Hungry and getting fatter 😢

[Stormgirl2012]

Hi all. I've been told that it's part and parcel of antidepressants to gain weight. Since I've been taking them (about 3 months) I want to eat constantly even thought I'm not hungry. I'm unmotivated and rarely go to the gym any more.  I know I've gained weight as my jeans are all really quite uncomfortable. Is anyone else going through this. Has anyone BEEN through this and beaten it??  I'd love to know how to beat it as I'm getting even more depressed about it and I'm at a stage where I wish I could get really sick so I'll lose weight. I try to eat mainly fruits and vegetables all day but the yucky stuff like chips and lollies are creeping in. It's disgusting. When I eat, I really gobble my food down - it's almost like a full on binge. I've been on antidepressants before and came off them for that reason. I'm at a point where I want to come off the meds again for the same thing. A could of friends have suggested I go back to my GP to get a prescription for weight loss drugs. I don't think he'll give it to me as to most people I don't look fat and my BMI is in the top end overweight range although some of it is muscle as I used to work out quite hard until all this. I think about my weight so much that it consumes me. What are everyone else's experiences - male or female. 

[AGrace]

Hi Stormgirl, 

Apologies this is coming so late. I did reply yesterday but for some reason it doesn't appear to have gone through. 

I share your pain, however for me it's the antipsychotics rather than the antidepressants. There are as far as I'm aware antidepressants that don't interfere with weight. Are you seeing a Psychiatrist for your prescriptions or just your GP? I'd suggest going back to your Dr and letting them know about your concerns. Find out what your other options are.

Is there a reason why you are no longer working out as much? Is it just low motivation? Continuing to exercise is really important. Sometimes the motivation comes after you start. Are you also less active in general?  For me I went from a job where I was constantly on my feet and always racing around, to being unemployed. All the lying around in hospital didn't help either. 

My Psychiatrist is taking me off my current antipsychotic next month and putting me on a new version that doesn't share the same side effects...yaaay!

I don't look overweight either but I'm eating sugar like there's no tomorrow. Today I went to make an appointment to get a full body massage and the therapist told me it wasn't safe to do full body because I was pregnant. The sad part is I'm not pregnant, I just carry all the weight I've gained (25kg) in my tummy. I was so embarrassed! 

Like you I've reverted to eating just fruit and vegetables. Just be mindful of the carbohydrate content in the fruit and vegetables you are eating. Post afternoon aim to eat foods that are less than 1% carbohydrates. Green and yellow vegetables are usually safest at night. I also try to walk everywhere I need to go. Grocery shopping I walk. I park 2kms from any Dr appointment and walk the rest of the way. If I'm catching up with friends I usually walk most of the way, if we're going to a nearby cafe I'll leave the car at home. Housework is another way to get active. 

I hope some of this helps. It won't be forever. 

AGrace

[Stormgirl2012]

Hi AGrace

Thanks for your comments. 

OK.  My normal GP likes to switch me between only 2 different ones.  Every time I've gone back into depression I get put on the same one which really chills me out but has other side effects which I don't like.  He said that there are about 2% of people for whom this acts as a sedative rather than an "upper".  When I get sick of the exhaustion and sluggishness he switches me to the other one.  I don't feel as in control of myself on this one and I am still really really tired all the time.  I've had all my bloods done last week and everything came back perfect so now the fatigue is "hormonal".  As I've said before, he keeps giving me the ones which are also good for PMDD, which I also have, however I think that the depression and anxiety also contributes to it.  He generally won't go outside from those 2 even though I have expressed my concerns re weight gain.  I don't want to gain a lot of weight and I also feel under pressure from my husband who 20 years ago said he doesn't like fat women and if I got like that he'd probably wouldn't hang around.  That's stuck with me. I'm so burnt out from contstantly fighting and obsessing about my weight for nearly all of my adult life. In relation to your question about my activity.  Yes, I am less active in general now.  I am happy to sit around in my PJs all day on the couch if I could.  I have no interest in going shopping for anything other than necessities.  I used to love going "shopping" on a Saturday.  I would stay in bed all the time and watch TV if I could and I stay in bed until I absolutely have to ger up for work.  I used to wash my hair a few times a week but I can't even be bothered getting up earleir to do that.  That's just so unlike me.

I have actually made an appointment with one of the GPs off this website in the hope that I may get a bit further than I have done in the past.  I like my usual GP but I don't think he's really seeing the big picture and just medicates me and that's it.

[AGrace]

Hi Stormgirl,

I'm glad you've made another appointment to seek a 2nd opinion. The choice is yours, but I always find Psychiatrist have a much better knowledge of our medications than GPs. So you may even want to get a referral.

I know what you mean about your husband's comment, as I felt the same way with my partner as the weight just kept creeping in. Perhaps share your grip on this comment with your husband. No doubt he loves you for you on the inside. Maybe he can also help to motivate you?

Let us know how you get on with the new GP, and good luck!

AGrace