They could alter your eating habits, which could make you loose or put on weight. Thats what I gather anyway.

Your MD is an idiot. Out of the 50 or so drugs I took all but 2 made me gain weight. That is the main side effect of anti depressants. Sounds like you need another MD who will take your concerns seriously. I had a psychiatrist one time tell me that depressed people ONLY want attention and that there is nothing wrong with them. The MD name means squat anymore.

drug's effect everyone differently. there is no 1-size-fits-all side effect. Check out what your drugs possible side effects are here http://www.drugs.com

Different drugs can affect your metabolic rate (i.e. the rate at which your body burns up its fuel). So, it's entirely possible that changing from one prescription to another could cause weight gain (or loss). This is why so many people who give up smoking put on weight (notwithstanding the fact that some also start eating sweets and candies as a displacement activity). I'd get another doctor! :-)

SOME antidepressants increase appetite.....Welbutrin is one. It boils down to self-discipline, naturally...but when one is depressed one has very little self-motivation, self-discipline, energy....those are hallmarks of the condition. So...it isn't always about choice...the illness controls even that.

Seems to me that being pregnant causes weight gain and that's not caused by putting something in your mouth.

untrue. They wanted to put me on an anti-depressant and I said " whoa" I heard that is a weight gainer pill and the doctor smiled and said "yes" that is one of the side affects.

Your doctor is wrong...What you heard is right. Weight gain is a reported side effect of nearly all antidepressants. Certain antidepressants are more likely to cause weight gain than others. As an example, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidise inhibitors (MAOIs) are more likely to cause weight gain than are Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The exception to this may be long term use of Paroxetine (Paxil)-an SSRI that is more likely to cause weight gain than other SSRIs.

Anti depressents make you INCREDIBLY hungry, thats why i stopped taking them, i gained 20 pounds and there was no way i was going to get fat AND depressed

One of the occupational hazards to being a doctor is listening to people complain about gaining weight. This is not to say that there are legitimate reasons for some people to gain weight, like being genetically inclined to it, having metabolism issues, diabetes, AND yes, prescription drugs. I had a GP who did not listen to me when I told him that I was 25 pounds too heavy and that my diet had not changed in 20+ years. Apparently, he was tired of having people come to him and ask for the miracle diet pill. I eventually found an endocrinologist who tested me and found a problem with my thyroid. 14 months later, I am 30 pounds lighter, no change in my eating habits or exercise. Some Doctors tend to paint people with the same brush, kind of like cops do when they've been on the job for years, or attorneys, or bill collectors.

1) Anti- depressants do not cause weight gain. Weight gain is related mostly to the difference between the calorie intake and calorie burning. So the most common cause of weight gain is eating more and / or doing less physical exercise. But for instance body builder gain weight for other reasons. However, antidepressant are *associated* with weight gain, the *cause* of which is unknown. So if you take antidepressants, you have a very serious risk to gain weight. 2) "Many antidepressants in all categories are associated with weight gain usually in the range of 5-25 kg (10-50 pounds) but not uncommonly upwards of 50 kg (100 pounds). The specific cause is unknown, but it is known that antidepressants are associated with increased cravings, an inability to feel full despite ingestion of adequate calories, low energy levels and increased daytime sleepiness which can lead to overeating and a lack of desire to exercise, and dry mouth which can lead to ingestion of calorie-laden beverages. In addition, the antihistaminic properties of certain TCAs, and NaSSa's have been shown to contribute at least in part to the common side effects of increased appetite and weight gain associated with these classes of medication. Eating low fat, low protein carbohydrate snacks and carbohydrate-rich dinners allows the brain to make serotonin which then controls appetite and balances mood. Carbohydrates thus eaten, as part of a balanced diet, by virtue of their effect on brain serotonin levels, thus support weight loss in the setting of antidepressant weight gain." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant#Weight_gain