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Antidepressants vs exercise?

C

Crampz

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 29, 2012
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189
I have been feeling extremely, extremely depressed for quite some time, years. However, it has been alot worse recently, maybe because I stopped drinking and am withdrawing from benzos or maybe some other factor, I dunno. Anyway, my question is this....

Given the antidepressant I was prescribed (mirtazapine) just makes me eat sugary foods like crazy, I am beginning to feel the need to exercise constantly to try and offset what that is obviously going to do to my body....

So I was wondering, I know exercise in and of itself is supposed to be a good antidepressant, would it be best to just ditch the mirtazapine altogether and just try exercising instead? I have been struggling with taking it to be honest because I hate the extreme hunger so sometimes I stop taking it for 4 or 5 days but then I start to feel quite suicidal, especially when I reflect upon the huge fucking cock up I have made of my life.

So any input would be much appreciated on which option would be better, ditch the mirtazapine and just exercise, or take the pills and just put up with getting even fatter (trust me, I really do need to shed some lbs anyway) or take the pills AND exercise?

Thanks

Crampz
 
if you consider yourself off medication a real suicide risk, best to stay on the pills because its better to be hungry than dead

but if you are serious about improving yourself it could be worth giving other options a real shot because regular exercise is significantly more effective for my mood and self-esteem than taking a pill.

i would recommend 30 minutes of cardio (swimming / running) at least 5 times a week, and a healthy, balanced diet, and plenty of time outside if its not too cold and bleak where you live atm.

it sounds like you could benefit from some kind of therapy such as CBT if a difficulty for you is obsessing over thoughts of self-hatred etc
 
Yeah I would avoid going off your meds man. Exercising will help but it is not such a good anti-depressant that you can go off your meds. You may want to talk to your Dr about your medication, see if there is another option, also talk about your diet, so do a little research into nutrition. This way you can set up a good balanced diet, this will also be a great help in how you feel from day to day. The point is the more you dial in your diet, and exercise you will begin to concentrate on the good instead of obsessing over the negative.

I went through a very similar thing after I returned home, from the service. Between the injuries and dealing with the collected shit of returning to civilian life I was hideously depressed and got to a point where I was hospitalized for an suicide attempt. Working out, and keeping a very structured diet and work-out program helped me feel like I was moving on and making progress with my life. The whole point is that with medication, therapy and keeping focused on the positive I was able to move past those feelings. If you start working for it it will slowly happen for you mate. And I am sure that between your friends and family and the community here to lean on for support you can get in wicked shape and begin to feel good about your self. BTW the withdraw from benzos is most definitely adding to the depression but that too shall pass.

I hope this helps brother.
 
Luckily, mirtazapine has a much milder withdrawal syndrome than SSRIs (often none). Still, I would consult psychiatric guidance in changing your treatment regime, particularly given that your mood swings drastically downward when you discontinue your current medication. I also urge you to pursue non-medicative therapy: current pharmaceutical anti-depressants are only modestly effective for most people and function best combined with some sort of psycho-behavioral therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy is most effective for many people). And yeah, of course it's a good idea to exercise in the interim.

ebola
 
Ugh. Depression sucks! Just quit benzos myself and am going through the same thing. *Hugs*

If you've been on the antidepressant for more than a few months, it'd probably be best not to quit it...and definitely not abruptly or while withdrawing from benzos. Quitting antidepressants can be very difficult and often causes a dramatic worsening of depression/anxiety for a few weeks or months. If you do quit, do so gradually and have someone you trust monitor your well-being. Your doctor might be able to adjust the dose or change medications to address the weight gain.

Exercise has worked better for me than the 20+ antidepressants I've tried (most of which did nothing and caused icky side effects). You have to do it regularly to see sustained benefit though.
 
Being on zoloft, I know what you're feeling. I believe ssris are more of a mood stabilizer than an antidepressant, at least in my case. Exercising would cause this huge increase in confidence and self esteem, but now, on zoloft, exercising is usually barely enjoyable. A year ago, I was mildly depressed and exercising completely fixed that. But I don't think exercising will help with major depression. Definitely exercise, do some weights and some cardio. And a month or two later you can choose wether you wanna stay on the drug or no. Good luck!
 
Thanks for all of the replies guys, made me feel better :) I spoke to my doctor about possibly adding bupropion to help with the appetite thing and he was like 'definately not, no way' etc etc but I spoke to the person at the counselling centre (which is helping, but sometimes I feel with these CBT techniques I am just 'lying' to myself that I am not a fucking piece of shit loser who has fucked everything up) and when I told her after being off it for 4 or 5 days I literally feel like killing myself and stuff.

She said she will speak with my doctor because if it is that bad, he might relent and prescribe the wellbutrin instead (or as well as). I no longer feel like topping myself but it is ridiculous, I ate a huge stir fry about an hour and a half ago, and I am absolutely freaking starving!!
 
I'm also on doxepin which is similar to mirtazapine, and just a tiny dose can increase my appetite alot. You'll either have to stop the mirtaz or take another drug with it...
 
I was on mirtzapine before. I hated it. Extremely sedating and the carb cravings are too much. Made me sleep through all of my exams despite the fact I drunk a large coffee prior. Every drug has its side effects. If your depression is severe, then it might not be enough to relieve your depression. I find it helps me with anxiety. I love exercising, and it's a great mood booster. I would speak to your doc about changing meds if you don't like mirtzapine/remeron. Hope you feel better :)
 
I went to the doctor today and after much debate he prescribed me bupropion (150mg) I havent started it yet but will it keep my appetite in check if i continue to take the mirtazapine?
 
To shortly answer your question, yes it will keep your appetite in check.

Also please try to exercise as this will not only help with the depression but if you have mild anxiety I guarantee that it will help or eliminate it. Exercise has helped me in many ways but mostly helped with anxiety
 
^^ thanks! I will be exercising too of course :D do you know if the bupropion has an immediate effect or does it take ages to start working? is the doseage high enough? we only have it available in 150mg pills here in the UK as it is only prescribed normally as a stop smoking aid ( I have no idea why)...

I am a bit concerned about the seizure threshold aspect too since I am tapering off diazepam :|
 
I'm not quite sure about the dosage so it would be best to consult your doctor regarding that. What I've read is that the effects should be immediate but again this will depend on the dosage.

Yes I think you should be careful because it has a risk of epileptic seizures.
 
Continue exercising, it will help without a doubt. I've noticed that at my most depressed times in my life, it's been times where I just stopped doing any form of exercise and would just lay and sit around all day
 
^ this is true, some times it is a matter of momentum, an object in motion tends to stay in motion, depressed or not. But once you are depressed and not excising it gets a hll of a lot harder to start again. But if you keep it up, it helps the depression a bit instead of adding to the list of shit to be depressed about. I had the same issue when I was at my lowest I wouldn't even get out of bed, and I wasn't even sleeping.

Keep up the taper mat. , it takes some time but it is easier then going off all at once.
 
you would have to pay me considerably to put me onto anti-d's.

i would try exercise for a good few months and see if it helps.

anti-d's as an absolute dire last resort. i have seen them change and fuck too many people up. there has got to be a better natural solution than anti-depressants, whether its exercise, meditation, ganja (i find eating vs smoking is a lot more sustainable), diet, etc.
 
Some people need the meds, However I think they are over prescribed, under studied and just in general misunderstood by most docs. But yeah, exercise is a a help but it wont be a cure. The real problem lies with how little Drs understand them, and how they do not take into account the changes they make into the quality of life. Like yes you may have less suicidal thoughts nut can you really be happy and less depressed when tired, libido issues, weight gain, apatite loss, ect ect. Psychopharmacology is still an art and not a science.
 
^^ I have tried going without them again (this is the second day) and I just feel really bleak, like everything is hopeless etc but if you were to ask me for specfics (obviously I would cite my fucking up of my life through drinking all the time as a major one) but other than that its 'I don't really know'.

But is it just placebo? I mean not taking them for about 36 hours is not going to make much of a difference right? Is it all in my mind?
 
No it can make a difference. Stay on your meds man, they key to depression meds is consistency, if they work for you stay on them. Then add the work outs and better diet ect ect and things will get better, but always stay on your meds man, especially if you know you need them. It is not like your just a lil blue you said your self hopeless feelings. It could be placebo but why take the chance stay on your meds and keep at it man.
 
It's really hard to say OP I have known some people who have had depression mos of their lives without using any type of drug or drinking. There are people who have depression while withdrawing fron substances.

What I have read though is that it is possible to cope with it, like finding a hobby that you can focus on to take your mind off of it. Id still say that you should have consulted your doctor before discontinuing any medication and like what others have said, add the exercise and eat healthy.
 
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