Revealed on: 03 Apr 2023
Psychological well being is an integral a part of our general well-being. Once we expertise sure psychological well being situations, medicine could be an efficient part of our psychological well being remedy plan. Lexapro (escitalopram) is a typical psychiatrist-prescribed medicine that’s been confirmed efficient in serving to to handle signs associated to melancholy and nervousness. It’s not with out unintended effects, although. Analysis suggests that some folks achieve weight on Lexapro or different antidepressants.
If you happen to’re contemplating taking Lexapro or are already on it and have observed weight change, you could be questioning about Lexapro weight achieve. When you perceive extra about this potential facet impact, you can also make knowledgeable selections about whether or not or not Lexapro is best for you.
Preserve studying to be taught extra about Lexapro and weight achieve. We’re masking how a lot weight some folks achieve, why weight change may occur, the right way to keep away from it, and extra.
Does Lexapro Trigger Weight Achieve?
Lexapro is an antidepressant medicine that belongs to a category of medicine referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It’s used to deal with melancholy, generalized nervousness dysfunction (GAD), and different temper problems. Whereas it may be efficient for many individuals in treating these situations, Lexapro and weight achieve has been present in some folks.
“All medicines have some degree of unintended effects related to them. It’s no completely different with Lexapro. A generally reported symptom is weight achieve. This may be on account of a mess of causes nevertheless it does exist. Managing the opportunity of weight achieve by means of changes in train and food regimen can be essential.”
How a lot weight do you achieve on Lexapro?
Some analysis discovered that as much as 41% of individuals who take Lexapro may expertise elevated physique weight. It may well take wherever from 6 – 8 weeks to see the unintended effects of Lexapro totally, and it’s throughout that point it may be extra widespread to begin seeing fluctuations in weight.
Lexapro and weight achieve can differ from individual to individual. One examine discovered that folks on Lexapro for 9 months gained a mean of two.4 kilos.
Why Does Lexapro Trigger Weight Achieve?
A number of components can contribute to Lexapro and weight achieve. For instance, some medicines are recognized to trigger a rise in urge for food, adjustments in metabolism, or fluid retention. As well as, some folks discover it difficult to take care of an lively life-style when feeling low or anxious — which might additionally contribute to weight achieve over time if left unchecked.
The precise purpose Lexapro may trigger weight achieve isn’t totally understood but. Nevertheless, many specialists consider that adjustments in metabolism or urge for food might play a task in inflicting this explicit facet impact. Different doable explanations embody elevated cravings for carbohydrates or elevated fats storage on account of decreased bodily exercise brought on by low power ranges related to melancholy or nervousness medicines like Lexapro.
Analysis identifies a number of doable explanations for why somebody may achieve weight on Lexapro. A few of them embody the next:
Sedentary life-style
Some individuals who aren’t lively or don’t work out could be extra susceptible to gaining weight when on melancholy or nervousness medicine like Lexapro.
Serotonin ranges altering
One principle about Lexapro and weight achieve is that elevated serotonin ranges can result in adjustments in urge for food or metabolism, leading to undesirable weight achieve.
Elevated cravings
One other risk is that an SSRI antidepressant like Lexapro can improve cravings for sure kinds of meals, together with carbohydrates or sweets.
Smoking
Some folks with a historical past of smoking may achieve weight after beginning prescription antidepressant remedy.
As at all times it’s essential to speak to your physician earlier than you smoke or use any substance alongside Lexapro. Lexapro and alcohol will not be advisable collectively so ensure you at all times speak to your physician about potential interactions.
Improved urge for food
Lastly, some folks merely eat extra when feeling higher emotionally on account of improved moods from antidepressants like Lexapro. Melancholy and nervousness could cause a decreased urge for food so a discount of these signs can enhance somebody’s urge for food.
Does Lexapro Weight Achieve Go Away?
It’s not unusual for folks to expertise weight achieve whereas taking Lexapro. The excellent news is that this facet impact typically may go away as soon as the physique adjusts to the drug and your metabolism returns to regular.
How lengthy does weight achieve from Lexapro final?
The period of Lexapro weight achieve varies from individual to individual. Some folks expertise it instantly after beginning the medicine. Others, although, may solely discover adjustments as soon as they’ve taken it for a number of weeks or months. It could be the case that the longer you’re taking Lexapro, the extra doubtless it’s that you simply’ll expertise some weight achieve.
How one can Keep away from Gaining Weight on Lexapro
If you wish to try to keep away from the potential facet impact of gaining an excessive amount of weight whereas on Lexapro, there are steps you’ll be able to take. Listed below are some ideas for avoiding weight achieve when taking Lexapro:
- Eat wholesome meals: Maintaining a healthy diet meals resembling fruit and veggies, lean proteins, complete grains, and low-fat dairy merchandise may help hold your physique fueled with the vitamins it wants with out including further energy or fats. Keep away from processed meals excessive in sugar and saturated fat which might result in weight achieve.
- Train recurrently: Common train helps preserve a wholesome weight. Understanding additionally releases endorphins that may enhance temper and scale back stress ranges (each of which have been linked to overeating or unhealthy consuming habits). Goal for a minimum of half-hour of average bodily exercise every day. Strive issues like strolling, jogging, yoga, or biking.
- Monitor your weight: Preserving monitor of your weight recurrently will aid you establish any adjustments rapidly so to make changes if wanted. Some folks discover it useful to weigh themselves as soon as per week on the similar time, carrying related clothes every time for accuracy.
“Studying to handle weight achieve whereas on Lexapro can be useful in making certain the advantages of the medicine are aiding the signs of melancholy. Weight achieve could cause further health-related dangers but in addition extra signs of melancholy closely associated to the burden achieve. Making certain proactive adjustments to food regimen and train, using wholesome coping abilities, and speaking to the psychiatrists and therapists can be essential in managing these unintended effects.”
If you happen to discover vital adjustments in your urge for food or sudden unexplained will increase in weight whereas taking Lexapro, speak to your physician instantly. They might counsel adjusting the dosage or switching medicines if crucial. Moreover, they’ll advise on how greatest to handle some other unintended effects related to this drug, together with undesirable weight achieve.
By making life-style adjustments and monitoring your weight whereas taking Lexapro, you’ll be able to keep away from gaining weight.
Some pure dietary supplements are additionally out there which have been proven efficient at lowering signs related to melancholy. Some are efficient with out inflicting vital Lexapro unintended effects like elevated urge for food or cravings. You possibly can ask your physician about these choices as properly.
Discuss to Your Physician About Lexapro Aspect Results
It’s essential to ask your physician the query: can Lexapro trigger weight achieve? Whereas it may be efficient in treating your psychological well being situation, there are unintended effects — like the opportunity of weight achieve — to concentrate on earlier than beginning the medicine.
Understanding the potential Lexapro unintended effects may help decide if the drug could be a superb choice as a part of your remedy plan. Your physician will make sure you perceive what may happen and the right way to greatest handle unintended effects like weight achieve if you happen to expertise them. Make sure you additionally speak to your physician about different medical recommendation concerning Lexapro, resembling utilizing Lexapro whereas pregnant.
Lexapro weight achieve is usually a widespread facet impact, nevertheless it doesn’t affect everybody who takes this medicine. A number of research conclude that SSRIs like Lexapro can lead to weight achieve. Nevertheless, it varies from individual to individual relying on particular person components resembling age, life-style habits, food regimen, and exercise degree.
Are you fighting weight achieve whereas taking Lexapro? Are you searching for an answer to assist handle your signs and scale back the chance of unintended effects? On-line remedy from Talkspace supplies personalised help to handle the bodily, psychological, and emotional elements of coping with any psychological well being situation.
Talkspace provides handy, inexpensive, evidence-based remedy tailor-made to your wants. With the assistance of a Talkspace therapist, you’ll find reduction from signs and scale back your fear about undesirable unintended effects like weight achieve. Contact us at present to get began in your journey towards wellness.
Sources:
- Gafoor R, Sales space HP, Gulliford MC. Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight achieve throughout 10 years’ follow-up: Inhabitants primarily based cohort examine. BMJ. 2018. doi:10.1136/bmj.k1951. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964332/. Accessed December 12, 2022.
- Anagha Ok, Shihabudheen P, Uvais NA. Aspect impact profiles of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The Main Care Companion For CNS Issues. 2021;23(4). doi:10.4088/pcc.20m02747. https://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/melancholy/side-effect-profiles-selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors-cross-sectional-study-naturalistic-setting/. Accessed December 12, 2022.
- Escitalopram (Lexapro). NAMI. https://www.nami.org/About-Psychological-Sickness/Therapies/Psychological-Well being-Drugs/Varieties-of-Medicine/Escitalopram-%28Lexapropercent29#: Accessed December 14, 2022.
- Blumenthal SR, Castro VM, Clements CC, et al. An digital well being information examine of long-term weight achieve following antidepressant use. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(8):889. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.414. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1878922. Accessed December 14, 2022.
- Shi Z, Atlantis E, Taylor AW, et al. SSRI antidepressant use potentiates weight achieve within the context of unhealthy existence: Outcomes from a 4-year Australian follow-up examine. BMJ Open. 2017;7(8). doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016224. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content material/7/8/e016224. Accessed December 14, 2022.
- Lee SH, Paz-Filho G, Mastronardi C, Licinio J, Wong M-L. Is elevated antidepressant publicity a contributory issue to the weight problems pandemic? Translational Psychiatry. 2016;6(3). doi:10.1038/tp.2016.25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26978741/. Accessed December 14, 2022.
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