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freeindeed

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Posts posted by freeindeed

  1. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. I am diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. My current cocktail of meds is working for now. My psychiatrist put me on Wellbutrin a couple of months ago to see if it was a good fit for me, and it shot my anxiety through the roof and increased my suicidal thoughts. I do know that meds lose their effectiveness over time and that potentially I will have to change again. That scares me. I hope you have a smooth transition and are able to find something that works for you.

  2. I have asked my dr many times about the causal mechanism for weight gain with SSRIs. She believes that, aside from changed habits (easy to monitor and change...well, easier than metabolic issues!) the reason is the SSRI isn't working effectively. 

     

    My dr pointed out the importance of eating carbs with serotonin drugs: 

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201007/reversing-antidepressant-weight-gain

     

    You might also think about adding l-methylfolate (my dr recommended 15+ mg, ymmv), to help in production of serotonin/dopamine/norepinephrine. 

     

    I'm about to head out the door now, but I'm going to read this when I get back home tonight. Thanks!

  3. I'm on Effexor and have also gained weight. I've gone off all my other meds (except Effexor and Synthroid) and the weight gain hasn't gone away.

    Yet, I have NO interest in going off the Effexor. I guess when it comes down to basics, I'd rather be happy and chubby than crazy anxious and skinny.

    I'd try to work at accepting the weight at this point. A serious suicide attempt is not something to play around with. I mean, eat healthy foods and get exercise, definitely!! But if you're eating well, being active, and getting through each day, but overweight, that still seems like a massive win to me.

     

    Yes, you're right. Other than the extra weight, I'm in a pretty good place right now.

    • Like 1
  4. I just want to chime in here with a slightly different perspective. I've been on various antidepressants for a couple of decades now. I was on Mirtazapine for a couple of years, and it made me crave sugar like crazy (and apparently that's a known side effect). I'm off of it now (because it randomly stopped working for me  :glare:) so the sugar cravings are gone, but my weight hasn't changed. I'm carrying about an extra 20 lbs. 

     

    I was upset about it for a while, continually unhappy with how I looked in pictures, and felt, and trying (and failing) at diets and exercise. And then one day I just decided to stop caring so much. I decided I would try to eat healthily, and exercise, but not worry so much about the extra pounds. I read a lot of body positivity stuff (including "healthy at any size" things), and worked on accepting myself as I am now, and not beating myself up for not looking a certain way. I'm still trying to find a good med balance, so I just needed one less thing to worry about. Would I love to have the extra weight magically disappear? Sure! But for now, I've decided to focus on other things.

     

    Not a perfect solution, and not for everyone, but it's working for me.  :001_smile:

     

    This is where I'd like to be. If cutting dairy doesn't work, and it comes down to either switching meds or learning to love my body as it is, then I'm going to learn how to love my body.

    • Like 1
  5. Thanks, everyone. I'll be eliminating dairy from my diet this Tuesday. Prayers and good vibes appreciated! I've been eating a ketogenic diet as opposed to simply low carb since April, but I still haven't lost the weight that the antidepressants caused me to gain. I'm afraid to change meds again. My current med combination is working pretty well for me, and I don't think I'm stable enough to handle a change. I do a combination of cardio & strength training for exercise, so I'm thinking I should just increase the time spent on each.  Maybe that, combined with dairy elimination, will be what finally works. Plus, the good thing is that dairy doesn't cause me to gain weight, but it could be the reason I'm not losing weight; so, once I meet my goal weight, then I can probably add dairy back again. 

  6. Something else I just thought of today...notebooks and pens! I have a small notebook in my purse and a standard-sized notebook that I carry around the house with me. I also make sure to have a pen with me wherever I go. When I go to bed at night, my notebook & pen go with me. This way, whenever inspiration strikes, I can write it down, even if it's just a quick note. It might be something funny that someone says, or it might be a beautiful sunset or flower that I see. I also write down my worst thoughts, which may or may not come out in my writing. I got the notebook idea from Pinterest. It's been one of my greatest tools.

  7. Are you at least able to maintain with those changes?  I might be inclined to just keep doing what you are doing so long as you aren't gaining more.  KWIM?

     

    Sorry you are going through that. 

     

    Yes, I seem to be maintaining at the 20 lb. weight gain weight. I'm just afraid it will increase more. Weight gain is why I got off anti-depressants ten years ago, but evidently that was not a good decision.

  8. That sounds like a nice ritual. My computer room is currently a room that causes high anxiety for me so I stay out of it at all costs. Until I can get a handle on it my writing area is a nice place in my bedroom. There is a big comfy chair and a card table. The hardest thing is not allowing myself to turn the TV on.

     

    Yes. I have to keep myself from checking Facebook or coming here.  :laugh:

    • Like 3
  9. Ugh! I am so frustrated. My medications (Zoloft, Trazodone, Mirtazapine) have caused me to gain 20 lbs. Background: I have eaten LCHF for seven years. I quickly met my goal weight & maintained it until this year, when I had to be put back on anti-depressants due to a suicide attempt. It was (clearly) a really bad episode, and it required hospitalization. I mention all that simply to make it clear that getting off anti-depressants is NOT an option for me, and that I am already eating in a manner that should promote weight loss. I have cut back further on carbs, decreased my protein, and increased my exercise. Also, I've tried other non-weight affecting anti-depressants, but they did not work for me. They increased my anxiety. Nothing I'm doing is working. The scale won't budge. I'm not losing inches, either. My next step is to cut dairy, which is going to be REALLY hard for me. Any other thoughts? Ideas? I am really discouraged.

  10. I write in my computer room. I write best in the mornings or afternoons. I light a candle that's only lit when I write. When it burns down, I purchase another. I also have a special coffee mug that I drink from when I write. I listen to a certain playlist. This is my writing ritual. I have my teens take care of my special needs daughter during this time. I shut out all distractions. Even when I'm not feeling "inspired," if I start my ritual, then suddenly I will find myself able to write.

    • Like 5
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