Nature and Causes of Weight Gain

There are many medications that are used to treat various illnesses also cause side effects in people as the treatment progresses. Weight gain is one such unwanted side effect that people will be saddled with while using antidepressant medications. Weight gain conditions are observed in treatment of clinical depression, high blood pressure, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The neurotransmitter, serotonin, is a brain chemical which gives a person the ‘feel-good’ feeling. Certain food items such as potatoes, rice, pretzels, pasta, etc., foods make serotonin in the brain. Increasing food intake will further elevate ‘feel-good’ feeling, which will end up in weight gain.

Many users of antidepressants may not be aware that they are prone to gain weight while on this medication, as almost all antidepressants cause weight gain as a side effect. So far, research has not been able to pinpoint any causative factors for antidepressant weight gain. Sadly, this unwanted weight gain will further exacerbate mood changes and self-confidence.

Researchers feel that this unwanted gain in weight may not be entirely due to increase in appetite alone. The slowing of body metabolism, as a result of these medications, may actually contribute in elevating bodily resources that are required for daily energy consumption. When a person under treatment, who has abstained from fatty foods, reduced the food-intake, and who exercises regularly still gains in weight, then, it is apparent that body metabolic rates have dropped drastically and excess resources are being converted into body mass. In the situation where body weight increases and the only medications being used are antidepressants, then one will suspect these medications to be the causes for low metabolic rates and weight gains.

Antidepressants and Weight Gain

There are some categories of antidepressants which are more likely to be associated with gains in weights. Tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are more likely to contribute to weight gains than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). One particular SSRI, paroxetine, is more expected to cause weight gain than others.

It is also possible that factors for weight gain may also include some other aspects also. Mere association and likelihood does not link antidepressants with weight gain directly. They may be indirectly responsible for weight gain. A person getting antidepressant treatment may feel happy and contented with decreasing depressive symptoms because of medication. As a result, there may be increase in appetite for food. This may cause gain in weight.

Medications of antidepressants that generally do not cause weight gain include venlafaxine, paroxetine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, and bupropion. Antianxiety medications such as temazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam and buspirone, etc., also do not generally cause weight gain. But medications for psychosis that include antipsychotic and neuroleptic drugs and mood balancing drugs such as carbamazepine and valproic acid are all known to cause increase in appetite and weight gain.

Women, who use antidepressant medications for a long period of time say two months, feel contented and healthy, and that may reflect in increased weight. The reasons may be many, but it seems that antidepressants manage to block histamine receptors. When these receptors are retarded, the feeling of satiety will be reduced, and a person may feel hungry always. This will explain weight gain and obesity.

Medications that are associated with weight gain obviously contribute more to the gain by an increase in doses. These gains in the weight can be reversed once the medications are discontinued on doctor’s advice.

Sertraline, fluoxetine and c italopram medications for depressed person cause an increase in weight to the extent of about 15 to 20 pounds. The SSRI drug, paroxetine, is found to be a great contributor to weight, sometimes in excess of 20 pounds. Fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, and e scitalopram, etc., medications are assumed to be the least contributors to gain in weight of all the SSRIs.

High Carbohydrates and Weight

The people who gain some weight with antidepressants are found to be fond of starchy food and sweet substances, which will further result in increase in weight. Possible solution can be to make people eat more carbohydrate-loaded and protein-deficient and fat-deficient food. This type of food will elevate levels of typotophan and serotonin, thereby decreasing the urge to eat more. Food which is high in carbohydrates, low in proteins and fats, together with exercise can prove to be a potent option in reducing weight.