Weight loss/anti depressants

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  • melbmeg
    melbmeg Posts: 32 Member
    My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)

    I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.

    I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.

    Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!



  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Holmesfamily26037 wrote: »
    Thank you so much with all the info! Def helps me a lot! I'm on Prozac..btw.. I workout a few times a week(3)..eat within my calorie intake 1200-2000..drink lots of water..so I'm not giving up..just needed to know others opinions to make sure I was or was not the only one in this rut..

    There is no logging in your diary. You don't gain weight from a medication, you gain from eating too much. If they increase your appetite, this is something you need to combat.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    melbmeg wrote: »
    My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)

    I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.

    I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.

    Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!



    You are correct. That's why it's extremely annoying when people say AD's don't directly cause weight gain. There are many individuals who are living proof of it, myself included. If I never started AD's 3 years ago, I damn well would not have gained 111 lbs and would not be obese today.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Yes--they do cause weight gain. They cause a chronic boost in blood glucose levels, which leads to hyperinsulinemia and weight gain as well as setting you up for Type II diabetes. The longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of Type II. I know a young woman who was severely depressed and suicidal after having been brutally gang-raped. She was put on anti-psychotics. Seroquel was one of them, and it is notorious for causing major weight gains. She gained over 100 pounds and she had never had a weight problem in her life to that point.

    As well, the longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of eventually being diagnosed as having "bi-polar" disorder. The old name for bi-polar disorder is "manic-depression" and it used to be pretty rare. Now, suddenly it is being diagnosed right and left. Some psychiatrists speculate that the wide dispensing of SSRIs in particular, but all anti-depressants, in general is the reason why. SSRIs actually cause changes in the architecture of the brain--that's why it takes them so long to begin working. Too many G.P.s are handing them out like candy. They need to be monitored by qualified professionals. It is also the opinion of some professionals that the person should be gradually weaned off them sooner rather than later and they should be reserved for major clinical depressions. Mild to moderate depression can likely be handled in ways other than drugging the individual. Exercise is a great antidote to depression. Eating properly has its mood benefits too.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    SanteMulberry wrote: »
    Yes--they do cause weight gain. They cause a chronic boost in blood glucose levels, which leads to hyperinsulinemia and weight gain as well as setting you up for Type II diabetes. The longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of Type II. I know a young woman who was severely depressed and suicidal after having been brutally gang-raped. She was put on anti-psychotics. Seroquel was one of them, and it is notorious for causing major weight gains. She gained over 100 pounds and she had never had a weight problem in her life to that point.

    As well, the longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of eventually being diagnosed as having "bi-polar" disorder. The old name for bi-polar disorder is "manic-depression" and it used to be pretty rare. Now, suddenly it is being diagnosed right and left. Some psychiatrists speculate that the wide dispensing of SSRIs in particular, but all anti-depressants, in general is the reason why. SSRIs actually cause changes in the architecture of the brain--that's why it takes them so long to begin working. Too many G.P.s are handing them out like candy. They need to be monitored by qualified professionals. It is also the opinion of some professionals that the person should be gradually weaned off them sooner rather than later and they should be reserved for major clinical depressions. Mild to moderate depression can likely be handled in ways other than drugging the individual. Exercise is a great antidote to depression. Eating properly has its mood benefits too.

    This is the story of my life. I was no more than 97 lbs before I started antidepressants at 18 years old. Three years and a 111 lb weight gain later, I now have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia which has resulted in chronic hypoglycemia.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
    melbmeg wrote: »
    My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)

    I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.

    I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.

    Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!

    You are correct. That's why it's extremely annoying when people say AD's don't directly cause weight gain. There are many individuals who are living proof of it, myself included. If I never started AD's 3 years ago, I damn well would not have gained 111 lbs and would not be obese today.

    Do you mean the medication caused a huge increase in appetite? I ask because too much food causes weight gain.

    Or, are you saying your calorie range stayed the same but you still gained weight? If so, how can you be sure your calorie did not increase?

    I have never taken depression medication before, so I am trying to gain a better understanding. :)

  • melbmeg
    melbmeg Posts: 32 Member

    Do you mean the medication caused a huge increase in appetite? I ask because too much food causes weight gain.

    Or, are you saying your calorie range stayed the same but you still gained weight? If so, how can you be sure your calorie did not increase?

    I have never taken depression medication before, so I am trying to gain a better understanding. :)
    No one really knows the answer to this because there haven't been any good trials.

    Individual patients report a range of factors: increased appetite, reduced inhibition, inactivity and a suspected slowed metabolic rate. There's a compounding variable too: mental illness. Many people go on ADs because they've suffered a trauma, loss or episode of acute mental illness. These things can make people eat for comfort and reduce activity.

    It's a complicated issue.
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