Anti-Depressants- How I Gained My Weight
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My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.0 -
My daughter went on antidepressants for anxiety. She had always been thin. She gained 20 lbs literally almost overnight. She stayed on them for a year, but they did not help, so she stopped taking them. The weight fell off as quickly as it went on. It can screw up body chemistry. I would suggest trying something else. I have been on Celexa for 5 years and it has not affected my weight. Only I have been responsible for that
but I do know alot of people who have struggled with this issue. I wish you luck with figuring out what will work for you. Hugs, Dyanna:flowerforyou:
Why was she on an antidepressant for anxiety? If all she had was anxiety then she should have been on an anti-anxiety medication.
Actually, many antidepressants have an anti-anxiety agent in them, which are used to treat anxiety even without depression.0 -
Wow, when I scanned the 4 pages of posts I didn't see anyone on here with an MD after their name.
My only thought on this post is-
Take up your medical issues with a professional.
you're right. something happened to me, but i am not qualified to speak as to my personal experience, as i am not a doctor. now i will refrain from having opinions about anything, such as if my dinner is going to taste good, because i am not a master chef, or that i suppose it might rain, judging by the look of these clouds, being that i am not a meteorologist.
I AM A PROFESSIONAL HASN"T ANYONE READ MY POSTS???
Yes, but people only see what they want to see in order to provoke the response they've been wanting to give. Look at mine: "...unless you absolutely have to" got quoted as "go off your meds".0 -
@YummyTanya - I agree with you that clinical depression exists. My mother is clinically depressed, but the meds never seemed to help her much. It always seems like she is just pretending to be happy. Fortunately, I can still make her laugh once in awhile.0
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Wow, when I scanned the 4 pages of posts I didn't see anyone on here with an MD after their name.
My only thought on this post is-
Take up your medical issues with a professional.
you're right. something happened to me, but i am not qualified to speak as to my personal experience, as i am not a doctor. now i will refrain from having opinions about anything, such as if my dinner is going to taste good, because i am not a master chef, or that i suppose it might rain, judging by the look of these clouds, being that i am not a meteorologist.
I AM A PROFESSIONAL HASN"T ANYONE READ MY POSTS???
Yes, but people only see what they want to see in order to provoke the response they've been wanting to give. Look at mine: "...unless you absolutely have to" got quoted as "go off your meds".
Dude, I hear you and I share your pain. You are very correct!0 -
Well, since it was ALL the medication's fault and had NOTHING to do with what you put in your mouth, then we should give anti-depressants to children in Africa and end world hunger for less than the cost of food!!!!!0
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My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
Weight gain makes your more depressed. Not that I buy the crap that the anti-depressants magically form fat on your cells with no change in your intake or physical activity. I'm on anti-depressants too.0 -
@YummyTanya - I agree with you that clinical depression exists. My mother is clinically depressed, but the meds never seemed to help her much. It always seems like she is just pretending to be happy. Fortunately, I can still make her laugh once in awhile.
I'm sorry to hear that about your mom. Depression can be devestating to a life. I'm glad though to hear that you can still get a chuckle out of her. Good for you, and good for her!
Your mom is a good example of one point raised here-that everyone is SO different. What works for one person can have adverse, or no effects whasoever on the next person with the same illness.
There is still a loooooooong way to go in understanding depression, as well as most mental illnesses. We are really only in the infancy stage of understanding these illnesses and how to help those who are suffering.
There is always hope though, and while the drug companies are motivated by profit, they still do produce a product that has its place in some peoples' lives. This has to be assessed on an individual basis, and to generalise by stating something like, "Antidepressants make you fat, just exercise and get on with it!" seriously trivialises and undermines the experience most people have who live with mental illness.
I wish all the best to your mom, and to you!0 -
Well, since it was ALL the medication's fault and had NOTHING to do with what you put in your mouth, then we should give anti-depressants to children in Africa and end world hunger for less than the cost of food!!!!!
WHAT THE ????
I don't think anyone was saying THIS and this thread is now going way off track!
We are saying antidepressants can potentially cause weight gain in some people, not that it's a substitute for food and nutrition.
Where you got this is beyond me, but this is how half-baked truths are born.
Nobody said it had nothing to do with what you put in your mouth, either. Of course, that is a factor, just like everything else!
I'm getting tired.0 -
Well, since it was ALL the medication's fault and had NOTHING to do with what you put in your mouth, then we should give anti-depressants to children in Africa and end world hunger for less than the cost of food!!!!!
WHAT THE ????
I don't think anyone was saying THIS and this thread is now going way off track!
We are saying antidepressants can potentially cause weight gain in some people, not that it's a substitute for food and nutrition.
Where you got this is beyond me, but this is how half-baked truths are born.
Nobody said it had nothing to do with what you put in your mouth, either. Of course, that is a factor, just like everything else!
I'm getting tired.
Maybe you misunderstood me. My point is, the anti-depressant in and of itself does not cause weight gain. We are all in control of what we put in our mouths and whether or not we gain weight. Period. Take accountability for your gains. Acceptance is the first step to losing the weight.0 -
Well, since it was ALL the medication's fault and had NOTHING to do with what you put in your mouth, then we should give anti-depressants to children in Africa and end world hunger for less than the cost of food!!!!!
WHAT THE ????
I don't think anyone was saying THIS and this thread is now going way off track!
We are saying antidepressants can potentially cause weight gain in some people, not that it's a substitute for food and nutrition.
Where you got this is beyond me, but this is how half-baked truths are born.
Nobody said it had nothing to do with what you put in your mouth, either. Of course, that is a factor, just like everything else!
I'm getting tired.
Maybe you misunderstood me. My point is, the anti-depressant in and of itself does not cause weight gain. We are all in control of what we put in our mouths and whether or not we gain weight. Period. Take accountability for your gains. Acceptance is the first step to losing the weight.
OK, I DID misunderstand you, because I agree with your clarification, partially. I think certain antidepressants can cause weight gain for certain people, regardless of what they eat.
But, it's still important to be accountable, no arguement there!0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
Weight gain makes your more depressed. Not that I buy the crap that the anti-depressants magically form fat on your cells with no change in your intake or physical activity. I'm on anti-depressants too.
My point is that there are other side effects to some of those medications that would make weight gain the least of your worries. They should be used as an absolute last resort.0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
^^ I don't understand what you mean. With proper treatment, depression can and does go into remission. I guess the cure could be worse than the disease if your disease is mild and your treatment side effects are bad. In that case, I wouldn't want the drugs either. But if your disease is extreme and severely restricts or threatens your life, and you don't suffer any noticeable side effects, or if the side effects are manageable, then how could the cure be worse than the disease?0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
^^ I don't understand what you mean. With proper treatment, depression can and does go into remission. I guess the cure could be worse than the disease if your disease is mild and your treatment side effects are bad. In that case, I wouldn't want the drugs either. But if your disease is extreme and severely restricts or threatens your life, and you don't suffer any noticeable side effects, or if the side effects are manageable, then how could the cure be worse than the disease?
I mean: how is clinical depression any worse than situational depression or vice versa?
And, if the side effects are not manageble, then what?0 -
I've been on Celexa for 1 yr now with no weight gain at all.......0
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I was on Lexapro for 5 years. I gained weight for other reasons, but no matter what I did I could not lose the weight I had gained. I was following a website like this one and I exercised 5-6 times a week. I finally switched antidepressants and lost weight doing the same things I was doing before. My doctor told me that for some people, antidepressants do not only increase appetite, but also make your body hold onto weight.
I get really tired of people acting like all depression is imaginary or trying to be armchair psychiatrists. I have a strong family history of depression (including a mother who committed suicide) and have had severe depression since childhood. People who have not experienced clinical levels of depression have no idea what it is like. For someone with depression as serious as mine, antidepressants are literally lifesaving and correct a chemical imbalance. If it is a choice between being suicidal or not being able to take care of my kids and gaining some weight, I will take it.0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
^^ I don't understand what you mean. With proper treatment, depression can and does go into remission. I guess the cure could be worse than the disease if your disease is mild and your treatment side effects are bad. In that case, I wouldn't want the drugs either. But if your disease is extreme and severely restricts or threatens your life, and you don't suffer any noticeable side effects, or if the side effects are manageable, then how could the cure be worse than the disease?
I mean: how is clinical depression any worse than situational depression or vice versa?
^^ One is NOT worse than the other. There are different treatments for different kinds of problems. Situational depression generally has an identifiable trigger or underlying cause. Sometimes it's reassuring to know that there's a reason for your feelings and it helps to work through it. Chemical imbalance can happen seemingly randomly and for no reason. It's scary to experience emotions that are out of control and have no reason for why it's happening. Both types of people suffer, yes. Medication may or may not be the appropriate treatment for situational depression. Talk therapy alone may do nothing for a chemical imbalance. Please don't say that the cure is worse than the disease if you don't know what other people are going through.0 -
My advice, you don't have to take it or agree with it, try to change your life without taking these drugs unless you absolutely have to. This is one of those cure is worse than the disease situations.
^^ That may be true if you just need some therapy to deal with a difficult life situation, but it sounds like you've never had severe depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Otherwise, I don't think you'd say the cure is worse than the disease.
Situational or clinical, real or imagined, what's the difference? Either way, it still doesn't just go away. It's something that you have to deal with for the rest of your life.
^^ I don't understand what you mean. With proper treatment, depression can and does go into remission. I guess the cure could be worse than the disease if your disease is mild and your treatment side effects are bad. In that case, I wouldn't want the drugs either. But if your disease is extreme and severely restricts or threatens your life, and you don't suffer any noticeable side effects, or if the side effects are manageable, then how could the cure be worse than the disease?
I mean: how is clinical depression any worse than situational depression or vice versa?
^^ One is NOT worse than the other. There are different treatments for different kinds of problems. Situational depression generally has an identifiable trigger or underlying cause. Sometimes it's reassuring to know that there's a reason for your feelings and it helps to work through it. Chemical imbalance can happen seemingly randomly and for no reason. It's scary to experience emotions that are out of control and have no reason for why it's happening. Both types of people suffer, yes. Medication may or may not be the appropriate treatment for situational depression. Talk therapy alone may do nothing for a chemical imbalance. Please don't say that the cure is worse than the disease if you don't know what other people are going through.
A situation is an event, usually traumatic. Therapy alone doesn't cure situational depression if the depression is exasperated by post traumatic stress disorder.0 -
I've suffered depression on and off since I was 19. When you get to a point that you can't get out of bed it's horrible.
I haven't been on medication in close to two years. I've tried many different ones and in my experience they don't work. From either not having any noticeable affect to making me want to drive my car into a tree I've never had any benefit from them.
I still have episodes but I'm getting better an controlling them. Having 30 minutes of exercise most days helps a lot. Recognizing my triggers is helping.
For people who the drugs work for they are a wonderful tool. Sadly I don't think I'm one of them.0
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