Anxiety Medication, Weight Gain and how to get back on track?

[em415]

Hi everyone,

I am going through a fair bit of stuff at the moment and needed some advice and I have read this forum quite a bit so here I go.

I have been on Anxiety medication for a year now, now this year has been great wit my anxiety, barely had any anxiety attacked, social confidence grew and felt really confident. When I first started taking this medication a year ago I weighed 60kg which was a massive achievement I had spent years working towards. Then jump ahead to now, 12 months later I am 20kgs heavier and it is taking a huge toll.

So seeing my health decline like this was really tough and in the past 2 months things have gotten quite bad. I started going to bed really early and struggled to get up for work, smoking almost full time. I now hate mirrors and photos again, my eating during the days is varied, some days I eat nothing and some I can't stop. So I did the right thing and saw my GP who has changed my group of anxiety medication which I am now in the middle of changing (not fun at all) and she also diagnosed me with depression which hit me like a freight train. I never thought this would happen to me as I am a cheerful fun person, great family, amazing boyfriend of 4 years, stable and exciting job but guess depression doesn't pay attention to those things.

So my questions are:

Is there anyone else who has gained weight while on medication? (even though they say weight gain isn't a side effect)

How do I get back to fitness and exercise? Every time I try I just feel like a failure for getting this bad and want to cry instead of run.

I am going to start seeing a psychiatrist, how do I prepare for this?

Anyone else in the same situation?

Ps. Even writing this made me feel a bit better listing my areas I need to work on, so thanks I guess.

[Penny1]

Hi em415,

Whilst I can't really provide answers for your questions, I just wanted to let you know that I am in a similar situation so you're not alone.

I can't figure out how to lose weight and the only time I was mildly successful was when I was 15 and wrote down everything I ate for a year. It wasn't crazy obsessive and no calorie counting or anything too negative, it just kept me mindful of what I was putting in my body. I also recorded my exercise and sleep just to keep myself accountable. I don't know if this will help you but I hope it does. Also I experience the same negativity about the way I look and I haven't figured out how to fix that. It holds me back so much in my everyday life. I just want you to know you're not alone.

Also seeing a psychiatrist is a daunting but excellent first step so congratulations on taking it.

I also found writing down what I was feeling helpful because it allowed me to get all the full on thoughts out of my head and on to paper in clear sentences rather than being a mess in my head.

I hope some of this helps,

Good luck

[baet123]

Hi Em,

Welcome to beyond blue and thank you for posting and sharing your story with us. This is extremely brave of you and you should be extremely proud. I can tell that your extremely strong, courageous and caring. These are amazing traits you posses. You will find these forums as a loving, caring and non-judgemental environment where you will be able to learn a great deal from others experiences 🙂

A common symptom of anti-depressants is exactly what you described - weight gain. These medications often can increase our appetite and when we are feeling better, we tend to eat more. I guess it is very tricky because you can feel so much better as a result of taking anti-depressants and unfortunately this is just something that comes with the territory.

Like you mentioned, depression does not discriminate. However, it is super encouraging that you seem to have an amazing support network around you.

Here are a few things worth considering which helped me in the past:

1) I would consider seeing a dietitian. Regular maintenance of your eating and lifestyle may benefit you. It benefited me greatly!

2) Book and appointment asap and ask your GP about The Chronic Disease Management. It is apart of a GPs services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). This allows your GP to plan and coordinate your health care and treat/manage your chronic medical conditions including patients with these conditions who require multidisciplinary, team-based care from a GP and at least two other health or care providers. This will allow you to receive subsidised medical care and treatment and this holistic approach to health care is amazing and often works wonders.

3) Have you tried exercising with friends or joining a bootcamp program? Group exercise is so much more enjoyable. Alternatively, if you can afford PT sessions they would help you immensely.

In terms of any advice seeing your psychiatrist for the first time, it is important to be yourself and be as open and honest about everything as possible. Don't be afraid to "shop" around until you find a psychiatrist who you click with and you feel that they genuinely care about your well-being. The client-professional relationship is so important.

Look forward to hearing about how you progress and stay strong! It will get better.

All the best,

Nick.

[Lilly18]

Hi em,

Sorry to hear about the weight gain and side effects, it can be so upsetting.

I got down to 57kg (alot of hard work!) Then started my medication and have gained back about 6kg but it feels like alot more. It really gets me down too. I did lose a bit of motivation with keeping up my excersise although I think that may be the meds working on some form of obsessive excersise behaviour. I thought I have got to do something about this so iv started a hardcore workout 4 times a week and get on the treadmill when I can. Some days I don't eat and others I binge 😣

That's great your seeing your gp and changed your meds, no experience from me about a psychiatrist though. All the best!

[em415]

Thank you so much everyone!

Just knowing I am not alone is a huge boost.

I have begun new medication and am taking each day as it comes. I am up and down with my moods and still can't get my eating under control but I guess these things take time.

I am seeing my GP again this week to create a mental health plan which will set me up for a psychiatrist which is quite scary but I think talking openly to someone will help me work out a few things.

Will post an update in a few months with hopefully some progress.

Thanks again!

[baet123]

Hey Em,

Awesome stuff. Medication does take time. It is an adjustment period so being aware that things might not go to plan initially is really important. The mental health care plan will be a great step forward. Seeing a psychiatrist is a scary though/process but one that after the initial discomfort/resistance often greatly benefits one conditions as they specialise and deal with similar clients on a daily basis making them the best health professional to provide you with medicare care and treatment.

Feel free to post as frequently as you feel necessary. All the best with your treatment and your journey moving forward.

Nick.

[Health_Anxiety_Gal]

Hi Em,

I feel your pain. I gained 12kg on anxiety medication and it was really difficult for me to accept this new body. My husband signed me up to a local fitness club (because I complained allllll the time and never did anything about it) and it's the best thing I've done, especially for my mental health.

I now do Reformer Pilates multiple times a week and it actually really helps with my anxiety. Even fast walking is great if you want to start off with something not so intimidating. Getting the heart rate up and sweating it out makes you feel good.

Losing weight is a slow process so I found I had to take the focus off exercising for weight loss and concentrated on exercising for my mental health. I've lost 2kg so far and I'm still eating what I love (maybe just cut back a bit on sugar - I'm a chocoholic!!) I try not to get too caught up in calorie counting (easier said then done) as this just takes me into a downhill spiral and I find myself trying to fast until 12pm every day - which just makes me super moody and depressed. I'd suggest avoiding these 'fad' diets if you can.

Another thing I did was to buy new clothes that made me feel pretty again- I was still trying to squeeze into my old clothes which just made me feel even worse. I still hate photos, but I definitely feel happier and more confident.

I haven't been to a psychiatrist but I have been to a psychologist. The beauty of anxiety is worrying about what we are going to talk about in the appointment and whether we are going to relay the information we need to (this is something I struggle with when I book in appointments). Just take confidence in knowing you don't actually have to prepare. They are experts and know how to start the conversation and to get the right answers out of you so they can help.

It's really great that you have booked in this appointment - talking to someone REALLY helps.

xx