Is it normal to gain weight when taking depression medications?

Yes, sometimes.: Some antidepressants do cause a person to gain some pounds. This side effect varies from drug to drug, and from person to person. The doctor may try different drugs and different doses to balance the desired antidepressant effect against any undesired weight gain.

It can happen: Older antidepressants , starting with tricyclic antidepressants, cause weight gain. Even the newer ssri's, especially paroxetine, are weight gainers. Three older antidepressants, mirtazapine, Doxepin and trazodone are now used almost exclusively for insomnia and are weight gainers. In long term studies , almost all antidepressants cause weight gain. Least likely to do so is buprprion.