Will I absolutely gain weight on Paxil? A doctor said I would.

I suffer from agoraphobia and I'm supposed to start taking Paxil tomorrow. A friend of mine who is a doctor (not MY doctor, just a doctor who is my friend) said that I'd better start exercising because he guarantees I'm going to gain weight on it. This is a problem for me because I am already 233 lbs. because of a sedentary lifestyle dealing with my agoraphobia.

Is it absolutely guaranteed that I will gain weight? I mean that's all I need is to find a medication that helps my agoraphobia but then suffer obesity-related problems.

Has anyone taken it that can testify to this?

I'm on paxil and I've gained about 20 lbs since starting it. I'm also on a handful of other drugs too so it may not just be paxil.

I know a lot of people who have taken it and few gained. Those who did, gained under 15 pounds. So I think it is possible but not necessary.

I didn't gain on it. Few side effects are absolutes.

On another note though, why Paxil? It seems like it is being used less and less. One pdoc of mine stated that he never uses it any more because there are other similar options that don't have such terrible withdrawal when you want to stop or switch meds.

Of course, do as your pdoc instructed. Just sorta curious why Paxil.

Best,
EJ

Have you tried other meds besides Paxil? Just curious. I have known a few people on Paxil and yes, they did gain weight, about 30 lbs. However, they also found the med very effective for their anxiety.

I don't know why he chose Paxil. I've only been on it for a few days, though, and I already feel a change in my mood and anxiety level, so I'm not questioning it. They said I wouldn't feel the effects for weeks, but I was able to go around town and do things today with little to no anxiety at all, so I'm not about to complain.

On the weight issue, I noticed I have gained 2 lbs., but I have also been eating extremely unhealthy since I started taking it, mainly because I have felt so much better that I've been going out to restaurants every day since I miss being social. That, and I've been drinking a ton of diet soda, which I'm sure isn't helping flush out my system. So between the water retention from the soda and the eating unhealthy every day, I'm not at all shocked I'd be 2 lbs. heavier in less than a week.

I'm going to start actually dieting tomorrow and working out, so we'll see how this weight thing goes.

And I've no unpleasant side effects from the Paxil yet. Just anxiety relief. I can't wait to see how well I do once we get to my target dose (40 mg). I'm starting at 10 mg and increasing by 10 mg every week until I get to 40.

If I ever need to come off the drug, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But right now it's helping and I'm not going to have a miserable present for a possible unhappy future.

Everyone is different so you may not but I took it year ago and gained 20-40lbs...can't remember which.

Actually something really strange has happened that I don't quite understand. I was 233 lbs. when I started taking it on Friday, then I ate like crap all weekend and gained 2 lbs. so I was 235. This morning, Monday, I got up and stepped on the scale again and now I am 227. I even made sure the scale was calibrated properly and that it wasn't messing up, and I got the same result the next time. Plus I have like no appetite today at all. I feel fine with everything else, I'm just not hungry. How strange. Where did those 7 lbs. go so quickly? That's kind of freaky.

I gained 30 lbs on it and I demanded to be taken off of it. I still haven't lost the weight.