Weight gain and depression

[hedgehog]

My weight was good until I ended up gaining bout 70 pounds over several years of untreated depression. The depression is pretty much under control now, but I still want to eat and sleep if I am under any stress. Has anyone had any success losing those depression pounds?

[Droopy]

1. Yep

I put on a lot of weight over the last two years. Part of it was probably due to the medication that I take, but a lot of it is due to just living an unhealthy lifestyle.

I started working out a month ago and watching what I eat. I've lost ten pounds and even though I've got a long way to go I already feel much better and that is very encouraging. I actually look forward to my workouts now.

If you think you might like to start exercising I've found that the YMCA in my area is the most reasonable on membership dues. It cost me $75 up front and then $28 a month after that. The dues are based on my income. I make around $33,000 a year so I think that you will agree that they are reasonable. And I have access to all of the features of the club.

[bling bling]

2. I gained almost 40 pounds in under 2 years.

I started gaining the weight when I became depressed but it became out of control while I was on medication. The medication made me want sweet food all the time.

Once I got off the medication it took about 7 or 8 months before I finally started to feel like I was getting back to normal. My metabolism got a little better and once I lost a few pounds naturally it gave me the willpower to put some effort into it.

Overall I lost about 25 pounds but I doubt I'll ever be back to where I was. But I don't think anything about me will ever completely go back to the way I was before I suffered from that god-awful disease.

I'm glad to hear you have your depression under control. That's the most important thing. For me, it was unmanaged and mounting stress that triggered the depression. It's made me very aware to do whatever it takes to handle stress differently than I used to because I don't ever want to go through that again.

Good luck.

[soleft]

3. Here's my experience

I had a bout with major depression, pretty bad one but I wasn't hospitalized, 92-94. Between 92 and probably mid thru 95 I gained 100 pounds, from a combo of eating poorly but mostly just from being totally sedentary.

Between then and now I've had periods where I've been very active, and always during those periods I lose weight. WHen for various reasons I've gone back to being sedentary the weight just comes right back on.

I've been depression free and off medication since 2000, but I've learned now that my metabalism is so sluggish I have to be physically active consistently in order to maintain health and fitness.

As far as food goes, I did a lot of work with the Geneen Roth books and workshops and am at place where for the most part I don't self medicate with food. Because I have a gall bladder condition I'm always very conscious of my food choices and try to stop eating at meals when I'm satisfied and not over eat. So while I can always make improvements there, I believe you can manage food without dieting.

I definitely need to take care of this remaining weight left over from my depression, but my acceptance of myself at this weight and my refusal to be bullied by society's obession with being thin I believe gives me a holistic sense of happiness and well being which ultimately allows me to treat myself well and make positive changes.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

4. I was being treated for depression, and the meds I was being

prescribed caused me to gain weight (the doc tried me on Effexor, Lexapro and Prozac (not necessarily in that order)...around 50 lbs. I was referred to a psychiatrist, who prescribed for me Wellbutrin, Xanax and, to lose the weight, Topamax. The Wellbutrin is one drug that I believe doesn't have weight gain as a side effect, and Topamax was prescribed as a weight loss drug. I've lost the 50 lbs.

[hedgehog]

5. Warning - don't treat Topomax lightly

I'm glad it worked for you but anyone new to Topomax should know that it's a very tricky drug that has to be ramped up and ramped down carefully to avoid seizure. It sounds like your physician treated the weight gain as part of the depression and treated it along with the other symptoms. Given the findings of seratonin receptors in the digestive system I've been wondering if any doctors had taken that attitude.

[soleft]

6. My girlfriend takes effexor and xanax and tried topamax

She felt that the topamax made her brain really sluggish - it got to a point where she would be talking and she couldn't remember the word she wanted to use.

So she tapored off of it.

When I was on meds I was taking Paxil, it didn't seem to influence my weight one way or another.

My mother was seeing a geriatric psychiatrist afte a bad fall that caused some ptsd and depression. I alwayws went with her on her appts and one day he recommended topamax to me for weight loss. But because of my gf's experience I never really considered it.

All meds have different side effects for different people, hope it continues to help you.

[hedgehog]

7. My daughter was taking Topomax for migraines.

She got off it because if she delayed a dose she got a terrible migraine. I gained weight due to depression rather than the meds I was on. I'm doing my best to lose the weight the old fashioned way, but it would be interesting to see if an alternative approach develops.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. Before the doc put me on the regimen of Wellbutrin, Xanax

and Topamax, I was trying to lose weight the old fashioned way (diet and exercise), and it didn't work.

I'm down to 1/2 the dosage of Topamax I was taking to begin with to help maintain my weight and because supposedly, the Topamax can affect mood.