I believe the half life of Prozac will be with me long and my weight loss will be very slow. Ive started walking again and I am eating more whole foods and less everything else. I also threw my scale away this morning. It feels like a smoker trying to quit and still reaching for their pack of cigarettes. I never realized before today how addicted I was to weighing myself!
I think going by how my all-too tight clothes fit will be a better indication of my weight loss or gain.
I very much appreciate the advice here. Thank you both Surfhoney and johnhopps. I will take all the encouragement I can get!
And blessing to you.
~Nerdoloco
Im actually happy to see this post and the others bellow. Mainly becasue Im expierencing the same exact problems. :( I was on Prozac 40mg for 2 years. I gained 30 pounds. Before Prozac I was very small, and could lose weight so easily. Now it seems near impossible. Ive only been off it for maybe 2ish months and Ive only lost a little bit of weight, even though Im trying so so so hard. Prozac has ruined my self esteem :( If you got any info on this issue please let me know.
I have been on Prozac more than 20 years. I am now almost 49, 5'9"+ and when I started I was appx. 121 lbs with very small bones (luckily I can carry 20 lbs and it doesn't show one way or the other) and agree with so many of these posts about the weight gain long term. At first, I had severe night sweats and lost at least 10 lbs. For the first several years--maybe 5, I remained svelt and pretty much the same, not changing eating or excercise-activity habits. However, after that the weight did start to come on regardless. I think it created changes in my hormone levels as I aged and eventually contributed to at least 50 lbs of my weight gain. I can't blame it in whole due to a hormone shot I had to take to stop bleeding due to a fibroid problem that led to extreme blood loss and eventually 2 surgeries. However, after that (and a very, very bad marriage) I was over 200 lbs. I went to a weight loss specialty physician and cut my 40 mg daily (tapering) to 20 mg e/o day. Due to an extreme bone spur and foot injury from an accident, I was unable to excercise cardio. Now, after having been so slim, and then so heavy, my body was also now stubborn in letting go of anything. But due to health reasons, I had to loose weight. So I went on Tenuate and small doses of phentermine (very small). Tenuate is a drug for people with seizures and removes your appetite so much, it's unreal. Because I was unable to workout, my caloric use was minimal at best. I was easily able to eat 1,200 calories or less without issue. I went from 200lbs to 135lbs in less than 6 months. WARNING NOTE: Do not do this without a doctor or a damm good health reason, because Tenuate causes EXTREME constipation beyond your comprehension and will cause you if you are not prepared to suffer from fissures and internal hemroids from straining. You MUST not do this or you will require surgery and the pain from both is beyond childbirth and broken bones, speaking from all to real experience. This is also NOT a long-term answer or treatment--and espcially not a way out of exercise or activity. Also, if you stop taking Tenuate, if you try to start again it doesn't work nearly 1/2 as well, if that. The positive side is if you are able to loose the weight, excercise so as not to loose muscles, and maintain your weight this well help. But if you think this is a cure-all for not exercising or proper diet, forget it. You will gain that much weight you had and more. You must be dedicated to eating well-properly and excercise if you choose caloric restrictive (CR) lifestyles. The biggest ways that help me loose that weight, which I could have done without drugs was NO alcohol, no caffine, very little to no red meat, NO FAST FOOD, no sweets, little to no bread, NO SODA (especially diet--I never was allowed to drink it so I don't like it anyway), a reduction to elimination of processed packaged deli meats and sodium intake. If you are serious, be serious. Now when I say no, I mean if you really must, a 4 oz glass of wine or a drink every few weeks for social reasons and if you can't live without it keep very dark chocolate for that 9pm crave and only eat a square or two to satisfy your craving, now and then fiber bread (not white breads) is good. When you eat tuna, use lemon juice vs. mayonaise, etc., etc. and Water, Water, Water, Water! The doctors, and a very good pharmacist, are always trying to reduce my prozac even further and put me on other medications, if needed. Not sure if I will ever get there, but when life is calm and going smoothly with a good routine, I need little or none. When people have passed, jobs are lost, divorces happen, you face financial disaster, these are times that I know I need more help as does anyone. If you are wondering if I had mental health counseling, and yes 3 x a week 17 years ago and several times a month a few years ago when life went really south. They helped me gain tools and understanding; ability to react and live with stress better with or without drugs. What this comes down to is never go onto any drugs without first doing your homework, find a good pharmacist and have them counsel you on short-term and long-term affects (this is not a doctor's area of expertise!), self-educate and ask as many questions as possible before choosing any drug, surgery or treatment. Accutane was a perfect example, Prozac and SSRI's are another.
Now my ankles (spurs) and feet in general give out under my 5'4" 210 pound body.
I used to look decent. Now I look like Jabba the Hutt. I feel like sh*t. Sorry, but its the truth. I'm sticking it out no matter what. I have not been at this new 'phase' long enough to see a positive change. I will be posting my experience hoping it helps someone else.
As for now, I'm still a wet blanket.
Peace.
Sorry you're having such a bad experience.
You said you're trying to lose weight.
What exactly are you doing??
How frequent and how intense is your exercise??
What's your diet like? Are you eating whole, simple foods or processed foods? Are you drinking diet sodas and sugar free foods??
If you give more info, would love to help.
Blessings,
Surfhoney
Admittedly, I have been trying a new approach for only a month now, but before that I ate mostly carrots, salsa, bananas, fish, turkey, coffee, diet coke, and almonds. I know I'm getting specific, but that was what I ate everyday for years, plus I would eat additional different foods like chicken, steamed or stirfry veg, and chocolate.
Now I've been doing filtered water, noncruciferous veg (I have hypothyroid and anemia) organic fruits and eggs, fish only, chick peas, and walnuts.
I gave up all gluten, grains, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, and soda.
I walk 3 miles a day and also take multi-vit, b-complex, iron, selenium, zinc/calcium/magnesium, milk thistle, flaxseed oil, vit c, vit d, alpha lipoic acid, and spirulina. I am on .88 mcg synthroid, 300mg wellbutrin, and 200mg prometrium (bioidentical progesterone).
As you can see I have resorted to pretty desperate measures to lose weight. I would exercise more if I could but my body can't do it at this weight. I do eat breakfast and never eat late. My weight goes from 210 to 207 to 212. The average I've been weighing this past month is the same I have been for a couple months now. I've gained a total of 45 pounds since this time last year.
I printed a pic of me at the beach this year with my kids and put it next to one from a year ago.
I cried all day. My kids were shocked. They said they couldn't believe the difference. WTH is happening to me?! I've no choice but to keep going. Oh, I also take fiber daily in the form of psyllium husk. And quite honestly, I feel like a bloated cow.
So sorry to go on and on. Can you help?
Blessings to you!
~Nerdoloco
I know what you are saying. I truly did try staying off of Prozac and not get on another antidepressant, but I failed. I have very low low's. After I lost 125 pounds from surgery 9 years ago, my life had gotten worse emotionally. Especially after gaining back 30 pounds after my second child was born, so that has added to my depression...(see vicious cycle here?).
Anyway, I'm truly weak and cannot imagine going off my wellbutrin even though it doesn't seem to be working.
Prozac made me anonymous, which for me was great. Wellbutrin has done nothing so far but I keep taking it hoping it will help me lose weight like the doctor said and get my depression controlled. I think to myself that I just haven't been on it long enough. Is 5 to 6 weeks long enough?
John, you said you got off Prozac and 9 months later is when you saw any change in your weight, right? Did you ever get back on another antidepressant? If not how did you control your obsessive thinking and depression?
I have 2 young sons who I struggle to protect from my issues. I desperately try to control what they're exposed to so I don't screw them up. That's why I stay on wellbutrin, waiting to see if I feel better on it. Going between a 35-45 pound weight gain from antidepressants is not helping my depression.
Oh, and I did exactly what you said not to do yet again. I bought into all the articles about this supplement and that herb, yadda, yadda. After spending way too much money I am swallowing 40 pills a day and not seeing results. I'm starting to think what is the use and how much linger am I going to give wellbutrin.
I know in the end I will most likely get off antidepressants, I just hope it's soon and I don't go over the edge.
I wish you continued weight loss from your Prozac gain. I was thin for only a couple years of my life and I long for that body back. That's about 65 pounds away. It seems truly impossible.
I will give wellbutrin until Thanksgiving. If I'm still depressed and the same weight, I'm done with it. I know I won't see any change for a long time, but I'm going to keep eating healthy, walking, and only taking the necessary supplements. I'll post on my experience.
As for now, 30-ish pound weight gain on Prozac 40mg for one year. Off Prozac and on wellbutrin 300mg less than 2 months and about another 10 pounds gained. Nit too encouraging.
Hi. my way of controlling them came from realizing why i have them. But about you . wellbutrin has been known to cause weight loss or not affect weight more than weight gain. its possible you are still.gaining from the prozac . remember i gained after stopping prozac before it finally started to come off after 8 months . the first 4 of those months i gained then was stable for the next 4. i did try wellbutrin once and i didn't gain but it didn't help.
Thank you and I will be back to report any (positive) changes!
Peace.