# SSRI on bodybuilding



## Umyaya (Feb 17, 2012)

I have heard that SSRI like Paxil can reduce testosterone levels and make it hadrer to put on muscle. I always am curious on the side effect of weight gain. What are your guys experience with weight gain and being able to lose fat while gaining muscle on SSRI's.

Thanks,


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Well it depends... you on a ssri your self?


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

there a whole bunch of side effects that ssri's can cause too make exercising more difficult... but they can improve consistency and you get result's generally they cause weakness and insomnia some ssri lower blood pressure and heart rate abit ndri can raise it... but if u get too much insomnia and weakness u won't really feel like doing much your blood pressure could go up from not sleeping


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

I don't feel it will hurt you. I'm not a bodybuilder or anything but I do exercise. I haven't noticed any problems. If anything, I'm more relaxed on the SSRI and so I have more energy to exercise instead of burning all those calories with anxiety. I think I get tired less easily on the SSRI.


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## Arnoldd (Apr 26, 2012)

I just want to say on it that The only reason behind today's bodybuilders muscles is the proper diet, training and most likely bodybuilding supplements. But some bodybuilders have not follow all three of them result is not having proper muscles. To be a perfect, all 3 must be go side by side.


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## anhedonic (Dec 19, 2011)

SSRIs do increase estrogen in the body, and, anecdotally, have been known to cause gynecomastia.


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## slushie87 (Jul 28, 2011)

Yeah I did have a harder time losing fat on paxil, effexor and cymbalta..than I do now that I'm off meds


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Well increasing serotonin can lower dopamine and decrease muscle contraction's this can have a negative effect on building muscle higher dopamine is associated with lower prolactin increased testosterone. so techically ya it will turn ya into a women might as well chop your nut's off now.

they can calm ya down but yea nerfing your dopamine with serotonin usually i felt weaker on ssri compared too say if i was on rit or dex my lift's would go up but on ssri they would go down.


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## simon74 (Jul 19, 2011)

iam on paxil i work out and am building muscle ,as far as testosterone goes,i have read that they do not lower testosterone yet yes it does lower libido the reason being your serotonin levels are up form the paxil ,this has nothing to do with testosterone ,im 37 been on paxil over 10 years and im gaining muscle,dedication good diet and a good routine and theres no reason you cant improve the body and mind . ok we may not be buff shredded body builders but you wont be anyway ,as they all take illlegal products at the end of the day,yes you can still build and workout on paxil


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## whattothink (Jun 2, 2005)

I was on Zoloft while weightlifting heavily for about a year and a half. Didn't notice anything negative in terms of expected gains.


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## jhenry (May 10, 2012)

A good way to build muscle is by short, intense muscle training and high protein, low carb supplements


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

*Need to keep it real*



Arnoldd said:


> I just want to say on it that The only reason behind today's bodybuilders muscles is the proper diet, training and most likely bodybuilding supplements. But some bodybuilders have not follow all three of them result is not having proper muscles. To be a perfect, all 3 must be go side by side.


I think you've read too much Flex magazines. Most pro bodybuilders don't eat 'clean' at all, rather the contrary, don't train hard at all (injuries are career ending and it just isn't necessary to do so) and supplements are completely worthless. A lot of sponsored bodybuilders don't even use the supplements they get for free LOL. There are plenty of bodybuilding forums on which you read up on the truth. It's almost 100% chemical warfare, trust me. Assuming you aren't speaking about true natural bodybuilding of course.

I know Jerry Koolhoven personally, he competes in Nabba and aspires to be an IFBB pro soon, he makes sure to get in his protein each day, fills the rest up with junk food, laughs at supplements, trains with lighter weights than your grandma, but is of course on every growth drug available and in high doses obviously.

I can look up his exact drug regimen if you want, you'll be flabbergasted. And he is poor and probably not on even close to what top pro's are on.


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## AxlSlash (May 10, 2012)

Been on paxil-40 mg for years. Had a blood test to check my T levels and everything was fine.


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## tygiag (May 29, 2012)

I was on Paxil for 6 years. I am an amateur natural bodybuilder. It may be slightly harder to make gains or drop fat. However, I track my diet like a hawk. If I'm not getting results I just make adjustments until I do get them. 

My body would tend to hold on to fat and water a little bit longer then usual, but I was always able to make adjustments and get really lean.


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## htbmuscles (Dec 1, 2015)

*Using supplements*

I don't recommend supplements, they give size, but fattening on lower belly, I faced some breathing problem as results of creatine, so stopped supplements completely, you can create own supplements with pea and soybeans.. also lots of preservatives are linked to Cancer.. here is diet and routine u can use for bigger muscles, surely supplements will give more size, but have side effects and won't add to actual strength and can cause other diseases..

Best is stay active, dance, use only stairs (no lift), walk to nearest shop, get good sleep and stay happy

Eat Yogurt, raw paneer, drink hot milk bedtime, drink lots of water, eat fruits and salads, drink green tea morning first thingand eat little salad before lunch and Dinner. 
Dip handful of whole grains (Black grams, peas, peanuts, pulses) in cup of water overnight and eat in morning.

You can follow following diet and fitness tips for better results: -

Diet: 
---- 
A good tip is prefer vegetarian food, have 5 time meals rather. Eat yogurt, curd in mrng and evening.

You can have seafood also.

Drink 1 cup of green tea empty stomach.

breakfast of cereals, daliya, oats and egg only, with bread . 2 bananas followed by hot milk

Lunch u can have beans on bread, 1 plate dal rice or 2-3 breads with baked/ boiled vegetables

Have milk shake/ fruit cake/ banana with hot milk in evening/ sprout mix/ 2 brown breads with cheese

have light dinner, eat some salad and u can have 2-3 breads and with gravy, pulses or pasta with not much of cheese. You can use home made salsa

Drink plain hot milk with only little sugar or green tea bed time.

avoid soda/aerated drinks (mainly diet Soda), chicken, beef, pork, cheese, pizzas and junk food. 
Avoid rice at night. you can treat yourself on weekend with these food, but keep activity level high on weekend

learn some recipes for healthy food. You can look for alternates like fish, crab, prawns, Soya, Mushrooms etc.. 
.

Exercise: 
Divide muscles in 4 groups 
Chest / triceps 
Back/ Biceps 
legs/ forearms 
Lower back / Shoulders (lower back: good morning, deadlifts, clean and press)

Chest / Triceps: 
Bench press, dumbell Flies/ Curls (lying on bench), inclined dumbell press, pecdec 
overhead dumbell tricep curl, narrow grip bench press, narrow hands push ups, dips, bending triceps dumbell curl, overhead barbell tricep curl

Shoulders/ Legs: 
Shoulder press with dumbells, shoulder press with barbell backside, military press, front dumbell raises, side dumbell raises, shoulder shruggs 
Squats, spot running, lunges, Calve raises, dumbell squats, leg pullies

Back / Biceps: 
Pull ups, Front Pullovers, back pullovers, barbell rowing, dumbell rowing, single dumbell raises, 
Biceps curl with dumbell, hammer curls, biceps curls with barbell, biceps curl with bend barbell, concentration curl, reverse curls

You can combine Abs/ wrists workout each alternatively with above muscle groups, you can do wrist curls with light dumbells, barbells, reverse curls etc. For abs you can do crunches, leg raises etc.

Reps: 
For 1st month make stamina and muscle strength in you. Do sets of 15-20-25 reps with light weights (reducing weights increasing reps)

You will become lean and well shaped with above workout

Now come to gain muscle size, start with moderate heavy weight now, u will do 12-10-8 reps now (increasing weight reducing reps), if require take someone help to lift heavy weights. We call it spotting.


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## dutreaux (Feb 12, 2016)

Yeah, I've been on ssri's and also exercised. I think there may be a link between testosterone ( in males) and ssri's although
studies are still being done. I mean, how can you think it doesn't affect you when often times it is hard to get an erection (again,
as a male). I was on Lexapro, and they use that for men with premature ejaculation problems, because it numbs the penis.

All that being said, working out and even building muscle is one of the best things we can do for ourselves as sufferers of anxiety
disorder. Exercising increases testosterone levels, and all the good ones like serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Regular
exercise and strength training is great for those with anxiety.

I found a great resource here - *bodybuilderformula.com* Free Download

Good luck!


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## Maverick34 (Feb 18, 2013)

I heard SSRI's can reduce testosterone too. Not sure but I'm not going back on SSRI's to see if it's true haha. I also heard of some guys using SSRI's to help with recovery, after training. I read that in a FLEX magazine years ago. This might've been before it was known that SSRI's reduce T levels


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## langnerscott (Feb 13, 2016)

My experience has been that SSRIs seem to reduce motivation and exercise tolerance. It's a major downside. Has anyone else had this experience?


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