cymbalta and weight gain

I was on Cymbalta for a year and I gained 60 pounds. I tapered off it and I cannot lose the weight. It's been 2 months off. Any suggestions? I work out, I eat right, I see a nutritionist, I take Belviq, and nothing is happening.

Anyone else dealing with this?

I looked up Cymbalta and it doesn't seem to cause weight gain for most people.

Could it be, while taking it, your diet changed to a new, unhealthy way of eating, and now it's just continuing?

I have a friend who gained about that much weight when she went on anti-depressants, although I don't remember which one. I know that the "official" side effect of Cymbalta is reduced appetite and weight loss, but there are reports of weight gain. In my friend's case, I remember her saying she was just ravenous all the time, like she would eat a whole box of crackers in one sitting.

It's worth talking to your doctor about....both your primary and your psychiatrist, as they are equipped/accustomed to dealing with unwanted side effects. They might also send you to another specialist, like an endocrinologist, to test your thyroid.

5 pounds a month would account for a whole lot more than a medicine-induced hit to your metabolism. But by all means I would at least speak to the physician who prescribed you the medication.

I think that yes, talk to your doctor, and also see a nutritionist. Are you tracking your food intake and weighing/measuring your food? A few extra spoonfuls here and there can add up to a few extra hundred calories a day which will negate your weight loss efforts.

if you read my original post you see that i am doing all these things already. is there anyone here that has lost the weight after they stopped taking these meds? also i gained the weight in less than a year.

Have you had your thyroid checked out?

Have you had your thyroid checked out?

yes, i am in perfect health...it is just a side effect, everyone i know has gained weight on cymbalta, but i jut need to know if it goes away once it is stopped

60 pounds sounds like extreme weight gain though. What else was going on?

Sorry, but no pill is going to cause 5 pounds of weight gain a month just for taking it. It can affect your hormones, which can have a mild effect on your metabolism. It can affect your mood, subsequently impacting your dietary habits and activity level. But taking the medication or not taking it isn't itself going to be the difference between 60 pounds packing on or shedding off.

While it's not an exact math for a lot of folks, you should-- even with some margin-- be able to translate calories in and out to weight loss or gained. If you're not noticing weight coming off, I'd start keeping a very strict and accurate log to make sure things are adding up.

I’ve been on cymbalta for years and I didn’t have weight gain. While I’m depressed I do tend to eat more and not do much. This has caused some weight gain in my past. Could this be why you gained he weight?

If you need to lose60lbs you’re going to have to make a serious commitment to changing habits and excercising. Think of it as one decision at a time. Do I eat the slice of bread or pass do I have cheese on the salad or pass.... all these little decisions make a HUGE a difference at the end of the day. Sleep early and drink lots of water make this a new habit and the results will come

yes, i am in perfect health...it is just a side effect, everyone i know has gained weight on cymbalta, but i jut need to know if it goes away once it is stopped

So I presume you've had a blood test then?

If so, did the doctors make a special point to have your thyroid levels checked too? Thyroid levels are not typically checking during a routine blood test which is why I ask.

I know from experience that some anti-depressants can disturb your TSH and TRH levels causing either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism causes MAJOR weight gain.

Many people don't even know they have, as they virtually have no symptoms other than the weight gain.

So while you may be off the Cymbalta, if it did in fact throw your thyroid levels out of whack, then your doctor should prescribe an anti-thyroid med to balance out.

Just a thought.

ETA: I agree with others that five pounds per MONTH was probably not directly the result of the Cymbalta, it's too much weight. Rather it was mostly likely caused by one of its side effects (albeit rare) -- thyroid disturbance, which does cause rapid weight gain for some people. And nearly impossible to lose unless you balance out levels.

I have read all the Cymbalta forums and this is very common. My thyroid is normal. It has been checked every 3 months. SNRI's and SSRI's work on the 5-HT-2c receptor and they make you feel hungry all the time. Belviq, a weight loss drug, stops the action of this receptor, so you lose weight. I work out, I have a nutritionist, and I am doing everything to lose the weight.