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How do you avoid weight gain on some of these medications?

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realtalkloc

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since nine-six i been reppin this
Is it possible to avoid weight gain on some of these anti depressants? Some of these medications lower your metabolism, cause water retention, etc. Is it possible to avoid weight gain under these circumstances or is it inevitable?
 
I didn't. I'm two dress sizes bigger than I was before I was medicated, but I'd much, much rather be a bit chubby than be crazy.

I just focus on eating healthy and exercising and don't really worry about my weight. I imagine that's a lot harder to do if you're really self-conscious, or if you gain a really huge amount of weight, though.
 
SixBuckets said:
I didn't. I'm two dress sizes bigger than I was before I was medicated, but I'd much, much rather be a bit chubby than be crazy.

I just focus on eating healthy and exercising and don't really worry about my weight. I imagine that's a lot harder to do if you're really self-conscious, or if you gain a really huge amount of weight, though.
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This is a fantastic take that I frankly have never considered. A lot of medications that alter your body's mechanics with energy homeostasis can be hard to compensate for. I know taking quetiapine induced sensations to binge eat at such an extreme degree I was inevitably at it's mercy.
 
It really depends what anti-depressants you're prescribed as well. Some (eg venlafaxine) tend towards weight-loss rather than gain. Results also vary on a case-by-case basis. Is there one in particular that worries you?
 
I've never been a binge eater - to be honest, the amount that I eat hasn't really changed much regardless of what medication I take. Just bigger. :)
 
realtalkloc said:
Is it possible to avoid weight gain on some of these anti depressants? Some of these medications lower your metabolism, cause water retention, etc. Is it possible to avoid weight gain under these circumstances or is it inevitable?
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The main cause of antidepressant-induced weight gain is appetite increase. You can read about the basics of weight loss here.
 
flyhighk said:
The main cause of antidepressant-induced weight gain is appetite increase. You can read about the basics of weight loss here.
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i appreciate the link i'll definitely check it out. but is appetite increase really the main reason behind anti depressant related weight gain? Then why are people like SixBuckets and many others reporting an increase in weight without any change in their diet? This is what im confused and worried about.
 
From the occasional reading I've done relating to metabolic alterations from anti-depressants/anti-psychotics is that specific groups of drugs have an affinity for interactions with our Beta-3 adrenergic receptors. They contribute to activity related to our CNS as well as the efficiency of lipolysis in our adipose tissue and thermogenesis in our musculoskeletal system. A class of pharmaceuticals that expresses any sort of antagonist activity to these proteins would theoretically alter our BMR. (disruptions to our natural function involving energy expenditure.)

CFC can correct me on this one, but from what I've interpreted from my recent lectures and my notes is that the Beta Adrenergic Receptor family is a class of G protein-coupled receptors heavily involved in cAMP pathway activity and phosphorylation-related activities. (phospholipid synthesis) This has a lot to do with various intracellular metabolic reactions. (cAMP activity relates to signal transduction that is known to regulate metabolic-related activities such as glycogen, glucose, and triglyceride catabolism.)
 
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^^ Yes, beta-receptors are centrally involved in metabolism. The new drugs targeting beta-3 receptors have shown tremendous promise for fat loss, although they also elevate blood pressure and cardiac output (eg via the AV-node).

Meanwhile anti-anxiety meds like beta-blockers are well-known for promoting ectopic fat accumulation and for lower insulin sensitivity by blocking those same receptors. So clearly it's not just about diet or a lack of willpower, the drugs can have a really deleterious metabolic effect.

On the other hand, it's often a worthwhile price to pay for the advantages they bring. As said before, it depends on the drugs given, the lifestyle you lead and willingness to change it, and your own individual metabolism.
 
Now I'm not completely competent on the use behind anti-depressants, but is the desire to increase serotonin levels the main necessity to help alleviate symptoms? Or does the pathogenesis vary from individual to individual? Only neurotransmitters that come to mind that I'd presume have any relevance is dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. I'm probably grossly over simplifying the disorder though.
 
Generally serotonin, but it does vary and one of the reasons the anti-depressant class is so broad and varied is because each has specific effects on different neurotransmitters (eg SNRIs, SSRIs, MAOIs etc) that may benefit one patient better than another. The long-term aim is usually to help restore the size of the hippocampus.
 
I was on an anti-depressant for 3 years and although my diet didn't significantly change, I gained massive weight. I look at pictures of myself from that time and I'm not recognizable.

As others have mentioned, anti-depressants really mess with the metabolic processes of the body. I'm not sure what can be done to counter it. No RX is perfect, there's always going to be a downside.
 
I did about a year and a half on topiramate, which is supposed to counter the metabolic impacts of antipscyhotics. It worked a treat - I very quickly dropped from my post-antipsychotic weight back down to almost exactly what I weighed before I started taking them (although my body fat/muscle distribution was a bit different). Unfortunately, the topiramate gave me kidney stones, so I stopped taking it.... and very quickly returned to the size I'd been for all the years I'd been taking antipscychotics. I had no discernible diet changes before, during, or after my time on topiramate.

Judging from the changes in my glucose readings over this time, I'd say my weight gain/loss/gain was predominantly related to insulin and glucose response, but I'm not a doctor.
 
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