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Mental health

ADs and binge eating disorder

21 replies

Arabica · 29/06/2008 18:23

I've been prescribed cipralex for my disordered eating/depression. I started on 10mg for a fortnight and for the past 2 weeks have been on 20mg. Although I am slightly less depressed, my eating feels more chaotic and out of control than it did before I started. Which is making me feel depressed again...
Anyone else's eating been helped by ADs?

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WigWamBam · 29/06/2008 18:28

Anti-depressants can cause fluctuations in appetite - sometimes it reduces, sometimes it increases. Usually this is part of the short-term intial side effects, but sometimes it last longer.

Two weeks is probably not long enough for them to have properly kicked in. I'd suggest you give it another few weeks and see if things improve, and if they don't then maybe a different medication would be better.

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Arabica · 29/06/2008 20:05

Thanks WigWamBam, I was thinking of another 2-3 weeks before making an appointment with the GP.

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Bbbee · 29/06/2008 20:07

what wigwam said - couple of weeks to settle in.

I lost appetite completely for 2 weeks and then went straight back to normal

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Arabica · 29/06/2008 20:15

I wish something would make me lose my appetite!

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fizzbuzz · 29/06/2008 21:04

I have looked at loads on the net about this.

All ad's cause appetite increase except one which was designed as a pill to stop smoking, and then used as ad. (I can't remember the name of it). Increase in appetite was confirmed as a side effect of all ad's from a phsych I was seeing a few years ago.

Also dp gets New Scientist. There is some evidence, that th growing obesity problem in USA is caused by ad's and other similar drugs, but is being ignored or overlooked according to an article in there.

I beleive that is is a case of the ricjh get richer, and the poor get poorer with them. Eg, if you ahve a weight problem they will add to it, if you don't they won't.

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Arabica · 29/06/2008 21:15

I wonder why they've been licenced for use with bulimia then?

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fizzbuzz · 29/06/2008 21:20

I think they were licensed before it was realisd there was a conncection to overeating and the newer drugs.

Drugs like prozac were initially thought to cause weight loss, but when people had been on them a long time it appeared that they ate more. Some are worse than others. I think Seroxat is meant to be pretty bad for overeating.

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Arabica · 29/06/2008 21:25

OMG. Maybe I should see whether GP has seen this research. Which will mean digging it out myself, as he is very kind, but not very up to date!

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fizzbuzz · 29/06/2008 21:31

Just type in ad's and wieght gain/overeating. Loads will come up

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Divastrop · 29/06/2008 21:32

is it zyban(wellbutrin in the us)which causes weight loss?it was originally developed as an AD but is only used as a stop-smoking pill in the UK now.

i have had similar problems with most AD's.effexor was the worst-at first i had no appetite atall and lost weight,then when the dose was increased my eating was out of control,i craved sweet thinga all the time and even found myself making myself sick as i'd binged so much-and i had never done that before taking those tablets.

i am on prozac now which isnt too bad but i really have to watch what i eat and be careful or the weight just piles on

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fizzbuzz · 29/06/2008 21:37

Wellbutrin! That was it.

I found prozac quite difficult. I also found lustral made me starving for carbs all the time. I put on 2 stone with that, which I lost when I came off it. It really made me overeat. Entire packets of Mr Kiplings........

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Divastrop · 29/06/2008 21:52

i tend to find that gp's brush off concerns about weight fluctuations on AD's.my gp said that there was no way the effexor was causing me to gain weight or be constipated,it must be my diet.well,yes,but my diet had been fine before taking the bloody effexor!

i go round in circles as i get more depressed when i put weight on.

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Arabica · 29/06/2008 22:27

I might find that the only way ADs help my bingeing is by coming off them!!

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fizzbuzz · 30/06/2008 17:43

Yes, Gp's are dismissive of it, I've found. One American website I found recommended giving appetite supressants with ad's

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Flamesparrow · 30/06/2008 17:44

I've found my appetite completely dropped and weight fallen off since starting on oxactin

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Divastrop · 30/06/2008 20:42

flamesparrow-whats oxactin?

i sometimes use an american-based depression forum and from what ive read on there its fairly common for psych's to give wellbutrin or even proper appetite suppressants with AD's to combat weight gain.

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fizzbuzz · 30/06/2008 21:15

I've read that too Diva. But I've never heard about it in Britain

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fizzbuzz · 30/06/2008 21:18

Oxactin appears to be Prozac/fluoxetine, which made me eat my head off. Although not at first, the first 2or 3 months or so, I lost my appetite

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Flamesparrow · 30/06/2008 21:30

I don't remember what happened with my weight last time I was on it, but I was only on for a few months... now panicking what will happen after the next 2 months is up

I cannot put the weight back on - it is a big part of the issue!

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fizzbuzz · 30/06/2008 21:45

Sorry Only my experience which may not be same as others, and I am greedy

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Flamesparrow · 30/06/2008 22:02

So am I Hence the weight gain half the time. We're in talks about another baby anyway, so i may well be off them in a couple of months.

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