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What if my mental-health medication affects my weight?

Need urgent help?

If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent mental-health help but it is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental-health option.

Current NHS urgent mental-health support →

Some antidepressants can affect appetite or weight.

What you need to know

Some antidepressants can affect appetite or weight. For a weight-focused website, the important message is simple: do not destabilise mental-health treatment to chase a number on the scales. If weight change concerns you, discuss the medicine and your physical-health goals with the prescriber.

Make it a conversation, not a test

You are allowed to ask questions, explain what matters to you and say when something is not helping. Mental-health care should be based on your needs, circumstances and appropriate clinical assessment.

Sources & further reading

Educational information only. Treatment should be based on an individual assessment with an appropriate healthcare professional.