Posted by ButterflyRaiser on April 4, 2003, at 17:25:55
In reply to Re: Anyone seen an endocrinologist for AD weight gain? » jerrympls, posted by Ritch on April 2, 2003, at 9:56:25
Hi,
I'm new to this board. I have been on Prozac, then Zoloft, for probably 8+ years. Two-and-a-half weeks ago, I was stunned/shocked/dismayed/freaked to find out that I had gained weight up to 198 lbs. About 10 years ago, I threw away my bathroom scales, and made it a point to either say, "Put patient refused to have weight taken" or didn't look when I was weighed at doctor's visits.
After some soul-searching recently, I decided to bite the bullet and look at the poundage when my weight was taken at my OB/GYN. I have been so in denial that I actually thought at first my weight was 148 lbs, not 198 lbs, until I realized the bottom weight was on 150, not 100. I still thought that had to be incorrect, so when I was left alone in the room, I peered over to my chart and it did in fact say 198 lbs. When my blood pressure was taken, it was 140/90, even though I'm on two blood pressure meds (familial history of high blood pressure, even in thin family members). It has been controlled for years, so this was a definite reaction to this huge slap-in-the-face/wake-up-call.
When I got married, I weighed 107. I'm 5'4" (stretching tall). That was 23 years ago. I'm now 48, nearly 49. I would expect some weight gain, and I did have some weight gain prior to starting ADs, but the highest it got was 150 lbs. That was after I began telecommuting from home, never getting out of the house to exercise, and eating for comfort. I had wondered probably three years ago if my AD was changing my weight situation. I asked my then male OB/GYN, and he said, "NO, in fact most women actually lose weight on an anti-depressant. I eat a carrot for lunch every day to control my weight. You need to do the same." I kid you not. This knuckle-head said he ate a carrot for lunch. I'd like to tell you what I wanted to do with said carrot when he told me that. Grrrrrr. So, I switched to the female nurse practitioner in his office. (Guess I showed him, huh???) :)
That day that I weighed, I went home from the doc's office, cried for an hour, collected myself, and took my shattered self back to the office. I began a diet that day, and have been on it since, and have joined the Y and begun using the treadmill. Then, I went to my p-doc for the first time in 4 years. My general practice physician assistant has been prescribing my Zoloft 100 mg a day for all these years inbetween because she has been agreeable and it is easier/cheaper for me.
The p-doc had a family emergency, so I saw the nurse practitioner. When I told her that my OB/GYN said my weight gain could not be related to my AD, she said SSRIs are notorious for weight gain, particularly over a number of years. She has rx'd another drug, Zonegran, to begin slowly increasing. She said she has had some patients (some who have not wanted to lose weight) lose 20-30 lbs. in 3 months or so. She said it works well with the Zoloft, can even out moods, and can reduce appetite. You start out taking it Monday/Wednesday/Friday for two weeks, then go to Monday-Friday, and the every day. I've only taken 4 doses so far. Don't notice anything yet. I'll go for a followup visit in 2 more weeks. She said if this doesn't help at this dosage (think it's 100 mg/capsule/night), she'll dose it up.
Anyone else heard of this?
Thanks.
ButterflyRaiser
poster:ButterflyRaiser
thread:215123
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030402/msgs/216274.html