Zoloft and it helps immensely with my mood. I actually have stopped taking it recently and am still doing ok without it.

I am not sure how it effects my weight since I have been fat forever. It works quicker than most anti-d's. Ask your PCP... might be worth a shot.

I avoided Wellbutrin because I had borderline BP and my PCP advised against it.

im happy for you Margo that you wont quit it now! its imo the right desicion!

i think it needs 2-3 days to start workin all over again (im not sure)..

BUT

guess what... when you will lose some more weight i have a feeling that

you wont need it anymore...and then you will quit it slowly and for ever!!!

lovz

My therapist knew about my weight issues, so he made sure to prescribe me an anti deppressant that would not cause weight gain. I was on Effexor for approximately 1 year. I found it to work excellently. The down side is that it really gets you wired and its difficult to fall asleep at night. For that reason, I was put on Topomax to help me sleep, but I was so tired during the day. The mix was a terrible experience, but the effexor, alone, was awesome. It 'gets the job done' without the weight gain. I actually lost a lot of weight while I was on it. Cymbalta is very similar to that one.

Margo, you sound like my secretary, OMG, she takes zoloft and the day after she runs out we're looking for a poltigeist (sp). My DH takes the happy pill Effexor, I'd like to double it up on him. He has a problem with restless sleeping, I haven't told him it's a side affect of his happy pills, he's quit taking them, but no weight gain, same size he was when we got married 36 years ago.

I was taking SAM-e for a couple of years before my recent banding. But it needs to be taken whole for it to work properly so I had to stop using it.

I still miss it. I had a cheery happy mood, no side effects, and you can get it in the Vitamin aisle at WalMart. Now I have to live without it.

Wellbutrin is generally not linked to weight gain. I've been on it for several years and it has been a life-saver!

I am on effexor but I had to decrease the amount I take. It just knocks me out at night and it is hard to get up in the mornings. I take the smallest amount and now just take it everyother day and it seems to work better for me.

During a weight management consultation (to create a paper trail in support of Lap-Band surgery) I was told the Remeron I've been taking for a few years is linked to binge eating. I don't know that I binge per say, but I do eat a lot ... I stay hungery! I was switched to Zoloft, which actually seemed to curb my appetite, but it made me very very dizzy.

I stoped taking any anti-depressant about 6 weeks ago, and so far, so good. If it takes a while to get all anti-depressant medications out of your system, I may not be too far behind you in resuming medication. If that happens and Prozac isn't linked to weight gain, maybe I'll try it.

Good luck & God Bless! Just know that you're not alone.