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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 15:41:07
I am on 150 mgs of Effexor - 75 mgs in the morning and 75 mgs in the late afternoon. It really is helping me with my depression, but it is also making me gain weight. I barely fit into any of my clothes now, and I do at least 2 hours of vigorous exercise daily: ie. spin class, bellydance, hiking, yoga, pilates, salsa dance, flamenco etc.
I have very, very low blood pressure, and my metabolism seems to be sluggish. Also, after I take my afternoon dosage, I need a 2 hour nap.
Recently, I had a problem with a blood clot and had to have 3 surgeries to have it removed, and now it is imperative that my weight not be an issue so I am kind of getting compulsive with my weight management. I joined Jenny Craig yesterday and found that I have gained 18 lbs since starting effexor last summer, and that is with following a vegan and raw healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and multiple forms of holistic therapies such as acupuncture, massage and meditation.
My pdoc thinks that perhaps I have some other underlying medical reason for the weight gain, but I have had a full blood panel and hormone swab check, a full body nutrition analysis and even hired a natural food chef to make my food, and still...I gain weight.
I have gained weight on all the ssri I have been on, celexa, lexapro, prozac (the worst) zoloft, welbutrin, and now effexor. My physician and nutritionist and acupuncturist all agree that they feel it is the SSRI consumption that is causing the continual weight gain. The only one who does not agree is my pdoc. But she is listening, and suggested that perhaps I try Lamictal for off-brand treatment of severe clinical depression, anhedonia and social anxiety disorder since all of the other SSRI have not really worked all that well. I mean they DID help, but out of all of them, effexor was the best.
anyway, long story less long, I am now on day 6 of my Lamictal 20 mg and next week I go up to 30. I am still on my effexor 150 mg, and so far I feel great. Better than I have ever felt in my whole life. ever.
I feel so good that I want to stay here forever, not increase or decrease and just celebrate not being depressed for the first time in my adult life.
the problem is that I have lost my voice on day 2. isn't that the strangest side effect??
oh well. Again, I will do my daily countdown, moreso for my recollection than anything else.
thanks for listening/reading
baracuda
Posted by Zana on April 21, 2009, at 16:08:54
In reply to Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 15:41:07
I hope things stay just as they are for you. My sister had great success when she added lamictal to her meds. Maybe it's just the thing.
Good luck.Zana
Posted by Phillipa on April 21, 2009, at 16:16:39
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by Zana on April 21, 2009, at 16:08:54
You've had extensive thyroid testing also correct as that is responsible for metabloism. Just thought any chance you hitting the years of menopause? As don't know you're age? Phillipa
Posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 17:04:14
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by Phillipa on April 21, 2009, at 16:16:39
no, I am only 38 not ready for menopause, and I have had full and extensive test for my thyroid.
Posted by Relapse on April 21, 2009, at 17:13:11
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 17:04:14
baracuda, I too had an underlying problem when I took Effexor (75mg). It was 50lbs underlying my my chest. I am now on Zoloft, lithium and Seroquel and not having near the weight problem. Still, I would rather be fat than have anxiety/depression raging.
Be well, Dave
Posted by Phillipa on April 21, 2009, at 20:16:55
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 17:04:14
Excellent process of elimination. Phillipa
Posted by polarbear206 on April 22, 2009, at 10:33:47
In reply to Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 15:41:07
> I am on 150 mgs of Effexor - 75 mgs in the morning and 75 mgs in the late afternoon. It really is helping me with my depression, but it is also making me gain weight. I barely fit into any of my clothes now, and I do at least 2 hours of vigorous exercise daily: ie. spin class, bellydance, hiking, yoga, pilates, salsa dance, flamenco etc.
>
> I have very, very low blood pressure, and my metabolism seems to be sluggish. Also, after I take my afternoon dosage, I need a 2 hour nap.
>
> Recently, I had a problem with a blood clot and had to have 3 surgeries to have it removed, and now it is imperative that my weight not be an issue so I am kind of getting compulsive with my weight management. I joined Jenny Craig yesterday and found that I have gained 18 lbs since starting effexor last summer, and that is with following a vegan and raw healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and multiple forms of holistic therapies such as acupuncture, massage and meditation.
>
> My pdoc thinks that perhaps I have some other underlying medical reason for the weight gain, but I have had a full blood panel and hormone swab check, a full body nutrition analysis and even hired a natural food chef to make my food, and still...I gain weight.
>
> I have gained weight on all the ssri I have been on, celexa, lexapro, prozac (the worst) zoloft, welbutrin, and now effexor. My physician and nutritionist and acupuncturist all agree that they feel it is the SSRI consumption that is causing the continual weight gain. The only one who does not agree is my pdoc. But she is listening, and suggested that perhaps I try Lamictal for off-brand treatment of severe clinical depression, anhedonia and social anxiety disorder since all of the other SSRI have not really worked all that well. I mean they DID help, but out of all of them, effexor was the best.
>
> anyway, long story less long, I am now on day 6 of my Lamictal 20 mg and next week I go up to 30. I am still on my effexor 150 mg, and so far I feel great. Better than I have ever felt in my whole life. ever.
>
> I feel so good that I want to stay here forever, not increase or decrease and just celebrate not being depressed for the first time in my adult life.
>
> the problem is that I have lost my voice on day 2. isn't that the strangest side effect??
>
> oh well. Again, I will do my daily countdown, moreso for my recollection than anything else.
>
> thanks for listening/reading
> baracuda
Do you do any weight training? This is a big metabolism booster. I too take effexor. It is possible to lose weight, you just got to work harder to get it off unfortunatley. I went up size since going on it. I just started interval training swimming and resistance exercises in the water with weights. I'm going to mix it up. Intervals on the treadmill and running are good too for weight loss. Here's an example on the treadmill.min incline speed rpe
0-4 1 5.5 4
4-5 3 6.0 6
5-6 5 6.0 6-7
6-7 7 6.0 7-8
7-8 7 6.5 9
8-9 5 6.0 7
9-10 3 6.0 6-7
10-11 1 6.5 7-8
11-12 1 6.0 6
12-13 1 7.0 8
13-14 1 6.0 6
14-15 1 7.2 8-9
15-16 1 6.0 6
16-17 1 7.5 9-10
17-19 0 3.5 4
Posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 10:41:54
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by polarbear206 on April 22, 2009, at 10:33:47
yes this is my weekly workout regimine :
monday - zumba international cardio / then pilates 2 hours total
tuesday - zumba sculpt / then bootcamp 2 hrs total
wednesday - spin / then bellydance / then yoga 3 hrs total
thursday - spin / then bellydance 2 hours total
friday - salsa 2.5 hours
saturday - hiking 2 hours
sunday off.
so as you can see, my exercise has been very aggressive and has always been effective, and actually is rather effective on my depression and stress/anxiety management along with the medication, but I am still getting chubby along the way.
my diet consists of raw and organic foods, microculture live foods and 1200 calories per day, with the appropriate supplements. I also go to acupuncture, massage and meditation on a regular basis to stay 'focused' but still, am getting chubby.
I just read that Lamictal has side effects of weight gain too. omg. major bummer.
Posted by polarbear206 on April 22, 2009, at 12:38:06
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 10:41:54
> yes this is my weekly workout regimine :
>
> monday - zumba international cardio / then pilates 2 hours total
>
> tuesday - zumba sculpt / then bootcamp 2 hrs total
>
> wednesday - spin / then bellydance / then yoga 3 hrs total
>
> thursday - spin / then bellydance 2 hours total
>
> friday - salsa 2.5 hours
>
> saturday - hiking 2 hours
>
> sunday off.
>
> so as you can see, my exercise has been very aggressive and has always been effective, and actually is rather effective on my depression and stress/anxiety management along with the medication, but I am still getting chubby along the way.
>
> my diet consists of raw and organic foods, microculture live foods and 1200 calories per day, with the appropriate supplements. I also go to acupuncture, massage and meditation on a regular basis to stay 'focused' but still, am getting chubby.
>
> I just read that Lamictal has side effects of weight gain too. omg. major bummer.
>
>
>I forgot to mention that I take lamictal too. It didn't add extra weight. In general most people don't have a problem with weight gain. Keep food in you every 2-3 hours or 6 small meals per day. You also may be restricting too many calories and signaling your body into starve mode to store extra fat.
Posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 12:51:50
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by polarbear206 on April 22, 2009, at 12:38:06
what dosage are you on with the effexor/lamictal combo?
I am just one week in so I am only at 25mg (previously I thought I was on 20, but this morning I rechecked my bottle and it was actually 25) and then next thursday I move up to 50 mg.
I am finding that drinking lots of water helps with the cough and voice loss that I am already experiencing.
Posted by raisinb on April 22, 2009, at 14:51:05
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 10:41:54
If you are doing that and are only eating 1200 calories a day, then you are probably forcing your body's metabolism down so that it stores extra fat and goes into "starvation mode."
You should keep up the exercise, maybe add some weight training, and eat more.
Posted by polarbear206 on April 22, 2009, at 15:43:46
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 12:51:50
> what dosage are you on with the effexor/lamictal combo?
>
> I am just one week in so I am only at 25mg (previously I thought I was on 20, but this morning I rechecked my bottle and it was actually 25) and then next thursday I move up to 50 mg.
>
> I am finding that drinking lots of water helps with the cough and voice loss that I am already experiencing.
I take 300mg of effexor and 200mg of lamictal. For most people, therapeutic response is between 100-200mg. I actually have no side effects from lamictal. I've been on it for years. I have a mild case of bipolar II. Don't have classic hypomanias. More subtle and depression dominated. Symptoms get worse around that time of the month too.
Posted by desolationrower on April 24, 2009, at 16:18:54
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by baracuda on April 22, 2009, at 10:41:54
> yes this is my weekly workout regimine :
>
> monday - zumba international cardio / then pilates 2 hours total
>
> tuesday - zumba sculpt / then bootcamp 2 hrs total
>
> wednesday - spin / then bellydance / then yoga 3 hrs total
>
> thursday - spin / then bellydance 2 hours total
>
> friday - salsa 2.5 hours
>
> saturday - hiking 2 hours
>
> sunday off.
>
> so as you can see, my exercise has been very aggressive and has always been effective, and actually is rather effective on my depression and stress/anxiety management along with the medication, but I am still getting chubby along the way.
>
> my diet consists of raw and organic foods, microculture live foods and 1200 calories per day, with the appropriate supplements. I also go to acupuncture, massage and meditation on a regular basis to stay 'focused' but still, am getting chubby.
>
> I just read that Lamictal has side effects of weight gain too. omg. major bummer.
>
>
>
well, if you are having some fatigue, be alert for overtraining. i don't know how intense some of your activity is, but many people wouldn't be able to do multiple hours a day of exercise w/o drugs (steroid type drugs, not ADs.)As far as 'starvation mode', yeah, you might be close to that, although it sort of depends where in the homostatic system the ssri is causing the weight gain. still, there is not point at which eating more calories will cause wieght loss. if you aren't, doing refeeds might help; go to lylemcdonald's site for info on more aggressive diets. do you know if the ssri is causing problems with just appetite control?
its good you're feeling not-depressed though.
-d/r
Posted by baracuda on April 29, 2009, at 9:51:11
In reply to Re: Effexor and Lamictal - 1 week in, posted by desolationrower on April 24, 2009, at 16:18:54
two days ago the depression came back full force. I have been fighting through the fog. I've continued my working out because thats the only time that I truly feel alive. other than that, I feel like I am wearing 3 wet blankets and 4 full backpacks.
tomorrow my lamictal dosage increases to 50 mg. I hope it helps.
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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