Anti Depressant and Atkins??
 

I know being on a Anti Depressant medication alone makes you gain weight... but can I lose weight on Atkins at all? Or should I just give up now?

There are many other benefits to low-carbing besides weight loss. Do you feel more energetic? Have any aches or pains left? Is your skin clearer? Brain fog gone?

Low carbing is a lifestyle changfe that gives you the tools to create a healthier life. :D

Besides that, refined carbs are toxic!

People who have a small amount of weight to lose slowly. Percentage wise, they are losing the same amount as someone who wants to lose 100 pounds. Annoying but true!

Karen

LC
 

I bet if you tried LCing for a few weeks you'd notice a change for the better. Food cravings will disappear. Your mood might improve (I'd say 'will' but with the anti-depressants factored in ???) I know I have more energy now than I've had in years, I feel better when I wake up, I'm no longer lethargic, I sleep like the dead (right through the night, which has NEVER happened before). And I'm no longer always hungry.

You might even lose a few lbs!!

Good luck :)

Nat

Working for Me ;-)
 

Hi Trish:

I take an antidepressant and am doing well on the Atkins - 50 lbs so far. Everyone is different of course.

Lori

Actually, the new anti-depressants do not have the weight gain side effect as with MAO inhibitors and Elavil. One of Effexor's common side effects is anoerxia (not that you'd want it).

I'm currently on deproprovera-birth control-which does have weight gain as a side-effect (I'm not going in for my next 3 month shot). However, I'm continuing to LC and SLOWly losing weight... any loss is a success.

If you're new to anti-depressants, give your body time to adjust (typically 6-8 weeks).

Don't give up on LCing... you don't have much to lose so your loss may be slow. And don't stop taking your medication... it's saving your life.

Anxiety Meds
 

I'm on Prozac for my Anxiety and for the first week I didn't lose weight then the next week I lost 6 pounds. I think your body has to get used to it and its also Important to take your meds at the same time each day. I one time took my meds at night instead of morning (I forgot to take them) and it made me either hold water or not lose. (Who can tell the difference?) Well that's my two cents worth :p

Lessara, you may want to read Potatoes not Prozac. While not exactly LC, it's a good read, jam-packed with information that's good to have in your low-carb arsenal.

Karen

:thup: Don't worry about doing Low Carbing and being on Anti-depresents. I have been Low Carbing only 3 weeks and I take my Anti-Depresents at the same time everyday and I am now down 19 pounds. I swear that the low carbing has helped a whole lot with my moods and you will start to feel it right away. I didn't have problems with having pains and fatigue or some things other people had but you will start to feel great and I think that the Low Carbing with my anti-depres pills make me feel great. I would try LCing and see how you feel.
Shondel

You didn't say which antidepressant you are taking, but several of them supposedly don't effect weight at all. Wellbutrin is one, Effexor is another. Why don't you talk to your doctor about switching?

Hiya,

I am also on Prozac. :daze: I really think it depends on your body and your desire to lose weight. I know that all those cabs and chocolates sure look super yummy when I first started taking my meds. I was a a true blue anti carbos eater. So, I do think the meds, since they do help improve your mood. May, also help your appetite. I really notice though my water stayed on me to excess the first two days restarting induction. Now bamm!!!!!! 4 lbs off .....so I know you can do it too.!

Best of Luck,

Kelly Ann

Lovan
 

Does anyone know whether Lovan (a SRI) at 20 mg is one of the anti deps that don't affect weight loss?
I took it before I was LCing but haven't taken it for over a year now, tho' I still have a tempting prescription for it, but don't want anything to hinder my weightloss.

hi Cali,

Lovan is a brand name of fluoxetine, which is Prozac. It's available under that name only in Australia

Fluoxetine does have weight gain as a side effect; this is due to fluid retention, and to increased appetite.

8 yrs ago, I was prescribed prozac for my chronic fatigue. I was assured that I'd have more energy. No kidding!! I was bouncing off the walls, and insomniac :eek: .. I gained 20 lbs in 3 months. The dr told me I must be eating more because I was feeling better :bash: No mention of side effect from the drug.

You might want to look into an alternative, as the others have mentioned

Doreen

Yes I knew Prozac was a serotonin reuptake inhibitor just like Lovan and all the other brand names, but if it causes fluid retention then can't that be countered in some way so as to maintain the good mood and the weight loss?
As for appetite , well an increased one isn't an issue on Atkins, is it?
I'm not making excuses, rather, because I eat when I am upset and I get upset a lot, then maybe this anti depressant would be less detrimental than not taking it. (?)
I probably shouldn't have been prescribed it in the first place.
I suspect my rather drug happy doctor thought it would make a difficult domestic situation more bearable for me, rather than being proactive about change.
Maybe I should tear up that prescription.

hi Cali,

Sorry for the confusion .. I should've made it clear that Lovan isn't "just like" prozac .. it IS prozac. Lovan, Prozac, and Sarafem are brand names for the specific drug fluoxetine. Lovan just happens to be the brand name of it in Australia.

Fluoxetine was the first of the class of SRI's, there have been many others developed since then, with fewer side effects and/or that treat more specific depressive problems. Fluoxetine is still the most commonly prescribed, and it is still a very helpful and useful drug. You just have to weigh the benefit of improved mood and energy vs. any side effect.

Your pharmacist would be a good, non-judgemental person to ask about other options with fewer side effects, which you can then take to your dr. for discussion and a prescription change. Taking an antidepressant won't make the problems go away, but if it can improve your mood and help you to feel better, then you'll feel more able to deal with the real issues ... and make those pro-active changes.

Doreen

:wave:

Hello Trish,

I am on anti-depressants and had the same concerns as you. I am now 12 pounds lighter than before, (just since the end of January), and feel so much better.

I have much more energy and think LC'ing along with this web-site is the way to go.

YOU can do this. :thup:

Sertraline/Paroxetine
 

Hi Trish

I have been on an SSRI antidepressant for the past two or so years (I can't remember exactly when I started on them). I take Paroxetine which very closely related to Sertraline. The brand names are Aropax (Paroxetine) or Zoloft (Sertraline) here in Australia.

I take Aropax and I can't say what a difference it has made to my general health and wellbeing. After many years of what I call "anxiety eating", by which I mean eating to relieve the nervous "gnawing" sense of anxiety in the pit of my stomach, I am now free of this horrible feeling!

I did not gain any appreciable weight on Aropax, and have been now on LC WOE for 19 weeks and have lost 24 lbs.

If you need to treat your depression/anxiety it is important to do so. You will probably find that when feeling better psychologically, you will also feel better physically and be better able to deal with the demands of daily life.

This WOE is not a miracle cure for being overweight, but it is by far the simplest, easiest and best way of losing weight gradually that I have ever tried (in more than 30 years of weighing more than I should). I believe it is also one of the healthiest ways of addressing the problem of weighing more than is comfortable

Go for it Trish!!!

Regards and good luck

Gemma

Losing fat and on Wellbutrin
 

It does work indeed...

I've been on Atkins for 6 months now and have dropped slowly to 200 pounds... Just weeks away from finally fitting into size 34 pants, but I just started Wellbutrin (probably spelled it wrong) about 1 month ago and it has really worked wonders for me... Depression runs strong on my mother's side of the family and I have battled it for my whole life... This new medication is working great and I'm still losing weight on Atkins in OWL mode ;>)

Jon out here in semi-warming up California :roll:

Hi Jon

My family also has a strong thread of anxiety and depressive disorders. I can't believe the difference actually treating the problem has made to my life.

I put off seeking "chemical" treatment for years though I tried counselling etc, but I realise now I was only half living! I feel fortunate to have found a Dr who picked up on it quickly - my previous Dr retired. Now I just feel at peace with life in general - the absolute opposite to the constant sense of anxiety and regular dips into depression - never severe enough to stop functioning, but always enough to rob me of any feeling of enjoyment - and enough to send me to the fridge for relief from the "gnawing" anxiety.

Now with this new WOE I am just on top of the world!

Good luck :dazzle:

Gemma

I wouldn't recommend prozac or effexor, for people who have weight problems. I gained 40 lbs on prozac in a year and 20 more lbs when I changed to effexor. I'm still on effexor right now but i'm hoping to switch to wellbutrin which is supposedly much better at helping one lose weight while also treating depression. If you're a smoker, wellbutrin is a great antidepressant for you because it is the same as zyban, the smoking-cessation drug...

Wellbutrin...
 

I've been on Wellbutrin for about 1 1/2 months now... I'm really pleased with the results - much improved outlook and I'm very "evened" out - It is much better than the Zoloft and Xanax I've been on at different times...

My weight is dropping fast too... I'm noticing the pants just get easier and easier to fit in...

Prozac
 

I was curious, how many grams were you on? I'm on 20g and I haven't gained any weight.

Grams...
 

150mg - once a day - timed release I think... Works great :daze:

Has anyone heard of Aropax? it's maine ingredient is Paroxetine. It's an anti-depressant.

I've been trying to stop taking it, but the phyical withdrawl is terrible, I keep getting that electric shock feeling and my GP doesn't even know what to do.........

I'd really appreciate some help.


Frances

aropax also
 

I take Aropax as well, the withdrawals are really bad for me too. I haven't talked to my doctor about going off them but, know from forgetting to take them for a couple of days. I always thought that you could wean yourself off them, but hearing what you have said worries me. I have been considering going off them as I don't want to inhibit my weight loss. I feel pretty confused about the issue.

I assume you are an Aussie also as I think aropax is an australian brandname.

Anyway good luck and keep me posted.

Hmmm....
 

Why not look up the drug on a medical or pharamacutical website and see if these withdrawel symptoms are covered there - if there is one thing I have learned, if it exists, it has been covered somewhere on the web...

A quick yahoo search yielded this:

http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/_disc560/00000289.htm

"I too went through the same thing. I did not take my daily dose for 5 days and was getting the horrible dizzy electric shock feelings in my head. This occurred because the drug was stopped abruptly. When coming off aropax, you need to slowly decrease the doses over a period of 2-3 weeks. This is supposed to decrease or prevent these symptoms from occurring. I am yet to try again"

Also: http://paxil.bizland.com/archives_34.htm

Hope that helps...

Jon

Hey guys, I get those electric shock waves that go through my head from elavil.......I strongly suspect that the elavil is messing up my wieghtloss.............Shelly..................

Sounds like it's a come problem..........I'm off to another doctor this afternoon for another try. I've been cutting back on the tables slowly.....I get down to half a tablet a day the shocks start.

Since I've started taking these things, when my son died, 9 months ago, I've gained about 10 kilos..........I don't know if it's the tablets or depression, but I know putting on this amount of weight isn't helping the despression either.

I'll get back to you tomorrow hopefully with some good news.

I'm back from the doctors.........
 

This is what happened....

He changed me from Aropax to Luvox because the Aropax are a higher dosage tablet 20mg, Luvox is 100mg tablets so I can cut down more gradually on the Luvox..............makes sense.

Next he said if the side effects continue while reducing the dosage, it can also mean that I'm not ready to come off them.

Because the medication if correcting an imbalance in the brain that is causing the anxiety or depression, if we stop taking the medication to soon - less than a year. We will get those shocks no mater what.

This is scary...........and I regret ever having started them.

:(

hey everyone
 

I was wondering if Celexa had any weight effects? I take 20mg a day. I just started it a few weeks ago but if it's going to do that, I'll either quit it or have it changed. You guys are great!!

I was on Serzone, 300mg, for 2 years. No problem with weight gain. I then was changed to Remeron. Well, I instantly gained 15 lbs. last fall. I'm now down to 15mg, from 45 mg. Hoping this will help me lose faster. Good luck to all.