Depression (celexa) and the diet

[torontogal]

I'm fairly new to low-carb dieting and did read the atkins book. It says to go off anti-depressants if you can in order to lose weight. On the other hand those in the field of depression urge against this if the medication has worked and you are in the maintenance period.

I'm taking 40mg of Celexa in the mornings. I will be on it for another 5 months, but would still like to lose weight.

Suggestions? Information? Help Please.

TG

[itsjoyful]

hi! and welcome :)
I'm replying to your post with much apprehension because I don't know any of your history. to answer the question, i would not go off your meds.
a few thoughts and questions:
talk to your Dr. about it. he will let you know what he thinks is best for you.
have you been taking the meds while you lost the 5lbs? if so, I wouldn't even consider going off, because this woe works for you on your meds.
get some more information about your ideal goal weight. this is something I have just discovered. I've been striving for 115, and my body, at its peak healthiest, is between 129-139.
is your goal to be healthy or thin? yes, they do go hand in hand, but the image put out in the media is not everyone's ideal weight.
I hope you take this as someone who's been where you are. I hope this helps and please post often!
brenda

[torontogal]

:roll: Wow ... thanks for the quick response ... apparently I'm not very forum literate. I have 20 lbs to lose and have lost 5. I've been on the diet for 2 weeks now. The first week I lost 5 pounds and then it stopped. I'm in ketosis (unless the strips are misleading) and sticking to the diet faithfully.

I haven't talked to my Dr. about this diet, but I know the response to going off the Celexa. Which would be an absoloute no.

I'm healthy, NOT depressed, and interested in staying that way. 120 is a good weight for me. 135 isn't!

[gwilson38]

I have fibromyalgia and when I started low-carbing I was taking 50 mgs of trazadone to help me sleep. I did lose weight while on it. I decided to try getting off of it to see how I did and I was lucky because I dont need it at this point. BUT if I were U I would stay on the celexa until the doc says U can come of of it. Just stick with the low-carbing and Im sure U will continue to lose aswell.

[itsjoyful]

:daze: that was my fault!!
I mis-calculated. da! anyway, let's move beyond my shortcomings. :D
i have a questions: are you not depressed because you are on the medication? if the answer is no, then why the meds? please don't take this the wrong way, i am truly trying to gain perspective not judge.
i just re-read my last post and i think maybe i'm sounding really harsh. i'm not trying to, promise.
120 is good for you, then go for it. everyone here is here to support you.
hth,
brenda
p.s. i, too, lost alot the first 2 weeks, and nothing since. we tend to lose a lot of water weight first. the fat loss sometimes goes a bit slower, but don't give up!

[Natrushka]

TG, you've got some great advice here, I'd go with it :) Going off med's w/o your doctors approval, let alone knowledge is not a good idea. If you're feeling as good in a few months then perhaps it would be a good idea to suggest a change at that time?

In the meantime it is quite common to lose a significant amount during Induction and to have it slow down afterward. During Induction you lost excess water and some body fat. The body fat component is what you want to get rid of, and losing more than one or two lbs of body fat a week is a) not safe and b)highly unlikely if you're a woman. With only a few lbs to lose things will be slower for you as well. But have patience, slow losers are still losers. You might want to think in terms of percentages and not lbs, with 20 lbs to lose once you've lost 10 you're 50% of the way there.

Have you checked out the turtle club? You might benefit from hearing that there are others in the same boat.

HTH
Nat

[torontogal]

I'll definitely check out the turtle club. I admit to being guilty of comparing my weight loss to my boyfriend's. I should have remembered that women lose weight more slowly ... premature senility!!! :doah:

The reason I am no longer depressed is the medication. Studies have shown that the greatest chance of not going back to a severe depression again is to maintain the medication for 6-9 months after you are totally out of the depression.

If I have to choose between depression and being somewhat overweight, I'll take the overweight in a minute. However, I did weigh 120 for years but gained the 20 lbs since I started taking the Celexa. Hence I'm even more suspicious of a correlation.

I know when I'm off the meds, because it's been agreed to. I just refuse to take the risk of plummeting back.

I decided to try this diet since I loathe the extra 20 lbs, and this seems like a pain free weigh to lose the weight. I'm sticking to below 20g, which is the induction level.

Maybe I just need patience. :hyper:

BTW Brenda, your post was great!!! :bhug:

TG

[lilwannabe]

Hey TG...

I agree with everyone else here. You should consult the DR before going off your meds. But you may want to discuss gradual lowering of your medications to see how it affects you.

I too was very depressed, suffering panic attacks, and migraines. I couldn't leave the house...since changing my eating habits, things have improved greatly...I can't believe the difference the diet has made for ME. I am not taking anything now...and I still have my days...but on a whole...I am much better.

Not everyone is the same tho...so discussing this with your physician is the best plan.

[nancyb]

I am on Celexa, 40 mg/day. I am doing fine with this WOE. I lost 7 lbs. during induction and another 14 lbs. since. Stay on your meds until your doctor tells you otherwise. Best of luck to you.
Nancy