Medication and Recovery

My ed therapist has been recommending taking anti-anxiety meds for the past couple of months; she says that meds coupled with therapy and a nutritionist is the best combination for recovery.  In the past year or 2 (ever since I started having ed thoughts) I have been a different person.  I have been down, anxious and just "blah".  My therapist seems to think that taking an anxiety med will make me feel tons better.  I am very skeptical of taking meds; one because I don't know if they really work and I don't want the weird side effects and two, because I am very stubborn and independent and it kind of makes me feel defeated having to rely on meds to feel better.  The only thing I know is that I miss my old life and I don't want to be the person I am right now.  The anxiety about food and my body is running into other parts of my life and now I don't even feel comfortable around my friends.  If anyone has experience or advice to give I would really appreciate it.

Thanks, J.

I don't take meds (not because I'm against them but I don't seem to need them and also I couldn't afford it!) so I don't have much to offer, except to address your second concern: Don't think of the meds as changing who YOU are, but as gaining your independence back from ED. You said "In the past year or 2 (ever since I started having ed thoughts) I have been a different person." The point of the meds is to help you back into the person you were before. If they don't work, your first concern, then you can stop taking them. What's there to lose?

The right meds can be very beneficial both in recovery and well, just generally. Sometimes there really is a chemical imbalance at play, and it is not a sign of "weakness" or "defeat" when one requires this variety of medicinal intervention. Do you consider diabetics who require insulin to survive lesser people? I am still trying to find the correct "chemical combination" for me - but there seems to be little doubt that I do require assistance in this regard - my own brain chemicals just don't seem to cut it. I would trust the advice of your therapist for the time being. If, after a couple of months, you find the medications unhelpful or unpleasant, you can always taper off them and/or try something else. When our current life situation isn't working well for us, it is in our interest to try new things. I know facing the fear can be hard - but you deserve a better life; a life free of ED.

I think meds can really assist. I had taken a break from mental meds and really my anxiety/depression/mood got out of control. Since being back on a mixture of them even people have made comments on how much more rational I am. I still have all that I described but at a lesser degree. I think a combo approach. To me it is a strong person who gets assistance. Yes sometimes it can cause side effects but often they are just temporary and the benefits can really be worth it. It can take awhile to find the right med or combo so you have to stick it out. I encourage you to discuss your fears with the therapist but also to look at what is not working in the currrent and the only way to change this is to do something different

Well, firstly to address your concerns. You aren't sure if the meds will work or if they will have side effects. The thing is, you won't know until you try. I would suggest giving it a go if things haven't been going so well for you - you can always come off the meds if they don't work.

Secondly, you don't want to take them because you're an independent person. To me, this is the wrong way of looking at it. You might have an independent spirit but right now you aren't living independently of your eating disorder; it has taken your "old life" away and is making you anxious of food, friends and your body. Perhaps taking anti-anxiety medication would actually give you the freedom of mind to be much more independent; to make your own choices about what foods you eat and how you see your body. Independence from an eating disorder is the best kind of independence there is.

I resisted the idea of medications the first million times they were suggested to be, but I function so much better on them that I am convinced they are a good thing for me. Perhaps they could be for you too - you never know until you try.

i also  didnt want to resort to meds for my anxiety either.  a few months ago i went to see a psychiatrist for my bingeing disorder and anxiety issues and she recommended i try a medication called topamax.  i was hesitant at first, but after doing much research i decided to give it a go.  2 months into it, i feel unbelievably great, i dont obsess about food anymore, i dont have urges to binge, and my anxiety has gone down a tremendous amount.  i cant speak for anyone else, but myself. i am also on a low dosage of 50 mg/day. 25mg in the afternoon, 25mg in the evening.  

i should also mention i would OBSESS about the thought of food constantly.  hence binging... after being on this medication, i feel free from the obsessive thoughts of food.  my confidence has also gone up a ton and everyone around me has noticed.  im all for meds that help.  

Though meds are not a cure-all they may definitely help-some.  I recently have been trying to combat my ED and by nature was always an anxious person and have taken meds in the past that didn't seem to work.  However, now dealing with this new issue, I have started taking meds again - just a low dose and not daily (as recommended by my doctor).  Mostly to take the edge off but I really do feel like I am not obsessing so much over foods when I do take it.  Before I would sit and obsess about what I would eat that today.  I would constantly be planning my meals in my head for the week and it really got to me.  I would talk to your doctor more, but it may not hurt to try.    Meds may help but it must be accompanied with a healthy attitude and good support from doctors and friends - the ultimate remedy.  It wouldn't hurt to give it some thought.  Good luck!

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post, it really helps to hear from people who are actually going through this.  I find it helpful hearing the advice from people who are actually experiencing and living the same reality that I am, rather than just that advice of someone who has studied it gives advice but hasn't experienced it first hand.  I get anxious just thinking about going on meds but at the same time it can't hurt any. I think I will talk more about it with my therapist tomorrow.  Thanks again!

I just wanted to add that i am on meds for my ed. Im on a med called seroquel, it helps in reducing the anorexic thoughts from swirling around inside my head and becomming overwhelming. I also take the same med at night to help me sleep. I often cant sleep at night becuase the thoughts in my head wont shut up. Not just ed thoughts but general everyday "i have to get this and this done" type thoughts. It stopped them and allows me to sleep.

I personally hate taking medication, i have been on so many types over the years that i just cant stand taking them. This is the one med that i have managed to take consistently for a longish period of time. It really helps me.

I think that if you and your therapist together think that it might be beneficial to you , you can always give it a decent try nad if it doesnt work or you dont want to continue then there is no reason why you cant stop.

What are some of the negative side affects that you have experienced due to the meds?  I am nervous to try anything because I've heard that it takes a while to find the right match for you and it can be really difficult to do so.  If anyone has any tips or advise on how to go about starting medication for the first time that would be great. 

We are all unique biochemical entities. Side effects for one person may be completely different for the next person (i.e. a medication that causes one person to become agitated or hyper can cause another person to feel tired and lethargic). That being said, there are certain generalities that appear more commonly, and it is usually these that are listed on the pamphlets under the medication's side effect profile. You really won't know until you try them out for yourself. Side effects also frequently subside within a few weeks or months of treatment, until the body adapts. As for tips on starting a new medication, I would just say "go low and slow". Start on a low dosage and see how it works for you. It may be that you only require a very small amount in order to obtain a positive effect. If it appears you require more, increase slowly and incrementally. Good luck.

Hi. I am on a lot of meds not only for mental but for physical conditions not with the ed. Anyhow some will have side effects and many will not last long after your body adjusts. Like nina stated usually they start the dose small. Everyone is different so some don't have any side effects. I encourage you to trust your doctor though hard. I know some of the meds I am on that have helped me a lot others have had side effects with that if I knew would of made me even more nervous. I did not have any issues so that would be all for nothing the worring. Yes it can take awhile to get where you see benefits but in some it can be quick. Also really the time it takes in the long run of the many years you will be around is very small.

I refuse to take SSRI (antidepressants) because of a bad past experience but was recently prescribed lorazepam (generic Ativan) for anxiety - in its lowest dose- to take as needed. It helps A LOT. A LOT. I'd have to  run on the treadmill constantly to kill the pounding in my chest that emerges when I'm tense otherwise. I recommend it. I can take it during the day or before bed, it doesnt put me to sleep but it does relax me and quickly.