Medication weight

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AnnaWoodcock1
AnnaWoodcock1 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
anyone got any advice for people on antideppresssants and anti anxiety meds in regards to loosing weight while on these meds?

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  • ainarsraciks
    ainarsraciks Posts: 166 Member
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    Those meds can increase cravings for food and/or slow down metabolism. Cravings, well, you just have to deal with them mentally. Train discipline. Drink more water, fill yourself up with lots of fiber, ate small portions more often rather that big ones less often, use smaller plates to trick your mind, ate foods not so dense in calories. Also not eating too much carbs may help to control appetite.

    As far as slow down metabolism goes, well, you just have to exercise. Also might need to make up for it by increasing your deficit/exercise calorie burn by 100 or 200 cals.

    Nothing you can do apart from sticking to healthy diet and exercising.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
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    AnnaWoodcock1 wrote: »
    anyone got any advice for people on antideppresssants and anti anxiety meds in regards to loosing weight while on these meds?

    Wife has dropped 37 pounds while on them. Post menopausal 58 yo woman, it can be done. Best wishes.
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
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    I gained a lot of weight while on medication and didn't lose any until long after I was off the medication. However, what's helped me now is eating lots of food that's low calorie but helps me feel satiated such as squash, beans and sweet potatoes and lean protein such as chicken and turkey.

    However, if you're stuggling, maybe getting a doctor's referral to a dietician may help.
  • teresadutton
    teresadutton Posts: 232 Member
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    I believe it can be done as well. So you have a few choices...power through it, ask your doctor to change your meds to ones that don't cause weight gain or have your doctor help you get off the medication. My daughter is on these meds and gained weight and she cant get off of them and we cant change them because it took so long to find the ones that work for her and she isn't willing to power through so she is just stuck. Good luck!!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    markrgeary1 wrote: »
    AnnaWoodcock1 wrote: »
    anyone got any advice for people on antideppresssants and anti anxiety meds in regards to loosing weight while on these meds?

    Wife has dropped 37 pounds while on them. Post menopausal 58 yo woman, it can be done. Best wishes.

    I haven't had any trouble losing either. Also a 59 year old post-menopausal woman who is taking a sleep medication well known for increasing hunger.
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  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
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    AnnaWoodcock1 wrote: »
    anyone got any advice for people on antideppresssants and anti anxiety meds in regards to loosing weight while on these meds?

    I'm also on antidepressants, I've actually seemed to lose my appetite however they can cause a lot of water retention/water weight. My advice would be to get into a routine of exercise and just cutting down your calories depending on how much you have to lose. Best of luck and if you ever want to talk you can add me :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Where medications can increase appetite, it still comes down to CICO. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Where medications can increase appetite, it still comes down to CICO. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight.

    Yup. If the best medication to treat your depression is one that increases hunger, you need to find a coping mechanism to keep from binge-ing on the wrong things. My sleep medication is notorious for it so I always have a large snack planned for just before bed and I keep a few low calorie things around for the times when the snack isn't enough. Yes, I still sometimes have a binge at night but I have been able to reduce the frequency. I probably would be much closer to goal by now if I had better control, but I am still losing. The stable mental health is more important to me that reaching my goal by a certain date.
  • Artemiris
    Artemiris Posts: 189 Member
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    I gained weight because of medications, but the only reason is that they make you more hungry.
    Now I am still on medications, but I am losing weight. It can be done, you just need to endure the hunger.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i've been on some that made me gain a lot of weight because i was starving and it slowed down my metabolism, i think
    I exercised my butt off to lose the weight. that created a calorie deficit which allowed me to lose weight
  • mstiffanymadison
    mstiffanymadison Posts: 6 Member
    edited November 2015
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    I have never been on antidepressents and wonder where my life has gone after recently starting taking Wellbutrin. With 150 mg Wellbutrin XL, I feel AMAZING. It's changed my life. After 4 days the side effects diminished. I have incredible energy, have worked out consistently for nearly 3 weeks and am waking up at 6:30am and in bed by 11pm. It's been 3 weeks. As a workaholic, this is extraordinary. I'm like a whole new person.

    However, despite the positive impact I am very discouraged with my weight loss. Previously, I was on adderall and eating 500 or so calorie deficit without working out. I was losing about 2 lbs. per week. Since October 31st, I have tracked exceptional workouts (HIIT training 5x per week) + 10 miles per week and now weight training (former personal trainer, so I know what I'm doing) and logging about a 500-800 calorie deficit per day 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat). I am toning up slightly, but NOT like I would under normal circumstances by training this hard!

    I am going to stick with it, but it can be very discouraging. Before Wellbutrin, at this activity level, I would be 4 lbs down from where I am now, not 1.5 heavier than where I started. It's got to be slowing my metabolism down. There's no other reason why I should have so little progress this far along into my program. I'll report back in a few weeks.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Ask doctor to switch you to another med that doesn't have this side effect. I had a big problem on Celexa and was switched to Lexapro. The weight did not just come off though, it was hard work.
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
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    mstiffanymadison wrote: »
    I have never been on antidepressents and wonder where my life has gone after recently starting taking Wellbutrin. With 150 mg Wellbutrin XL, I feel AMAZING. It's changed my life. After 4 days the side effects diminished. I have incredible energy, have worked out consistently for nearly 3 weeks and am waking up at 6:30am and in bed by 11pm. It's been 3 weeks. As a workaholic, this is extraordinary. I'm like a whole new person.

    However, despite the positive impact I am very discouraged with my weight loss. Previously, I was on adderall and eating 500 or so calorie deficit without working out. I was losing about 2 lbs. per week. Since October 31st, I have tracked exceptional workouts (HIIT training 5x per week) + 10 miles per week and now weight training (former personal trainer, so I know what I'm doing) and logging about a 500-800 calorie deficit per day 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat). I am toning up slightly, but NOT like I would under normal circumstances by training this hard!

    I am going to stick with it, but it can be very discouraging. Before Wellbutrin, at this activity level, I would be 4 lbs down from where I am now, not 1.5 heavier than where I started. It's got to be slowing my metabolism down. There's no other reason why I should have so little progress this far along into my program. I'll report back in a few weeks.

    Many people report losing weight on wellbutrin. However, you mentioned previously being on adderall, which is an amphetamine, and kills your appetite, which is why you lost weight so quickly. If you've quit taking adderall your appetite is probably going back to normal, hence weight gain or slower weight loss.
  • purpleflux
    purpleflux Posts: 22 Member
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    I've been on anti-depressants for anxiety and depression for 15 years now, and will likely be on them for life (this is fine with me, I like being able to function as a human being). I've not had problems losing weight so far using MFP and the CICO method.

    I think an important thing is to remember why you're on this medication in the first place, and make sure you reduce or avoid things that will exacerbate your mental health or make you miserable. A big one is remembering weight loss isn't linear, and that just because you lose very little (or not at all) sometimes, it doesn't mean that you're a failure and you won't lose the weight in the end. The first week I hadn't lost anything, I got really depressed, but reading around the forums helped a lot.

    And if you're going through a low or rough patch, don't be afraid to factor in some treats to your daily calorie allowance to help perk you up. If you like chocolate, have some - depriving yourself just makes you unhappy. And if you find it hard to cope with weight loss and your mental health at the same time for a while, don't worry about eating extra calories for slower weight loss or even eating at maintenance for a little while you get back to a place you can cope better in. Stress isn't good for weight lose or your brain.

    Also, exercise. Doesn't have to be epic gym levels, just enough to get the endorphins going. It keeps your body healthy, and makes your brain happier!
  • MaggotPig
    MaggotPig Posts: 89 Member
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    I lost weight on antidepressants because they helped me feel well enough to care enough to do something about it
  • s_pekz
    s_pekz Posts: 340 Member
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    I have both lost and gained weight while on mental health medications. No matter what meds you are on it all comes down to taking in fewer calories than you are burning. One of my meds increased my appetite for a while, a different one made me retain a lot more water. But in the end its all CICO.
    Part of why I gained weight on one of them was that it was working so well on my mood. Suddenly I wanted to go out an be social. Being social in my city usually means a meal or a few pints - so it added up quickly.

    I am now on a sable dose of two different meds and I am still losing. Its all possible.
  • bigjeff6469
    bigjeff6469 Posts: 11 Member
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    Wellbutrin has 0 effect on me!!! same as prozac and some other meds i cant recall the name. I am currently on Adderall myself and as said above its that medicine that is helping me eat at a deficit. i feel more in control of what i should be eating instead of the food addiction kicking in and goin for the wrong things. i used to say "i shouldnt be eating this" while im staring down a bag of chips knowing it wont last longer then 10 min. I have been diagnosed with adult ADHD, depression, anxiety, and Sensory problems so the Adderall is legit for me. OP if you havent tried to talk to your dr about possibly changing meds or trying something else then there might be an alternative for you. Another drug recently that has been proven for assistance with weight loss and curbing hunger is Metformin. It was originally a Diabetes drug and still is however recently its been cleared to work as a weight loss assistance drug. I take it plus in most pharmacies Metformin is free so there is another option if you havent already heard that. Good luck and keep us posted!!!
  • missjazminenicole
    missjazminenicole Posts: 379 Member
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    This post is super helpful. Thanks for the question :)! Add me if you'd like. I just posted a post today about mental health and weight loss. I'm on Zoloft. I've been on that for over a year now. I know all of the emotional stuff makes it hard to cope in general. Find comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

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