One of the possible unfortunate side affects of taking antidepressants is weight gain. Some antidepressants are more of a problem than others but I will not mention names in this article. People who have had serious depression and been on a number of different antidepressants will know which ones are the worst. People who are just starting to take antidepressants for the first time need to keep an eye on their weight and discuss any gains with their doctor before it becomes a serious problem.

Many people stop taking their medication because of the weight gain. You must never just stop taking your medication without first discussing this option with your doctor. He will be able to advise you on alternatives available with lower likelihood of weight gain as a side effect.

Some of the effects of antidepressants that cause weight gain are: an increase in the desire for sugary food, an increased appetite, a change in metabolism and a change in how body fat is deposited. Sometimes one of the effects of depression is a decrease in appetite and with drug therapy and feeling better the appetite improves and weight is gained. Not to be underestimated is how depressing weight gain can be in itself.

If you are taking an antidepressant and you are experiencing weight gain, see your doctor as soon as possible before it gets out of control. I speak from personal experience having gained 33 kilos myself and now find myself working to lose that weight I gained. I must admit that although I hated being overweight, I did feel much better on the antidepressants, so one may need to chose between the lesser of two evils.

One solution is to lower the dose of the antidepressant you are taking or to change the medication to another type. You must discuss these options with your doctor and explore all possible avenues. Also, discuss a weight loss plan and maybe some form of regular exercise which can have the added benefit of being therapeutic in itself.

With some antidepressants, the weight gain is not caused so much by the amount of food eaten but by the body’s metabolism being slowed down. If you have tried regular exercising, and cutting down on fatty and sugary foods and are still gaining weight, then you can probably safely say that your metabolism is to blame. Most people return to their pre-antidepressant weight after stopping taking particular medications or lessening the dose but the change is very slow.

SSRIs are very tricky. It was previously thought that they reduce appetite and help weight loss which can actually happen in the first months of taking them, but the long term effect of these drugs is weight gain.

If you have any concerns whatsoever about the medication you are taking, you should discuss these with your medical practitioner. Never stop taking medication suddenly, for any reason, without talking with your doctor first. With most antidepressants, gradual withdrawal from the drug is indicated as suddenly stopping taking them can have serious side effects.