How do I not gain weight on Lexapro?

Taking Lexapro may cause a person to gain a small amount of weight. Less commonly, it can cause weight loss. A healthful diet and regular exercise can help to prevent unwanted changes in weight.
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Does Lexapro weight gain go away?

Does Lexapro weight gain go away? If you gain weight when taking Lexapro, you may be able to lose weight with regular exercise and healthy eating. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian for support and individual guidance.
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What percentage of patients gain weight on Lexapro?

Experts say that for up to 25% of people, most antidepressant medications -- including the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs like Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft -- can cause a weight gain of 10 pounds or more.
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How do I make sure I don't gain weight on antidepressants?

Preventing Antidepressant Weight Gain

In addition to talking to your physician, there are other steps that you can take to lessen weight gain that might be caused by antidepressants. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes may help you manage your weight effectively as you continue to treat your symptoms of depression.
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How can I lose weight after antidepressants?

How to lose weight after antidepressants
  1. Change medication. Some antidepressants aren't linked to weight gain. ...
  2. Look at your lifestyle. One study on SSRI use and weight gain found that weight gain was more likely in people who also had a Western diet, were sedentary, and smoked⁸. ...
  3. Get active. ...
  4. Get a good night's sleep.
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Weight gain and antidepressants: Emotional eating, indifference and effects on appetite.



Why do people gain weight on antidepressants?

Antidepressants interfere with serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety and mood while also controlling appetite. In particular, these changes may increase cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta, and desserts.
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Why am I gaining so much weight on Lexapro?

These medications all list weight gain as a possible side effect. Serotonin is at the root of this. SSRIs like Lexapro work by increasing levels of this chemical, which is involved in feeling happier, calmer, and more focused. Serotonin is also involved in appetite.
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Does Lexapro cause belly fat?

What medications cause weight gain? Antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants , and mood stabilizers are common drugs that have the most potential to increase weight gain. All 12 of the leading antidepressants, including fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), make gaining weight more likely.
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Should I take Lexapro in the morning or at night?

You can take escitalopram at any time of day, as long as you stick to the same time every day. If you have trouble sleeping, it's best to take it in the morning.
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Is antidepressant weight gain permanent?

The research also raises concerns about the duration of risk that patients are exposed to. Previous studies correlating antidepressants with weight gain have been short-term, typically less than a year.
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Why can't I lose weight on antidepressants?

Antidepressant medications aren't prescribed for weight loss for several reasons: they're not approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) they haven't been proven to be effective as weight loss agents. they can cause serious side effects.
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Does Lexapro suppress appetite?

Escitalopram may cause weight loss or a decrease in appetite. Teenagers who will be taking it for a long time should have their weight and growth measured on a regular basis.
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Can I have an occasional drink while on Lexapro?

To avoid dangerous side effects such as drowsiness and liver problems, it's best not to use alcohol while you take Lexapro. Alcohol may also keep Lexapro from working as well as it should. With or without a drug, alcohol may aggravate your symptoms of anxiety and depression.
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Does Lexapro give you energy or make you tired?

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like escitalopram (Lexapro), citalopram (Celexa), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluoxetine (Prozac), taken for depression or anxiety, can make you feel sleepy.
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What is the success rate of Lexapro?

The overall response and remission rates after escitalopram monotherapy were 68.4% and 46.4%, respectively. The response rate was 76.9%, 63.7%, and 63.0%, in mild, moderate, and moderate–severe subgroups, respectively, showing significant difference among them (P < .
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What is the best antidepressant for weight loss?

Of these three medications, bupropion (Wellbutrin) is the most consistently associated with weight loss. Several studies, including a 2019 meta-analysis of 27 studies, found that bupropion (Wellbutrin) was the only commonly used antidepressant associated with weight loss.
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Which SSRI causes least weight gain?

Bupropion was associated with the least amount of weight gain, close to none. Two others that also appeared to have less weight gain were amitriptyline and nortriptyline.
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Which antidepressants cause the most weight gain?

Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and tetracyclic antidepressants such as mirtazapine are linked to the most weight gain.
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Do antidepressants slow metabolism?

Some previous studies reported that cholesterol levels increased, whereas HDL cholesterol levels decreased after antidepressant treatment (34,36). These findings emphasize that antidepressants worsen metabolic status by adversely affecting the lipid profile.
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Can you drink coffee on Lexapro?

No interactions were found between caffeine and Lexapro.
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What is the best time of day to take Lexapro?

Take Lexapro and its generic form once daily in the morning or the evening. If you have trouble sleeping, then it is recommended to take this medication in the morning. You can take this medication with or without food.
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What can you not mix with Lexapro?

Do not use escitalopram with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).
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How do I wean off 10mg Lexapro?

Taper Off Medication Slowly

The most effective way to minimize symptoms of withdrawal is to slowly taper off your medication. Tapering involves adjusting your dose by a small amount, gradually decreasing until your body gets used to lower levels of the medication.
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How can I boost up my metabolism?

Alrutz shares these five tips to boost your metabolism:
  1. Exercise more. Add interval training to your cardio routine and burn more calories in less time. ...
  2. Weight train. ...
  3. Don't skip meals, especially breakfast. ...
  4. Eat fat-burning foods. ...
  5. Get a good night's sleep every night.
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What food jump starts your metabolism?

Here are 12 foods that may rev up your metabolism.
  1. Protein-rich foods. Protein-rich foods — such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds — could help increase your metabolism for a few hours. ...
  2. Mineral-rich foods. ...
  3. Chili peppers. ...
  4. Coffee. ...
  5. Tea. ...
  6. Beans and legumes. ...
  7. Ginger. ...
  8. Cacao.
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