If you’ve decided to seek help for depression, and have been prescribed antidepressant drugs, chances are they’ll have a positive effect. Unfortunately, these drugs can sometimes have an undesirable side effect: weight gain.
In around a quarter of cases, long-term use of antidepressants is associated with a weight gain of 10 lb or more. For those who are already feeling less than stellar, this can be demoralising, fuelling anxieties about their health or appearance.
As Dr Derek Tracy of the Royal College of Psychiatrists explains, it is very normal to be concerned about weight gain.
“Few people will refuse to take medication because of this, but it will sometimes influence conversations about which particular medication to take,” he says. “Doctors should be responsive to these concerns, and mindful of potentially replacing one problem with another one. This is particularly important for some people – for example, if there is a history of type 2 diabetes or heart disease.”
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