antidepressants and weight loss struggle. talk to me.

herstrawberri

When I get depressed I stop being depressed and start being awesome instead. True Story.

Ummmmm no. If it were this easy, everyone would be shiny happy people.

deborah0123

Has anyone here ever taken Seroquel...I know it puts weight on and it is a strong medication..just like to know other peoples experience with it..my dr wont take me off..they say coming off it is bad

JenniferNoll

Get off the med's and work out instead. That's what I did. It was really hard the first three months with the withdrawals, but now I'm antidepressent free and rarely get depressed anymore. You need to do what's best for you, but with me I was more depressed being fat and hateing myself because I was so fat.

Please do not ever ever ever tell someone to stop taking their meds, unless you are that person's personal physician. Clinical depression is not something that you can talk yourself out of or exercise away. Unfortunately, many of us who must take antidepressants, anti-psychotics, or anti-anxiety meds can not live without them.

Suicide is a pretty serious withdrawal symptom.

kbmnurse

Get off the antidepressants. They will bloat the hell out of you.

hayleeannie

When I get depressed I stop being depressed and start being awesome instead. True Story.

Yeah ok Barney

thedancingleper

I love how people here think they are qualified enough to tell a person to stop taking medication. I didn't know MFP was saturated with board certified psychiatrists.

ellie331981

I have struggled with my weight for many years all the while trialing various meds atnti depressants and ant anxiety medications. I had a horrible experience coming off effexor, very nasty stuff please work close with your doctor if considering coming off effexor. I have had good luck with good ole' prozac, being more abe to manage my weight issues and it improved my mood noticibly. ( I apologize for my horrible spelling and grammar).

Betty_Canada

Been on Celexa, Effexor (very briefly), Wellbutrin and now on Remeron.

To all the people telling folks on this thread to quit whining, keep a stiff upper lip, and quit all their medication: Clinical depression is NOT situational depression. It is a functional neurological disorder. I liken it to being diabetic; as long as I stay on my medication, I can function. If I don't, Bad Things Happen. You wouldn't tell a diabetic to stop taking insulin, you wouldn't tell a heart attack survivor to stop taking beta blockers, so don't tell me that I should stop taking medication that allows me to function in society. So, with all due respect, keep your hands and your misconceptions out of my brain. Thank you.

As for the weight gain, I've put on more pounds due to various not particularly effective rounds of birth control pills than from my ADs, per se, although I *did* put on a lot of weight with the Celexa. (I couldn't do Wellbutrin - I was sleeping 30-60 minutes in a 24 hour period and I was completely wired for sound all the time - like jittery and unfocused.) Effexor make me completely weird and caused thoughts of self-injury - I think I was on it two or three weeks, and it NEVER helped with the depression.

The doctor warned me when I asked for the Remeron when my Celexa basically stopped working that it causes munchies. Actually, what he probably SHOULD have said was that you will chase anything that stops moving long enough with a fork. *lmao* But I've managed to stay weight neutral on the drug with care and forethought, and a lot of chewing gum so I always have something in my mouth. And most importantly, it's a sedative, which means I'm finally sleeping through the night.

Being on a serotonin reputake inhibitor, especially, can make losing weight more difficult. It isn't impossible, but motivation can be a challenge when part of your brain is pretty much shut down. Most of us, before we end up on meds, medicate with food. Starches increase serotonin uptake, especially white starches. So we eat potatoes and bread and pasta, because at an endocrinological level, they make us feel better. The hard part for me is learning to eat in a way that doesn't DO that. Then I have to try and motivate myself to do something - ANYTHING - to get moving.

As the joke goes, no matter how slow I go, I am still lapping the person on the couch.

Depression makes it harder to do the things most people do to "lose weight". The thought of being in a gym at my current weight leaves me on the edge of a panic attack. People who say "well, just go to the gym" or "well, just get off your butt and walk" have never had to deal with the dirty looks, catcalls and general snark that are a side effect of being fat and having the audacity to leave your house. When you're already down and feeling anxious, having some a*&hat moo at me from his car is enough to completely ruin my day and make me too ashamed to go out and try again.

I recognize that my medication will make this journey a little tougher than the average bear. But tougher isn't impossible, and if it was easy, anyone could play and imagine how crowded THAT is gonna get!

Losing weight may mean I'll be able to LOWER my antidepressant, but I won't ever be off of it. And I've accepted that.

-Betty-

fuego84

Change meds. Welbutrin has a neutral weight effect. Prozac is supposed to help you lose weight. Talk to your doctor and see if switching would be good for you. I was on Lexapro and despite working out 5-6 days a week and never meeting my calorie goal, my scale would not budge. I stopped taking it and switched to another medicine (you should actually taper it off to avoid withdraw symptoms) and have already lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks. Trust your instincts. If you feel that the meds are making you gain weight/ not be able to lose despite your best efforts, you are probably right. There are other choices. Don't give up until you have found a good one for you.

I gained 30 pounds in about 2the months while on Prozac and still haven't been able to take the weight off. I'm struggling with depression right now but because of my experience with Prozac I refuse to go back on antidepressants.

jennaworksout

its hard, I've been there...ended up going on Celexa and I never gained weight, I think medications effect people differently as my cousin was on celexa and she gained weight...you can do your best at eating right and exercise, it will definitely help


Since I got off celexa I gained 10 pounds, go figure ...thats why i'm on here to lose those 10 pounds again ....vicious cycle :grumble:

eduardoschoen

I started Abilify and Lexapro approx 4 years ago. Coincidentally, this was the same time that my weight started to increase dramatically (~10 pounds per year). I started MFP last week along with the Private Weight Loss program at Lifetime Fitness. I hope the program's accountability, MFP, and strong desire to reach my goals will override any negative effects of the antidepressants I am on.

Good luck in your weight loss journey! I wish you the very best!

Stacie0623

Here's my story and I'm hoping someone can provide some encouragement for me because I'm completely frustrated. 2 years ago I suffered from panic attacks, one day driving to work and BOOM my body went into anxiety!! Was never really "skinny" but looking back I was content with myself, just needed a little toning. Anxiety was ruining my life and my doctor put me on Paxil. Never told me that one side effect was weight gain, which if I would have known then, I would have researched other options. After a year on Paxil and almost 25 pounds later, I decided that I wanted to try and get off the meds. I successfully weaned off the medication in July 2011, as most of you know who have weaned off, the 25 pounds I gained melted off within 3 months and my eating habits were probably worse then when I took the meds. In December, my anxiety returned and I realized I needed to go on something to help, the doctor tried Prozac with Buspar, at first, it was fine changed my eating habits just to be safe and lost a few more pounds. Not sure if it was the Buspar or the Prozac, but my anxiety burst into full bloom again. So, I went back on Paxil. Within 3 months of watching what I ate 15 pounds packed back on. Doctor switched me to Viibryd, first 2 months were good, definitely more energy and not really hungry. I lost a pound a week for about 3 weeks, using MFP and taking a Zumba class (which is a blast even though I'm completely uncoordinated!) Still eating like I did for those 3 weeks and actually bumped my exercises up alitte and I've gained back the 3 pounds. Don't understand..... I know that if it weren't for these pills, I would probably reach my goal in a much faster time. I just want to know how to boost my metabolism and get rid of this weight.... Sorry to babble, first time on here and I see that alot of people are going through what I am and would love to hear some success stories and how they are being achieved. Thanks!

Petaaaah1

HI Stacie,

I have struggled a lot with depression and anxiety (generalized and social) since my teens, sometimes completely out of the game for 6 months. I ran the gamete with trial and error on drugs, Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft…you name it, until I got to Effexor, which has anti-anxiolytic effects (just like Paxil). I also take Clonazapam as needed. As added help from sleep I take a very very low dose of Seroquil (its non addictive). I haven’t put on any weight with it that I can’t control.

Lots of papers show that exercise is at least as effective as antidepressants (but I wouldn’t substitute one for the other, use both). The issue is, antidepressants are not the full answer, they only keep your head above water, and so you have to make take it from a mood of “5" to an "7 or 8+". Anxiety would trigger my depression, and I imagine it’s the same for you. Moderate-Vigourous exercise is key in reducing anxiety levels and helping with serotonin and dopamine levels. Also, if you have the time to experiment with your doctor, try other antidepressants to see if you can find one that keeps your head above water and doesn’t slow your metabolism. It might take a year but it could well be worth it.

I would concentrate on cross training and weights (with few breaks). They will keep you metabolism ramped when you are not working out, unlike a bike ride or a walk. I would also look into “CLA” as a suppliment- I started taking it a week ago (natural supplement) and it is combined with green tea extract that boost metabolism. Already I can see some shed from my mid section. Lots of anecdotal and some studies showing it is very effective - great for levelling blood sugar, anti cancer effects and boost immune system. About 30 bucks for a month’s supply, so worth a try.

So: Weight Training 3+ x per week (Push hard), CLA, and investigate into alternate antidepressants.

Hope that helps, and I wish you luck. LEt me know how it goes.

Peter

valerieknox

I have been on Lexapro for like a year now. Before that I was on Remeron. The Remeron made me feel constantly hungry, but the Lexapro hasn't really changed my hunger. I have gained some weight though, but it could also be my depression, and all the comfort eating I've been doing. I've recently started trying to loose weight. Even though the Lexapro might make it more difficult, it is so worth it. I need medication to have the energy to exercise regularly and prepare healthy meals. When I'm depressed I eat junk food I don't need to put any time into, and I stay in bed all day. So, I'd rather have a slow metabolism with healthy habits then normal metabolism with ****ty habits. But, like others have said, maybe you should try Wellbutrin? I tried that, but unfortunately I had an allergic reaction to it.

Good luck! I do think it's possible to loose weight, even though it might be a bit harder.

EDIT: Haha, it censured a cuss word automaticly, so cute.

Stacie0623

Thanks for the replies.... Wellbutrin helped me lose a couple of pounds but made me a raging lunatic... After 2 weeks I had to stop taking it. Peter - I will try the CLA with green tea... I have taken CLA in the past but got frustrated and stopped. My problem is like everyone else - take meds for anxiety and go into depression because of the weight gain.... Just want to get on the scale and see something from my attempts!! I will try the cross training and weights -hardest part for me is the time.... Between work and raising kids it's sometimes hard to find ME time.... Will keep u posted!!!
Thanks again!!

valerieknox

Maybe this could be better then, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buspirone, for anxiety. It doesn't exist in many countries, but maybe in yours?

Stacie0623

I believe Buspirone is the generic for Buspar.... Tried Buspar and Prozac last November, dropped 6 pounds in a week, but it was horrible for my anxiety. That's what led me back to Paxil and weight gain and now the Viibryd which I'm not gaining much weight, but I can't seem to lose any as well....