Celexa weight loss stories (What have people experienced so far?)

In this blog post, we are going to talk about the weight loss associated with the use of celexa. Celexa or citalopram is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. This blog will cover why citalopram results in weight loss, if it does at all. 

Can celexa make you lose weight? 

Celexa may make you lose weight if it causes appetite suppression. Loss of appetite is commonly reported while being on celexa and this side effect is directly related to weight loss. However, people only lose a few pounds, if they lose at all, as celexa is not a weight loss pill.

Several studies have revealed that people may experience little to no weight loss especially during the first few weeks of your treatment. However, celexa may make you gain weight once your body adjusts to it. 

What people have experienced so far? 

Many people have come forward and shared their experiences. One celexa user stated:

“Celexa has been amazing for me. My depression was comorbid with bulimia. I used to overeat almost every 2 hours and it made me extremely fat. My anxiety kept asking me to shove food in my mouth, no matter if I felt hungry or not. When my doctor put me on celexa, it controlled my binge eating and helped me lose weight.”

Another user stated:

“I am not sure if celexa had any effect on my weight. I have been overweight since I was a child. Maybe it’s a family tendency kinda thing for me, but it kept me fat literally all my life and it continues to mortify me. I had heard from people that antidepressants, especially SSRIs make you gain weight like crazy and it made me NOT want to take them.”

The user continued:

“That ‘No antidepressants’ thing didn’t last long as my depression got much worse and I eventually started taking the drug. It’s been 2 years since I’m on celexa and I have neither experienced weight loss nor weight gain of any kind. I think antidepressants affect every human body differently.”

I totally agree with this user here. Antidepressants react differently in different individuals. It is because every human body is different. Just like every human being reacts differently to different situations, similarly every human body reacts differently when they are exposed to medications. 

One more user stated:

“Celexa has been a nightmare for me. When I first started taking it, it not only made me feel worthless and pathetic but also made me crazy hungry all the time. I would just eat, eat and eat. It made me gain weight like crazy and there was nothing I could do about it. It literally made me gain 15lbs.”

The user continued:

“We all know how weight gain can mess up your entire personality and your confidence. Mine did just that. I started staying more and more at home because I didn’t feel like being in public where people could see me and my giant body. This made my depression worse and actually made celexa a big failure for me. My doctor then got me off it.”

This is indeed a negative review and a great example of variation. We just learned about a person who claimed that celexa stopped the cravings and binge eating, but here we are seeing how this antidepressant made the user eat uncontrollably, which resulted in 15 pounds weight gain. 

A few people out there have experienced both weight gain and weight loss, while being on celexa. This one stated:

“Celexa made me both gain and lose weight. When I first started taking it, it made me lose my appetite. I would spend entire days without anything in my stomach because I just didn’t feel like eating. But when my treatment continued, I think my body started adjusting to it and my appetite came back, more than it ever was and it made me gain a few pounds. “

These reviews indicate that celexa indeed causes different types of effects in different individuals. However, studies suggest that celexa and other SSRIs are associated with weight gain, but this effect varies from person to person. 

It’s safe to say that if the medication increases your appetite and you eat more, you’ll gain weight. For some people it decreases their appetite and they lose. It’s not solely the medication itself, but how your body reacts to it. 

If you continue to eat as you were before taking the meds, your weight might not change at all. 

What researchers have to say about celexa induced weight gain? 

Celexa, along with other SSRIs, is said to cause weight gain among its users. This has been a topic of research for a while now and many studies have been conducted to determine whether white gain is associated with SSRIs or not. 

A 2017 study used data from 2334 adults from two stages (4.4 years apart) of the North West Adelaide Health Study, to determine the relationship between SSRIs and weight gain. 

It concluded that SSRIs use was associated with weight gain in the presence of unhealthy behaviours including poor diet, inactive lifestyle and smoking.

Research suggests that around 20% of people who take an antidepressant will experience some form of weight gain, usually only a few pounds. It’s been suggested that SSRIs and other antidepressants can impact our metabolism. 

It makes your metabolism less efficient at burning calories so you might not feel like you’re eating more, but your body becomes much less efficient at burning those calories away and more of them are stored around your tummy. 

Some users of antidepressants have reported that they have an increased craving for foods that are heavy in carbs such as breads, pastas, cakes, biscuits etc. 

Foods that are heavy in carbs lead to increased amount of sugar in your blood and eventually lead to more fat cells being stored by your body. This makes you gain weight.

Some experts actually believe that as antidepressants start to work and the serotonin and dopamine in your brain becomes more regulated, you start to experience emotions more deeply. 

Therefore, when you are tasting food, you’re tasting it with more pleasure than previously and that actually can lead to you overeating certain foods that might be pretty unhealthy and this causes weight gain.

As we have already discussed, celexa affects people differently. It causes loss of appetite in some people and actually makes them suffer from signs of anorexia. This results in a reduced amount of calorie intake and you end up losing weight.

It also causes gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Such conditions normally make eating much less desirable, specifically diarrhoea which makes it extremely difficult for you to consume solid foods. 

It also expels whatever you eat out from your body and your body does not get enough time to absorb nutrients from it. This makes you malnourished and your body starts using stored fats as energy for performing basic metabolic functions.

A few tips to help you lose a few pounds while being on celexa

• Don’t starve yourself. Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do to yourself, especially breakfast. Your body needs energy to perform basic physiological functions.
• Add fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fibre and lots of protein in your diet.
• Refrain from overeating. Overeating is the key to gaining weight. Stuffing up your stomach to the point where you can no longer breathe is terrible for your health. Eat everything, but in small proportions.
• Exercise is considered a main element when it comes to weight loss. Your weight gain is associated with the use of a med, so exercise is crucial for you.
• Don’t give in to ‘emotional eating. Depression is a disease which is often associated with emotional eating. A condition where you are not actually hungry, but you keep eating even if your stomach is full. 
• Drink plenty of water. Water clears out toxins from your body. Try making a detox water by adding your favourite fruits in it. You can add lemon, cucumber, kiwi, oranges, berries, ginger etc, to make drinking water less boring. 
• Try Intermittent fasting. It  is a well known technique used by people to help them lose stubborn fat. This technique can also help you lose weight while being on celexa. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have talked about the effects of celexa on weight. It may make you lose a little weight if it causes appetite suppression. Loss of appetite is commonly reported while being on celexa and this side effect is directly related to weight loss. 

Several studies have revealed that people may experience little to no weight loss especially during the first few weeks of your treatment. However, celexa may make you gain weight once your body adjusts to it. We have also looked at a number of reviews given by people. 

However, medicines are unique to every individual. It’s not solely the medication itself, but how your body reacts to it. Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider if you face any complications. If you experience unexplained weight loss or weight gain, report it to your doctor.

FAQs: celexa weight loss stories 

Can Celexa make you lose weight?

Celexa may make you lose a little weight if it causes appetite suppression. Loss of appetite is commonly reported while being on celexa and this side effect is directly related to weight loss. Several studies have revealed that people may experience little to no weight loss especially during the first few weeks of your treatment. 

Does Celexa make you gain weight?

Yes, celexa can make you gain weight. SSRIs use is associated with weight gain in the presence of unhealthy behaviours including poor diet, inactive lifestyle and smoking. Research suggests that around 20% of people who take an antidepressant will experience some form of weight gain, usually only a few pounds. It’s been suggested that SSRIs and other antidepressants can impact our metabolism. 

What is the most common side effect of Celexa?

Common side effects of celexa include:

• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Diarrhoea or Constipation 
• Acid reflux or heartburn 
• Abdominal pain 
• Loss of appetite 
• Weight gain or loss 
• Excessive sweating or night sweating (nocturnal/night hyperhidrosis) 
• Frequent urination 
• Polydipsia or excessive thirst
• Tremors 
• Muscle twitching and pain
• Drowsiness 
• Dizziness 
• Excessive tiredness or fatigue 
• Insomnia or inability to fall asleep 
• Xerostomia or dry mouth 
• Dysmenorrhea or heavy periods
• Flu like symptoms including irritation in eyes and runny nose
• Loss of libido in both male and females. Males may suffer from inability to release, while females may suffer from inability to have a climactic experience. 

Which is better, Celexa or Lexapro?

Both celexa (Citalopram) and lexapro (Escitalopram) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Lexapro is actually a more active derivative of celexa and is a newer antidepressant. Several studies suggest that lexapro is more effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) as compared to celexa. 

How can I avoid gaining weight on antidepressants?

You can avoid gaining weight on antidepressants by following a few tips. These include:

• Do not give in to emotional eating.
• Add fruits, vegies, whole grains, fibres and lean protein in your diet.
• Focus on exercise, especially yoga. Your brain releases happy chemicals in your body when you workout.
• Stay hydrated.
• Do not skip meals, especially breakfast.
• Sleep for at least 8 hours.

Does Celexa make you tired in the beginning?

Celexa may make you tired in the beginning of the treatment but this tiredness starts to wear off within a few weeks of your treatment. Some people may start to notice better energy levels within 2-3 weeks, while others may take longer than that. This effect is variable as people react differently when they are exposed to medications. 

References 

• Rudolf Uher et al. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. (2011) – Changes in body weight during pharmacological treatment of depression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20716398/
• Zumin Shi,1 Evan Atlantis – Antidepressant use potentiates weight gain in the context of unhealthy lifestyles: results from a 4-year Australian follow-up study (2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5629701/
• Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years’ follow-up: population based cohort study (2018) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964332/
• Faruk Uguz, Mine Sahingoz, Buket Gungor, Fadime Aksoy, Rustem Askin – Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467076/
• Celexa – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8603/celexa-oral/details
• Citalopram (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/citalopram-oral-route/description/drg-20062980