Fighting Antidepressant Weight Gain
headsupguys.orgAntidepressant medication may be prescribed by a family doctor or psychiatrist to help you recover from depression, depending on the severity of your symptoms.Antidepressants can work in tandem with therapy to help restore your mental health.(1) In some cases, antidepressants can be life saving.It usually takes 4-6 weeks to assess the effects of an antidepressant.(2) In addition to noticing a reduction in their depression symptoms, some men experience side effects from taking antidepressant medication, and weight gain is one of the most common.Many types of antidepressant medication, including SSRIs, tricyclics, and MOA inhibitors, have been linked to increases in body weight.
It’s estimated that up to 25% of people who are prescribed antidepressants undergo a weight gain of 4.5 kgs or more.(1,3)However, drastic weight change itself can be a symptom of depression.If you’re concerned about weight gain, it’s important that you don’t stop taking your medication without consulting your doctor first.
Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of taking medication, and explain all your options.Changes in weight may not be noticeable for some time after treatment begins.
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