Venlafaxine and weight gain: Effexor Weight Gain: What You Should Know

01.11.202007.06.2023 by alexxlab

Effexor Weight Gain: What You Should Know

When starting a new medication, it’s normal to feel anxious about how your body may react.

The prospect of experiencing side effects can be daunting, and depression and the medications used to treat it can affect your appetite and body weight in unwanted ways.

While side effects can range from annoying to scary, it’s also important to note that most of the time, the positive effects of the medication outweigh the negative.

In this article, we’ll review a common side effect of antidepressants: weight gain, specifically in the context of Effexor.

We’ll review what Effexor is, the relationship between this medication and weight gain, and common side effects when taking it.

We’ll also go over precautions and when to see a doctor.

What is Effexor?

Effexor (venlafaxine) is an antidepressant that is commonly prescribed to treat symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.

Effexor helps relieve symptoms that may occur with depression and anxiety, like sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and lack of interest in things that once brought you joy.

It can also be used to treat physical manifestations of anxiety, including nausea, jitters, or restlessness, amongst other things.

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Effexor uses

Effexor is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, social phobia disorder, as well as major depressive disorder.

It can also be prescribed as a mood stabilizer, as well as used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Other studies show that venlafaxine is effective in treating nerve pain, migraines, and tension headaches.

It has also been prescribed to treat hot flashes as a result of menopause or chemothrapy.

These are “off label” uses, meaning the FDA has not approved them for these diseases but prescribers can decide if it’s appropriate for individual patients.

How Effexor works

Antidepressants work by affecting the chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters.

These include the managing of available levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Effexor is part of a class of drugs known as SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor), which regulate the amount of serotonin and norepinephrine molecules in the brain by blocking the reabsorption or reuptake of such chemicals.

This makes more of these chemicals available in the brain and results in mood regulation.

Effexor and Weight Gain

Many antidepressant and anxiety medications list weight gain as a potential side effect.

This is the case with Effexor as well, but not everyone experiences such side effects.

What the research says

Studies show that newer antidepressant drugs may be associated with weight gain.

In one such study, venlafaxine was associated with significant weight gain, alongside citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil).

Some studies and clinical studies show that patients treated with Effexor gain a significant amount of weight, while other studies show that weight gain from venlafaxine is small and potentially insignificant.

While studies show that some antidepressants may cause weight gain, the effect of antidepressants on weight is still mixed and needs further examination.

Common Side Effects of Effexor

Like many medications, there are a variety of side effects that may occur when taking Effexor.

These side effects are often mild, and a doctor will usually prescribe a low dose to start and build up slowly to a higher daily dose to avoid significant side effects.

Many of the side effects should go away within a few weeks.

Common side effects include:

Dizziness
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Dry mouth
Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep
Gastrointestinal issues like heartburn, decreased appetite, constipation, gas, or diarrhea
Vivid or unusual dreams
Chills
Decreased sex drive or difficulty achieving orgasm or ejaculation
Sweating
Prickly or tingling sensations

Depression and Weight Changes

There are a number of signs of depression.

A common one to look out for is appetite changes.

This may include a noticeable weight gain or loss.

This may occur in both clinically depressed, as well as “high functioning” depression.

Those who are depressed may be less likely to make healthy eating choices, which may affect one’s weight more than a medication itself.

Depression also affects energy levels and your desire to do things that you once enjoyed.

This may affect one’s desire to exercise regularly, an important part of maintaining a healthy body weight.

How to Take Effexor

Effexor is often taken daily with a starting dose of 37.5 mg per day, which is increased over time to 75 mg daily, a common dosage to treat depression, generalized anxiety, panic disorders, and social anxiety disorder.

Your doctor may adjust your dosage over time, but they do not usually recommend going over 225 mg per day.

Effexor Precautions

Before starting Effexor, tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you take, as some can interact with the medication and cause serious side effects.

Especially in the beginning, it is best to avoid alcohol, as venlafaxine can make you drowsy.

Before stopping Effexor, consult your doctor and they will help you wean off the medication.

Sudden and immediate stopping can cause withdrawal side effects like nausea, vomiting, headache, and irritability. It’s best to stop taking Effexor with the help of a psychiatrist.

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When to See a Doctor

Speak with your doctor about what antidepressant medication is right for you.

If your side effects worsen or symptoms don’t begin to resolve in 6 weeks, you may want to try a different dose of medication.

Contact a doctor immediately if you suspect signs of an overdose, which includes dizziness, flashes of hot and cold, dilated pupils, irregular heart rate, and seizures.

With drugs that affect the serotonin levels in your brain, there is a risk of serotonin syndrome.

This is when your body has too much serotonin and requires immediate medical attention.

Symptoms include restlessness, insomnia, confusion, high blood pressure, sweating, diarrhea, headache, and goosebumps.

If you experience serious side effects, including suicidal thoughts or worsening symptoms of depression, talk to someone immediately, such as calling a suicide crisis line like 988.

How K Health Can Help

Think you might need a prescription for Effexor (Venlafaxine)?

K Health has clinicians standing by 24/7 to evaluate your symptoms and determine if Effexor is right for you.

Get started with our free assessment, which will tell you in minutes if treatment could be a good fit. If yes, we’ll connect you right to a clinician who can prescribe medication and have it shipped right to your door.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Effexor help me lose weight?

Side effects vary from patient to patient, but neither weight loss nor weight gain is guaranteed when taking antidepressants. Additionally, Effexor is not amongst the list of antidepressants that have been connected to weight loss, which include bupropion (Wellbutrin), fluoxetine (Prozac), and duloxetine (Cymbalta). The best way to lose weight is to make healthy lifestyle and eating choices, which can include managing caloric intake.

Has anyone gained weight on venlafaxine?

Weight gain is a possible side effect accompanied with taking venlafaxine, but side effects vary depending on the patient. The bottom line is that while some people may gain weight, there is no way to know whether you will experience such a side effect.

Is it hard to lose weight on venlafaxine?

While some patients in one study found it difficult to lose weight during and after taking venlafaxine, this is not a universal experience and will differ from patient to patient. If you’re having trouble losing weight on venlafaxine, seek the help of a registered dietitian.

Does Effexor affect appetite?

Decreased appetite is one of the possible and common side effects of Effexor. This may affect your weight, but will likely resolve as your body adjusts to the medication.

K Health articles are all written and reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, or PharmDs and are for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.

K Health has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions,
and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.

Low-Dose Estradiol and the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor Venlafaxine for Vasomotor Symptoms. (2014.)
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1876676
A drug combination that reduces weight gain associated with antidepressant therapy.
https://otc.duke.edu/technologies/a-drug-combination-that-reduces-weight-gain-associated-with-antidepressant-therapy/
Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs. (2014.)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467076/
Antidepressants cause minimal weight gain. (2014.)
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/antidepressants-cause-minimal-weight-gain-201406067202
Serotonin Syndrome. (2013.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/

Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs

. 2015 Jan-Feb;37(1):46-8.

doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.011.

Epub 2014 Oct 31.

Faruk Uguz¹, Mine Sahingoz², Buket Gungor³, Fadime Aksoy⁴, Rustem Askin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Psychiatry, Sevket Yilmaz Research and Training Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Sevket Yilmaz Research and Training Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID:
25467076
DOI:
10. 1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.011

Faruk Uguz et al.

Gen Hosp Psychiatry.

2015 Jan-Feb.

. 2015 Jan-Feb;37(1):46-8.

doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.011.

Epub 2014 Oct 31.

Authors

Faruk Uguz¹, Mine Sahingoz², Buket Gungor³, Fadime Aksoy⁴, Rustem Askin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Psychiatry, Sevket Yilmaz Research and Training Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Sevket Yilmaz Research and Training Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID:
25467076
DOI:
10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.011

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to examine weight gain and its association with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics in patients using newer antidepressants.

Methods:

The study had a cross-sectional design. A total of 362 consecutive psychiatric patients taking antidepressant drugs for 6 to 36 months were included in the study.

Results:

The prevalence rate of weight gain was 55.2%; 40.6% of the patients had a weight gain of 7% or more compared to the baseline. Overall, antidepressant use was significantly related to increased body weight. Specifically, citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, paroxetine, venlafaxine, duloxetine and mirtazapine, but not fluoxetine, were associated with significant weight gain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that lower education status, lower body mass index at the onset of antidepressant use and family history of obesity were independent predictors of weight gain ≥7% compared to the baseline.

Conclusions:

The study results suggest that patients who take newer antidepressants might have significant problems related to body weight.

Keywords:

Antidepressants; Body mass index; Weight gain.

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MeSH terms

Substances

Retrospective analysis of the effect of weight on the efficacy of desvenlafaxine 50 and 100 mg/day in patients with depression

Choice of antidepressant. Focus on the needs of the patient Top page topics

According to the literature, the incidence of obesity among people with depression is higher than in the general population. Meta-analyses (F.S. Luppino et al., 2010; L. de Wit et al., 2010) have shown that just as obesity is associated with an increased risk of depression, depression is also a predictor of overweight and obesity. The relationship between them is complicated by antidepressants, which often cause weight gain, which can adversely affect adherence to therapy. Although achieving remission is the most important goal in the management of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), weight-neutral drugs are recommended among antidepressants with comparable efficacy, especially when it comes to patients who are overweight or obese. Finally, baseline body mass index (BMI) can influence both body weight changes during antidepressant treatment and the effectiveness of therapy.

Separately, a 12-month randomized trial was analyzed to assess weight changes only during desvenlafaxine therapy. In this study, patients first received open-label desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day for 8 weeks, after which responders continued open-label therapy for an additional 12 weeks. Patients with sustained improvement were then enrolled in a 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and randomized into two groups (1:1), one of which continued desvenlafaxine and the other was switched to placebo.

For inclusion criteria, all studies included adult outpatients with a diagnosis of MDD according to DSM-IV criteria, duration of depressive symptoms of at least 30 days, HDRS-17 score ≥20, or Montgomery Asberg Scale (MADRS). ) ≥25 points. The exclusion criteria in each study assumed the selection of medically stable patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD (excluding bipolar and psychotic depression).

In short-term studies, a total of 3399 patients took at least one dose of study drug and were included in the pooled retrospective safety analysis. Of these, 2/3 were overweight or obese. So, in 1131 patients (33.3%), BMI was in the normal range or below normal; 964 (28.4%) were overweight; 1304 (38.4%) were obese. At least one efficacy evaluation was obtained in 3384 patients who constituted the ITT population (1122 normal or underweight, 960 overweight and 1302 obese).

After 8 weeks of therapy, improvement in HDRS-17 score from baseline was significantly greater with desvenlafaxine 50 and 100 mg/day compared with placebo in all BMI subgroups (all p≤0.0027, Fig.). The same results were obtained when evaluating the effectiveness of the MADRS scale and the Global Clinical Impression of Disease Severity Scale (CGI-S). Treatment response rates (as measured by change in HDRS-17 score) at 8 weeks were significantly higher for both doses of desvenlafaxine compared with placebo in each BMI subgroup.

Baseline BMI was a significant predictor of change in HDRS-17 score (higher BMI = less change in HDRS-17) for desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day (p=0.048) and 100 mg/day (p=0.031), but not placebo (p= 0.097). Also, baseline BMI was a significant predictor of response to desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day (p = 0.0397): patients with higher BMI were less likely to respond to treatment compared with patients with lower BMI. At the same time, the baseline BMI did not affect the likelihood of achieving remission or the time to response to therapy.

In a pooled analysis of short-term studies, there was slight weight loss in each of the BMI subgroups at 8 and 16 weeks after initiation of therapy in patients treated with desvenlafaxine 50 or 100 mg/day. At the same time, normal and overweight patients in the placebo group showed a small but statistically significant increase in weight over time. The difference in weight change from baseline between the open-label (desvenlafaxine 50 and 100 mg/day) and placebo groups was small but statistically significant (p≤0.0195 in all subgroups). Baseline BMI was a significant predictor of change in weight and BMI in the general study population (p≤0.0035) and in the desvenlafaxine 100 mg/day group (p≤0.0354).

In an open-label, long-term study, desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day initially resulted in a decrease and then a slight increase in body weight (mean 0.47 kg from baseline). As for the subgroup analysis, after 8 weeks of desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day in the open-label phase of the study, in subjects with normal and overweight, there was no statistically significant change in body weight from baseline, and in patients with obesity, it significantly decreased (-0.38 ±0.15 kg; p=0.012). After 20 weeks of the open phase, in persons with initially normal and overweight, body weight slightly increased (+0.67±0.18 kg and +0.58±0.19kg, respectively, all p≤0. 003 compared with baseline), and did not change significantly in obese individuals.

During the double-blind phase of the study, there was significantly less weight gain with continued treatment with desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day compared to placebo (0.24 vs. 0.52 kg, respectively, p = 0.004). In subjects of normal weight at baseline, but not in those who were overweight or obese, desvenlafaxine was associated with small but statistically significant weight gain over the 26 weeks of the double-blind phase (0.97±0.26 kg, p<0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was found between patients treated with desvenlafaxine and placebo in any BMI subgroup.

Body weight changes during desvenlafaxine therapy shown in this analysis are consistent with data for desvenlafaxine at doses up to 400 mg/day in other studies, as well as with studies of duloxetine, venlafaxine and some SSRIs (fluoxetine, paroxetine). In long-term studies (≥4 months), early weight loss was followed by a subsequent return to baseline body weight in patients treated with duloxetine or SSRIs.

Desvenlafaxine 50 and 100 mg/day is effective in reducing depressive symptoms at any baseline BMI.
In all BMI subgroups, desvenlafaxine was associated with statistically significant weight loss (<1 kg) after short-term MDD therapy and did not cause significant weight changes compared with placebo after long-term treatment.
Baseline BMI was a predictor of response to treatment and weight change during treatment: slightly greater reductions in depressive symptoms were observed in patients with normal BMI, and short-term weight loss was greatest in obese patients.

Constipation. This is a real problem, because of which the doctor even considered changing the antidepressant. Because I go to the toilet once a week. This, unfortunately, is normal for antidepressants, but not normal for humans. I save myself with dufalac, donat, probiotics. But it is difficult and does not always help. If earlier probiotics with 500,000 bacteria helped me, now even a billion does not work. But at the very least I somehow support the intestines.

Venlafaxine and weight gain: Effexor Weight Gain: What You Should Know

Effexor Weight Gain: What You Should Know

What is Effexor?

Feeling Down?

Effexor and Weight Gain

Common Side Effects of Effexor

Depression and Weight Changes

How to Take Effexor

Effexor Precautions

Feeling Down?

When to See a Doctor

How K Health Can Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs

Affiliations

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

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Cited by

MeSH terms

Substances

Retrospective analysis of the effect of weight on the efficacy of desvenlafaxine 50 and 100 mg/day in patients with depression

Antidepressant Egis Velaxin (venlafaxine) 75 MG – “A lot of oddities, side effects, but it’s worth it”

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