Posted by Tai Chi on September 21, 2004, at 16:48:52
I’d like to share my own experience fighting weight gain as a side effect of antidepressant treatment. I have struggled with depression for the past 35 years and finally went on an antidepressant in 1990. However, I soon developed treatment resistance, finding many drugs either intolerable or ineffective. I did have a successful therapeutic run of four years with Remeron. On Remeron, I gained 25 lbs. in the first year. I was able to get the weight off by strictly following the Zone diet (calorie restricted, low glycemic index, relatively low carbohydrate, and moderate protein). I had to watch my diet constantly to avoid regaining.
After the Remeron gave out, I went through 8 months of hell trying different combinations of medications, as well as ECT. A little over a year ago, I started Nardil. Nardil has turned out to be a wonder drug for me, completely alleviating my anxiety and depression. I’m currently taking 45 mg a day.
Compared to Remeron, I found food craving and the potential for weight gain with Nardil to be a much bigger challenge. Though I was already used to a controlled and fairly low carbohydrate diet, I was often on a metabolic roller-coaster, with mammoth food or carbohydrate craving even after eating a full meal.
After several months of experimentation and reading about various diets, I finally managed to eliminate carbohydrate cravings and to minimize food cravings by following an ultra low carbohydrate diet: less than 15 grams of carbohydrate per day (from nuts and salad). I eat roughly 4 oz. of protein, three times a day. The majority of my calories come from fat. With this regimen, I have absolutely no craving for carbohydrates. Cravings for food occasionally still occur, but I can satisfy them with a snack of nuts and fat, with no measurable impact on my weight. I do a moderate amount of exercise (walking, Tai chi) every day. I have a sedentary job. My weight has stayed constant for a year on Nardil, following this strict regimen.
I realize that everyone has a unique metabolism and what may work for me may not work for another. However, I was inspired by the very low carbohydrate Inuit diet, especially the observations of Stefansson (see http://www.biblelife.org/stefansson1.htm [There are few religious references on this subsection of the site; it has a good collection of ultra low carbohydrate diet related information]). I did a lot of research on the web, trying to find solutions to food craving and weight gain with Nardil and other antidepressants. There really wasn’t much useful information from the conventional nutritional community, other than the suggestion to switch antidepressants! For me, this isn’t an option. I cannot function without medication, I’m treatment resistant, and now that I have finally found something that works well, I wouldn’t risk a change.
There is been so much written about diet, and clearly it is a controversial subject. My intention is not to promote a particular diet or to suggest that there is only one solution to antidepressant induced weight gain. I only mean to tell a moderate success story that might encourage others to successfully deal with their weight gain/food cravings. Good luck to everyone struggling with this problem!
poster:Tai Chi
thread:393408
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040921/msgs/393408.html