Depression after (but not related to) weight loss

Has this happened to anyone..?

My doctor is trying to get me to go on anti-depressants.. After a series of unfortunate events in the past 8 months I had amini  break down in his office and he basically said he's watched me deteriorate over the past few months and thinks I should go on some antidepressants until I get things in my life sorted out..

I know I haven't been over eating to much, Ive had days where Ive undereaten which should even each other out..  Ive still been going to the gym but there are days when I have to drag myself there and when Im there I just don't have the energy to put in a good work out.  

Im just wondering if anyone been though this and did you gain weight back?  Did you lose it again?  Heeeeeeeeelp me, Im meeeeeelting....

Your story sounds somewhat like mine. I had lost 140 lbs (still had 100 to go)and was feeling soooo good about myself, then my life turned upside down and I became extremely depressed. Unlike you, I quit dieting altogether. No exercise at all and I quit paying any attention to what I was eating. I just didn't care anymore. I gained nearly 30 pounds back. It took me months to admit I needed help, but I finally went to a doctor who immediately gave me antidepressants.

It's been nearly a year and a half and I finally feel well enough to get back on my diet. I'm still taking the antidepressants. I started my diet again, (but still can't make myself exercise) on August 11th and I've already dropped 10 lbs (mostly water weight I'm sure), but I finally have my depression under control so that I once again care about losing weight. And I am glad I didn't gain more weight back than I did.

I'm still trying to deal with the issue that set-off my depression, but because of the antidepressants, I feel like I'm gaining back my life.

I feel confident that I'll lose weight again as I was doing before as long as I can keep my depression under control.

I know it can seem almost impossible to exercise and keep up a good routine when you're dealing with depression, I couldn't do it. I hope you have more strenghth than I did.

Please don't wait to accept your doctors advice. I kept getting more and more depressed until I finally got the help I needed.

 

I've gained weight for years with the help of my depression.  It's only now that I have found AD's that work for me that I have been able to healthily start losing weight.  If you don't want to go on medication, please at least consider seeing a therapist of some kind.  I think meds and therapy work best in combination.

 

 

I have gained with with medication to treat my depression. My doctor says just eat less, excercise more. I eat 1200 calories and exercise 6 days a week. After 3 years and 40 pounds I know it is the meds. I have had some many test for my thyroid and metabolism. I have been on zooloft, paxil, xanax, and lepitpril (sp) and gained weight. Nothing I can do to stop it except stop the pills. I have been off the pills for about a month, I feel awful but I am loosing weight. It's an awful situtation.

I lost weight when I treated my depression.  I was more motivated...  Antidepressants can be a miracle if you find one that works for you.

Original Post by pinkchubbymonkey:

I have gained with with medication to treat my depression. My doctor says just eat less, excercise more. I eat 1200 calories and exercise 6 days a week. After 3 years and 40 pounds I know it is the meds. I have had some many test for my thyroid and metabolism. I have been on zooloft, paxil, xanax, and lepitpril (sp) and gained weight. Nothing I can do to stop it except stop the pills. I have been off the pills for about a month, I feel awful but I am loosing weight. It's an awful situtation.

Did you ever try Wellbutrin?  that actually is one that tends to make people more likely to lose weight than gain.

Did others who lost weight use Wellbutrin too, or are there other antidepressants that tend to make you loose weight (or at least don't tend to make you gain it)?  I had been wondering about that, so thanks for the info huggitbear.

Original Post by pepper654:

Did others who lost weight use Wellbutrin too, or are there other antidepressants that tend to make you loose weight (or at least don't tend to make you gain it)? I had been wondering about that, so thanks for the info huggitbear.

Cymbalta and Zoloft both made me gain weight (or at least made me ravenously hungry + too tired to excercise).  Wellbutrin and Prozac don't necessarily make me lose weight, but they don't make me gain.

I've been taking wellbutrin and I've heard it helps you lose weight, but it doesn't seem to do it for me. Although, it does control my depression so I care about losing weight again.

Lizalea, you bring a good point to the table there.. It seems like I really don't even care anymore.. It really made me re-think about the anti-depressants

platinumbutterfly,  I just wanted to say, I took anti-depressants for at least 6 months before I felt well enough to start losing weight again. It takes time for the medication to work, and some time for the doctor to find out what works best for you. I tried several different kinds of anti-depressants before I got what worked for me. It's easy to get discouraged, but please give it time.

I found that on the days when I just couldn't make myself exercise, I would make myself feel even worse with guilt feelings. I would think to myself "why bother trying, I'll never succeed anyway"and "no-one else cares, so why should I care?" But now I realize it was just my depression making me feel that way, because once my depression was under control, I could see that my family and friends care very much.  I'm losing weight again, so I know I can do it.

I'm sure you can too. I wish you all the best!!

Original Post by lizalea:

platinumbutterfly,  I just wanted to say, I took anti-depressants for at least 6 months before I felt well enough to start losing weight again. It takes time for the medication to work, and some time for the doctor to find out what works best for you. I tried several different kinds of anti-depressants before I got what worked for me. It's easy to get discouraged, but please give it time.

I found that on the days when I just couldn't make myself exercise, I would make myself feel even worse with guilt feelings. I would think to myself "why bother trying, I'll never succeed anyway"and "no-one else cares, so why should I care?" But now I realize it was just my depression making me feel that way, because once my depression was under control, I could see that my family and friends care very much.  I'm losing weight again, so I know I can do it.

I'm sure you can too. I wish you all the best!!

 Hi guys, I don't know how this will come out, so I'll do my best. Basically, I have been trying to lose weight all my life. I feel that I have been a failure most of the time, up until this past year. I have now lost 98 lbs. I started at 320lbs, and I am now down to roughly 223lbs. I was perfectly happy with losing the weight, almost thrilled. I have become obsessed with it to the point that it seems like I can't think of anything else right now. But, what caused that, was I got sick back in December and have not been able to work out regularly. I then started panicking that I would gain all the weight back. That has led to sleepless nights, and general anxiety that no one will love me or continue to like me if I gain the weight back. I am still strictly watching what I eat, as I absolutely do not want to gain the weight back. But, I am so exhausted, I am not paying adequate attention to my husband, family, or friends. I have no zest for life right now. I have talked with my doctor, and he has prescribed Lexapro for me. I started on that today, and I am hoping that it will help with the obessive thoughts and lack of sleep. I am determined to finish losing the weight I need to lose, but I don't think it's healthy to be this obsessed with it.