Weight gain due to depression??

Question

I am 17 years old and I went to my doc today and apparently I have gained over 20kgs (44lbs), and I am now classified as obese. I have never been underweight, never been average weight, but generally I border on the boundaries of overweight and average... So this has come as a HUGE shock.

I have severe depression, and have recently changed meds AGAIN, and because of depression, I guess I comfort eat sometimes, but gaining that much weight within like a couple of weeks is REALLY not normal is it?

I am trying to eat healthier again but it's hard because of the depression and the fact that I feel so fat and ugly.

It's especially hard being in high school...

Has anyone else had any HUGE weight gains from medication for depression... I am currently on seroquel and lexapro.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Your weight gain is something you cannot help if it is from the medication., Has the doctor discussed you being on something else that may not cause the weight gain, or is that the only thing that works for your depression.

Exercise will help with the weight and with the depression. Physical activity does help - it is one of the few things that people tell us depressed folks to do that really works.

Let your parents know how you feel and see what they say about talking to the doctor about using something different.

Are your parents understanding or are they hard to talk to. They really can help you with the weight if they are understanding and easy to talk to. They can buy many low calorie foods and arrange for you to do activities that will help you get more exercise. If they are not understanding people then your doctor is the only one who will be able to help you; I hope that he/she is understanding.

I will tell you one thing from experience. A weight gain is sure better than depression but we shouldn't have to settle for either or.

Good luck to you honey.

Answer 2

Well I have never experienced obesity or depression, but I can understand how tough it must be at high school... People can be quite cruel. And I'm not an expert but it makes sense how depression can lead to weight gain, some people use food or other material things, such as alcohol or drugs, as a vice in order to feel better for a brief amount of time.

Probably the only useful advice I can give is try to not think about yourself as "fat and ugly". That is part of your problem: Not having enough confidence in WHO you are as a person and focusing mainly on appearance. As I said, people can be cruel and say things, but the best thing is to not let them get to you and break down your self-esteem and in the mean time rebuild your confidence in yourself. Try to do things that make you feel better without contributing to your original dilemma.

Also, some medications, like Seroquel, have been known to cause weight gain due to the fact that they can sometimes inhibit certain hormones or impulses which triggers something that makes you want to eat.


Hope this helped!

Answer 3

Depression can cause weight gain. When my parents got a divorce I really started gaining weight, so it is possible. If you have a friend you can go to to make you feel better, or you have a hobby, if animals make you happy then try getting an animal. I got a cat when i was depressed and on meds and because cats were one thing that made me happy my weight slowly started going back down and because i was occupied with my cat i stopped eating all the time instead when i got upset i would cuddle up with my cat and just vent my feelings to the cat and they are great listeners because they won't interupt you mid sentence. i hope that this could help you>

Answer 4

Yes, depression AND medications to treat depression can make you gain weight. Talk with your doctor and ask about alternatives. At the same time, look at the possible reasons of your depression and seek out do-able solutions. Often just writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good beginning. Don't worry about grammar. Just write and review later. You may be able to notice patterns and clues.
Depression is common in your age group, but that doesn't make it any easier to take, does it?
If you have a firend or relative who is non-judgmental and a good listener, you're in luck. Talking about your depression, your fears and anxieties can be therapy in itself.
I wish you all the best.

Answer 5

It's probably the medication. Lexapro is an anti-depressant classified as a Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor and Seroquel is an antipsychotic. SSRI's like Lexapro can be huge offenders when it comes to weight gain and I think Seroquel can cause weight gain as well. Hang in there and God bless.

Answer 6

Over the last five years I had begun to have increasingly withdraw into a downward spiral of depression..

But now with the method I can fully focus my energy and thoughts into a decisive line on how to make my life better constantly. And it works like magic! I'm beginning to attract people to me once again and things have just been looking up since then.

Helping you eliminate depression?

Answer 7

i gained 30 lbs from zoloft. now im on wellbutrin, just started it 2 weeks ago.. i know what you mean about the weight gain.. i just had my daughter 2 yrs ago suffered from post pardum depression and i had lost most of the baby weight. the dr put me on zoloft and within 3 months i gained the 30 lbs.. so now im trying to get all they weight off.. but make sure to take ur meds daily and do lots of cardio.. cardio is a natural way of getting ride of depression..

Answer 8

If you gained that much weight that fast it's probably your medication. Talk to your shrink about alternatives. Seroguel is known for weight gain. I dunno why they put you on it for depression. Do you have Bi-polar disorder or psychosis of any kind? Buprofin is great anti-depressent for weight management while fighting depression if thats the only mental disorder you have.

Answer 9

well when your depressed sometimes some people eat a lot of chocolate ,others don't get in the sun a lot and exercise there are doctors to help you out they can even pick out a menu for you ,...... he best doctors can bring you out of depression; you'll be back to normal in no time

Answer 10

GET OFF THE SERIQUAL NOW !!!! IT CAUSES OBESITY N DIABETIAS. I WAS ON IT N GAINED 80LBS IN 6 MONTHS SINCE I STOPED IT I LOST 30LBS U NEED TO CHECK ONLINE THE DRUGS THEY GIVE U FOR DEPRESSION FOR THE SIDE EFFECTS MOST CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN. TRUST ME THERES A LAWSUIT AGAINST SERIQUAL OUT NOW N HAS BEEN FOR AWHILE.