Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[MissMom24 2]

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. FIL is home and doing well...he should be resting though...

[Taynuh 1]

Tina~

If you have any questions about anit-depressants, feel free to ask away. I have been on Zoloft for quite awhile now. I resisted meds for an eternity... years and years, but finally caved and have been regular on it for awhile now. Unlike you, I DO have to be on meds probably for the rest of my life.

I have no side effects... except maybe a little heartburn occasionally if I take it before bed. I try not to take it before bed anyway since it tends to wire me up a bit.

I do not feel "FLAT". I still have ups and downs, and I still enjoy those dips. They are just not as severe for me.

Oh, the only side effect that sucks is diminished sex drive and it is near impossible sometimes to reach that brass ring *wink*. But considering the alternative, my husband and I would much rather work with that then have my depressed self moping around being destructive to myself and those around me.

Considering you need meds short term... I think you should ask about Zoloft to your Dr. I have gone off it a zillion times (in the beginning) without having ANY withdrawl issues. Also it is rather fast acting as it does not take weeks to build up in your system to be effective.

Good luck!

AdorKable,

Thanks for the advice... hmmm... don't know if I wanna pass up the brass ring though... Someone else recommended paxil?

Then again, brass ring for a short-term, I suppose, I could handle that...

My big issue is the worry about withdrawal, so maybe zoloft is worth considering...

And yes, I am more destructive to those around me and I'd rather not be... I'm feeling angry more than sad actually... go figure.. lose weight and discover the smaller me is mega-bitch...

I'll probably opt for the drugs, I just hate doing it, but then I hate being so down and witchy with a b...

Thanks again, Tina

[Mal 0]

Dee, I'm down 2 lbs this week.

Brandy, how's the FIL?

Mal, I haven't started the couch to 5K, but I think it sounds great. Do you have a 5k planned?

I'm outta here for the weekend. Hope you girls enjoy yourselves and everyone kicks butt for the weigh in.

Hi Lifesaver~Sounds like you had a busy weekend! How was the hike? I plan on running the Susan G Komen this year. It is usually around my birthday and I have walked in memory of my mother, I have always wanted to run it!

[BellaPerdente 0]

Hey everyone, I am tired of everyone on here calling me "Fat" (widow) lol!!

I know how to change physically, but how do I change my name on this forum????

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Tina -- So good to hear from you! I feel you on the depression situation. I've taken antidepressants off and on for probably the last 10 years. My latest is a Wellbutrin/Prozac combination, but I'm off that right now. I'm going for my yearly physical today and plan on talking with my PCP about an alternative. Both of these medications are in capsule form and I want something chewable. I'm worried about getting something stuck in the band, though I've never had a problem. Funny thing is I've been on many different ones, but never had the no brass ring issue. Actually, many of them, except Prozac, make me really, really want to take a nap. And, as you know with 2 little kids, that's not possible. My husband took Paxil for awhile and lost all interest in even considering the brass ring and that REALLY was a problem around here. I have anger as a primary symptom too. Even though I don't want to take a medication, I know it's best for me and my family if I do. I thought I was doing ok without an antidepressant on board, but truthfully, I'm not. I don't want to be angry, over react, withdraw, etc all the time -- life is too short and my children deserve better. So I'm talking with the doc today about it. Maybe Zoloft is in the future for me too. That's one, surprizingly, I've never taken! But I really, really like the brass ring and I'm not ready to give that up either. I'll see what the doc says and go from there.

Brandy -- Belated happy birthday and I'm glad your FIL is home!

FW-- To change your name: Go to USER CP (right menu) then REQUEST USERNAME CHANGE (left menu). You key in the new name you want and they send you a PM when yur new name is approved.

Dee & Munchk -- Hugs back at ya!! Thanks for the idea Dee on going back to pre-op and adding fruit. That is probably the best route while waiting for the fill. I think so much of my situation is mental -- I'm doing fine with the no red, steel oats and exercise challenge. I am not doing fine with the slider food, namely my arch nemisis -- ice cream. And that is horrible on my cholesterol. I know what I need to do, but I'm making excuses not to do it and then beating myslf up because I caved. Oy!! I think I need to be back on my antidepressant medication, no doubt. I am having a hard time seeing any positive with the weight loss I've had so far which is one step away from feeling the hopelessness again. I don't ever want to be there again, so I'm off to the doctor today.

I'm really going to work to put on a positive face this week -- fake it until I make it, so to speak. Ya'll have a good week wherever you are.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Hey everyone, I am tired of everyone on here calling me "Fat" (widow) lol!!

I know how to change physically, but how do I change my name on this forum????

Hey!

I'm tired of calling you Fat too! It's a negative reinforcement and you need something postive... think of something good and dreamy to name yourself! No more FAT!!!

Go to "edit profile" and on the left side, all the way to the bottom of the list, you'll see the words, "change name" -- click on that, they have to approve it, and it takes a day at least.

Good Luck Skinny Widow!

hugs,

dee~

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Tina -- So good to hear from you! I feel you on the depression situation. I've taken antidepressants off and on for probably the last 10 years. My latest is a Wellbutrin/Prozac combination, but I'm off that right now. I'm going for my yearly physical today and plan on talking with my PCP about an alternative. Both of these medications are in capsule form and I want something chewable. I'm worried about getting something stuck in the band, though I've never had a problem. Funny thing is I've been on many different ones, but never had the no brass ring issue. Actually, many of them, except Prozac, make me really, really want to take a nap. And, as you know with 2 little kids, that's not possible. My husband took Paxil for awhile and lost all interest in even considering the brass ring and that REALLY was a problem around here. I have anger as a primary symptom too. Even though I don't want to take a medication, I know it's best for me and my family if I do. I thought I was doing ok without an antidepressant on board, but truthfully, I'm not. I don't want to be angry, over react, withdraw, etc all the time -- life is too short and my children deserve better. So I'm talking with the doc today about it. Maybe Zoloft is in the future for me too. That's one, surprizingly, I've never taken! But I really, really like the brass ring and I'm not ready to give that up either. I'll see what the doc says and go from there.

Brandy -- Belated happy birthday and I'm glad your FIL is home!

FW-- To change your name: Go to USER CP (right menu) then REQUEST USERNAME CHANGE (left menu). You key in the new name you want and they send you a PM when yur new name is approved.

Dee & Munchk -- Hugs back at ya!! Thanks for the idea Dee on going back to pre-op and adding fruit. That is probably the best route while waiting for the fill. I think so much of my situation is mental -- I'm doing fine with the no red, steel oats and exercise challenge. I am not doing fine with the slider food, namely my arch nemisis -- ice cream. And that is horrible on my cholesterol. I know what I need to do, but I'm making excuses not to do it and then beating myslf up because I caved. Oy!! I think I need to be back on my antidepressant medication, no doubt. I am having a hard time seeing any positive with the weight loss I've had so far which is one step away from feeling the hopelessness again. I don't ever want to be there again, so I'm off to the doctor today.

I'm really going to work to put on a positive face this week -- fake it until I make it, so to speak. Ya'll have a good week wherever you are.

Shelbi,

"Fake it til you make it!"

I have learned to live that way! When I was married, I spent my life faking it! But I realized over time that forcing myself to 'smile' when I didn't feel like it was actually helping me see things more positively and in the long run, helped me survive. If there is anything, I can do to help, let me know! The Oats, No Red and Moving is going well. I saw a big drop this week. I also think that the NO White Carbs and 30% Fats are helping too!

Well, guys, I have a nice little love story to tell you about. That guy that I met a month ago and I are still in contact and things are actually going extremely well. He insisted certain things and it made me feel I wasn't the right person for him, but we continued talking. We celebrated our One Month Anniversary on Saturday. He knows about the Band. I confessed and he wrote me the move loving and supportive letter. In my eyes, he's perfect for me. We plan to meet in October. I'm excited, anxious and just hoping no one wakes me from this sweet dream!

Brandy, are you going to be at Red Robin's on Wednesday? I'd love to do a NO White Carb challenge with you and anyone else interested.

Doing the little challenge with Brandy has helped. I was really low on my carbs and my weight stalled, when I upped my whole grain carbs/fruit/veggies and decreased my total fats, the scale moved! And so far it's kept moving. I actually had hit a wall where my weight didn't budge for almost 4 weeks.

I hope to see all the "in area" banditos at Red Robin!

Hugs,

stephie~

[MissMom24 2]

Dee...my weight has not BUDGED in almost 6 weeks. Stuck. Stuck on the same STUPID number!!!

I am never going to reach my goal. Even working out has not worked. Plus I should have put more in when I did my fill last week.

WAWAWAWAWAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

So yes, I have to do a challange!!!

Where can I find some EASY recipes? !?

[MissMom24 2]

I too, am on anti-depressants. I take Lexapro and Trazadone at night. Best thing I could do for keeping the peace. I have been on this combo for over 3 years.

No problem with the brass ring, or being sleepy. Maybe my body is just adjusted. They are both tablets that are fairly small and can be cut in half.

[MissMom24 2]

Congrats on the love story Dee!!! That is super exciting.

Just don't pull a Michelle...I couldn't stand not reading you on a daily basis!

[MissMom24 2]

Shelbi~

I too have faked it till I made it. Like Dee, it just made me stronger!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

AdorKable,

Thanks for the advice... hmmm... don't know if I wanna pass up the brass ring though... Someone else recommended paxil?

Then again, brass ring for a short-term, I suppose, I could handle that...

My big issue is the worry about withdrawal, so maybe zoloft is worth considering...

And yes, I am more destructive to those around me and I'd rather not be... I'm feeling angry more than sad actually... go figure.. lose weight and discover the smaller me is mega-bitch...

I'll probably opt for the drugs, I just hate doing it, but then I hate being so down and witchy with a b...

Thanks again, Tina

Tina,

When it comes to situations like yours, I think the biggest part is recognizing your emotions and anger. Using something to help you isn't a bad thing. I give you a tremendous amount of credit for working on this.

I am excited that we get to meet you at the BBQ! I can't wait to see those sweet babies of yours!

[minidriver 0]

Howdy doody everybody! Well, I'm back from out of town. It was a blast. Our "treehouse tent" is soooo cool.

Well, there is so much to catch up on, so I'll try not to miss anybody:

Happy happy birfday to brandy and woofay!! Woohoo for birfday girls!

Shelbi, sorry you're not losing right now, but it's temporary. Really. You know it will get better when you can get a fill.

dee - oh so intriguing about "the guy". I'm dying to hear more.

On the topic of anti-depressants - quick lesson from neuroscience. If this bores you, please skip to the next paragraph. Anyhoo, all new learning happens in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Cells in the hippocampus are very "plastic", meaning they can make new connections very easily. In addition, we actually make NEW cells in hippocampus throughout our lifespan (neurogenesis). These NEW cells presumably play a big role in our ability to continue learning. Now then, along comes stress and the nasty neurochemicals we release into our brains and bodies when we're stressed out. Our hippocampus neurons are very sensitive to stress hormones - after all, it's important that we LEARN from stressful situations so we can avoid them in the future. This was a good thing back when "stress" was a reaction to something very scary and very short-lived (being chased by a lion, for example). Now, however, stress is a day to day constant grinding thing that never seems to end. And those stress chemicals actually DAMAGE our hippocampal cells. Those chemicals even prevent the birth of new cells in hippocampus. So what happens? We get STUCK. Our brains can't learn anything new. So we're stuck in whatever stressed out bummed out state we were in with no way to LEARN a different way to think. Well, guess what antidepressant medications do for you? They restore the brain's ability to make new hippocampal neurons and (presumably) help damaged neurons to function again. Thus, your brain once again has the ability to learn something new. Combine that with therapy or meditation or whatever you do that helps your head, and you're on the road to feeling lots better. PS - the studies about neurocampal cells and antidepressants are done with animals. We can't test this in living human brains, but the evidence is pretty strong.

Okay, so if you made it through that paragraph (and even if you didn't) antidepressant drugs can play a VERY important role in recovering from depression. Been on 'em for 15 years, with no intent to go off them anytime soon. If I needed insulin, I would sure as heck take it and not feel bad about it.

Yes, my ticker has moved. Losing weight like crazy right now! Newbies - I am 11 days postop and feel great. A few twinges of pain, kinda' sick of liquids, but the weight loss in very enforcing. Woohoo!!!!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Howdy doody everybody! Well, I'm back from out of town. It was a blast. Our "treehouse tent" is soooo cool.

Well, there is so much to catch up on, so I'll try not to miss anybody:

Happy happy birfday to brandy and woofay!! Woohoo for birfday girls!

Shelbi, sorry you're not losing right now, but it's temporary. Really. You know it will get better when you can get a fill.

dee - oh so intriguing about "the guy". I'm dying to hear more.

On the topic of anti-depressants - quick lesson from neuroscience. If this bores you, please skip to the next paragraph. Anyhoo, all new learning happens in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Cells in the hippocampus are very "plastic", meaning they can make new connections very easily. In addition, we actually make NEW cells in hippocampus throughout our lifespan (neurogenesis). These NEW cells presumably play a big role in our ability to continue learning. Now then, along comes stress and the nasty neurochemicals we release into our brains and bodies when we're stressed out. Our hippocampus neurons are very sensitive to stress hormones - after all, it's important that we LEARN from stressful situations so we can avoid them in the future. This was a good thing back when "stress" was a reaction to something very scary and very short-lived (being chased by a lion, for example). Now, however, stress is a day to day constant grinding thing that never seems to end. And those stress chemicals actually DAMAGE our hippocampal cells. Those chemicals even prevent the birth of new cells in hippocampus. So what happens? We get STUCK. Our brains can't learn anything new. So we're stuck in whatever stressed out bummed out state we were in with no way to LEARN a different way to think. Well, guess what antidepressant medications do for you? They restore the brain's ability to make new hippocampal neurons and (presumably) help damaged neurons to function again. Thus, your brain once again has the ability to learn something new. Combine that with therapy or meditation or whatever you do that helps your head, and you're on the road to feeling lots better. PS - the studies about neurocampal cells and antidepressants are done with animals. We can't test this in living human brains, but the evidence is pretty strong.

Okay, so if you made it through that paragraph (and even if you didn't) antidepressant drugs can play a VERY important role in recovering from depression. Been on 'em for 15 years, with no intent to go off them anytime soon. If I needed insulin, I would sure as heck take it and not feel bad about it.

Yes, my ticker has moved. Losing weight like crazy right now! Newbies - I am 11 days postop and feel great. A few twinges of pain, kinda' sick of liquids, but the weight loss in very enforcing. Woohoo!!!!

Well, Mini My Dear!

I am loving that ticker of yours!

It's the guy, I mentioned previously -- good things are happening AND I am falling head over heels in love! I know, I know, my daughter has already lectured me!

I'm trying to settle down, take a deep breath and act like an adult and not a 13 year old girl, giggly all of the time! BUT I do have to tell you all that "falling in love" is a great motivator for weight loss!

[minidriver 0]

Well, Mini My Dear!

I am loving that ticker of yours!

It's the guy, I mentioned previously -- good things are happening AND I am falling head over heels in love! I know, I know, my daughter has already lectured me!

I'm trying to settle down, take a deep breath and act like an adult and not a 13 year old girl, giggly all of the time! BUT I do have to tell you all that "falling in love" is a great motivator for weight loss!

Well, if your daughter has already lectured you, then I will just wish you all the happiness you soooo deserve.:cursing: