Hi, Suzanne. I'd heard also about the possible weight gain/loss taking antidepressants. I've been on Effexor for the last year and it has helped me even out my emotions. I'm told it's for anxiety as well as depression, and I can tell I don't experience the real "downs" I used to. But I'm sluggish and sleepy during the day, have gained weight in the last year since I started taking it, and in the last 2 years since I stopped working out regularly. It seems I am hungry all the time; it's the kind of hunger that makes you feel sick and weak, like you have to eat something, anything, or you will throw up. I try and be "good" and have fruit or something else healthy. But at the end of the day or if I'm really in a hurry or my defenses are down, I head for fast food or something else irrational and just start "stuffing." I don't think the Effexor is helping me as much as therapy would, but I disengaged myself from my last therapist as she was completely non-directional and too nice, if you know what I mean.

Is the journaling helping you deal with issues? At one time I used to record my dreams into a tape recorder (much easier and faster than trying to write them down). As the depression began to lift, I would dream more, and they were graphic, complex, bizarre, scary and even funny dreams. Recording them and then playing them back helped me understand some of the symbolism.

I'm glad I found this website! I know we can help one another.

Hey Gemini

I used to feel the same way!!Sleepy sluggish...it was awful. The i stopped. ANd now i am irritable again. I wish there was just an even out drug. I eat whn i am cycling in and out of these moods. Exercise has helped..but even that..is not working now.

Hi Everyone,
I too suffer from many of the same things that all of you do. Actually reading some of the posts
is like reading about myself.
I have a family history of depression, and the women in my family have always suffered with pretty intense mood swings. My mother actually
started taking a mild antidepressant, and I have been taking one for the past year. I started out
with Serafem(a form of prozac), than changed to Effexor, now I am back on the Serafem. The reason for the change was that I thought the Serafem was causing me to gain weight. Hah! Than I went on the Effexor, well let me tell ya ladies, it made me gain far more than I ever thought of on the Serafem. I also didn't think that it was doing much at all for me, compared to the Serafem. Well
it was doing me some good but I just didn't realize it until I stopped taking it. Well I went back to my doctor, and am now back on the Serafem. It works wonders for me, but I am still eating. This may be because I have been in the habit for a while, and need to start all over again.
I had lost 60 pounds and have gained it all back plus a few.
I am really glad to see this thread, because I think there are alot of women out there with the same problems, and may not really understand that it is depression. It took me many years, and a major problem in my life for me to finally admit(with the help of a therapist) that I needed some help(medication). Another real eye opener was my children. One day I saw my son fussing at his sister, and I saw myself. I was ashamed and scared about the effect that my depression was haveing on my children, and my marriage. There are some side effects to taking meds, but you have to really take a look at what is most important. No one has mentioned this, so I will. I think that anyone who
considers taking an antidepressant needs to know this, because I did not. It does have an effect on your sex life. Many doctors will tell that some drugs do, and some drugs don't. Well most of them do. It took a long time for my dh to believe that it was not something he was or wasn't doing, that it was the meds. It was a real relief to both of us when my therapist told me that this was very common. We have learned to live with this, because
if I don't take mt meds I am a true heathen. I cannot stand myself sometimes.
Well I know this was a bit longwinded, but I am so grateful to see this thread.
Hope all of you are well.

Chrissy

Chrissy, Thank you for opening up this discussion. There is proof that depression runs in families. I wouldn't tell you my whole story unless you email me your personal email address so we could talk. However, the doctor put me on Zoloft, three times a day. I don't know if that is what has put weight on me or I've also been on Prempro (HRT) for eight years. I just found out that stuff also causes depression. Plus I have Hashimotos disease which is a thyroid condition that causes depression, too. Plus your thyroid controls everything.

I just completed a 10-week course called Choose to Lose. I did everything properly because I was working with a nutritionist. Well, everyone in the class lost weight except me!! It was very depressing. I think something is not function right or one of these drugs are making me put weight on. I just eliminated the Prempro just to see if the weight would come off.

I appreciate anyones insight on this too.

Hey Chrisy and Dee!

Chrissy thank you!! I feel that sometimes i am the only one dealing with this problem of depression and weight gain. My doctor referred me to a therapist but my ins. does not cover it. Plus my hubby thinks all this stuff is in my mind.

I have used prozac before..is sarfaem the same or another version of it.

I found wellbutrin to be really good both on depression and the sex part but it made me sleepy all the time.

The only way i control it now is to exercise. it seems to be the only thing that keeps me balanced and less fussy to my kids. And dee i hear ya. I have found the ame thing. what an eye opener to hear your kids act the same way!! Actually it was heartbreakin..the same thing happened to me as a child

I hope to read some more posts from both of you. It helps to know i am not alone.

Tracy

I was really struggling with fatigue due to my depression. I take Paxil and my doctor thought that the medication might be making me so exhausted. She put me on Adderall and lowered my dose of Paxil. Adderall is like Ritalin, but it's extended release. It seems to have balanced me out. She also tried Ritalin for me, but I frankly felt like I was high all the time. I was pretty worried about starting something from the amphetamene (sp?) family, but under her care I feel pretty secure. There are ways to balance out any meds you are on and your doctor should be willing to listen and try new things. Just really advice for everyone!

Hi myname is Jina, I am 36 years old and i am about 100 pounds overweight. I am very depressed, I sleep a lot and eat as if there is no tomorrow. I have a good husband who has never seen me thin.He accepts me as I am. We have been married for a year. He says if I am unhappy do something about it. I am trying really I am I need to be held accountable for my goals and so began searching and here I am.I realize I have to make a life change. I am so tired of being tired....

Hi Jina

I am also 36 years old. I think i have fallen back into my depression as I ahve been eating alot and sleeping too!!

have you seen a doctor?? I have trouble with mine becasue my hubby does not believe in depression.

I am tired of being tired too.

I know what helps me is to exercise..so i try to meet friends at the gym to exercise. Or lately i take a walk. If you got a pal enlist her..casue it sure is easier to walk wiht a friend...i wihs i had one close!!!

I am here for you ..if you need to vent to someone please pm me. We are in the same boat except my hubby has seen me thin..so he is realy disgusted by me.


I hope to hear from you soon!!


I alwasy have a minute to isten!!!!

Tracy

I spent many years on various medications for depression, mostly Wellbutrin. Whereas it was invaluable at the time, I'm also glad to be rid of them now. I have recently discovered that, for me, withdrawal from sugar is very depressing. Sugar seems to be my drug of choice, and I spend most of my life either eating it or thinking about not eating it, or struggling to be able to eat it like a "normal" person.

I'm 60 years old and lost 130 pounds last year. Now I'm fighting the battle to maintain the loss, and of course sugar is playing a big part.

Has anyone else noticed a link between depression and sugar abuse?

SF Sue

Hi Sue!!

yes most def. After the body processes the sugar you go into a super low..so yes sugar is a factor in depression!!

I am a major sweet eater too so I hope to hear more from you. Maybe we can find things that we can substitute for sugar!!

I hope to hear from all of you soon!! Tracy

Hi Tall Tracy -

I'm going through withdrawal again. I can't believe I got into the sugar again. The withdrawal after the last time was absolutely hideous. Thank God I stopped myself a little sooner this time. It's bad, but not so bad.

But the thought of going the rest of my life without sugar is almost overwhelming. So I go to the old anonymous thing of "one day at a time". It gets me through, but it sure doesn't make me happy.

I have a few substitutes that help, although nothing really takes the place. Singing actually helps me. It make me feel good. And painting gives me something to do with my hands and lets me be really nit-picky in an acceptable way. Then I discover I don't need to be so nit-picky out in the world.

What do you do to substitute?

Oh, of course there's the real substitute of Stevia. According to a nutritionist/pharmacist I took a class from, it's the only thing that doesn't set up cravings.

Hi all,
I have been reading all of the posts, and I can relate in so many ways, first off let me just say I am glad I found this place. Everyone here seems so supportive.
Along with my depression I also suffered through panic attacks, bad thing with my panic attacks is I was paranoid about almost everything, so when it came to medications, and I read it could cause this or that, I was SURE I would end up with that side affect. So, my doctor had a battle, just trying to medicate me. I was first prescribed Prozac, but after weeks of not taking it, my doctor tried Zanax.
I can happily say that my panic attacks are no longer around, but my depression is, and I am so tired of this feeling. My husband and I are separated, and that was back in Aug. 2000, so I went through a whole year dealing with that. Never felt so alone in my life. My life has adjusted to him not being here, and now I just want to deal with my weight loss. I look forward to getting to know all of you.
*hugs*

Hi !!

Why don't you join us on the daily boards so we can all get to know you, vice verse ?

Hope to see you there.

Leenie

Hi, I found this site when I was jumping from weight loss site to other weight loss sites

I have been dealing and battling with depression for 10 years. I was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1992, however I haven't seen a shrink in 5 years, and after doing research on my own and talking with someone with a BA in psychology, I know now that I am manic depressive. When I am happy, I am so unbelievably "walking on a cloud" happy that I feel like nothing can break me. But almost instantly, I can hit the low end, and I will be so depressed that I will cry for days at a time.

I am on Tofranil (Imipramine), and it seems to help immensely. I still go up and down, but nowhere near as often or as severe as I do when I am not on meds. Depression has had alot to do with my weight gain, because I eat for comfort, which makes me more depressed, which causes me to eat more etc. Fortunately, finding sites like this one have helped me so much

I can't wait to meet you all.

What is stopping you right now from making an appointment with your family doctor? I have been on Zoloft for a few years with no major side affects. You have to take control of your life. It is not selfish to think about yourself. Why don't you pick up the phone now make an appointment and get some valuable help.