Antidepressants

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beccapineapple8756
beccapineapple8756 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So doctor has decided i go back on my antidepressants. Side effects for me were loss of motivation, weight gain and not being able to loose weight. Dose anyone have tips on how to still loose weight while in my medication ??

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,016 Member
    edited October 2016
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    It is still "eat less than you use" for weight loss.

    Some antidepressants do tend to lead to weight gain. Be your own advocate on this - if you start gaining weight and you're not over-eating, you can always ask to change medications. If a medication were stealing my motivation, I wouldn't think that was a good one for me. Just be honest with everything about how it is making you feel. It takes a while to find the right one sometimes. Doctors tend to start with XXX medication based on either a general success with it or an insurance preference. If it isn't working FOR you then you can ask for a different one. I know you have to give each different med some time to work - whatever your doctor thinks - but some meds are better than others for weight loss and antidepressant relief.

    The best thing you can do is track your food faithfully, so you can show your doctor your food log when/if you ask to change medications. Maintaining good nutrition is one of the best antidepressants there are, in addition to some moderate exercise. Exercise is a proven mood lifter. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    beccapineapple8756 wrote: »
    So doctor has decided i go back on my antidepressants. Side effects for me were loss of motivation, weight gain and not being able to loose weight. Dose anyone have tips on how to still loose weight while in my medication ??

    I take Wellbutrin/Buproprion and experience none of those side effects. In fact, as Wellbutrin is a little speedy, it's very helpful to me, especially in the winter.

    Work with your doctor to find the best med for you.

    Oh, are you exercising? This is very very helpful for me, probably even more so than my AD.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
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    Another vote for Wellbutrin here. It's actually accelerated my loss by a little bit.
  • ksenya03
    ksenya03 Posts: 51 Member
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    Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Antidepressants don't need to mean weight gain. I gained a huge amount on one antidepressant, and expressed my frustrations both about that and the fact that it didn't seem to be helping my mood much to my doctor and was ultimately changed to one that works much better for me. My mood lightened, I had a lot more energy, I was able to exercise again, and with watching calories and exercise my weight has come down substantially. (I lost almost 20lbs before starting MFP, but after a 6 month stall started using this site).

    Ultimately it is still a case of calories in and calories out. Track calories, and if you can exercise. Exercise - particularly out in fresh air and sunshine - is a great natural mood booster and can be very good to incorporate alongside pharmacological interventions. It will also have to boost your calorie burn. If you are watching your calories, exercising, and still gaining weight, be very clear to your provider that the particular medication s/he has you on will not be a sustainable option for you.

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