Lexapro and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 5)

• sam...
• March 7, 2010

For Depression "I used Lexapro for a year and a half. Last resort (I mistrust drugs) for my circumstantial depression and PTSD. I was surprised to find that Lexapro worked great for me. I had almost no side effects starting up or since, it began working in 2 days. I worked up slow from 5 to 10 mg and stayed at 10 mg. A charm: I felt level, smoothed, yet still emotional and alive. NOT numb. Positive, happy mostly, tend toward joy. More tolerant and patient too. It did NOT reduce my libido, but DID cause weight gain. 30 pounds since 08 without changing my very healthy moderate diet. Weight won't budge, unusual for me. I have begun tapering, thinking I was ready. I'm shocked that I miss it. I'm a better person on it, the edges smoothed. If not for the FAT, I'd continue."

• Bea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 27, 2017

For Depression "Lexapro helped when I was in college battling depression. I had to go to 30 mg to notice a difference. Gained over 25 pounds, no matter what I ate or how much I exercised. After intense therapy and intense workouts, my depression lifted after about 6 months. Came off Lexapro after two years. Depression came back, and Lexapro did not work. Trying to get meds back stable. Trying Lamictal and Prozac now."

• Ama...
• August 14, 2011

For Anxiety "I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at 16. I was put on Xanax and Lexapro 20 mg. After getting married and the birth of my second child, we moved from NJ to FL. I was off Lexapro with both pregnancies. I moved to FL at 25 with a 19-month-old and 8-week-old! Postpartum depression hit me hard. I went to an MD and requested Lexapro 20 mg and Xanax 3 mg/day. I have tried many, many, many other SSRIs due to the cost of Lexapro. They all made me feel MORE nutty, even Celexa, Lexapro's 'brother.' I ALWAYS wind up back on Lexapro. This is a miracle for me! I feel calmer within 24 hours, and I can't make myself anxious if I tried. I sleep soundly and am happy and a better mother. I love Lexapro despite the price and 10 lb weight gain. I'm 5'9 and 140 lbs."

• jrk...
• May 18, 2013

For Anxiety "This medicine is great for anxiety, but within the first month, I noticed weight gain and it has increased significantly over the past 10 years. I cannot seem to lose weight, I only lost 5 pounds on an extreme diet/exercise."

• Anonymous
• July 20, 2008

For Depression "I am a 33-year-old mother of 2 who was ready to give up on life. Started taking 10 mg of Lexapro and eventually increased to 20 mg. Have been taking for about a year and a half. Although still dealing with a few side effects (insomnia, weight gain, and waking up with headaches), Lexapro has truly saved my life. I can now be the kind of mother and wife that my family deserves."

• Che...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 3, 2021

For Depression "I've been on Lexapro for around 5 years now, and my Dr. is having me switch to Prozac because of weight gain. Lexapro had almost no side effects for me except increased appetite and gradual weight gain. It did help with mood for probably the first year or two, but I feel like the benefits have worn off. I've noticed it doesn't do much to help my anxiety either. While it was a great med at first, I would probably need a higher dose to continue receiving the benefits. And weight gain became a definite problem for me! I was on 20mg for years but decreased to 10mg to see if that would help with my weight, but unfortunately no. Not everyone will have this issue on Lexapro, but it's definitely something to watch out for!"

• 19...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 21, 2022

For Anxiety "Lexapro has been extremely helpful and changed my life. I experience anxiety and some depression and was scared to go on meds after lots of therapy. I can say that my 10 mg dose has truly changed my life and brought my life back to normal. I did experience some weight gain, however, my life over the past 1.5 years, being so much better, is worth it. Overall, I recommend Lexapro! It gave me my sparkle back, and I hope it can for you! (female, 19 years old)"

• eMB...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 19, 2022

For Depression "Absolutely fantastic drug. I've been on it two times in my life for one year, and it helped me tremendously. Side effects? Decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, delayed orgasm, and slight weight gain. But honestly, never have I felt so good. After tapering the drug, my sexual function comes back to normal after a few days. 'Jesus, he loves me, this I know, for he gave me Lexapro!'"

• Jes...
• July 31, 2015

For Anxiety "I am 28. I have been on this medicine now for 6 months, being treated for severe OCD and anxiety. In 6 months' time, I have gained 30-ish pounds, my sex drive is gone, I cannot sleep at night (horrible and weird dreams), and I still cannot stop thinking of a million and one things before I go to bed (example: I need to make my bed, dishes done, kids set for the next day). I am tired all the time, and I have no energy anymore for anything. I feel like I'm a different person. However, I am not as bad with my OCD as I was before taking it, I am actually calm at night rather than worried if something will happen. I am just all around calmer. I am up in the air with this drug because it does seem to work, but am I too calm? I am not really myself."

• Kat...
• May 9, 2010

For Anxiety "I was on 10 mg of Lexapro for 6 years for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It worked great! I wanted to see if I could have a good quality of life without it since I did gain 40 pounds in that time. I am on a weight loss program now since I had to go back on Lexapro. Withdrawal wasn't too bad. It took 4 months, and I was off of it for 4 months. Had new stressful things to deal with, and that's why I am taking it again. It's a great medicine, I feel, just have to watch your diet!"

• Ana...
• March 8, 2023

For Anxiety "I've been taking it for 10 months. Started on 10 mg (6 months) then cut the dosage in half (5 mg). It initially helped, even though the first 2-3 weeks were pretty uncomfortable. Once my body got used to it, my anxiety and depression did go down. However, it didn't last long, morning anxiety was a huge problem for me since the beginning, and with Lexapro, it just became a tad bit more bearable. It was still there, and once my anxiety shows up, so does my depression. I'm currently looking to switch to another antidepressant. The main side effects for me were: insomnia, bad memory, very low libido the first couple of months, either too emotional or numb, anxious, suicidal thoughts (if the anxiety doesn't subside for days, this is a trigger for me as it's very emotionally draining), weight gain, feeling like someone is squeezing your brain, making you unable to think, it's hard to describe... happened only 3-4 times."

• bal...
• July 13, 2013

For Depression "I had extreme stomach pain within 1/2-1 hour after taking Lexapro. I ended up in the hospital, dosage was 20mg. I had taken Lexapro a few years ago with no side effects. I have gained weight while on this."

• M...
• November 6, 2008

For Anxiety "I took Lexapro 10 mg for anxiety and OCD for approximately one year. It was the best ever. I was less aggravated at the little things that go wrong in daily life. My 5- and 6-year-olds even noticed a difference. It took about 3 weeks to start feeling better. I decided that I did not need it anymore and could control the anxiety. The withdrawals were bad with stopping cold turkey. After 8 months off, I am getting back on medication. The only bad side effect is terrible weight gain."

• Wil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 30, 2018

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I’ve been taking 10 mg for 6 months for GAD & OCD. There were improvements to anxiety, but at the same time, I changed some lifestyle habits and relieved stress by moving house and stopping work, and I also got treatment from a few different resources. So I can’t say that this medication was what worked. What I have noticed is that, despite giving up sugar (binge eating) for over 4 months and going to the gym for over a month now, I am not experiencing weight loss. In fact, I’ve gained weight! I’m also retaining fluid and am constipated often. I’m female, 42 years young. I’m choosing to go off this medication (psych says it leaves the body within 27 hours and I shouldn’t experience side effects) because I don’t like the above side effects. I’ll let you know."

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 6, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "I take Lexapro 5 mg with 150 mg of Wellbutrin, and it has worked wonders for me. I didn’t like taking too high a dosage of Lexapro. I felt lazy and sluggish. The combination of both really helped me with major depression, and since the Lexapro is not high in dosage, I don’t worry about gaining weight. I definitely would recommend Lexapro, but in smaller dosages."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2021

For Anxiety "Started very slowly with Lexapro. I have been on 10 mg for about a month now, without feeling that it was having much of an impact on my severe anxiety. (I have OCD as well.) I decided to try 15 mg, which I have been on for a few days now, and I feel that was a great move as my anxiety seems to finally be decreasing. I may eventually try 20 mg. Overall, the only side effects that I have noticed (and this could be attributed to other things) are a little weight gain and some tiredness throughout the day. I’ve tried to combat this with exercise, mindful eating, and caffeine. I plan to stay on it for now, but I would suggest increasing the dosage if you are not feeling a difference. Here’s to continuing on!"

• BIS...
• April 12, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been on Lexapro for about 4 1/2 months now. I had really bad GAD and OCD. I couldn't be left alone with my kids and wouldn't drive just from fear of pretty much everything. I am taking 15 mg, and it's working. Not as anxious and now able to be alone with my kids and now I'm driving. I am just pretty frustrated because since I've been on this drug, my hair has fallen out quite a bit. I have half the amount of hair I used to have, which is hard because I do hair, and I'm also starting to see the weight gain. But it has helped a lot with me mentally. I'm kind of scared to wean off. I'm just over my hair falling out."

• Anonymous
• August 26, 2009

For Depression "I've been on 10 mg of Lexapro daily since mid-2007 for major recurrent depression. It's worked for me so far. The side effects are not something I like, but when I speak with my doctors (military doctors), all they've told me is, 'It's your choice, you can be fat and happy or skinny and depressed. Which one do you want?' Since being on it, I've gained 50 lbs that I can't shed that slowly creeps up over time. My sex drive is non-existent, difficult to climax, or it's unsatisfying. If I forget to take my medicines for a few days, my mood swings to grouchy, snappy, and short-tempered. On a bonus note, my doctors kept me on Lexapro during pregnancy/breastfeeding, and my baby had NO issues, perfectly healthy."

• Nan...
• December 1, 2016

For Anxiety "I was taking Xanax, 0.25 mg three times every day for over 13 years. My doctor wanted me to wean off of it, so to help through the process, she had me take 5 mg per day of Lexapro (escitalopram). I kept taking the Lexapro for 1 and 1/2 years. During this time, my doctor raised the dosage to 10 mg daily. Lexapro wasn't the medicine for me. It caused more anxiety, mood swings, and weight gain, along with not feeling like myself. With the help of my doctor, I weaned off Lexapro over a period of 3 weeks. After the 2nd day of not taking Lexapro, I started with constant brain zaps, fatigue, dizziness with vertigo, and felt overall awful. This continued for the next 7 weeks, but the withdrawal symptoms lessened each week. I am now at the 8th week and feel wonderful!"

• Pet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "This is one of many antidepressants I have tried - it worked for my depression to an extent, but I went off it after 4-5 months because I felt like a zombie. It also removed my ability to enjoy sex (anorgasmia). I'm grateful I took it when I did because it numbed me to the loss of a beloved family member to a horrible form of cancer, but that was exactly the problem - I was numb all the time. I had no lows, but I also had no highs; my personality felt like a constant flat line. In the end, I wanted my personality back, so I stopped taking it. It also caused me to gain weight (5-10 lbs). I probably would have overlooked that if not for the other issues."

• Anonymous
• January 19, 2009

For Depression "I have been taking Lexapro for 5 months now, and it has really worked for me. I am a 30-year-old working mother of two and got very depressed due to a lot of factors, which included balancing work and family and trying hard to make ends meet. I cried a lot and suffered terribly from tension headaches. Since starting Lexapro, I have been much better with the kids and better able to cope with what life throws at me. The only side effects I have noticed are a little weight gain and lack of sex drive (which doesn't make my husband too happy), but he will get over it."

• Anonymous
• December 14, 2008

For Anxiety "I started taking Lexapro 2 years ago. I have always had bad nerves, but when my daughter graduated high school, I was suffering from the 'empty nest syndrome.' Lexapro really helped me a lot, and the only fall back for me was my weight gain. I went from size 10 to 16. I am going off the medicine now, and I think that I will do okay, and if I ever have to go back on something, it would be this. Good luck!"

• aus...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 24, 2022

For Anxiety "Went on Lexapro for anxiety. It really helped. But the side effects of skin numbness, erectile dysfunction, emotional numbness, weight gain got bad enough that death seemed like a viable alternative. Three months off of it now and side effects have stopped. Still a lot of weight to lose, and I'm back to the height of anxiety town. No idea what to do next. This drug stole three years of my life."

• Kin...
• October 16, 2009

For Depression "I am a 38-year-old mother of two teenage boys. Depression has plagued me, with thoughts of suicide a constant companion. This drug really helped (10 mg for me), I am not so worried or bothered by things. I can handle just about anything. I love it. I have been on it for 8 months, and I want to wean off because of the weight gain (10 lbs) and loss of libido. I tried to wean off before, and the withdrawals were so bad. If you decide to stop taking it, see your doctor. I recommend at least a 2-month withdrawal, if not more. Seriously, it is so bad. The nausea, dizziness, and head zaps are debilitating."

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2009

For Anxiety "I'm almost 40 years old and have been on 20 mg Lexapro for 1 1/2 years, just before the death of my mother. The drug has been wonderful and has helped balance the stress and has limited my severe migraines. The only concern is I gained a lot of weight, and I have never had a weight problem until this drug. The weight is settled mostly in my midsection. I am concerned with heart disease, artery problems, and high cholesterol since these run in my family history. Lexapro is amazing, but factor in other health issues you could encounter on it. I'm weighing my options to see if I am willing to risk the withdrawal effects, weight gain (I've read elsewhere it is difficult to lose the weight after going off Lexapro), or if my anxiety was because of my mother's death or everyday now."