Weight gain or not???

[Allicat77]

I have been suffering from anxiety and panic dissorders and I have to see a doc this week to see if it is more depression related. My specialist belives that an antideppresant that is anxiety focused might help me more. I dont doubt I am depressed. I have had some awfull thoughts etc. This is going to sound shallow but after having 3 bubs in 2 years I know the depression started after that, I had thyroid problems etc too. However I pushed through and got better and lost 25kgs. If to get better means gaining it all back then so be it as I dont have a life anyway at the moment but is it true what everyone is saying to me that I will gain a lot of weight by going on them. Since my problems have gotten sever I have gained 6kgs anyway. Not being able to leave the house etc and comfort eating. When I am really enxious I can not eat. Most days I cant eat until early afternoon then I really make up for it. I dont excercise due to my silly phobia of having something wrong with my heart but now just getting lethargic. i do use xanax about every 2nd or so 3rd day???

[j7653]

I had / have a similar fear - worried that I was going to have a heart attack or couldnt breathe.  I also lost a lot of weight due to not eating.  But after loosing weight due to depression, I didnt want to put the weight back on.  I also learned how important exercise is to combat depression.

Little by little I was able to get out and exercise. I downloaded lots of inspirational self-help books to my iPod.

I was fearful and didnt go too far at first, basically walked up and down my street in view of my house.  Then got up nerve to go around the block.  Then walked farther and farther, each time pushing just a little bit out of my comfort zone.  Then one day I decided to do a little walk-run-walk to see how it would feel.  I still had and have the crazy fears while I am exercising but I have been able to push thru them.

I haven't put back on more than 3-4 lbs.

Last week I ran a 5K mini-marathon!  I was nervous, went to the bathroom too many times. But slowly and incrementally chipping away at it I did it and I hope you can do it too!

[Allicat77]

Thanks everyone so much for your comments. I shall go forward a little less worried now. Yay..

[Hensley258]

I'm the same way. When my depression and anxiety relaps and get bad, I can't eat hardly a bite. I have to force myself to eat just to get a little nutrition.

I think it's because when we are depressed that we are just so upset that our stomach just doesn't want food. I also notice that when I get bad that food doesn't taste good either.

[EroToo]

It's true that anxiety and depression cause weight loss.  Once you go on meds and start feeling better, you start eating normally again.  I lost 21 lbs in 3 weeks since my panic came back.  Been trying for years to lose 1 lb but all I did was eat.  Not panic/depression, I eat like a horse :)

[Hensley258]

I never gained any weight from any antidepressant I ever took, except Remeron.

Most SSRI's and SNRI's do not cause weight gain. Deprression and anxiety supress hunger. When we are sick with massive anxiety and depression most of us eat very little because the symptoms were having cause us to lose our appitite. Then when and if one takes an abtidepressant and their depression and anxiety lift, we in turn start eating again. Naturally we gain weight because our depression and anxiety are less and we have our appitite back. This equals weight gain.

So I guess in a secondary manner one could say antidepressants do cause weight gain.

Exceptions to this rule would be Paxil and Remeron, which are proven to cause weight gain,

[mammo]

Few people gain weight from anti-depressants.  Yes, some have this side effect but even those don't mean everyone will experience that particular side effect.  I've been on just about every anti-depressant out there without gaining weight.  Plus, you can tell your doctor that this is of concern to you, and he will put you on one that doesn't have this side effect.  For people who eat as a way to "comfort" themselves, they may continue doing this unknowingly.  So, be aware while on an anti-depressant that you aren't doing this.  Ask yourself, "am I hungry, or just wanting to eat?"  I was overweight for awhile,  I too, thought it also had to be one of my medications, and even meds that aren't for depression can cause this.  But I knew I was eating some things I shouldn't.  After careful scrutinizing of all my meds, and even changing a few, I still had the weight.  I decided to start truly eating healthy with 6 small meals instead of 3 big ones.  I started this in Jan. '09 and have lost 43 pounds.  I am not dieting I adapted a way of eating that I can continue for the rest of my life.  I'm never hungry, or have cravings.  Anti-depressants can improve your life so much, and even give you back your life.  You will get your ambition back and start doing the things that you enjoy, and may even get over the phobia of something being wrong with your heart.  There are always horror stories about meds, but compared to all the excellent results, well worth giving them a shot.  Life is short and fleeting, don't lose a moment due to fear. Take care.........