Prozac weight loss stories (3+ weight loss experiences)

In this blog post, we are going to talk about prozac induced weight loss. Prozac is an antidepressant and is used to treat a number of mental health conditions. People have experienced variable effects of this drug. This blog will cover its weight loss effects. 

Can Prozac help you lose weight? 

Prozac may help you lose weight, especially if you suffer from an eating disorder. Several studies have revealed that the use of prozac can reduce the episodes of binge eating and frequent cravings. 

Prozac can also make you lose weight if it causes loss of appetite as a side effect, which is also reported by a number of people taking this antidepressant. 

A 1999 research study monitored the effects of prozac on weight for the period of one year. The study concluded that patients start to show the signs of weight loss as early as 4 weeks. However, not all test participants lost weight. 

Some did not experience any kind of weight loss. Another study monitored the same effects of prozac and concluded that this antidepressant can indeed cause weight loss, especially in those who suffer from eating disorders associated with binge eating and excessive cravings. 

How have people described their Prozac induced weight loss? 

A number of people have come forward with the passage of time and have asked about prozac induced weight loss on different platforms. 

Antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to cause weight gain and this side effect is proven by researchers. 

When people experienced weight loss on prozac, they got a little skeptical and thought that maybe the med is causing some unusual effects on them, but as more and more people came forward with the same outcome, researchers began to study these effects. 

One prozac user stated:

“After being diagnosed with an eating disorder and depression, my doctor put me on prozac. Within 3 weeks the med started working for me and significantly reduced my nighttime cravings of ‘something sweet’. Within 6 months, I lost 10 pounds (Yay!).” 

Now, this review alone is enough to make us believe that prozac can indeed help you lose weight, but let’s keep going and see what other people have to say. Another user stated:

“I was diagnosed with depression when I was a teenager because I was bullied my entire life and had a dysfunctional family. You can imagine what it can do to a child. When I was diagnosed, my doc put me on lexapro, that worked well for me but I had to discontinue it after a few years. That’s when my doctor put me on Prozac.”

He continued:

“The first few weeks were terrible. I suffered from insomnia and excessive tiredness at the same time. It’s like when your eyes are heavy but you can’t seem to fall asleep. One more side effect that I experienced was loss of appetite. I couldn’t eat anything and as a result, prozac made me lose 15 pounds.”

Now, this one is a bit alarming. We all love it when we shed a few pounds, don’t we? But this is not the kind of weight loss you and I look for. 

It’s one thing when your prozac suppresses your unusual cravings, but if it’s making you lose your appetite like that, it’s not a healthy kind of weight loss. Another user stated: 

“I was diagnosed with bulimia a year ago and I was actually obese. I couldn’t stop my cravings for junk food and kept eating hamburgers. It not only made me incredibly fat, but I also got diagnosed with type II diabetes. Back then, it was like my worst nightmare had come to life.”

She continued:

“That’s when I visited my mental practitioner who prescribed 10 mg Prozac. At first I suffered from weird side effects. I felt agitated, angry and unhappy most of the time and at one point I thought of quitting my antidepressant but within 4 weeks, it started working. I felt a significant change in my eating pattern and stopped craving junk. Today, a year later, I’m not obese as I lost 25 pounds.”

This review is what I call an inspirational review. We often neglect medical help and think that medicines can’t fix what we’re going through. When it comes to taking meds that can affect your mood or psychological health, people get scared to try them. 

They have this kind of mindset that the drug will make them even more sick or they simply start arguing that they are not ‘abnormal’, so why do they  have to take such a med? 

Well, these meds are designed to help you relieve the nerve-racking symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, panic disorder and certain eating disorders. 

Another user stated:

“Prozac has been a lifesaver for me. It not only saved me from the darkness of depression, but I also lost a huge amount of body fat and excess weight. I have been taking this antidepressant for quite a while now and it’s my favourite one so far.” 

There’s one thing to bear in mind that the effects of medicines are unique to every individual. The effects produced by the med are influenced by your body’s reaction to it. 

Some people have complained of weight gain on prozac, simply because the drug cured their depression induced loss of appetite. This indicates that prozac basically reverses the mental health symptoms you’re going through. 

If your condition makes you eat uncontrollably, this med will reverse it and stabilise your eating patterns. If your condition makes you lose appetite, the drug will reverse the symptoms and you’ll feel that eating is more desirable. 

Prozac can also cause weight gain in some individuals. 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.

Conclusion 

In this blog, we have discussed the weight loss effect of prozac. It is an antidepressant which belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). 

Usually SSRIs are associated with weight gain, but prozac being an exception has shown weight loss results in many individuals. This antidepressant may help you lose weight, especially if you suffer from an eating disorder. 

Several studies have revealed that the use of prozac can reduce the episodes of binge eating and frequent cravings. Prozac can also make you lose weight if it causes loss of appetite as a side effect, which is also reported by a number of people taking this antidepressant. 

We have also looked at a number of reviews given by people. However, medicines are unique to every individual. The effects produced by the med are influenced by your body’s reaction to it. if it causes weight loss in someone, it does not mean it’ll cause the same effects in you. 

FAQs: prozac weight loss stories

Does Prozac make you skinny?

Prozac may help you lose weight, especially if you suffer from an eating disorder. Several studies have revealed that the use of prozac can reduce the episodes of binge eating and frequent cravings. Prozac can also make you lose weight if it causes loss of appetite as a side effect, which is also reported by a number of people taking this antidepressant. 

Does fluoxetine 20 mg cause weight loss?

Yes, fluoxetine may cause you to lose weight irrespective of the dosage strength. Several studies have revealed this effect and concluded that prozac is indeed associated with weight loss. This effect is, however, variable in different individuals. 

Some have lost a huge amount of weight, some have lost just a couple of pounds and some have lost none. In fact, a few people have reported weight gain while being on prozac. 

What does Prozac feel like when it starts working?

Prozac may start to make your physical symptoms associated with depression a little better. However, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to start making your psychological symptoms better. 

You may also experience a few side effects, which may start right after you take your first ever dose, but these side effects begin to subside within 2 to 3 weeks of treatment. 

How long does it take to lose weight on Prozac?

Prozac is not a weight loss drug and it is not meant to be used as a weight loss pill. However, it can make you lose weight in about 12-24 weeks. That too depends on the kind of symptoms you have or the kind of side effects prozac causes in you. 

Does Prozac make you tired in the beginning?

Prozac 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. 

Why does Prozac work so well?

Prozac, brand name for fluoxetine, belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It works by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin from the synaptic cleft (space between a neuron and its target cell). It increases the availability of serotonin in your brain. 

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (a chemical) released by our brain which is responsible for modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and various other psychological processes.

References 

• Sid Kirchheimer – Prozac: A Weight-Loss Drug? https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20040712/prozac-weight-loss-drug#:~:text=The%20popular%20antidepressant%20also%20may,weeks%20by%20those%20using%20Meridia.
• D Michelson et al. Am J Psychiatry. (1999) – Changes in weight during a 1-year trial of fluoxetine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10450256/
• Prozac Weight Gain and Weight Loss: How Fluoxetine Affects the Body https://addictionresource.com/drugs/prozac/weight-gain-loss/. 
• M H Orzack et al. Psychopharmacol Bull. (1990) – Weight changes on fluoxetine as a function of baseline weight in depressed outpatients https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2274632/
• P Brambilla (2005) – Side-effect profile of fluoxetine in comparison with other SSRIs, tricyclic and newer antidepressants: a meta-analysis of clinical trial data https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15744630/