Posted by jflange on October 10, 2002, at 20:55:07
In reply to must stop gaining weight from SSRI's!, posted by katieb on October 7, 2002, at 11:11:03
Paxil is a very good SSRI for GAD, but it unfortunately does seem to be one of the worst offenders in terms of weight gain. At the same time, almost all SSRIs tend to cause weight gain, so if you are looking to avoid that, it does not make sense to try another one. You mention you are now taking Celexa - has the weight gain tapered off or increased?
If you have never done so before, you might try buspirone (Buspar), because it does not seem to cause weight gain. However, Buspar sometimes disappoints GAD suffers (like me) when it is taken alone because unlike SSRIs it does not take care of panic attacks, if you experience those at all. Another route would be benzodiazepine monotherapy (ex. Xanax, Klonopin), which does not have any weight gain profile that I know of, but nonetheless has its own drawbacks, such as unpleasant withdrawal and addiction. You can find ample debate and good information on the issue of benzo monotherapy on this discussion board.
Exercise (without medication) does seem to help those of us with GAD reduce tension but don't rely on it exclusively unless you are ready. Best of luck,
jflange
poster:jflange
thread:122638
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021006/msgs/123129.html