QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
Was prescribed Paxil over grief related depression, have come off the drug after one year. In that time experienced a rapid weight gain of over 35 pounds and found myself extremely fatigued and motor reactions very slow. I have always exercised and maintained an extremely healthy eating lifestyle. During the time I have been off Paxil, I have found my energy level has returned and I now function quite quickly. My physician has now prescribed Celexa as I find myself slipping back. I am still having difficulty removing the gained weight and do not wish to compound the problem with Celexa. I now becomes a question of whether I exchange grief related depression for weight related depression. Please, could you tell me if my fears over this anticipated problem are founded.
ANSWER:
I would definitely recommend getting your thyroid levels checked, as that could be the
reason for the weight gain.
I have found that most patients who gained weight from SSRI medications like Paxil or
Celexa also have the generalized anxiety disorder. The SSRI can actually increase
the amount of anxiety, which can cause fatigue and is often "treated" by eating
more. The
screening test I use for my patients may be
helpful to you regarding finding out what else is bothering you. The generalized
anxiety disorder is successfully treated with BuSpar, which can be combined with the SSRI
medication.