SSRI's

This topic contains 7 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by  EmmyJo 10 years, 4 months ago.

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  • Hello–a newbie here, in fact, today is my first ever fast day, and I survived!
    My question concerns the use of SSRI antidepressants–I’ve been taking 50 mag of sertraline daily for more ten years, and it has been very good for me. But a big side effect of these meds are weight gain.

    Any track record on the 5:2 when using SSRI’s?

    Thanks,

    Teddie

    Hello Teddie,
    I was on an SSRI for 6 years and gained about 4 stone. For the last few years I’ve been on a tricyclic and managed to lose one stone.
    When I started the 5:2 in March, I was eating without counting calories (on non-fast days) for 3 months and lost nothing. For the past 4 weeks I’ve been counting calories on those days and have started to lose weight. 9 lbs to date.
    I wasn’t overeating before, but find I can only lose weight if I restrict and count. I have 1500 on non-fast days, 500 on fast days and try to stick to 1800 on a Saturday (when we’re most likely to eat out). My TDEE is 2000.
    Good luck. It’s harder for us, but you can make it work. Incidentally my non-medicated husband has lost 2 stone (28 lbs) and eats what he likes on non-fast days.

    Thanks, Pudding, for your reply.

    I’ve tried a few other meds, but they are not for me. The tricky part is I do not need the SSRI for depression, but more for a “smoothing out” or leveling my baseline anxiety/mild OCD status, so I think I’ve found the medication niche in sertraline.

    I am also watching the calories on non-fast days, and trying to stay at ~ 1300. After 6 days, I’ve lost 4 lbs, so I feel pretty good. Men are always “the biggest losers”. Drat 🙂

    Teddie

    Hello Teddie,

    I too take my medication for anxiety, rather than depression. It’s a relief when you find the right medication for you.

    Congratulations on your weight loss and good luck for the future.

    I take citalopram too. I’m on week 3 of the diet and can certainly feel things getting a bit looser on my hips which us fantastic. The really weird thing I’m starting yo think is that I don’t need the tablets any more. They were reduced for the first time in 5 years last week and I feel fine. Except I have had insomnia for a week, and I have no idea why. I have so much more energy all the time (both mentally and physically). All very bizarre and the only variable is the diet.

    Hi jwatson, I know why you had insomnia for a week, after reducing the medicines. Those medicines makes you sleep better, so your body is used to that and has to adjust to the lower dosis. I use trazodon just to keep my serotonin level up to a good point. This tablet doesn’t influence your weight, I had different once earlier and gained 30 kilo’s then. I lost those kilo’s when I changed to the trazodon. Now I’m trying to lose 27 kilo’s again and I am well on my way, I’ve lost 17 kilo’s since august.
    I hope that it will work for you!!

    Hi there. This is an interesting post for me as I’m on citalopram too, for anxiety. Just writing it down makes me feel anxious!

    I am hoping that the fasting doesn’t make my anxiety levels spike too much, but I am hopeful that with weight loss and positive thinking I will be able to reduce the anxiety a lot.

    Thanks for posting teddiep.

    I am on Sertraline too….and on Amitriplyine for Insomnia.

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