Antidepressants & Anti-anxiety meds wt gain?

Thread Starter  

Know what you mean, about the bodies that is!

I went off before to go on diet meds and I was the worse bitch in the world and could not for the life of me control it. Sounds like a pattern. I think I was on Zoloft at one time myself and then many others like Effexor.

I watched my brother go off his meds for depression when a "Tom Cruise" type person told him he should and meditation would help. My brother called me crying for days and had such bad anxiety that he could not get off the floor!

Thank God I've never been as bad as that but I've seen it and know. I've also passed it down to my daughter and it breaks my heart. My brother is six years older and it hit him in his early 20s, I found it so strange then. Then when I was about the same age it hit me and got worse as I got older and had kids.

The bad thing was it hit my daughter at an even earlier age but I had the foresight to know what was going on, not perfect, but was aware and there's so much better treatment and awareness out there now.

My dad unfortunately died an alcoholic and that's how he dealt with it by self medicating. I think his grandfather killed himself but I don't know all the details but it's a difficult thing but manageable today. The problem now is living with the side effects which can be real problems too. Also they're not always effective and you may have to change dosages or prescriptions. Thanks for sharing, brandyII.

__________________

Thread Starter  

I don't know, but a lot of people say they affect them that way. My daughter was on Paxil and didn't tolerate it very well. I think at one time I myself was on it. There's been a lot of tries and mistries over the past 17+ years. I think there's something about some of these drugs that can make certain things addictive or compulsive. Like I've heard people on certain drugs could spend money out of control so it wouldn't surprise me if the drug had that same effect with food etc... I know a lot of them tend to slow down your metabolism and that in itself makes it difficult.

But it's much better to be on than off even if it does slow down your wt loss in some way. Plus they put out statements saying that this drug doesn't seem to affect your weight gain or may make you lose and my docs always would put me on those types and it never made a difference in me. I don't know who those people are that lose weight on anti-depressants but it's definitely not moi!:confused2:

__________________

Oh, when it comes to being on medication in order to control my problems with depression I am a lifer. I simply do very, very poorly without meds to control this problem. Right now I am on Welbutrin, Selexa, and Topomax. Topomax serves as a mood stabilizer. None of these meds are in the anti-psychotic class and I have had no troubles with losing weight while on them.
And yep, I do like to shop. lol I just don't do it to excess and I do like bargain hunting. I think that the confusion as to whether I am a straight depressive or bi-polar may have been related to the nature of my destructive urges when I am depressed. I suffer from anger issues whenever I am in a state of depression. I become moody and bad tempered. When my meds are working I am really quite pleasant to be around....

Thread Starter  

Good luck with all your testing. I flunked the pulmonary test and now sleep with a CPAP machine, but better safe than sorry.

When I was on a diet drug I couldn't be on my regular SSRI so they put me on Wellbutrin which had no effect on me what so ever. It might as well have been a placebo for me. I did lose weight and got the other appetite back as well, too well, those were the good ole days.

I was actually put on Wellbrutrin along with my SSRI to give me more energy but that didn't do anything either. I guess Wellbutrin just doesn't help me, I'm impressed when people are on it and do well but I guess that's different brain chemistries etc....Good luck with the quitting smoking too, it's amazing the hardships we go through prior to surgery isn't it? Thanks for sharing brandyII.

__________________

Thread Starter  

Topomax sounds very familiar to me, I'm wondering in my daughters history if she was put on that too. I've never heard of Selexa but as I told the person before Wellbutrin did nothing for me. Plus it's scary to switch meds because you want them to work! I remember going off them and having these weird brain "zings", I don't know what you call them but it's very uncomfortable and why I choose to stay on. Depending on what doctor I see is whether or not they think I'm more depressed or bi-polar because I get very moody angry too when I'm not on them and it's intolerable to me or anyone else and I'm a pretty meek mild person normally.

I don't feel like a zombie so that's good but I would rather have a good cocktail of drugs going on that didn't affect my weight brandyII

__________________

I was on antidepresants for over 20 years. They took mine off the market because it causes liver failure. I tried just about every other one and just couldn't handle the side effects. About the same time, I decided to try to lose weight and started exercising like crazy.

I didn't lose any weight but I noticed pretty quickly how much better I felt when I exercised daily. I haven't had to take anitdepressants for about 3 years now. I never lost any weight with all this exercise, but getting off those meds was worth it. That's why I ended up getting banded.

I realize now that I started gaining weight all those years ago, when I started on anti depressants. Two of my best friends are shrinks and they tell me all the time that weight gain is a side effect of almost any antidepressants.

The anti anxiety med you are taking is a central nervous system depressant and a side effect can be depression.

So yes, all of your medication can be related to weight gain. One of the many antidepressants I took caused huge sugar cravings. They tried to give it to me again for insomnia, in smaller doses and I notice immediately when I take the tiniest dose that the next day I crave sugar like crazy.

Have you googled your meds and read all about the possible side effects? I always have every single one possible for every med I have tried. My daughter always tells me that I get the side effects after reading they are possible. It's the other way around. I get the side effect so I go online and try to find out what could be causing it.

Anyway, I am really happy to be off all meds since I exercise every day. I wish you the best. This is not an easy problem to deal with,
I know very well.

__________________
20 lbs lost on Atkins before banding. 75 lbs lost after for a total of 95 lbs.

banded 12-29-06 by Dr. Steven Tersigni Coos Bay ,OR
goal in just under 16 months.

Definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over and expecting different results!

Thread Starter  

When I went off the antidepressants before I was exercising but it still didn't help. I just feel really "off" when I'm off them. I don't know how to explain it. It's almost like a shield is gone or something and my mind races and just all sorts of stuff. I love how you take a med for a problem and one of the side effects can be that problem. I think I may try to stop taking the anti-anxiety med, after my MIL leaves next Tuesday, don't want to risk it now plus I'm PMSing so the combo might end in a cry/argument or something with someone, who knows. But if I can deal without that med it might help me with some of my lethargicness (new word)! thanks brandyII.

__________________

i've taken different ones with no change in weight. my preferred drug is wellbutrin, and i always lose weight with that one, and i have an increased sex drive.

i tried cymbalta..i had horrible horrible horrible side effects in the beginning and felt no different after several weeks. with the wellbutrin though, i just feel like me. i'm not so stressed about everything and i'm able to turn the world off and focus on the moment.


**helps a lot with the moodiness too. dh does not believe in meds, he says i don't need them, but boy do we get along better when i'm on them, when i'm not...i don't know how he lives with me.

__________________
Banded: October 18, 2007 in Little Rock Arkansas with Dr. Wellborn

Thread Starter  

I wish Wellbutrin had worked like that for me. I loved not having all those side effects but like I said it was no different than taking a placebo, you're lucky! You're also 26 so maybe age has something to do with it too, I don't know.

__________________

i take paxil and clonopin. my daughter does also. long history of depression in my family. yes, depression meds do make you put on weight. but i never ever ever again want to feel like i did before i started my medications. i used to feel like my life was meaningless and every day was just a boring repeat of the day before. now i am happy with myself which makes me a much kinder person. its like anything else with the meds you have to take the good with the bad.

__________________
banded 10/15/07


highest ever/surgery/current/1st goal
350's/314/235/175

Thread Starter  

Well according to your ticker you seem to be doing really well so you should be very happy with that. Do you take clonopin once a day or more than once. I've been taking it in the morning and in the evening before bedtime, if you don't mind me asking. Thanks brandyII.

__________________

i don't mind you asking at all. i take 50mg paxil cr once a day in the morning. and i take 0.5 mg clonopin with it once a day. i did take the clonopin twice a day in the past like you, but i weened myself off to once daily and it works just as well. as for the weight loss, i owe it all to the band. i just hope it continues to go well.

__________________
banded 10/15/07


highest ever/surgery/current/1st goal
350's/314/235/175

Thread Starter  

Good for you, I hope to get it working myself one day! thanks brandyII.

__________________

yeah, i am glad that the wellbutrin works for me also. i have tried other meds and they just don't. but you know everyone is different. paxil made me crazy. prozac..years ago..when i was a teenager, did nothing. cymbalta made my shoulders and head feel like they were on fire, (i was taking for fybro and other problems), then it made my pupils stay dialated for like a week, and i was just nuts. then the side effects went away and i think it started working, but i am terrible about stopping my meds. i know it is bad, but i do, and the $50 a month always gets to me and then i don't take it anymore. so i got off of it, and i did not want to go through the side effects anymore, so i said no more cymbalta.

__________________
Banded: October 18, 2007 in Little Rock Arkansas with Dr. Wellborn

i am on cymbalta. i find that if i dont take it (forget a day or something) i am STARVING. it has been a great appetite supressor for me. i had a few side effects when i started taking it but they are all gone now. sometimes it takes some extra effort to orgasm, other times it doesnt. that was my biggest complaint, but even its getting better, thank goodness, lol.

__________________



banded 10/04/07