I'm getting off the medication. I'm going crazy.
 

Hi everybody. Remember me? I went to see a specialist, and was prescribed Paxil for my depression.

I started to do some research, and found that Paxil causes weight gain, despite my physician's promise that it won't.

My weight was contributing factor to my depression. I just wanted to stop obsessing over food and stop hating myself. But if I keep taking Paxil, and it makes me gain, I'm afraid to imagine what I'll do to myself. The pain of binging and crying is bad enough.

So I've decided not to take Paxil anymore. I feel the difference. I'm compulsive again. I've gotten used to feeling "normal" on the pills. Now I'm back to my abusive abnormal self. Today, I couldn't sit still and focus on my studying. I wanted to stuff my face so badly. Luckily, I didn't.

I actually ate like this today:
B:milk and oatmeal
L:chicken alfredo
and here was where the binge started to happen. I took out a piece of bread to seep up the left over alfredo sauce. Then I started cutting up and orange. Then I reached in the fridge for last night's ribs. But I put the ribs back. It took every ounce of willpower, but I put it back.
D: 1/2 a chicken, rice and about 4 cups of vegetables. I'm so full I can't move. again.

I've gone through 2 packs of gum, as well. I'm going insane. I can't keep this up any longer.

Have any of you experienced this? How did you ever overcome it? It seems I'm always asking for help. I wish I could help myself for once.

Hon I think you should give it some time (the paxil). I can tell you that it did not make my mom gain weight, quite the opposite, it made her lose weight. Everyone is different. You have to go by how you feel and not what you read. Like I said to you in my last post. Do not give up. If paxil freaks you out, talk to your doctor and get something else, there's a bunch of other meds you can try. But in all honesty it sounds like Paxil is working for you, making you feel "normal" as you put it.

Please go back to your doctor and talk to her about it. By you taking control is helping yourself.

Hugs !!!! and hang in there. There is no overnight cure, its gonna take time, and one other thing, be kind to yourself.

Absolutely......GBMini, it takes more than a few days for the medication to build up in your system. Sometimes reading aboout side-effects makes you hunt for them....(my brother always tellls me that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing).

call your doctor and tell him/her how you are responding. Let him make the decision to change or stop meds....anti-depressants should NOT be stopped all at once, it's a gradual process to avoid certain side-effects.

Be kind to yourself.....you are not the only one who has ever grazed through the fridge mindlessly while telling yourself not to....... it's happened more times than I can count. We're overeating to mask another problem, whether it be emotional or psychological or an incident we have no control over.....(I ate a huge amount one time when I recieved my water and sewar bill that had doubled)

Hang in there.......and remember it takes 6 weeks to really feel good.......and see the full effect of the medication. I was on paxil once for 6 months and I lost weight.......I had felt so bad for so long.........that once that medication kicked in I felt so good......my house was never cleaner...and I had so much energy I never sat still. I felt better so I spent more times with others, so less time to sit around and eat.

I can only share my experiences.......I hope you can find the solutions and support you need to be content and successful.

Let us know how things are going.

Liz

SWITCH TO ZOLOFT, it is very much like paxil but less side effect of gaining weight, also you might try overeaters ann. It is a 12 step program, much like AA, give it a try.
hugz...

Wow I can tell you -- I've been there! I've been prescribed Depakote ER for mood swings and bipolar disorder, and that makes you gain weight like a mother. I'd say I gained a good 30 pounds from those suckers. But it drops off after a while. It'll be okay. It's better to be emotionally balanced TRUST ME! It will make weight loss so much easier.

My Dr. put me on paxil and I told her I have ADD, but she didn't listen. Not only do i have ADD, but also low blood pressure. I couldn't concentrate, I nearly passed out in the shower... bad bad stuff. :mad:

Oy, bad call on the doctors part thats for sure. But Paxil does wonders for alot of people. Its like anything, some things work for some folks and others don't.

Can I ask why ADD and Antidepressants are a consern? I ask b/c I have adhd as well.

I do have low blood pressure. Sometimes my heart pulsates at 80 beats per minute. NOrmal range is 68-72 beats per minute. My mom is worried about me. I told her I have the pills in my drawer, but I refuse to eat it. I'm especially worried, after reading these posts, because I think I'm susceptible to weight gain more than anything else. I spent another 2 hours last night crying. It feels horrible, waking up each day knowing I'm going to screw myself up. I just binged. I had a whole brand new package of Premium Plus crackers 5 egg rolls. I don't feel full, though. What to do, what to do?
I really don't want to live like this. And it seems like I've already taken the steps to help myself. But I feel myself getting worse. Sometimes it seems like the only way out of this is if I just -didn't- live like this. But then I can't imagine the pain it'd bring my mom if I just killed myself. I feel myself getting closer to death each day. I'm going to get diabetes and get a stroke because I can't control my damn bingeing. I've gone to a counsellor, a physician, the pharmacist...I just can't do it. To think I used to be able to walk out onto the street and feel happy to be alive. I don't think I've been happy for a long time.
Sorry to bring everyone down. I'm just a wreck. I've already dragged my family down with me, emotionally at least.

Gonna, before I say anything the first thing you need to do is discuss this feeling of you wanting to die with your Mom. You HAVE to let her know so she can help you. Then you need to go back to your doctor, this is serious and shouldn't be taken lightly okay sweetie !!!!

While you were taking the Paxil, you felt like a "normal" person, so my question to you is, why don't you just take them? When you start feeling good about yourself that will also help you deal with your eating in a much better light. I do understand how you feel, believe me. Hon, deal with one thing at a time, your putting to much on your shoulders right now. And the worst thing you could do to yourself and your family is die. There really is no easy way but you have to start some where. Like I said Paxil helped my mom lose weight, everyone is different. You said it yourself that the paxil helped you control the binging and we all know that binging will make you gain weight faster than any ol pill will. Again, there are all differnt medications out there to try.

Life is good sweetie, it really is. You just need to find what works for you, don't give up now !!! Just know your not alone and that millions of people share the same problem. Again, be kind to yourself. Talk to your doctor, one trip isn't going to solve your problems, so go back and get the help you deserve to have. You do deserve to be happy ya know.

Promise Us?

My experience with meds.... I have major depression and have taken several anti depressents. I started on Celexa and it worked well at first, then made me sleepy. I switched to Zoloft and that was horrible. I actually fell asleep while driving my car. I then switched to effexor. It worked great. I started losing weight, felt better, etc. I found out I was pregnant and was switched to Prozac. Let me tell you... Prozac rocks. i had no post partum depression. I was doing so well, my ob took me off all meds. Did fine for about 6 months, then needed to get back on. They put me on effexor again and it didnt work as well. I went back to my shrink and started back on the prozac. It was awesome, I lost alot of weight, felt wonderful. After awhile it started to not work so well, so I was switched to lexapro. Not good at all. I am currently unmedicated and considering going back on.

My point is this. Its a rollercoaster. Your body develops tolerance to the meds, so you have to switch them to keep it working. Its a pain in the ***, but there it is. As far as weight gain, I think they all have potential to cause weight gain or weight loss. And the one that made you lose weight at first my start making you gain, and vice versa. DO NOT STOP YOUR MEDS WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR!! Bad things can happen.

I've heard a lot of bad things about Paxil. Talk to your doc and see if you can try a different med. And keep trying different meds till you find one that works.

Cirse

I haven't taken my meds for about a week and I'm going CRAZY! Talk about a hypocrite. ;)

I commend you for recognizing that you have a problem and for reaching out for help. You have the means to help yourself, you have medication that will help you come to grips with your way of thinking. You said you did some research and found that Paxil may lead to weight gain. I've also done lots of research on anti-depressants and especially on Paxil because my husband was taking it and all the research says Paxil MAY lead to weight gain, it is a potential side effect. That doesn't mean that you will gain weight and you never said that you had started to gain weight. In my opinion when you are better in your thinking you will be able to cope better with your eating and be able to plan and implement for coping with your eating disorders. You said you were feeling better about things, wouldn't you like to be that way again?? Please start taking your meds again. If you do gain weight you will be better able to deal with that when your thinking is better. Give the med a chance to work and don't worry about your weight right now. You said about getting diabetes and having a stroke. Sorry to tell you this but thin people who have led perfectly healthy lives who exercise and eat right get diabetes and strokes. There are some factors you can't control. there is a factor you can control and that is taking your medication so that your thinking is better and then you can cope with some of the other factors such as diet and exercise. I hope you will listen to all the excellent advice given here and either start taking your meds again and/or going back to your dr for more help.

Zoloft works great for me too. I hardly ever binge since I started it and I've lost my first 7 pounds.

I also live with the illness called Major Depression-I have been thru different meds and have finally ended up on one that works for me. Everyone is different-I had the same feelings that you have-what changed these thoughts for me was learning to take on one thing at a time and living in the moment. I have now returned to work after being off for one year and I am learning to be good to myself-as womyn we tend to be the caretakers of others-I ask myself how can I be the best caretaker to myself-I know that now I am ready to put some energy into losing weight-tackle one thing at a time and put yourself first-I know that it is hard-but try please-You deserve it!
Been there and still have my struggles
Kateyj

Interesting post, I am taking Zoloft only for a couple of weeks now, but I am starting to feel so much better, me depression had got so bad I just wanted to lie down and die, not I have my brain functioning properly now I have to sort out the body of mine which is so over weight, good luck girls in your journies
Pam

Have to disagree
 

Ugh I have to disagree - my little brother in law was put on Zoloft. He was a stick before he started taking it - after 3 weeks he grew a belly and did nothing but eat! The doctor took him off it.

Everyone reacts differently to medications, so the only thing to do is try it for yourself and see. :)

Has GB posted at all lately? I'm wondering how she is doing.

I agree with Leenie. Look at my husband who has been on 4 different meds in the past few months and the problems he had with them. Antidepressants affect different people in different ways so you can never tell how it will affect you until you try it.

I am glad that I found this board and this thread especially. It is good for me to see that I am not the only one out there struggling with Depression...at least that is what I think I am dealing with. I am not on any meds yet and have not talked to a Dr about it...b/c to be honest I am too embarassed....I just think I am ..crazy for feeling the way I do. No one knows it....I laugh and smile though inside I am crying and dying slowly.

The two things I look most forward to are eating and sleeping....I have little interest in anything else. I can sleep 12 hours straight..get up and be ready to go back to sleep 45 min later. WHen it comes to eating I try to control my urges but more often than not I give into them. Then afterwards I spend about 30 min beating myself up mentally for being weak and giving in like that. I eat the most and the wrong foods...when I am either depressed or bored...which seems to be all the time now.

SOmetimes it just feels like my life is completely out of contorl and I am powerless to stop it.

SimplySweet, its nice to meet you and I'm glad your here.
I can so relate to being embarassed to ask for help, but I'm telling you, once you talk to your doctor and spill your guts, you will feel the weight of the world off your shoulder (just like you dropped 25 lbs instantly). Its a difficult thing to do at first but each time you talk to your doctor, it gets easier and easier HONEST!! You can do this, you really can. You are not powerless, you do have the power to stop the vicious cycle. Tomorrow, Monday... pick up the phone and call the doctors office to make an appointment. If the nurse asks what your coming in for just say a check up. Then once the doctor is with you alone you can talk with him/her. Don't worry about crying because imho it shows the doctor that you are serious.

Hugs to you !!

*hugs Back to you* I really am enjoying being at this site b/c its nice to be around people who are understanding and know where I am coming from...cause they've been there too.

Unfortunately for me I can't just pick up the phone and call the doctor in the morning and set up an appt as sooon as possible. This is becasue I have no insurance and at the moment I don't even have the money to pay for a docotor's visit let alone to get any prescriptions. SO I will call tomorrow and try to set up an appt for sometime after the 27th. I get paid then and will have the $$ for the doctor cause I used my last check to pay all the utilities and other bills.

I hate it that other people are going through this because I know what it is like and its no picnic but it does help to know I am not totally alone with this.

I will make it to the doctor though and I probably will break down and cry b/c it will be hard for me to talk to him about it but I belive once I tell him I will feel better.

I Hated the Meds Too
 

I have battled depression all my life. At one point the doctors had me on the "cocktail." I could not function, I felt awful, they switched from med to med. Sometimes on would work for a while, then they would stop. I have been on it all.

Recently, I discovered SAM-e, a supplement that you can get at most health food stores, even at Wal-Mart. I started out taking 400mg a day and noticed a difference the first time I took it. Within about 6 days I realized that this was the answer I had been searching for! I have been going through some incredibly stressful times lately and the SAM-e has allowed me to be able to cope. Yes, finally I can COPE!!!

I suggested it to my mother who has been extremely depressed since my father passed a couple of years ago. She started with 200mg and her doctor has decreased her prescription meds and she is doing better than she has in a long time.

I also gave it to my 11 year old ADHD son who was having problems with depression. His doctor recently took him off his Addreall and now he is only taking SAM-e.

My doctor took me off my scripts too so I only take SAM-e in the morning. I have found that it works best if you take it at the same time every day. I don't have the crazy cravings that I had with some of the prescription meds and my weight is not affected.

It may be worth discussing this option with your doctor, but don't go off your meds cold turkey, that can cause the depression to be worse, it can increase anxiety and the symptoms could be increased. It is definitely worth checking out.

Good luck!

SAM-e
 

Make sure you check with your doctor before you try anything different or go off of your meds. I can't say that enough.

what are the ingredients of SAM-E? thanks for the info.

I got this from WebMD.com, it explains it better than I can. :)

SAM-e is short for S-adenosylmethionine, a substance naturally occurring in the cells of plants and animals. SAM-e is not an herb. Because the body produces less SAM-e with age, some people think that SAM-e may be a helpful supplement for certain diseases. In the United States, it is sold as a dietary supplement.

All that is in it is S-adenosylmethionine, nothing else. Some people also believe that it promotes healthy liver function and helps with joint pain. All I know is that as far as my depression, it changed my life.

I also gave it to my son, who has been diagnosed as ADHD, and it made all the difference for him. He is able to focus, he is calm without the "mushroom effect" and he isn't having the bad side effects like loss of appetite, aggression and depression, that the scripts cause.

OK, I bought the Shiff brand of *natural*SAM-e (I'm taking 200 mg, BID), just started it yesterday. I'll see how it goes for a few weeks. It was about $23.50 for 80 foil-wrapped pills at Sam's....

is their a difference in brands? or synthetic vs. natural?

I feel bad
 

Marblflys, that is a good price. I am going to have to check out the Sam's here and see if I can get the same deal. I take Spring Valley SAM-e and for 30 200mg enteric coated tablets, it costs $15.95. I take 400mg so that is only 15 day's worth of it. The 400mg is over $30.
I noticed a difference in a very short time. Within about 6 days I felt really good. Now I can't imagine not taking it and going back to scripts. Of course, everyone is different, but please keep us posted on how it works for you.

Angie, yes, we are all here for each other. It is possible to rise above depression. Many, many successful people have battled depression and won. Roseanne Barr, Richard Nixon, Oprah Winfrey and many more have experienced debilitating depression. It doesn't have to cripple you.
Also, being diabetic isn't the end of the world. If you take care of yourself you can work with the disease and at least arrest its progression in your body.
It isn't easy to take the first steps to getting better, but you are doing that just by being here. Congratulations.

MRsPartridge, Thanks! (oops, BID means 2X a day, so I'm taking the same, it was the rec. on the directions. I take one in the AM and one mid morning at work). I seem to be very sensitive to 3 anti-depressants...I've been the Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Paxil route and none of them agreed with me. After that I said no more....

So I got 80 tabs. of 200mg. each (a 40 day supply) for the $23.50 price, it's nice to know it's a *bargain*. There was also the Sam's brand, "Member's Mark", but it was $33.00 for 100 pills and it did not say "natural", so I thought synthetic? Also the Schiff brand has some calcium with it. So far I don't notice a difference, but I just started on Sunday with 1 pill. (however, I don't feel any crappier either).

I'll run it by the doc. who prescribes my other meds.....When I first started Meridia, it gave me a "good" feeling, but it has leveled off to normal now. My mental state definitely affects my emotional state, which goes hand in hand with my diet and exercise.....but i think I'm starting to win the war..take care and thank you again!

been there, done that
 

We're in the same boat!

1 thought: prozac often causes weight loss (i lost then gained 25lbs on it though- which is why I'm here) and wellbutrin offers weight loss or stability. (I'm on that now and haven't gained anything and I'm back on track to getting my life under control).

for me, when I tried Wellbutrin it did not agree with me at all, I got extremely *speedy*, jumpy.... if you slammed a door behind me, I would jumped to the ceiling with my fingernails dug in.....

I think all antidepressants are making me gain weight.

I was on effexor XL for about 6 months a few years ago for my depression, and lost about 10 lbs not doing anything different. I had to go off it because it caused my blood pressure to raise. So my dr put me on Paxil, and I gained like 30 lbs in about 2 months. I just stopped taking it (not good I know) because my depression was better, and I was tired of the side effects. I didn't know that the Paxil is what caused me to gain weight until I saw another doctor for my annual gyn appointment, and I mentioned the weight gain, and mentioned Paxil. She told me that most of the patients she prescribed it to, gained weight too. My sister is taking it as well, and she has gained weight and is having problems loosing it too.

And since then, I haven't been able to get rid of the 30 lbs and have since gained about 30 more.

I've also read recently that Drs are using Effexor as a weight loss drug for patients.

~Liz