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New meds and weight gain
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Helloooooo
So I started some new meds last week and the major side effects are increased appetite and weight gain. I've been trying really hard to lose weight and when I'm not massively depressed I've been managing it at a very slow rate - and then when I'm not so great I can just about manage to not put weight on.
So now I'm on these meds and I'm really worried. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, but I fear this won't be enough. Just wondered if anyone has any tips?
It could be that my weight rockets up to start off with and then levels out - so I'm going to give them a far chance - I do want to get better after all. I think if my weight just keeps going up I'm going to have a chat with my psychiatrist though.
So I started some new meds last week and the major side effects are increased appetite and weight gain. I've been trying really hard to lose weight and when I'm not massively depressed I've been managing it at a very slow rate - and then when I'm not so great I can just about manage to not put weight on.
So now I'm on these meds and I'm really worried. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, but I fear this won't be enough. Just wondered if anyone has any tips?
It could be that my weight rockets up to start off with and then levels out - so I'm going to give them a far chance - I do want to get better after all. I think if my weight just keeps going up I'm going to have a chat with my psychiatrist though.
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One thing to keep an eye on is are they actually causing weight gain, or are they just increasing appetite? If it's the latter than you might be able to manage it by drinking lots of water, chewing gum, tea, celery etc.
One thing to keep an eye on is are they actually causing weight gain, or are they just increasing appetite? If it's the latter than you might be able to manage it by drinking lots of water, chewing gum, tea, celery etc.
I've read on various forums about the difficulty of weight management on certain meds... But that said, people who have the worst problems are most likely to post on internet forums (it could be 1%) and you can't really tell what their lifestyles are like. For example, I'm sure we all know people who go on "diets", but "can't lose weight"... But it's easy to eat more calories and over estimate the exercise we do... Also, I think a lot of people blame their genes or metabolism and this may affect their efforts (I'm not sure if some meds genuinely affect metabolism).
I used MyFitnessPal to help me lose weight... Granted, since March I've been up and down quite radically with my illness, but before then I lost almost three stone.
I wasn't on meds at the time, but my mental health greatly improved. I was eating about 1400 calories a day of healthy (mostly non-processed) food and hitting the gym 4-5 weeks, combining high intensity cardio with weights. I was also running a lot... Obviously, you work your way up to something, find an exercise you enjoy and tweak your lifestyle.
SM - I've had a read and it seems to be a bit of both. Increase in appetite and affects metabolism.
Namaste - Cheers! I have used MyFitnessPal for a while now. Although only to record my weight. I tried calorie counting but just found it too hard to find out the calorie content of what i was eating... maybe I was worrying about being too accurate? How do you find it?
I was meant to go to rugby training but again I finished uni too late to make it. Need to get back into running properly, moved to a new area so trying to find routes etc!
I meant more sort of how do you find counting calories? Like actually doing the counting. Do you find it hard? Any tips?
i'm having the exact same issue as you, i just went on the pill and i don't ever feel full any more, it's really annoying.
I've put on over a stone since I've been on these and it's really getting me down.
I feel like I've given them a fair chance - apparently the appetite/weight effects are less problematic at higher doses and I've been at a higher dose since before Christmas. I've also been carefully calorie counting since the start of the new year and its just not making a difference
I asked my CPN about stopping them, and he said talk to my GP. I'm guessing the first thing my GP says will be 'have you talked to your CMHT/psychiatrist?'. I've not seen my GP at all about mental health problems so I'm going to wait until I see my psych which should be in a few weeks.
I don't want to seem like I'm really fussy
It's hard to tell whether they are helping. At the lower dose they helped me sleep but they seemed to be less sedative at the increased dose. And I know its the external factors have been getting me down so it's hard to judge. I don't want anyone to think I'm a difficult patient - I think my CPN already thinks that
It isn't being funny, I have the same problem. And the problem is that PCOS can cause depression (so, in your case, worsening depression), and that might be why you don't feel these meds are working. If you think that might be the case for you, it's worth saying so in words of one syllable to your GP. In my experience (mostly male) GPs have been too quick to say, "oh, lose weight, that's the only way PCOS ever gets better..."
Don't forget to mention you've called in sick a bit this week... (nag, nag)
Ha. I've just got a cold (temp + sore throat). Nothing serious, just making me feel rank
Argh piccolo it was pretty much this
So he doesn't want to interfere with my ADs so will have to wait till I see my psych (which is next week so not too bad).
Brought up weight being like chicken and egg (I swear every doctor I've ever seen brings it up in relation to PCOS). I just feel really shit and like I'm not being taken seriously. I told him I calorie counted and exercised etc etc but that just didn't seem to matter to him, like he didn't believe me. Given me some leaflet about a 'healthy weight programme' starting in April. Can't even make any of the sessions as the locations near me are all daytime sessions. I'm so pissed off and just hate myself even more.