Paxil and Weight Gain

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Question:

I hear a lot of anecdotal evidence regarding Paxil and weight gain. Could someone please substantiate this as well as indicate the logic behind this claim (ie. less active, greater appetite, etc.) Regs, Frank

Response:

All of the SSRI’s made me gain weight incluing Paxil. I gained 20 pounds on Paxil and looked flabby and it went away when I stopped taking it. Later Phil

Response:

Frank, I don’t know, been on the Paxil 20mgs for 6 weeks now, if anything my appetite has decreased, could be that I’m just concious of the possible side effect. But there has been no weight gain. — Dan ICQ 108553906

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I hear a lot of anecdotal evidence regarding Paxil and weight gain. > Could someone please substantiate this as well as indicate the logic > behind this claim (ie. less active, greater appetite, etc.) > Regs, > Frank

Response:

What do you think was the underlying cause? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->All of the SSRI’s made me gain weight incluing Paxil. I gained 20 pounds >on Paxil and looked flabby and it went away when I stopped taking it. >Later >Phil

Response:

>Frank, > I don’t know, been on the Paxil 20mgs for 6 weeks now, if anything >my appetite has decreased, could be that I’m just concious of the possible >side effect. But there has been no weight gain.

Just wait…SSRIs typically supress appetite _at first_ and then increase it after 1-3 months…

Response:

>>Frank, > I don’t know, been on the Paxil 20mgs for 6 weeks now, if anything >my appetite has decreased, could be that I’m just concious of the possible >side effect. But there has been no weight gain. >Just wait…SSRIs typically supress appetite _at first_ and then increase it >after 1-3 months…

Could that not be a psychological response after getting accustomed to the effect of the medication?

Response:

That’s a good question. Possibly SSRI’s have an effect on metabolism. There is evidence that serotonin plays a role in appetite. I noticed when I stopped taking the SSRI’s my appetite decreased, and so did my desire for alcohol which I could have gained weight from. For some strange reason I liked to drink when taking the SSRI’s, even though I was never crazy about drinking. Thankfully, that desire for alcohol went away after stopping the medication. Phil

Response:

> Could that not be a psychological response after getting accustomed to > the effect of the medication?

It could be that the nausea in the beginning (quite common) is in part responsible for the decrease in appetite. During the first 2 weeks I had almost no appetite at all. /ralph — . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Response:

>>>Frank, >> I don’t know, been on the Paxil 20mgs for 6 weeks now, if anything >>my appetite has decreased, could be that I’m just concious of the possible >>side effect. But there has been no weight gain. >Just wait…SSRIs typically supress appetite _at first_ and then increase it >after 1-3 months… >Could that not be a psychological response after getting accustomed to >the effect of the medication?

I don’t see how it could be. Far more likely explanations would involve the way the brain/body adapts to chronically elevated serotonin levels. We know that, at least initially, increasing serotonin decreases appetite—the diet drug fenflurmine also boosted serotonin (although it was not an SSRI, FWIW)—although exactly why is not known, at least not to me…If, for example, exposure to high levels of serotonin causes the brain to lower some hormone which causes "hunger" perhaps after long-term exposure the brain "up regulates" this hormone past initial levels… Any science buffs out there want to give a better explanation:)?

Response:

Yeah, Paxil does tend to cause weight gain. This is partly due to it’s affinity for muscarinic receptors, which is know to gain weight. The older tricyclics were famous for putting on alot of weight and they had stronger muscarinic affinity. All ssri’s tend to decrease appetite initially due to stimulation of seretonin receptors in the intestine causing nausea and loss of appetite, but this only lasts afew weeks. I think Paxil and other ssri’s in someway increase your appetite in the long term, cos i noticed my appetite go through the roof when i started taking Paxil. Not so sure if it slows down your metabolism, but it sure makes you hungry. Doctors and drug companies used to say that when your depression lifts your appetite returns, which caused the weight gain and not the drug – but Paxil

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