Depression linked with no weight loss?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-23-2004
Depression linked with no weight loss?
7
Thu, 09-23-2004 - 3:55pm
Hello. I had blood work done and was told by the nurse practitioner that all results were normal. Blood sugar, lipids, kidney and liver functions, TSH level (1.46), etc. I had gone to have the tests done this week due to my inability to lose weight, despite great efforts to do so.

I am very active at the gym lifting and cardio, as well as go to great lengths to perfect my diet. I am not working and spend nearly the entire morning working out and eating right. I have tried all sorts of calorie breakdowns, I've lifted light and heavy. I've taken two weeks off to do hardcore cardio. Through it all, the weight loss has been excruciatingly slow and with my level of fitness, I should be seeing more results. Therefore, I thought maybe it was a thyroid issue or something else physical.

According to the NP, she thinks it may all be linked to depression, the various symptoms, based on my TSH level.

In the back of my mind, I knew it probably was depression, but wanted it to be something else...something easier.

I've been experiencing feelings of extreme sadness off and on for some time. I honestly do not know why I have these feelings, but I do. I am married to a man in the Coast Guard and while I am fortunate that he doesn't deploy, it is stressful moving around. We are currently in a small isolated community in Alaska.

I looked forward and wanted this move as well as the change in lifestyle.

However, I still have feelings of sadness and thoughts of death (though not really by my own hand) and other thoughts of leaving.

The nurse suggested I call the EAP to find a counselor and that meds may be in order. She said that perhaps the hormone imbalance is causing this inability to lose weight, however, I know from a friend of mine, she gained weight while on anti-depressants. Admittedly, I know very little about the various meds.

Has anyone experienced positive physical side effects from medications?

Thank you in advance.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-23-2004
Thu, 09-23-2004 - 10:16pm
Hmm, interesting. I have been taking Prozac for about 6 months after struggling with depression (during which I actually lost about 15 pounds) and am finally feeling back to my happy self. However, I have gained about 8 pounds since starting on it. I thought it was becuase of the Prozac, but my counselor told me it was because I got my appetite back and not a result of the medication. It's been difficult for me to lose, though, so I'm not sure if it's the medicine or not. But the way I see it, being back to myself again is worth 7 pounds!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2004
Fri, 09-24-2004 - 7:36am
I started zoloft April 13 and have lost 50 pounds. I attribute this to not eating out of anxiety, stress or frustration. I also started to walk daily. I was diagnosed with major depression and at that time I was at my all time weight high. My depression has been stabalized since July and my weight loss stopped in August. I haven't regained any back in the past month either. Life is good and my health is even better.

Mary

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
Fri, 09-24-2004 - 9:55am
Hi, I too am a Coastie wife. Just prior to my husband switching to the CG, he was in the Navy. He got out of the Navy and switched to the CG because of me, I couldn't deal with the stress of it, the deployments (he never went on a ship, but did go to Iraq) and moving overseas was hard (we took a hardship tour in Naples Italy for 3 years so he didn't have to go on a ship).

Anyway, I fought medication for years, but finally gave in and found one that works for me (and doesn't have the weight gain side effect as well-Wellbutrin). We are looking at where we will go next summer, and my husband has suggested Alaska or Oregon, but I said no way, I couldn't deal with living in a cold, isolated environment. I know what you mean about working out without results. I have been through that before. Another thing is, if you are isolated and alone, you may not realize that you eat more than you think you do. Even though I watch my diet all day long, I find myself eating alot at night.

I have been tired for YEARS. I have complained to doctors for years. I asked for every test, and everything comes back normal. Finally this year after asking for yet another test because now-because of stress and depression, my periods are very irregular, I have acid reflux disease, and I have been exhausted. So, my doctor very gently suggested i might be depressed and wanted to see if trying a AD (anti-depressant) and counseling might help. Well, I've been on it for about 3 months and am doing great. I'm not tired all the time, I go out more and don't feel so overwhellmed by every little thing. My period and reflux is still not right, but I'm working on that.

Sorry I'm babbling, but yes, the military life is hard. Do you have kids? Because that adds fuel to the fire. It is hard moving around with kids. I have 2 -a 5 and almost 3 year old. And I know what you are saying about thoughts of death but not wanting to necessarily doing it yourself. I prayed so many times for God to just take me. That is a definate sign of depression.



Also, do you think your working out too much? Do you think you have a lot of weight to loose? I have been up and down with my weight forever. At my lowest, I was 120 lbs., which for me is too skinny. But even when I was 120, I was still trying to loose, and my body just kind of shut down, I couldn't loose anymore, my blood pressure got very low and my hair started to fall out. Also, if you restricting carbs too much, that can cause you to get depressed. I struggle to stay at 130 now. But that is fine, because I am healthier now (plus I have some breasts now, before I didn't).

Is there any other Coastie, or military wives there? I was not so open to the whole military wife club thing when I first got married, but when we went overseas, they became my family. Almost anywhere we go now, I find no problems fitting in with other military wives. It is like a sisterhood. No one else knows what we go through.

How long have you been in Alaska? How much longer to go?

I'm not too thrilled about it, but I might have to be on meds for awhile, at least until I deal with the whole military life (or life in general) a little better. I realize now that the negative parts of meds far outweight being depressed. I really didn't realize how depressed I was until I started getting better. One thing I can say is, if you Practioner suggested it, give it a try. If you do try Wellbutrin (it doesn't have the weight gain side effects, or the sexual side effects like the others), you need to give it a little bit to work and to get over the side effects (they do go away). Wellbutrin has been stimulating for me, where the others I have tried made me tired. I actually lost weight at first, because it reduces your appetite somewhat. My sex drive was better for a little while in the beginning too, but I have other issues in that area, so it didn't stay like that, for me. But I've heard from others that they have a much beter sex drive do to it. I've even read that some DR's are now Rx-ing it at a low dose just for the libido enhancing benefits.

Talk it over with your husband, if you do decide to try anti depressants, there usually will be some sort of side effect that you need to get use to, but it usually goes away. And just because one you try doesn't help, doesn't mean that another one might not be the right one for you. There is a AD board, you might find more help about meds there.

Life is too short to be depressed. I wouldn't have said that a year ago, I just didn't care. But now life is too good to feel bad.

I know I just rambled on (my son is kind of distracting me), but if you need any support or have any questions about meds that I might be able to answer (especially from a Coastie Wife), I'm here.

My e-mail addy is: Tinkerbell2974@hotmail.com

-Erin (mom to Logan(almost 3) and Bridget(5) and wife to Yancee (Officer Mac daddy!)

-Erin

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-13-2004
Thu, 09-30-2004 - 10:21pm
Hello..... I just wanted to say that depression can run in the family and I got it from my mothers side. I take something for it and yes the medication will cause you to gain weight. But I will say this. I had a time in my life that I was really happy. And decided to diet. I was very strict with myself and lost all the weight I was trying to lose. I was so proud of myself. I looked grea!! But once the happy times were gone I started gaining weight again. Not to mention I didn't eat the same either. I've read that the medication causes your metabolism to slow down. There's a drug for weight loss for the weight that is gained from dression. I'm not sure if you've seen it on t.v. But it's called Cortislim. I haven't tried it myself but I am considering it. They have a web site that will tell you all about. Anyways good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 8:49am

Hi and welcome!


Looks like you have gotten some great answers already and I dont have too much to add unfortunately.

*hugs             

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 12:09pm
The meds do cause your metabolism to slow down. I don't care how many doc, in fact I'm sick to death of them telling us that the meds have no wieght gain side efeects. All you have to do is look on here and see the reality of it. I think Seroquel is the worst. It's the only one that's been affective for me and i can barely stay at my current weight. I have cut out eating almost entirely. I was in the hospital with my gall bladder for 2 weeks and i ate liquids...I gained a few pounds. There's nothing wrong with my blood tests. All is normal. Right... I used to be 130 lbs for all of my life and now since I have been on this meds my weight is 185 and I CANNOT get it off. I could starve myself and gain. It stinks and they are liers.

    CL for The

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2003
Mon, 10-04-2004 - 9:03pm
I'm on Prozac too, just started my 3rd month on it. I have lost 10lbs already without trying to lose weight. I was trying to diet for a while and while I was depressed, I gained about 30lbs, and was always hungry. Since on Prozac, my appetite is more under control. My dr told me that Prozac was originally prescribed as weightloss medication (kind of like Viagra was a heart medication first and later on they found that pleasant side effect to it. lol). Same with Prozac. I had some other side effects on Prozac, which is hot flashes, but its not too bad though, and I only had them for a couple of weeks. Generally I'm very happy with Prozac, and is working very well for me.

Good luck.

Judy