Stress eating

TynaUnchained

Hi, since I started taking anti depressants, I gained about 6 kg and I need some tips on battling stress eating.
Most days I stay bussy due to anxiety and possible panic attacks, but my depression makes it extra hard to work all day long. In the end of the day I have no energy to continue and my anxiety is super high and the only working coping mechanism is watching trash tv and eating (single time when my mind is not working 150%). I have tried xanax (prescribed) and alcohol, but I am looking for better solutions. (btw my fitbit says I walk aprox 12000 steps/day)
Thank you for any tips

vivmom2014

That's tough; sorry you are experiencing this. I would swap the trash t.v. for something -- anything -- physical. A walk around the block. A walking workout DVD. Moving your body often dispels a lot of things: lethargy, anxiety, boredom, mindless snacking.

littlegreenparrot1

I'm going to make some suggestions of things that have worked for me in the past. It might be worth trying some.

Don't know where you are, but for me evenings are starting to get a little lighter. Any nice parks you can go for a walk in, someone who might come along? Trees, birdsong, fresh air, bit of a chat, all good things if you can get them.

When I'm bad gym classes are far to overwhelming, but yoga or Pilates is great. Or a swim, bonus points if there's a pool with a nice sauna/Jacuzzi attached.

Cooking, nothing complicated. Making a batch of soup feels like an exercise in self care.

Knitting/cross stich other crafty things. I have tried a couple of times to teach myself to knit. I'm very bad at it but because of that it is completely absorbing. All the other stuff melted away, and it felt much better than just watching rubbish tv.

I hope you find something that helps. It is a hard thing to manage.

clarkeje1

Therapy can be helpful!

kshama2001

TynaUnchained wrote: »

Hi, since I started taking anti depressants, I gained about 6 kg and I need some tips on battling stress eating.
Most days I stay bussy due to anxiety and possible panic attacks, but my depression makes it extra hard to work all day long. In the end of the day I have no energy to continue and my anxiety is super high and the only working coping mechanism is watching trash tv and eating (single time when my mind is not working 150%). I have tried xanax (prescribed) and alcohol, but I am looking for better solutions. (btw my fitbit says I walk aprox 12000 steps/day)
Thank you for any tips

Sounds like that anti-depressant is not working for you, which is a good thing, as it will be easier to change to one that both works and isn't associated with weight gain.

I loved Remeron, as it gave me the best sleep I'd had in 20 years, but it increased my appetite to an unacceptable amount. More in this thread, which you can get to by clicking the >>:

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

From the Mayo Clinic:
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.

Generally speaking, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others. These include:

Certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil)
Certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
Mirtazapine (Remeron), which is an atypical antidepressant — medication that doesn't fit neatly into another antidepressant category
While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. For example:

Overeating or inactivity as a result of depression can cause weight gain.
Some people lose weight as part of their depression. In turn, an improved appetite associated with improved mood may result in increased weight.
Adults generally tend to gain weight as they age, regardless of the medications they take.

Have you tried Wellbutrin? In 2021, it stopped working for me after about 20 years and I've been trying different antidepressants since. Wellbutrin is one of the two medications in the weight loss drug Contrave, which I want to try as soon as I am eligible. (I get my healthcare through the VA so I have to jump through hoops.)

TynaUnchained

clarkeje1 wrote: »

Therapy can be helpful!

100% agree. I have a therapist but the price is super high, that is why I go every other week

TynaUnchained

kshama2001 wrote: »

TynaUnchained wrote: »

Hi, since I started taking anti depressants, I gained about 6 kg and I need some tips on battling stress eating.
Most days I stay bussy due to anxiety and possible panic attacks, but my depression makes it extra hard to work all day long. In the end of the day I have no energy to continue and my anxiety is super high and the only working coping mechanism is watching trash tv and eating (single time when my mind is not working 150%). I have tried xanax (prescribed) and alcohol, but I am looking for better solutions. (btw my fitbit says I walk aprox 12000 steps/day)
Thank you for any tips

Sounds like that anti-depressant is not working for you, which is a good thing, as it will be easier to change to one that both works and isn't associated with weight gain.

I loved Remeron, as it gave me the best sleep I'd had in 20 years, but it increased my appetite to an unacceptable amount. More in this thread, which you can get to by clicking the >>:

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

From the Mayo Clinic:
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.

Generally speaking, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others. These include:

Certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil)
Certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
Mirtazapine (Remeron), which is an atypical antidepressant — medication that doesn't fit neatly into another antidepressant category
While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. For example:

Overeating or inactivity as a result of depression can cause weight gain.
Some people lose weight as part of their depression. In turn, an improved appetite associated with improved mood may result in increased weight.
Adults generally tend to gain weight as they age, regardless of the medications they take.

Have you tried Wellbutrin? In 2021, it stopped working for me after about 20 years and I've been trying different antidepressants since. Wellbutrin is one of the two medications in the weight loss drug Contrave, which I want to try as soon as I am eligible. (I get my healthcare through the VA so I have to jump through hoops.)

Actually I got off of the antidepressant, since I’m in med school and I can’t afford to mess up my ability to focus again. Plus I live in Prague and it is not common in here to ask for specific meds, which is maybe a good thing, idk

TynaUnchained

vivmom2014 wrote: »

That's tough; sorry you are experiencing this. I would swap the trash t.v. for something -- anything -- physical. A walk around the block. A walking workout DVD. Moving your body often dispels a lot of things: lethargy, anxiety, boredom, mindless snacking.

littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »

I'm going to make some suggestions of things that have worked for me in the past. It might be worth trying some.

Don't know where you are, but for me evenings are starting to get a little lighter. Any nice parks you can go for a walk in, someone who might come along? Trees, birdsong, fresh air, bit of a chat, all good things if you can get them.

When I'm bad gym classes are far to overwhelming, but yoga or Pilates is great. Or a swim, bonus points if there's a pool with a nice sauna/Jacuzzi attached.

Cooking, nothing complicated. Making a batch of soup feels like an exercise in self care.

Knitting/cross stich other crafty things. I have tried a couple of times to teach myself to knit. I'm very bad at it but because of that it is completely absorbing. All the other stuff melted away, and it felt much better than just watching rubbish tv.

I hope you find something that helps. It is a hard thing to manage.

My options are limited by the chance of having a panic attack in the middle of doing something far from home. But you are right, I found that moving is a good one, specifically dancing, so I thing I will try to focus on that. Thank you for the support, I really appriciate it

Mischante

Good morning. I'm going to second changing your antidepressant. I'm a R.N. and have had severe anxiety and some depression most of my life. I finally decided to ask for help and am currently taking Wellbutrin and Celexa. I've been on them since January and the combination is working really well. I haven't had any weight gain and have in fact dropped over 18 lbs since I started taking them and returned to calorie counting. It's nice not to panic several times a day and my mind has finally calmed down.

TynaUnchained

Mischante wrote: »

Good morning. I'm going to second changing your antidepressant. I'm a R.N. and have had severe anxiety and some depression most of my life. I finally decided to ask for help and am currently taking Wellbutrin and Celexa. I've been on them since January and the combination is working really well. I haven't had any weight gain and have in fact dropped over 18 lbs since I started taking them and returned to calorie counting. It's nice not to panic several times a day and my mind has finally calmed down.

Maybe I can try something different over summer break, thank you

kshama2001

TynaUnchained wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

TynaUnchained wrote: »

Hi, since I started taking anti depressants, I gained about 6 kg and I need some tips on battling stress eating.
Most days I stay bussy due to anxiety and possible panic attacks, but my depression makes it extra hard to work all day long. In the end of the day I have no energy to continue and my anxiety is super high and the only working coping mechanism is watching trash tv and eating (single time when my mind is not working 150%). I have tried xanax (prescribed) and alcohol, but I am looking for better solutions. (btw my fitbit says I walk aprox 12000 steps/day)
Thank you for any tips

Sounds like that anti-depressant is not working for you, which is a good thing, as it will be easier to change to one that both works and isn't associated with weight gain.

I loved Remeron, as it gave me the best sleep I'd had in 20 years, but it increased my appetite to an unacceptable amount. More in this thread, which you can get to by clicking the >>:

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

From the Mayo Clinic:
Can antidepressants cause weight gain?
Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.

Generally speaking, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others. These include:

Certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil)
Certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
Mirtazapine (Remeron), which is an atypical antidepressant — medication that doesn't fit neatly into another antidepressant category
While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. For example:

Overeating or inactivity as a result of depression can cause weight gain.
Some people lose weight as part of their depression. In turn, an improved appetite associated with improved mood may result in increased weight.
Adults generally tend to gain weight as they age, regardless of the medications they take.

Have you tried Wellbutrin? In 2021, it stopped working for me after about 20 years and I've been trying different antidepressants since. Wellbutrin is one of the two medications in the weight loss drug Contrave, which I want to try as soon as I am eligible. (I get my healthcare through the VA so I have to jump through hoops.)

Actually I got off of the antidepressant, since I’m in med school and I can’t afford to mess up my ability to focus again. Plus I live in Prague and it is not common in here to ask for specific meds, which is maybe a good thing, idk

I don't know how common it is in the US to ask for specific meds either. My partner's family certainly did not question the prescriptions for their mother's anxiety, which I believe was way overprescribed. And didn't help, either.

I think I originally found Wellbutrin when I was looking for an AD without sexual side effects, and talked about it with my doctor, who was happy to prescribe it for me.

Sinisterbarbie1

It sounds like the anxiety and other symptoms are affecting your ability to focus on being a med student if instead of studying or spending time with friends/family or practicing healthy self care you are watching trash tv alone and self medicating with alcohol, over-eating and xanax. If a patient presented these problems to you what would you advise?

You don’t necessarily have to ask for a specific medication, but how about at least clearly stating to your prescriber that the current regimen of nothing is not working for you, The earlier routine of Xanax was not ideal because you did all of the above and were worried about weight and loss of focus too.

Tell them you would like to explore a treatment that would effectively treat your anxiety but does not have negative side effects associated with weight gain or loss of focus. Remind your prescriber that you are a medical student with a particular interest in maintaining focus on your studies and ensuring good health and attentiveness for the benefit of your patients. Inquire about whether there are negative effects from consuming alcohol or other drugs in combination with the medication you are prescribed.

And I am sorry if this sounds too American of me (I am actually an immigrant, if that helps) but this is your mental health and well being we are talking about, as well as your ability to care for others as a dr. I understand cultural sensitivities, but there are some things where for your health the answer to “it is not usually done that way” has to be “I Don’t care.”

sollyn23l2

Sinisterbarbie1 wrote: »

It sounds like the anxiety and other symptoms are affecting your ability to focus on being a med student if instead of studying or spending time with friends/family or practicing healthy self care you are watching trash tv alone and self medicating with alcohol, over-eating and xanax. If a patient presented these problems to you what would you advise?

You don’t necessarily have to ask for a specific medication, but how about at least clearly stating to your prescriber that the current regimen of nothing is not working for you, The earlier routine of Xanax was not ideal because you did all of the above and were worried about weight and loss of focus too.

Tell them you would like to explore a treatment that would effectively treat your anxiety but does not have negative side effects associated with weight gain or loss of focus. Remind your prescriber that you are a medical student with a particular interest in maintaining focus on your studies and ensuring good health and attentiveness for the benefit of your patients. Inquire about whether there are negative effects from consuming alcohol or other drugs in combination with the medication you are prescribed.

And I am sorry if this sounds too American of me (I am actually an immigrant, if that helps) but this is your mental health and well being we are talking about, as well as your ability to care for others as a dr. I understand cultural sensitivities, but there are some things where for your health the answer to “it is not usually done that way” has to be “I Don’t care.”

This is true. Take it from me: I almost failed out of college due to unmedicated/untreated depression. Depression itself will dramatically affect your ability to focus. Please look at your options.