Antidepressants and binge eating

Options
sarahp86
sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
I had my first ever counselling session today and I start a twenty week course of CBT next week but the psychiatrist said that she may put me on prozac or another antidepressant to help as all my eating is emotional.

I've been binge eating for 15 years so this is the first time I've ever sought help and I'm a bit wary on taking medication due to the possible side effects. Has anyone here ever been prescribed anti-depressants and has it helped?

Replies

  • femmecyclist
    femmecyclist Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I have also realized that my binge eating is emotional and compulsive, and goes hand in hand with depression. I went to see my family doctor to address the depression - I was hoping that would solve my binge-eating. I've started 150mg of Wellbutrin XL - it also suppresses my appetite (some days more than others). I've only been on it for two weeks so far.. but I do feel like I don't have the same urge to overeat. I don't feel like the depression has been completely addressed (I still feel like crawling into bed as soon as I get home from work), and I was hoping to feel more motivation to exercise... Might just need to increase the dosage or wait a bit longer to see those effects, I'm not sure. I really don't know when my last binge was.. I think sometime the first week, but even then it was already less dramatic in terms of calories. I'm also not experiencing that total preoccupation with what I can eat next with no regard for my hunger. I have heard good things about prozac with regards to binge eating but I was concerned with the risk of sexual dysfunction.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    Options
    I am really worried about sexual dysfunction as one of the side affects. I will only be taking it as a last resort and am hoping the CBT will help more so than the meds.

    Would love to know if anyone has tried CBT either
  • nancy10272004
    nancy10272004 Posts: 277 Member
    Options
    For me, one of the side effects of anti-depressants was binge eating. I wasn't even a binge eater until I started taking them. They just ruined me physically.

    It sounds like your psychiatrist needs to help you find an ED specialist. I found that CBT and DBT helped, maybe the DBT more than the CBT.

    As you can probably tell, I have strong feelings about this and had every side effect known to man, woman and child when I was on them so take my advice with a grain of salt.

    I am not against psychiatry or medication - I take klonopin to treat my anxiety. I wish I had done my due diligence before blindly cycling through anti-depressants without stopping and saying "No - these are not working. What else do you have?"