I have been taking Effexor and Effexor XR for about 13 years. I ...

I have been taking Effexor and Effexor XR for about 13 years. I have a chemical imbalance and that cause me to have severe depression. I had to try many other anti-depressents before I found one that worked well with my chemistry. Effexor did! At the same time I started taking Effexor I started to gain the weight. The weight gain was fast and no matter what I did I coundn't control it. In 2 years I gained 88 pounds before the scales stopped climbing. I went to the doctor and had all kinds of tests run and everything was fine. The doctor said that I was going through menopause and my metabolism has slowed down. I have always watched what I eat and have been active. I have never contributed my weight gain to Effexor until now. If there is another anti-depressant that has the same affect but without the weight gain, I would like to know about it.