Looking for help for depression - and following with antidepressant medication - it's a brave and important first step on the way for recovery. But very often, those who take this step are faced with another troubling problem: weight gain.
Experts say for up to 25% of people, most antidepressants drugs - including popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs like lexapro, paxil, prozac and zoloft - can cause a weight gain 10 pounds or more.
"This is a phenomenon I noticed for the first time when Prozac reached the market for the first time. He did not appear initially in clinical trials, because most of them had eight to 12 weeks long, and Weight gain usually occurs with longer use. But it is definitely one of the side effects of this and other antidepressant medicines, "says Norman Sussman, MD, a psychiatrist and an associate rector for postgraduate medical programs at the School of Medicine NYU.
A revision published in 2003 in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine stated that while weight gain is possible side effect with SSRI antidepressant drugs, it may be more likely to occur after six months or more use.
Weight Program For Fat Loss - Fat Pharms: Antidepressants and Weight Gain
But Ssris are not the only class of antidepressants that may have weight gain as a side effect. Other antidepressant medicines, including tricilics (such as Elavil and Tofranil) and MAO inhibitors (drugs such as Parnate and Nardil), can also cause patients to gain weight with short and short-term use.
"is clearly a problem for most drugs used to treat depression and although it does not occur with every drug or for each person, when it happens, it can be a significant problem that we should not simply ignore", Says Jack E. Finccham, PhD, RPH, Pharmacy Practice Professor at the Pharmacy School at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, and author of the Daily Guide to manage their medicines.
although there are a series of theories over why antidepressants lead to weight gain, Sussman believes that both appetite As metabolism can be affected.
"I had patients who have sworn that they are not eating more, but still gaining weight, so it tells us that there is some kind of metabolic influence going on; I also had patients told me they are not just more hungry and eat More, but that the medicines are encouraging a desire for carbohydrates that is difficult to control, so we know that appetite also plays a role, "he says.
Fincham says antidepressants can also help us rediscover the pleasure in our lives - including food.
Findings of a group of Italian researchers published in psychotherapy and psychosomatic magazine suggest that the simple recovery act of depression can play a role in the weight gain. "Now, Ssri Paxil is the worst offender - the most likely antidepressant to cause weight gain, while another SSRI, Zoloft, is the least likely, so it's a switch that can sometimes make a big difference for some people "Says Sussman. The disadvantage of changing drugs: Sussman says not all drugs work equally well to control the symptoms in all people. "Neurochemistry involved in depression is extremely complex and slightly different for everyone, so while changing drugs can help with weight gain, you can lose some control over the symptoms of depression," he says Sussman. So far no drugs (including weight loss drugs) have been sufficiently tested to be approved for use in weight gain management of psychiatric medications. Authors of the Cleveland Clinic review report using regular doses of low doses of certain stimulating drugs or convulsive drugs can help mitigate some weight gain by adding low doses from Wellbutrin or Naltrexone (a medicine used in the treatment of alcoholism) For an antidepressant regimen can also help. If you are taking antidepressants, you should never use any weight loss medication without your doctor's consent, precautions fincham. "In my opinion, I also do not see her weight-based weight loss products as a viable option." he says.
REGISTERED, SAMANTHA HELLER, MS, RD.
If, in fact, you have already started packing in the extra pounds, Heller says that switch to a healthier diet, calorie cut, and increase of the exercise are still valid the effort.
"Even if you do not lose weight right away, you can start controlling the gain and helping your body stabilize for a while," says Heller.
In addition, a constant body of scientific evidence suggests that the increase of your diary and Xercise can affect not only weight loss, but also help your depression. In a large study of more than 3,400 Finnish men and women published in the magazine Preventive Medicine, the researchers found that those who exercised at least two to three times a week experienced significantly less depression, anger and stress than those who exercised less frequently or not at all.
"The bottom line here is that not only can eat and exercise healthy helps control your weight gain, they can also improve your depression, which in turn can help you reduce your medication - and , in turn, make weight loss easier, "says Heller.
Experts warn, however, do not severely restrict caloric intake when taking antidepressants. Not only can this affect the chemistry of the brain in a negative way, any strong sense of deprivation can contribute to feelings of depression.
So how do you diet without feeling private? Heller suggests listing the help of a registered nutritionist: "Just as you may need the help of a psychiatrist in dealing with your symptoms of depression, you may also need the help of a registered dietist to elaborate a food plan that can help it losing weight without affecting your depression in a negative way. "
There are clearly some people for whom certain antidepressants are essential, although the impact on their weight can be so strong that it simply can not be compensated by any amount of calories restricting or even exercise. Simply do not work, "says Sussman.
If this is right for you, Fincham says it is vital to keep it from the right perspective and recognize the importance of treating your depression first.
"seeking help for depression and then with your medication regime is a bold and important thing to do, then even if you gain weight in the process, give yourself the gift of working for depression first . Get a handle on it as best, you can, and then worry about weight loss after feeling better mentally and emotionally, "says Fincham.
Subsman agrees." You have to recognize that the We gain weight is not your fault and that what you are doing to help overcome your depression is much more important, "he says.
