Battling obesity while on psychotropic medications

kioniasw · July 2014

I used and still always am afraid to disclose that I battle a mental health disability. I have been to doctor after doctor looking for answers as to why I have become obese. I have always been in shape as a young person and at 25 it saddens me that psychiatrists were more worried about me taking the medicine than what it would do to my physical health. I write this to help anyone who has a mental health disability and wonders why they are overweight, always hungry, always desire to eat, cannot control their appetite. These are all side effects of some psychotropic medications. As soon as I get more free time I will begin to finish more blogging about this on my website http://mentalhealthmatters2014.blogspot.com/. For anyone who has given up the fight with their weight and having a mental health disability I encourage to regain the fight whether you already have diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension or other physical side effects. I ask that if you want more information to add me and I will discuss my findings and give ideas you can bring to your psychiatrist. I am slowly losing weight and this is common. I just found out that finally after two years of asking most of the information above and trying to not get type 2 diabetes. Please comment and there is no stigma on me I define myself. If you copy and paste the URL in you will see some of the things I discuss. I really want people to understand how value their physical health is while taking the medications.

HeidiCooksSupper · July 2014

Just my take on it:

For many of us, it's a chicken vs egg argument. How much is my clinical depression the cause of my poor control over food intake? How much is my obesity the cause of my clinical depression? Before I started taking anti-depressants, I was somewhat obese. Now I am more so. Is that the result of the medications or just of time and growing older?

These are question that cannot be answered. I can't conduct experiments on myself and control all the intervening variables to find out. So, fundamentally, I think of it this way: I must treat the depression to be able to handle everything so I treat the depression. Being less depressed means I am better able to address my skewed relationship with eating.

If treating the depression with psychotropic medications makes weight loss more difficult, so be it. It makes everything else in life easier and it makes control over eating possible.

kioniasw · July 2014

I totally like your take on it. I just wish on a personal level I would have been told ahead of time. I agree with the chicken vs egg argument though and it is true in a major sense.

Thanks for your post....:happy:

janatarnhem · July 2014

I totally like your take on it. I just wish on a personal level I would have been told ahead of time.

And I think this is such a valid point that you are making! When prescribing these medications, I think that there is a reluctance by many in the medical profession to then, at some point, take on the care of a person who will, more than likely, gain weight and all the associated problems with their medication. I see it time and time again in the Health Service. The acute care of a patient, but the long term health of that patient is not addressed in time or speed to perhaps prevent further damage to their longer term health of that patient. And doctors and nurses in these clinics must see the same recurring themes.

The_Sandra · July 2014

Just my take on it:

For many of us, it's a chicken vs egg argument. How much is my clinical depression the cause of my poor control over food intake? How much is my obesity the cause of my clinical depression? Before I started taking anti-depressants, I was somewhat obese. Now I am more so. Is that the result of the medications or just of time and growing older?

These are question that cannot be answered. I can't conduct experiments on myself and control all the intervening variables to find out. So, fundamentally, I think of it this way: I must treat the depression to be able to handle everything so I treat the depression. Being less depressed means I am better able to address my skewed relationship with eating.

If treating the depression with psychotropic medications makes weight loss more difficult, so be it. It makes everything else in life easier and it makes control over eating possible.

I had just the opposite experience. I had a pretty nasty bout of anxiety and depression which I ended up with me not eating for days at a time over a period of six months (as a distraction of sorts - if I could concentrate on the feeling of hunger and focus my will power on making it another day without eating, I didn't have the mental space to be depressed and anxious). After numerous combinations of different medications I ended up on mirtazapine and Prozac, which caused me to gain 40 pounds in a matter of months. After a year on the meds I felt it was time to wean off of them, and right away I lost 10 pounds without even trying. I'm working to get back to a healthy weight (not my pre-diagnosis underweight, mind you) now while being very aware of triggers as well as managing my stress and anxiety levels.

I also believe that had I needed to continue with the medications, that I could've lost weight, but it would've been incredibly difficult. Those mirtazapine carb cravings are no joke!! Mental health comes first, though. I can say for a fact that back in the thick of it, when I was at my lowest weight, I wasn't happy. And now, even though I'm not at an ideal weight, I'm happy. I'll take chubby and happy over thin and miserable any day!

reginachapman35 · July 2014

I hope that this is not too off topic, but when I was dealing with a lot of physical health issues none of the physicians I was seeing were concerned about my mental health. It was all about taking meds, getting blood drawn and getting tests done. Not a one asked me how I was doing mentally with all of it. I can only imagine that if I were in you shoes, the same thing would have happened......more concern over mental health than physical. Anyway, I'm glad you're doing better. Keep logging and blogging!

kioniasw · July 2014

The_Sandra

It can also happen the other way where you feel like not eating. I've had those spells as well but they never lasted long in my case.

missionalman · July 2014

I've gained 36 lbs since starting psychotropic medications. 2 years ago. I just can't seem to control my eating any more. Even now, I have had a big breakfast and a snack and I'm still hungry. The doctors warned me that I would gain "A couple of pounds" but this is ridiculous. I'm really hoping that MFP can help me retrain my brain and my self control so that even when I am hungry in between meals I can learn to not binge eat.

abear007 · July 2014

Based on what I've read about these medications, if it were me, I very likely wouldn't take them. For most of them there seems to be very little scientific evidence that they are more effective than taking a sugar pill (a placebo). I know it can be difficult because doctors can be very sincere and adamant and it's hard to buck their advice, but I would think twice even three times - even do my own research about a drug - before I just took it because the doc said so.

But's perhaps this is just me. Everyone has to make their own decisions of course but I'd much rather do some meditation or something along those lines than take some drug that could have bad side affects and not much chance of helping me.

I tend to think environment and diet can have a lot to do with mental issues - not always of course - but I think most of the time. Change those and the mind will follow.

Battling obesity while on psychotropic medications

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