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Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Barb asks

Q: why do you gain weight when taking amitripilyne?

I have fibromyalgia and am taking amitripilyne which is helping however I am gaining weight which is a side effect? Does it have steroids in it or why does it make you gain weight?

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10/21/09 8:25pm

Barb

 

Thank you for your question and welcome to AnxietyConnection.com.

 

I recently wrote a post discussing the relationship between antidepressants and weight gain.

 

In the post, I explain:


The exact reason why antidepressants may cause individuals to gain weight is not known, however, there are a number of theories:

 

* Antidepressants may slow down metabolism. This could explain why some people feel they are not eating more, but are still gaining weight or may be eating more but it would not explain the amount of weight they are gaining.
* Some people do eat more, stating they never feel satisfied, even right after eating a meal. Some people indicate they have developed a craving for carbohydrates.
* Another theory is that the antidepressants worked, meaning that previous feelings of depression or anxiety had lessened the appetite and reduced the desire for food. When a person begins to feel better, they once again enjoy and therefore desire food.

 

There are some things you can do to help minimize the weight gain from these medications, such as exercise, eating right, working with a nutritionist.

 

Eileen

 

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