3 insightful Effexor weight loss stories
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Effexor cause weight loss?
Yes, Effexor can cause weight loss in some individuals. It is an SNRI antidepressant which can cause a number of different side effects in different individuals. Although weight loss is not that commonly reported, it is a potential side effect.
Effexor can also cause weight gain in some people. It is best to talk to your doctor about how this antidepressant affects your weight. It is also important to make sure you don’t skip any doses without consulting your doctor first.
What have people experienced so far?
A few have shared their journey on Effexor. A 32-year-old Marissa stated:
“Effexor has been amazing for me. I struggled with depression all my life. My doc put me on Effexor to help me with my depression and binge eating and it worked! Effexor calmed me down and I started feeling less hungry. That made me lose a lot of extra weight that I had put on.”
Another user stated:
“I have heard a lot of people talk about Effexor and how the drug helped them, but for me, it was a nightmare! I first took this med almost 3 years ago. It made me extremely anxious, especially during the first few weeks and it continued to make me feel miserable.”
The user continued:
“As the weeks kept passing by, I kept losing weight. At the end of week 5, I had lost 20+ pounds and I felt extremely weak. My doctor reduced my dose a little to help my body adjust, but it continued to cause weakness and fatigue. My doc then put me off Effexor and switched me to Lexapro.”
Effexor can also cause both weight loss and weight gain in some people. A 46-year-old Frank stated:
“I still remember what a roller-coaster Effexor was for me. Although it was an effective antidepressant, I struggled a lot with it. During the first few weeks, I lost a lot of weight (almost 15 lbs) and felt really weak.”
Frank continued:
“When my body adjusted a little to Effexor, it started to increase my appetite. I couldn’t feel full even after consuming an entire meal. I kept wanting more. Over time, I did not only gain those 15 pounds back, but I also gained an additional 20 lbs. This side effect was the red flag that made my doc switch my antidepressant.”
Research studies on Effexor and weight loss
A 2002 clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry indicated that Effexor can cause weight loss by controlling binge eating episodes. The trial included 33 obese people with binge eating habits.
In about 120 days, the majority of the participants showed a decrease in cravings and binge eating patterns. This resulted in weight loss of several pounds, with some people losing more weight than others (1).
This concludes that Effexor can change irregular eating patterns and that’s how it can manage weight. However, Effexor can also cause weight gain.
A 2012 research study indicated that the use of some antidepressants, including Effexor, can cause significant weight gain in some people. The study also added that weight gain with SSRIs and SNRIs is more common than weight loss, with a few exceptions (2).
This indicates that Effexor can cause both weight gain and weight loss as side effects. It’s the individual’s response that makes a difference.
Who is more likely to lose weight on Effexor?
Effexor can cause both weight gain and weight loss. It depends on how your body reacts to this antidepressant and what symptoms are associated with your depression. People who tend to overeat during an episode of depression can easily lose weight on Effexor.
This is because the drug decreases depression and balances the chemicals in your brain. This leads to a decrease in cravings and unusual eating patterns, which are normally the main cause of weight gain in depressed individuals.
Make sure you monitor your side effects. It’s good to lose weight on Effexor if you suffer from an eating disorder comorbid with your depression, but rapid weight loss is not a good sign.
Was this helpful?
References
1.-
Malhotra S, King KH, Welge JA, Brusman-Lovins L, McElroy SL. Venlafaxine treatment of binge-eating disorder associated with obesity: a series of 35 patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002 Sep;63(9):802-6. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v63n0909. PMID: 12363121. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12363121/
2.-
Uguz F, Sahingoz M, Gungor B, Aksoy F, Askin R. Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2015 Jan-Feb;37(1):46-8. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.011. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PMID: 25467076. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467076/
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