Psychiatric Medication

[tommaney 0]

I know this was addressed under the "Lapband Strugglers" thread, but I wanted to start a discussion about anyone's experience wih their past/present psych meds. How do you feel your experience with weight loss (before or after the lapband) has tied in? How to you deal with the side effects (if you have them)?

I've taken a few different medications with different results. Paxil and Trazadone worked for a time but I gained about a pound a month while I was on that combo. The doctors warned me about that. That was especially frustrating because I purposefully increased my activity level to compensate, and the emotional blunting with Paxil was dramatic. Prozac didn't have the gaining side effect, but not the mood elevating side effect either!

Finally, Wellbutrin, which I took for 3 years, was my most successful med. I was in an emotional place where I was motivated to be more active and, at the same time, it allowed me to at least maintain my weight.

How's everyone else doing with theirs? Finding the right med can be such a harrowing journey, I wanted to put forth a place in this forum to reach out for help and validation.

Also, please note that I am not purporting that psych meds that cause weight gain are some kind of blanket excuse for struggling with weight loss. I regret I have to make that explicit. Psych meds are one factor that can make it tougher for some than others, and this is a place to discuss those experiences.

[MerryHearted 20]

For me, I don't think my antidepressant (was Luvox, now Lexapro) contributed to weight gain. If anything, it helped, since I was/am an emotional eater.

Back when we were trying to find a med that worked well for me, I loved Wellbutrin for the energy boost I got (works on your dopamine levels, which regular SSRIs do not). Unfortunately it did nothing for my depression, so I just cried more energetically.

Weight loss has done nothing for my depression, which really does seem chemical rather than situational or related to some past trauma. I had kind of hoped that I'd be able to get off meds once I reached goal; that maybe in some miraculous way, losing weight would adjust whatever chemical imbalance is occuring, in a similar way to how my hormones are starting to balance out with the weight loss.

Granted, I'm still quite a ways off from goal, but just the fact that I will probably need to up my dosage at my next re-prescription time rather than decrease it tells me this is pretty much permanent for me. In the early days, I tried several times to wean off them, but always ended up deeply mired in depression again and had to go back on. My doc pretty much told me to forget ever going off of them, that I'd likely be on them for life. It's been 12 years now. And yes, I've tried therapy. :redface: Therapy was helpful for dealing with some of my issues, but not for the depression. :grouphug:

BTW, I had a friend who went on Paxil and she did have issues with weight gain. She ended up bulimic as well as obsessive about exercise. :biggrin: I think some meds do cause weight gain, or interfere with losing. Or maybe it's a combination of the med and how certain people respond to it?

[tommaney 0]

I'm sorry to hear about that friend who became bulimic MollyMolly. I guess these meds can have such dramatic individual effects that it ends up being worse that the original diagnosis!

It must be a difficult realization to know that when it comes to your medication, you're probably in it for the long run. We can only hope that the psychopharmacology industry improves all the time--so at least treatment gets better, even if there's no cure.

Who knows...it's possible that your hormones will do some great balancing in the coming months. When I was down about having to take the meds because I felt abnormal, it was helpful to compare it to any other physical medical condition that where medication was needed. Clinical Depression is physical. Studies show significant decreased activity in on the left side of the brain--the logical side that's able to contextualize events. Overall, there is some deficiency of seratonin, dopamine, norepinephrine--or some combo of them.

Best wishes with your journey and I hope you post in this forum in the future!

[BABY-LYN 9]

I am a newbie looking into being banded and how banding will effect my med's is a big concern of mine. I am bipolar - have been stable for several years. i take my med's twice daily and it scares me that banding could really effect my chemical balance.

Does anybody have any experience with this? thanks

[Nanook 2]

For me, I don't think my antidepressant (was Luvox, now Lexapro) contributed to weight gain. If anything, it helped, since I was/am an emotional eater.

Back when we were trying to find a med that worked well for me, I loved Wellbutrin for the energy boost I got (works on your dopamine levels, which regular SSRIs do not). Unfortunately it did nothing for my depression, so I just cried more energetically. :cool2:

Weight loss has done nothing for my depression, which really does seem chemical rather than situational or related to some past trauma. I had kind of hoped that I'd be able to get off meds once I reached goal; that maybe in some miraculous way, losing weight would adjust whatever chemical imbalance is occuring, in a similar way to how my hormones are starting to balance out with the weight loss.

Granted, I'm still quite a ways off from goal, but just the fact that I will probably need to up my dosage at my next re-prescription time rather than decrease it tells me this is pretty much permanent for me. In the early days, I tried several times to wean off them, but always ended up deeply mired in depression again and had to go back on. My doc pretty much told me to forget ever going off of them, that I'd likely be on them for life. It's been 12 years now. And yes, I've tried therapy. :smile: Therapy was helpful for dealing with some of my issues, but not for the depression. :thumbup:

BTW, I had a friend who went on Paxil and she did have issues with weight gain. She ended up bulimic as well as obsessive about exercise. :smile: I think some meds do cause weight gain, or interfere with losing. Or maybe it's a combination of the med and how certain people respond to it?

I am on an SNRI and have been on various anti-depressants for about 18 years or so. It's almost like a vicious circle. You eat you're depressed, you take medication for depression you eat because of the medication. Not all medications will do that but the ones that don't are not as effective in treating my depression/anxiety. Nanook:smile:

Edited June 24, 2008 by Nanook
mispelled word

[tommaney 0]

I am a newbie looking into being banded and how banding will effect my med's is a big concern of mine. I am bipolar - have been stable for several years. i take my med's twice daily and it scares me that banding could really effect my chemical balance.

Does anybody have any experience with this? thanks

Welcome BabyLyn...is there any way you can ask your prescribing physician/psychiatrist about how surgery may effect your body's absorption of the medication? I know certain Bipolar meds like Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol can impact organ functioning and require periodic blood tests due to possible organ compromise, so is that a risk for you?

A common reaction to anasthesia is depressed mood, not to mention there are many people that go through a "what in the world did I do?" blues/anxiety period after surgery. Ask your doctors--bariatric and psychiatric--how you can be mentally prepared for surgery, whether it's a temporary change in meds, extra support from your therapist (if you see one) or anything you can think of. That way, if there are complications with that brain chemistry, you, your doctors, and your supporters know what to expect and plan for.

There will always be people all over LBT that will be here for you to bounce ideas off of and offer you support.:thumbup:

[Froggi 4]

Shit, I went to my Psych on Tuesday and forgot to ask about that, he was so busy that day I didn't want to bother taking too long.

Poor guy.

But I need to know LOL

[Froggi 4]

I'm on Prozac for my downer moods with my Bipolar, it doesn't seem to make me gain weight..I had some that did though, had some that made me lose a lot too. I am also prescribed atenolol by him, it's for High Blood pressure, but I dont have HBP, he used it to help prevent Migraines, helps a lot.

I know it says there's a chance of weight gain on it, but I haven't had problems, but of course I only get weighed twice a month and I am on a diet. Lol.

[Froggi 4]

Like Baby I have been stable since I was about 18, 19, 20. More likely 20, don't want to end up having horrible manic, depressive swings again. horrible horrible.

[*JASMINE* 1]

I was on Effexor for a couple of months and had to get off of it because it caused me to have psychotic thoughts. I also gained about 8lbs while I was on it. It initially made me feel like a zombie. I couldn't feel any emotions the first couple of days. When I tried to get off of it, I would get dizzy. I had to be weaned off of it by taking Paxil for a couple of weeks. My doctor had never heard of anyone getting dizzy when not taking it every 24 hours. Now I am on nothing. That experience kind of scared me, so I haven't tried anything else since then. Anyone ever had dizziness or psychotic thoughts with their meds?

[CJULZGO 0]

I haven't posted on LBT in quite some time. Just started back...

Jasmine,

I have been on Effexor for awhile now. If I don't take mine for a day I get very dizzy. Sometimes even if I forget it and wait until afternoon I will get dizzy.

I've been on Prozac, Wellbutrin, Effexor, and a couple others. Most of them have made me dizzy if I didn't take them. Not so much with Wellbutrin. I have gotten a bit psychotic on a couple of them. But, I mostly get anxiety attacks, or I start to cry and can't stop. When that happens I know I need to have my meds adjusted.

[Mrs Sabre 1]

I was taking Remeron when I began my pre-op process, and was told by both a nutritionist and a weight-loss doctor that it is known to increase appetite. I was immediately switched to Cymbalta. Overall, I've done great with the Cymbalta.

Having said that, many women experience extreme hormonal fluctuations during the early stages when weight loss is very fast. I experienced mood swings from h*ll, and my medication didn't touch them. I was thrilled with my weight loss, but found myself boo-hooing at the drop of a dime. Knowing what was going on up front made it easier to deal with. As my body adjusted to surgery and the weight loss stablized, so did my hormones and mood swings.

[*JASMINE* 1]

Jasmine,

I have been on Effexor for awhile now. If I don't take mine for a day I get very dizzy. Sometimes even if I forget it and wait until afternoon I will get dizzy.

Well it's good to know I'm not the only one. It's a horrible feeling. I never want to feel that way again.

[Nanook 2]

I was on Effexor for a couple of months and had to get off of it because it caused me to have psychotic thoughts. I also gained about 8lbs while I was on it. It initially made me feel like a zombie. I couldn't feel any emotions the first couple of days. When I tried to get off of it, I would get dizzy. I had to be weaned off of it by taking Paxil for a couple of weeks. My doctor had never heard of anyone getting dizzy when not taking it every 24 hours. Now I am on nothing. That experience kind of scared me, so I haven't tried anything else since then. Anyone ever had dizziness or psychotic thoughts with their meds?

I think you had a unique situation because you needed to get off a drug because of bad side effects and having withdrawal symptoms that were not helped with the paxil. I've been on both drugs and have had good results with both. Of course one size does not fit all.

I've totally gone off my meds before to go on Meridia and I remember how uncomforable the withdrawal phase was and then the un-med phase was just as bad or worse. Dizzy is one way to describe it although it's a different kind of dizzy. I also got what I call "brain sparks" which happened over a course of a couple of weeks and that is really awful. Even today if I miss a dose by 12 hours I'll get them, it's a little reminder of sorts I suppose. Recently I was researching on line because I was having those "brain sparks" and found all sorts of blogs from people describing issues they had going off effexor, so that must be one of those drugs that a lot of people have had probs with during withdrawal.

Now a days if I'm going off an antidepressant I'm usually switching so depending on which drugs they are it can be done at the same time, lower dose of the first drug and adding the new one. My doctor usually informs me of the proper way to do it and I usually have no probs. I'm kind of surprised that a doctor wouldn't know about side effects on withdrawals from these types of meds.

I have been on those "zombie" type drugs but mainly they were anti-anxiety types. Forgive me if I ask or re-ask if you're seeing a psych doctor or a regular doctor. Have you been diagnosed with something in particular? I think sometimes a lot of people don't like taking these types of drugs because they don't like the feeling like they're losing control of themselves.

When I was first seeing my psych I believe I was crying at almost every visit in the beginning, my emotions were running rampant and I also had a very agitated side that was not good. Once she put me on my first antidepressant, sorry don't remember the name as it was a long time ago, those tears dried up and the lashing outs, diarrhea (yes that too) and the vulnerable feelings I was having disappeared. It's not to say that I don't ever cry but I cry when I'm supposed to, not all day long!

I admit the loss of sex drive, plus I'm perimenopausal so could also contribute and weight gain are things that do bother me but I could not live without my meds anymore.

Your doctor has to find the right diagnosis for you and the right combo of therapy and meds and of course the right combo of meds.

Some people being misdiagnosed can be a problem, for example people who are bipolar and put on antidepressants. Not all bipolar people are alike. You typically think of manic highs and lows but some never have the highs only the lows so it can be tricky and if they're put on antidepressants it's not going to help and could do harm.

Plus it takes awhile for you to get the full effects of the drug once you start. I went from Cymbalta to Pristiq but they are very similar in drug class and I've had the Cymbalta in my system for years but when you start it's a different situation. For some people they may have a bad reaction and need to stop like you did on effexor but there's no reason not to try another one. Some people do feel good right away and some it may take awhile.

Anyway my big mouth has rambled on enough, lol. But I do hope you can find the right help for yourself and the right med that will help you feel better soon, nanook:smile:

[Nanook 2]

One more thing is that antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds can affect your energy levels. This is one thing that can be worked out with you and your doctor as to whether it's best to take your med in the morning or at night. Nanook:smile: