Plenty of depression-lifting medications cause weight gain; it’s not unusual to gain 7 to 10 pounds with long-term use (for more than 6 months). The good news? A few drugs are less likely to add extra pounds and one may even help you lose weight. Medications that may not cause weight gain include venlafaxine (Effexor), nefazodone (Sertone) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) other than paroxetine (Paxil) — fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro). One antidepressant, bupropion (Wellbutrin), has been shown to help people with depression lose pounds. Doctors sometimes prescribe it alone or with other antidepressants for that reason.

• In one study, 67% of overweight women who took bupropion lost 5% of their body weight in 8 weeks, compared to 15% who took a placebo (fake) pill.
• If you’re worried about weight gain while taking an antidepressant, follow a healthy diet and exercise. Don’t crash-diet.
• Researchers say a diet that’s too strict could make you feel deprived—and increase feelings of depression.
• One reason some antidepressants cause weight gain may be that they intensify cravings for carbohydrates.
• At one mental health center, people taking antidepressants counteract weight gain by eating a high-carbohydrate, low-protein meal at night.

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