Anti Depressants and Salt Help

jaycee76

Hi

I posted earlier about my unsucccessful weight loss. Basically I have been on duloxetine (cymbalta) anti depressant for approx 18 months. I had a child 2.5 years ago and lost 60lbs since then. But in the last 14 months I have been unable to get below 143 lbs even though I stick with the rules, work out hard etc my weight goes up and down but never lower than 143. My Dr is checking out hormones etc but if they come back normal then its probably related to my meds,

Well on my earlier post, someone mentioned that Anti depressants can lead to water retention - so I have been having a look on the net to see whether this could be the case.

Basically I have found a few sites that suggest that salt could be the cause of being unable to lose weight whilst on these meds.

Now I LOVE salt! So does anyone have any experience and advice on this that may help? Have you cut salt? How much do I cut it by? Or is this just a lot of rubbish?

Please please advise if you have got any words of wisdom

Thanks

Jaycee x

wenders123

Hi hun,

I love salt to, and always see people on here panicking about sodium intake. But I don't worry to much as my BP is always spot on, and I do not seem to retain water.

But that does not help you. My suggestion would be to try a low sodium salt, like "Lo Salt". My husband uses it and likes it. It looks just like normal salt and can be used in exactly the same way - normal seasoning cooking and baking. They sell it in all of the normal supermarkets ......

polo571

I find the only way to combat water weight is drink more water or cut my salt. I also think you need to shock your body and take a week off from dieting and then get back to it. Sometimes if your on the grind too much its a drag

boobee32

salt will def make you reatain water, as will the meds. I have the same problem...I try to not use any at all...but I am addicted as well. I also have high blood pressure, so that is a factor for me as well. The spice I have found that I love on everything is the Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper. Better than just regular lemon pepper!

jaycee76

I find the only way to combat water weight is drink more water or cut my salt. I also think you need to shock your body and take a week off from dieting and then get back to it. Sometimes if your on the grind too much its a drag

I am trying to stop dieting but after gaining 3lb whilst calorie counting I am obsessed that I will just expand! lol
I also know that whenever I take time off I end up back up at 147 ish then have to start beating at it again to get to 143 and then nothing! lol (thats what has happened for over 12 months!)

I do zigzag my calories to mix it up a little too.

Its becoming an unhealthy obsession with me now I know, but I am so desperate!

Thanks though Polo x

LG61820

You can set MFP to report your sodium intake. I am going to attempt to lower my sodium intake to <1500 mg daily starting Sunday and see if that helps my weightloss get going again. I figure it's worth a try, I don't add salt to my food and my sodium intake is still thru the roof!

jaycee76

You can set MFP to report your sodium intake. I am going to attempt to lower my sodium intake to <1500 mg daily starting Sunday and see if that helps my weightloss get going again. I figure it's worth a try, I don't add salt to my food and my sodium intake is still thru the roof!

I have done this now too! Only thing is, it appears alot of the foods in the listings have not had the sodium added! Typical

Thanks though x

ajbeans

If you're trying to cut down on sodium, you absolutely must stay away from prepackaged frozen meals, canned foods, fast food, and deli meat. It's hard at first, if you're used to eating that stuff, but you'll find the groove of eating whole foods soon enough.

Mrs. Dash makes quite a few salt-free seasoning mixes that are excellent. I used to add salt to EVERYTHING, but since I've started playing more with spices, I don't need to add as much. If you like spicy foods, a pinch of cayenne can help bring out good flavor without salt. So can dry garlic powder (not garlic salt!), Italian seasonings like basil and oregano, sage, etc. If you stock your spice rack with a variety of spices, you can experiment and find combinations that satisfy your need for flavor without adding salt.

And in the meantime, yes, drink lots of water! At least 10 cups a day (80 oz total). I've heard that if you add lemon juice to your water it can help you flush out excess water, but I don't know the science behind it -- all I know is that it makes it taste yummy.

JustAnotherBob

Here's an article on the benefits of adding lemon juice to water ... http://naturalhealthezine.com/health-benefits-of-lemon-water/

Agree with ajweekley that it's good to minimize visits to fast food places, prepackaged meals, deli meats. It takes a little initial work but sodium intake can be reduced.

Suprised that your DR hasn't suggested monitoring a short period of time on Lasix or HCT.

jaycee76

Suprised that your DR hasn't suggested monitoring a short period of time on Lasix or HCT.

I dont do fast food or prepacked food only very very occasionally. I do add alot of salt to my food though!

I am in the UK (NHS) so the Dr's don't like to prescribe if they can help it (plus because my BMI is in the normal range they are not so bothered)

I have had lots of blood tests so if they come back with nothing then I will be banging back on the door to try something! lol

Gsalinas1

Yuck! LoSalt... If you really are a salt fan you should try Oceans Flavor low sodium sea salt. I use it all the time and it has 57% less sodium and a great taste! I think theybalso have seasonings and you can buy online.
I love salt too and Oceans Flavor salt helped me a lot.