Chupacabra 44
If boredom were a CTB method, I would be long gone
- Sep 13, 2020
- 710
Not sure if others directly ask their psychiatrist when switching psychiatric medications, if the new drug is "weight neutral". I always did until I figured out the exclusive med that works for me most times. The potential side effect profile on lots of these drugs is horrendous. However, for most conditions one has multiple options concerning what one is willing to endure.
For myself, when I was going through 15 different meds until I found one that actually helps me most times (I only take it prn - as needed), I would always ask one question to my psychiatrist - "is this weight neutral"? I have enough health issues and don't need more back spasms, fibromyalgia/jloint pain, etc., from carrying extra body weight from something like Paxil which literally increased my appetite by 400%.
How is giving someone Paxil for depression, for example, which has one of the worst side effect profiles for weight gain of any pharmaceutical on the market, going to help one over come a mood disorder, if they will.be gaining 50 pounds as a side effect? SMH
I did tons of research on these meds when my psychiatrist and I were looking for treatment options for myself. There is a plethora of treatment options for mental health challenges.
For psychiatrists prescribing medication to patients, it is like throwing darts at a dart board to see what might possibly help. Most consider their personal annectodal experiences when recommending medication "x" for you to try, IMO. There is no mechanism for any psychiatrist to conclude that one's body is lacking Paxil or that Paxil will somehow fix your particular issue(s). I'm picking on Paxil, but the concept applies universally to all meds.
When meeting extensively with my relatively young psychiatrist (read open minded ), who was well educated, -Ivy League - the creme de La Creme universities in the US, in case you are unfamiliar with the term Ivy League, this person taught me that not only does the field have ZERO CLUE as to why these medications work that even the whole concept of how these drugs work is ALL THEORY. The field has no idea. The concept of one being deficient in serotonin, dopamine, GABA, etc., is not based on scientific fact, from what I understood from this competent psychiatrist.
After she educated me, I ceased my endless experimentations with amino acid supplementation trying to find the exact neuro chemical that I figured I was lacking, because for myself I wasn't having any success in my approach. (Not that amino acid supplementation might not be a good strategy for others).
The best approach, in my opinion, is to be proactive if your dissatisfied with the efficacy of your meds, or if you are troubled with the side effect profile. In my case, if my psychiatrist convinced me to try a given medication and I started gaining a pound a day and couldn't stop eating, I would say, "next" immediately and try something else.
I read a thread the other day, before I signed up here, about some individuals dissatisfied with their personal body weight, and I could not remember where I saw it, but if one is on psychiatric meds, then the ability to control consumption of food might be impossible to over come. I know it was for me with three different meds that I have tried previously.
Something to think about perhaps, if this potentially resonates with anyone. And, just because one might be relatively young don't be intimated to take charge of your personal health care and instead make decisions in conjuction with any of your physicians. I learned this is the most successful approach for myself with all of my medical specialists, but I learned this the hard way. Best not to be passive.
For myself, when I was going through 15 different meds until I found one that actually helps me most times (I only take it prn - as needed), I would always ask one question to my psychiatrist - "is this weight neutral"? I have enough health issues and don't need more back spasms, fibromyalgia/jloint pain, etc., from carrying extra body weight from something like Paxil which literally increased my appetite by 400%.
How is giving someone Paxil for depression, for example, which has one of the worst side effect profiles for weight gain of any pharmaceutical on the market, going to help one over come a mood disorder, if they will.be gaining 50 pounds as a side effect? SMH
I did tons of research on these meds when my psychiatrist and I were looking for treatment options for myself. There is a plethora of treatment options for mental health challenges.
For psychiatrists prescribing medication to patients, it is like throwing darts at a dart board to see what might possibly help. Most consider their personal annectodal experiences when recommending medication "x" for you to try, IMO. There is no mechanism for any psychiatrist to conclude that one's body is lacking Paxil or that Paxil will somehow fix your particular issue(s). I'm picking on Paxil, but the concept applies universally to all meds.
When meeting extensively with my relatively young psychiatrist (read open minded ), who was well educated, -Ivy League - the creme de La Creme universities in the US, in case you are unfamiliar with the term Ivy League, this person taught me that not only does the field have ZERO CLUE as to why these medications work that even the whole concept of how these drugs work is ALL THEORY. The field has no idea. The concept of one being deficient in serotonin, dopamine, GABA, etc., is not based on scientific fact, from what I understood from this competent psychiatrist.
After she educated me, I ceased my endless experimentations with amino acid supplementation trying to find the exact neuro chemical that I figured I was lacking, because for myself I wasn't having any success in my approach. (Not that amino acid supplementation might not be a good strategy for others).
The best approach, in my opinion, is to be proactive if your dissatisfied with the efficacy of your meds, or if you are troubled with the side effect profile. In my case, if my psychiatrist convinced me to try a given medication and I started gaining a pound a day and couldn't stop eating, I would say, "next" immediately and try something else.
I read a thread the other day, before I signed up here, about some individuals dissatisfied with their personal body weight, and I could not remember where I saw it, but if one is on psychiatric meds, then the ability to control consumption of food might be impossible to over come. I know it was for me with three different meds that I have tried previously.
Something to think about perhaps, if this potentially resonates with anyone. And, just because one might be relatively young don't be intimated to take charge of your personal health care and instead make decisions in conjuction with any of your physicians. I learned this is the most successful approach for myself with all of my medical specialists, but I learned this the hard way. Best not to be passive.
