I gained over 100 pounds when I started my depression therapy. I take prozac, and risperdal to name a couple. I know I can cut back on my meds, but only if I lose weight. I seem to have trouble doing that very thing. Are there any plans out there that have worked for people on depression therapy? I want to be successful when I try. I have been on so many diets that made me so hungry that I had headaches and mood swings; that I just stopped trying after a while. Don't know if I'm breaking the rules asking advice, please tell me if I am. Right now I'd be happy if I just lost 30 pounds.

Hi ! {{{{{ hugs }}}} Getting motivated is so hard and add the depression into the mix it can seem like it is impossible. I am not at mu goal but have lost a signifigant amount of weight WHILE battling Bipolar II. The majority of meds for depression/mood stabilization DO tend to cause weight gain. IMO the way to battle against that is exercise. I know exercise is hard for many - I NEVER used to do anything - even when I was "normal weight" - but now I do it daily and I swear THAT has made the difference for me. Even when I eat things I know I shouldn't (although now my "cheats" are far better then they used to be) I still lose - or at this point - maintain - if I stuck with my exercise plan. The extra beneft it that it DOES help with depression !!! Even doing 15 minutes at a time will raise your heart rate and boost your metabolism. I do 45 minutes a day but believe me - I didn't start there. Sounds cliched - but even get out and walk for 15 minutes. Give yourself a goal and then gradually add to it. As far as plans go - that is trully a personal choice. I am not aon any plan. I just basically cut out fast food - do sweets rarely and count on a lot of Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisines and fresh vegetables. I have learned new strategies for when I do cheat and then it is managaebale - not something that ruins my whole week. Figure out your weaknesses and try to work around them - and not completely eliminate them. Situations can be a weakness - morning coffee routine etc - so PLAN what you are going to do - don't just wait until you get there and try to make a smart choice. I LOVE having an egg sandwich with my coffee - so I went on the Dunkin website and looked up the nutritionals - AHHHHH - BUT - I found that on those occassions where I must have it - if I do it on an english muffin instead of a bagel or croissant - I save myself 160 calories - and if I eleiminate the cheese - even better.

There are lots of VERY successful people on these boards who will be more then happy to give you tips and ideas - YOU have to be the one to make up a plan for you. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You are here asking - and that shows you are strong enough to get this done - you have made the decision that you want to be healthy and fit - GOOD FOR YOU !!!!

I believe Risperdal definitely has a weighty side effect.

I'm bipolar and currently taking wellbutrin, effexor, lithium, provigil, valium PRN, and armour thyroid. The lithium is the weighty med here, but I'm not on a big dose. And believe it or not, I just got off 2 other meds (Geodon & Lamictal--not weighty meds). I tend to be medication resistant and have a high tolerance.

What one of my bipolar books suggests for self management is a healthy diet. They suggest no refined sugar, white flour, white pasta, etc. It helps keep your mood stable by keeping your blood sugar level stable. I found it has also decreased my appetite and stopped my binging.

What kicks my butt is the fatigue part of the depression mood swing. I am not exercising although I want to. For my weight and mental health.

You can do it. Good luck.
Amy

I'm currently taking Cymbalta, Trileptal, and Trazodone. These haven't caused the weight gain that some others have for me. Risperdal was bad enough, but Zyprexa was horrible. I've found that Trileptal works so much better for me than the atypical antipsychotics, though - thank goodness.

In the past I have found that exercise is a great antidepressant for me. At the moment, I'm struggling with the motivation to get out and exercise - even knowing that I'll feel better if I do. Frustrating.

Hey Christiebelle,

I wanted to answer your question asking if anyone was on multiple depression drugs. Just wanted to say that my son use to be on multiple drugs and had a really tough time!!!! But then we found his low thyroid problem, and eventually figured out that a thyroid problem could be causing the things he was dealing with. It took a year, but we (with the doctor's assistance) got him off of all of the psych drugs he was taking.

I am thrilled to report that for over 2 years now all he takes is Armour Thyroid for his thyroid problem. He is great!!!!!

Anyone presenting with "mental problems" should always be thoroughly checked for thyroid problems. There are more accurate thyroid tests that can be done, and they are not normally what most docs order when running thyroid tests.

You might like to read the info at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com There is a section there on "thyroid, depression & mental health" that you might be interested in reading. It is at:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com...e69546f7f6e975

Please let me know if I can help with any of the info.

hugs,
Cathy

I took Risperdal for a while and did have weight gain. Now I take Ablify, another atypical anti-psychotic, and have been able to loose successfully. My therapist was careful to put me on weight-neutral meds. Right now, I am on Lexapro, Lamictal and Abilify for depression and OCD. So far, so good and I am still seeing a loss.

I take lexapro and wellbutrin. My doctor added trazadone for sleep.

I don't know your diagnosis. I am a two-inhibitor type -- SNRIs work better than older generation drugs -- so I am on Cymbalta with a side of Wellbutrin. Celexa put me to sleep. Effexor is considered a bit old school now.

I feel like I need to be dosed like a rhino! But I do know that one of Welbutrin's side effects is supposed to be decreased appetite for some. But Wellbutrin and Cymbalta now have generics, although I heard an NPR report that said that the time release on the Wellbutrin generic is not ideal.

I guess my bottom line would be that you want good meds. My unscientific assessment is that the effectiveness of most meds tend to diminish after a couple of years. I am probably always going to be medicated. You may be seasonal or situational or whatever...

Anyway, I would say, go back to the doctor and get a good combination that gives you enough mood balance to demonstrate self-control. And if a doctor doesn't work, go make an appt with a psychiatrist. Most are more familiar with new generation drugs.

Interesting, though... My doc said about half his patients were on some kind of anti-depressant. Is it the end of the world? I dunno.

(Just adding here that I'm no doctor.... Although I was in the national depression study out of UT Southwestern, where my meds were carefully monitored and,yes, provided for free for 18 months. Of course it was before I ended up being self-employed!)

I am on Wellbutrin XR, Topamax, Prozac, Xanax..Celebrex, Cartia, HTCZ And have been for at least 10 years They have been changed and adjusted a few times... I did gain weight on meds about 80lbs, but I gained more from depression and anxiety. I have just started modifing my food plan to exclude white flour (breads, pasta, etc) and white sugar (actually all refined sugars) to help stabilize my mood and one of the wonderful side effects for me is more fresh fruits and veggies- and my moods are more stable- MUCH less depression! Also, the fluid in my legs is down .. so my arthritis is better. My top weight on meds was 425 lbs last year and it has taken me a year to get "down" to 377. I am limited by the fact I am in a wheelchair ( only in the last 4 years)... but 2 years ago I was bedridden... and 2 years from now I plan to be walking.
My advice is: be your own advocate, decide if you feel better on your meds. Tell your MD how you feel. Do some research on best/worst foods for you. ( I personally believe sugar is crack for me..it screw up my moods and my body.) Try to aim for healthy not DIET and all things will fall into place.
Good Luck and Blessings