Are you concerned about weight gain after starting anxiety medication?
You don’t have to choose between your mental health and your physical health.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The key reasons why some anxiety medications lead to weight gain and how to identify if it's affecting you.
- Four effective strategies to prevent and manage medication-related weight changes.
- How to work with your doctor to find the right medication for you
Press play now to gain the knowledge and tools to manage medication-related weight changes so you can feel your best—mentally and physically.
****
About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
M.J. Murray Vachon LCSW (00:00):
In this episode, you'll discover why
(00:01):
some anxiety medications causeweight gain, welcome to Creating
Midlife Calm, a podcastdedicated to empowering midlife
minds to overcome anxiety, stopfeeling like crap and become
more present with your family,all while achieving greater
success at work.
I'm MJ Murray Vachon, a licensedclinical social worker with over
(00:23):
48, 000 hours of therapysessions and 31 years of
experience teaching mentalwellness.
Welcome to the podcast.
Did you know that some anxietymedications can lead to weight
gain, but not all do.
If you're experiencing this sideeffect, you might feel
frustrated, like you're stuckbetween choosing your mental
health and your physical health.
But here's the good news, youdon't have to pick one over the
(00:47):
other.
Weight gain is not inevitable,and there are ways to manage it.
In today's episode we'll talkabout why some anxiety
medications can lead to weightgain, four effective ways to
counter it, and three ways youcan assist your doctor in
finding the right medication foryou.
Concerns about weight gain issomething I hear all the time
(01:09):
from my clients.
So if you're feelingdiscouraged, please know you're
not alone.
There are real solutions and youdon't have to figure this out on
your own.
The majority of doctors are sohappy to work with you to find a
solution to this particular sideeffect.
And as always, I am not givingmedical advice.
(01:29):
What I'm sharing today comesfrom 38 years of experience
helping clients navigatemedication side effects while
still feeling healthy and calm.
While not all anxiety,medications lead to weight gain,
if yours does, that's whatmatters to you.
If you've noticed changes inyour weight since starting
medication, it's not just inyour head and there could be a
(01:52):
real biological reason behindit.
By understanding why thishappens, you'll be better
equipped to make small buteffective changes.
Let's look at the science behindweight gain and how to manage
it.
Reason number one.
Some medications, slowmetabolism, making it easier to
gain weight.
Even if your diet and activitylevel stay the same.
(02:14):
Know that muscle burns morecalories and fat even when
you're at rest.
That's why adding strengthtraining and resistant workouts
can help counteract a sluggishmetabolism.
Also, prioritizing protein-richfoods can slightly boost your
metabolism and help you feelfuller longer.
(02:34):
A second reason to explainweight gain is that you're
experiencing increased appetiteand cravings.
Some medications, especiallySSRIs, increase hunger and
especially carb and sugarcravings.
This can lead to overeating.
What you can do is to be mindfulof portion sizes and try
(02:55):
swapping high carb snacks forprotein, fiber, and healthy
fats.
Drinking a glass of water beforemeals can help curb your
cravings naturally.
The mental wellness tool, aself-awareness can be so helpful
if this is part of what'scausing this side effect.
Another reason that somemedications cause weight gain is
(03:17):
that some medications causefatigue or sluggishness, making
it harder to stay active, whichcan lead to gradual weight gain.
What can you do if exercisefeels overwhelming?
Start with small bursts ofmovement.
A five to 10 minute walk ortaking the stairs at work can
make a huge difference.
(03:37):
One of my clients started doingthree sets of stairs at 10:00 AM
and 3:00 PM and noticed a bigshift in his energy.
Energizing foods like leanproteins, complex carbs, and
staying hydrated also help.
And if your fatigue is severe,talk to your doctor about
adjusting the dosage or thetiming of when you take your
(03:59):
medicine.
Some medications cause fluidretention, making your body feel
heavier, even if actual fat gainis minimal.
In this situation, what you cando is decrease your excess
sodium, stay hydrated and addpotassium rich foods like
bananas, leafy greens and sweetpotatoes to help balance your
(04:21):
fluid levels.
Gentle movement and elevatingyour legs can also reduce
swelling.
If you're experiencing weightgain from medication.
Don't panic.
Track your body's response andexperiment with small changes to
see what helps.
Sometimes weight gain isn't justa little frustrating.
It can feel completely out ofcontrol.
(04:43):
Let me share a story that provesjust how important tracking your
body's response can be.
A few years ago, I worked with aclient who was very petite and
had never struggled with herweight.
She started a common anxietymedication that rarely causes
weight gain.
Within two weeks, she couldn'tstop eating potato chips,
something she had never cravedbefore.
(05:06):
I asked her to keep track ofwhat she was eating for another
two weeks, as well as her weightchanges.
Two weeks later, she sent me apicture from the grocery store.
She was holding an open bag ofruffles with a text that said,
help.
This is ridiculous.
I feel outta control.
(05:26):
By the end of the first month,she had gained 10 pounds.
Because she had hard data on herweight and cravings, her doctor
took her concerns seriously.
He switched her medication andwith two months, the weight
naturally came off.
And more importantly, her newmedication worked just as well
without the side effect, thetakeaway.
(05:49):
Weight gain from medicationisn't always inevitable.
Sometimes it's about finding theright fit.
If you notice dramatic appetitechanges, don't be afraid to
advocate for yourself andexplore other options with your
doctor or nurse practitioner.
If you are considering going ona medication for your anxiety,
(06:09):
or if you've recently startedone and are having side effects,
make sure you talk to yourdoctor about testing, which
examines your genetics so theycan have a higher chance of
predicting how your body willreact to different medications.
These tests can be very helpful,especially if your insurance
covers them.
Anytime you start a newmedication, it will really help
(06:32):
you if you do two things fromthe very beginning, weigh
yourself weekly so you canmonitor changes and track your
appetite and cravings to noticeany unusual shifts.
If you don't like weighingyourself, you can ask your
doctor for blind weighing whereyou can stop into the office,
and a nurse or a CNA will weighyou without telling you the
(06:53):
number.
In general, what doctors havetold me is any weight gain more
than 5% within the first monthcan be a strong indicator that
this particular medication maybe a long-term problem for you
in the area of weight gain.
Sometimes weight gain isn't justabout medication.
(07:13):
It can also be linked to hormoneimbalances.
In episodes 1 31 and 1 32, Dr.
Connie Chalko Ph.D explains howvitamin D, cortisol, and insulin
levels impact both weight gainand anxiety.
If these levels are off, youranxiety medication won't work as
effectively, which is whygetting them checked is really
(07:35):
important.
Lastly, and perhaps the mostsurprising reason why people
gain weight on medicationbecause the medication is
working.
Anxiety can keep you fromsocializing, and when you start
feeling better, you may go outmore, which often means eating
and drinking more.
I can't tell you how manyclients have said to me after
(07:59):
four and five, six months beingon medication.
My anxiety is so much less, butmy pants are really tight.
The solution, a littleself-awareness on how their
social life has picked up andthe impact that that has had on
their weight leads them tomaking some changes so they can
mentally and physically be atthe top of their game.
(08:21):
I encourage my clients to thinkof medication like a pair of
glasses.
Glasses don't cure youreyesight, but they will help you
see more clearly so you cannavigate life with more success.
Your medication should do thesame.
It's there to support you, notdo all the work for you.
My experience again and again isthat when people are on
(08:44):
medication, if they can up theirnests, nutrition, exercise,
sleep, technology use, andstress coping skills, they're
going to be able to create alife with the best conditions,
not only for their medicine towork effectively, but for them
to feel really good day in andday out.
(09:06):
Taking medication is just onepiece of treating anxiety.
What you do alongside it makesall the difference.
In this episode, we've talkedabout why some anxiety
medications, cause weight gainand I have offered some simple
ways to successfully manage it,and some important ways that you
can partner with your doctor tomake sure that you are on the
(09:29):
right medication for you.
Your Inner Challenge this weekis for the next three days, pay
attention to how your medicationaffects your appetite, cravings,
and energy levels.
Do you notice any patterns?
Becoming aware of small changeshelps you make informed
decisions about your health.
Remember, your medication is atool, not a sentence.
(09:53):
With the right balance, you canmanage your mental health and
your physical health.
Track the changes.
Advocate for yourself and knowthat you deserve to feel good
inside and out.
And I'll be back on Thursdaywith a follow-up episode
focusing on why medication aloneisn't enough to fully manage
(10:13):
your anxiety.
Thanks for listening to CreatingMidlife Calm.
In this episode, you'll discover why
(00:01):
some anxiety medications causeweight gain, welcome to Creating
Midlife Calm, a podcastdedicated to empowering midlife
minds to overcome anxiety, stopfeeling like crap and become
more present with your family,all while achieving greater
success at work.
I'm MJ Murray Vachon, a licensedclinical social worker with over
(00:23):
48, 000 hours of therapysessions and 31 years of
experience teaching mentalwellness.
Welcome to the podcast.
Did you know that some anxietymedications can lead to weight
gain, but not all do.
If you're experiencing this sideeffect, you might feel
frustrated, like you're stuckbetween choosing your mental
health and your physical health.
But here's the good news, youdon't have to pick one over the
(00:47):
other.
Weight gain is not inevitable,and there are ways to manage it.
In today's episode we'll talkabout why some anxiety
medications can lead to weightgain, four effective ways to
counter it, and three ways youcan assist your doctor in
finding the right medication foryou.
Concerns about weight gain issomething I hear all the time
(01:09):
from my clients.
So if you're feelingdiscouraged, please know you're
not alone.
There are real solutions and youdon't have to figure this out on
your own.
The majority of doctors are sohappy to work with you to find a
solution to this particular sideeffect.
And as always, I am not givingmedical advice.
(01:29):
What I'm sharing today comesfrom 38 years of experience
helping clients navigatemedication side effects while
still feeling healthy and calm.
While not all anxiety,medications lead to weight gain,
if yours does, that's whatmatters to you.
If you've noticed changes inyour weight since starting
medication, it's not just inyour head and there could be a
(01:52):
real biological reason behindit.
By understanding why thishappens, you'll be better
equipped to make small buteffective changes.
Let's look at the science behindweight gain and how to manage
it.
Reason number one.
Some medications, slowmetabolism, making it easier to
gain weight.
Even if your diet and activitylevel stay the same.
(02:14):
Know that muscle burns morecalories and fat even when
you're at rest.
That's why adding strengthtraining and resistant workouts
can help counteract a sluggishmetabolism.
Also, prioritizing protein-richfoods can slightly boost your
metabolism and help you feelfuller longer.
(02:34):
A second reason to explainweight gain is that you're
experiencing increased appetiteand cravings.
Some medications, especiallySSRIs, increase hunger and
especially carb and sugarcravings.
This can lead to overeating.
What you can do is to be mindfulof portion sizes and try
(02:55):
swapping high carb snacks forprotein, fiber, and healthy
fats.
Drinking a glass of water beforemeals can help curb your
cravings naturally.
The mental wellness tool, aself-awareness can be so helpful
if this is part of what'scausing this side effect.
Another reason that somemedications cause weight gain is
(03:17):
that some medications causefatigue or sluggishness, making
it harder to stay active, whichcan lead to gradual weight gain.
What can you do if exercisefeels overwhelming?
Start with small bursts ofmovement.
A five to 10 minute walk ortaking the stairs at work can
make a huge difference.
(03:37):
One of my clients started doingthree sets of stairs at 10:00 AM
and 3:00 PM and noticed a bigshift in his energy.
Energizing foods like leanproteins, complex carbs, and
staying hydrated also help.
And if your fatigue is severe,talk to your doctor about
adjusting the dosage or thetiming of when you take your
(03:59):
medicine.
Some medications cause fluidretention, making your body feel
heavier, even if actual fat gainis minimal.
In this situation, what you cando is decrease your excess
sodium, stay hydrated and addpotassium rich foods like
bananas, leafy greens and sweetpotatoes to help balance your
(04:21):
fluid levels.
Gentle movement and elevatingyour legs can also reduce
swelling.
If you're experiencing weightgain from medication.
Don't panic.
Track your body's response andexperiment with small changes to
see what helps.
Sometimes weight gain isn't justa little frustrating.
It can feel completely out ofcontrol.
(04:43):
Let me share a story that provesjust how important tracking your
body's response can be.
A few years ago, I worked with aclient who was very petite and
had never struggled with herweight.
She started a common anxietymedication that rarely causes
weight gain.
Within two weeks, she couldn'tstop eating potato chips,
something she had never cravedbefore.
(05:06):
I asked her to keep track ofwhat she was eating for another
two weeks, as well as her weightchanges.
Two weeks later, she sent me apicture from the grocery store.
She was holding an open bag ofruffles with a text that said,
help.
This is ridiculous.
I feel outta control.
(05:26):
By the end of the first month,she had gained 10 pounds.
Because she had hard data on herweight and cravings, her doctor
took her concerns seriously.
He switched her medication andwith two months, the weight
naturally came off.
And more importantly, her newmedication worked just as well
without the side effect, thetakeaway.
(05:49):
Weight gain from medicationisn't always inevitable.
Sometimes it's about finding theright fit.
If you notice dramatic appetitechanges, don't be afraid to
advocate for yourself andexplore other options with your
doctor or nurse practitioner.
If you are considering going ona medication for your anxiety,
(06:09):
or if you've recently startedone and are having side effects,
make sure you talk to yourdoctor about testing, which
examines your genetics so theycan have a higher chance of
predicting how your body willreact to different medications.
These tests can be very helpful,especially if your insurance
covers them.
Anytime you start a newmedication, it will really help
(06:32):
you if you do two things fromthe very beginning, weigh
yourself weekly so you canmonitor changes and track your
appetite and cravings to noticeany unusual shifts.
If you don't like weighingyourself, you can ask your
doctor for blind weighing whereyou can stop into the office,
and a nurse or a CNA will weighyou without telling you the
(06:53):
number.
In general, what doctors havetold me is any weight gain more
than 5% within the first monthcan be a strong indicator that
this particular medication maybe a long-term problem for you
in the area of weight gain.
Sometimes weight gain isn't justabout medication.
(07:13):
It can also be linked to hormoneimbalances.
In episodes 1 31 and 1 32, Dr.
Connie Chalko Ph.D explains howvitamin D, cortisol, and insulin
levels impact both weight gainand anxiety.
If these levels are off, youranxiety medication won't work as
effectively, which is whygetting them checked is really
(07:35):
important.
Lastly, and perhaps the mostsurprising reason why people
gain weight on medicationbecause the medication is
working.
Anxiety can keep you fromsocializing, and when you start
feeling better, you may go outmore, which often means eating
and drinking more.
I can't tell you how manyclients have said to me after
(07:59):
four and five, six months beingon medication.
My anxiety is so much less, butmy pants are really tight.
The solution, a littleself-awareness on how their
social life has picked up andthe impact that that has had on
their weight leads them tomaking some changes so they can
mentally and physically be atthe top of their game.
(08:21):
I encourage my clients to thinkof medication like a pair of
glasses.
Glasses don't cure youreyesight, but they will help you
see more clearly so you cannavigate life with more success.
Your medication should do thesame.
It's there to support you, notdo all the work for you.
My experience again and again isthat when people are on
(08:44):
medication, if they can up theirnests, nutrition, exercise,
sleep, technology use, andstress coping skills, they're
going to be able to create alife with the best conditions,
not only for their medicine towork effectively, but for them
to feel really good day in andday out.
(09:06):
Taking medication is just onepiece of treating anxiety.
What you do alongside it makesall the difference.
In this episode, we've talkedabout why some anxiety
medications, cause weight gainand I have offered some simple
ways to successfully manage it,and some important ways that you
can partner with your doctor tomake sure that you are on the
(09:29):
right medication for you.
Your Inner Challenge this weekis for the next three days, pay
attention to how your medicationaffects your appetite, cravings,
and energy levels.
Do you notice any patterns?
Becoming aware of small changeshelps you make informed
decisions about your health.
Remember, your medication is atool, not a sentence.
(09:53):
With the right balance, you canmanage your mental health and
your physical health.
Track the changes.
Advocate for yourself and knowthat you deserve to feel good
inside and out.
And I'll be back on Thursdaywith a follow-up episode
focusing on why medication aloneisn't enough to fully manage
(10:13):
your anxiety.
Thanks for listening to CreatingMidlife Calm.
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