How to Deal with Weight Gain from Anti-Anxiety Medication

This is the trouble with head drugs. You can pick people on the street who've been taking them for years: great flabby bodies and expressionless faces. If you're feeling anxious and depressed about that -- and who wouldn't be? -- it has to be asked whether the cure is worse than the complaint.

Now you're looking to introduce another factor to obviate the side-effects. You're convincing yourself something has to come from the outside to make life okay.

I think it's worth having a discussion with your GP about gradual reduction of your medication, at the same time asking him or her to refer you for some kind of talk therapy. It isn't normal to 'need' pills to deal with life.

First-world diet in the 21st century has a lot to answer for when it comes to mental health. Our ancestors weren't taking fistfuls of pills, they were just getting on with it. The astronomical rise in pill-popping is down to an unscrupulous pharmaceutical industry taking advantage of vulnerable people who are easily convinced they need pills.

Taking charge of your own life and dietary intake is an immediate confidence-booster.

GinoMidnight wrote:Hey guys,

So I am currently taking Anti-Anxiety/Anti-Depression medication for my anxiety and depression and although it mostly works great, the big issue I am experiencing with it is weight gain and I thought I'd ask if you guys have anything interesting to deal with it.

And yes I am familiar with the obvious such as eating better, eating less, exercise, etc., but I thought I'd ask if there was something else that's worth trying like some sort of routine I can do, a natural supplement that helps with weight gain or counteracting these side effects, or something interesting of the sort or is the hard/typical way the only way to go.

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong section for this.

It still boils down to a calorific surplus to put weight on. I have a GP in our family who says even with low thyroid you only burn naturally 100-150 calories less on average. Daily cardio 30-40 mins a day will probably offset any weight gain and is a great help for anxiety in general in my experience. No pills come close to cardio and calorie control. Eating some protein and complex carbs as staples in a meal help with blood sugar as can chromium which may help and in a round about way with some types of anxiety as it keep blood sugar stable and therefore less surges of stress hormones if that is a health issue you have. Cardio is king though for anti anxiety and weight management. Some medication also lead to water retention which is not actual fat, best time to weigh yourself as fasted AM. I do intermittent fasting too which is basically cutting out breakfast and has helped with food cravings in general (and weight management).

Candid wrote:This is the trouble with head drugs. You can pick people on the street who've been taking them for years: great flabby bodies and expressionless faces. If you're feeling anxious and depressed about that -- and who wouldn't be? -- it has to be asked whether the cure is worse than the complaint.

Now you're looking to introduce another factor to obviate the side-effects. You're convincing yourself something has to come from the outside to make life okay.

I think it's worth having a discussion with your GP about gradual reduction of your medication, at the same time asking him or her to refer you for some kind of talk therapy. It isn't normal to 'need' pills to deal with life.

First-world diet in the 21st century has a lot to answer for when it comes to mental health. Our ancestors weren't taking fistfuls of pills, they were just getting on with it. The astronomical rise in pill-popping is down to an unscrupulous pharmaceutical industry taking advantage of vulnerable people who are easily convinced they need pills.

Taking charge of your own life and dietary intake is an immediate confidence-booster.

Currently, that's my game plan right now. We are working on adjusting the medication so I taek what I need but at the same time, this weight gain side effect is as minimal as possible. It's nice to hear this again from you though knowing that what my psychiatrist said was the exact same thing so thank you so much for that.

Candid wrote:This is the trouble with head drugs. You can pick people on the street who've been taking them for years: great flabby bodies and expressionless faces. If you're feeling anxious and depressed about that -- and who wouldn't be? -- it has to be asked whether the cure is worse than the complaint.

Now you're looking to introduce another factor to obviate the side-effects. You're convincing yourself something has to come from the outside to make life okay.

I think it's worth having a discussion with your GP about gradual reduction of your medication, at the same time asking him or her to refer you for some kind of talk therapy. It isn't normal to 'need' pills to deal with life.

First-world diet in the 21st century has a lot to answer for when it comes to mental health. Our ancestors weren't taking fistfuls of pills, they were just getting on with it. The astronomical rise in pill-popping is down to an unscrupulous pharmaceutical industry taking advantage of vulnerable people who are easily convinced they need pills.

Taking charge of your own life and dietary intake is an immediate confidence-booster.

Yeah I have been attempting to do that. I guess that's the route I must continue to do. Thank you so much. I thought i'd post on here anyways in case there's something I haven't thought of before, but I guess that was all in my head this time haha.

The body has its own wisdom, and "the body" includes the mind. I predict that as you refine your diet, the anxiety and depression will melt away and you won't need the head drugs any more.

With this and another thread, viewtopic.php?t=107688, I'm getting inspired for the New Year.

Candid wrote:The body has its own wisdom, and "the body" includes the mind. I predict that as you refine your diet, the anxiety and depression will melt away and you won't need the head drugs any more.

With this and another thread, viewtopic.php?t=107688, I'm getting inspired for the New Year.

I was thinking about doing a keto diet actually so maybe it's time I start doing this more. Maybe try this raw food diet too!