I am on both for different reasons and was wondering if it will slow down or stop weight loss if I follow Atkins?

It might be pretty hard to lose on prednisone but at least you can probably keep from gaining weight.

My cat just had a prednisone injection and it more than doubled his appetite!

I'm on prednisone and have had a very, very hard time losing. Sorry to tell you that
I haven't gained though and for all the prednisone I take, that is a major accomplishment.

Just stay on plan, exercise, and see how your body reacts

I'm on antidepressants. Wellbutrin diminishes my appetite.

Oh I replied in your introduction thread

Matt

Not keen to give medical advice but is there any chance you could ask your doctor about switching you to hydrocortisone? It is more bio identical and closer to what the body produces. I am an active member of a thyroid forum and many of us are on between 20-40mg hydrocortisone to help our adrenals. Many of people there are losing weight whilst taking the HC. What are you on the prednisone for?

1) Some antidepressants induce weight loss; others, weight gain.
2) Weight gain with prednisone and other glucocorticoids is dose related.
3) Hydrocortisone causes more sodium and water retention than prednisone, has a shorter half life (and may need to be taken more than once a day, depending on a few factors), and doesn't "help" the adrenals. Certain type of adrenal insufficiency are treated with HC, but for most inflammatory states, prednisone is what is used.

I am taking Citalopram and feel it is slowing my metabolism. I am in Ketosis but I have lost very little weight since starting Atkins on June 2nd. I will stick with it nevertheless.

I used to take Citalopram 60mg a day. I was never dieting while on it, just eating 'normally'... o I can't really comment on whether it slowed down weight loss for me. But I must say I didn't experience weight gain, well, if I did it was me bouncing from 12 stone to 12 stone 8lbs.... I never went any higher than 12.8 for a few years even though I over eat and didn't exercise.

I am really struggling right now (not taking any medication) with losing weight, so I really don't want to go back on any anti depressant incase that messes it up even more.

Both ssri's and steroids increase cortisol production in the body. Cortisol raises blood sugar and blood pressure. You are probably walking around with at least twice the normal levels of cortisol in your body. Is that going to affect weight loss? Uh ya. I'm not trying to scare you, but weight loss is not the biggest problem here. Can you substitute another form of therapy for at least one of them?

I took an SSRI for 7 years. Eventually it quit working which is what happens to all people on SSRI's eventually. Within a month of being done with it, I noticed I had absolutely no problem maintaining my weight or losing weight when I chose to.

I would suggest foregoing the SSRI completely for ALL of the health reasons. The weight problems are just a symptom of the high levels of cortisol you are constantly walking around with. Please do some research on ssri's, I wish I had years ago.

Use your own judgement, but I really have to agree with the consumer health advocates who are quite suspicious of the HUGE RISE in the diagnosis of mental health problems. If your doctor diagnosed you in one visit with few questions and very little information, you probably don't even need drug interventions. I would highly recommend researching the side-effects of this drug and make sure the risks of not taking a drug outweigh the side-effects of taking the drug. I personally have something REALLY fun from the ssri called tardive dyskenesia. It is essentially tics that are now PERMANENT. I guess this is a relatively common phenomena for people who are on ssri's for several years.

Good luck no matter what you choose. I sympathize with you because I have severe anxiety and have had to learn to deal with it without the drug. I now take a benzodiazepine as needed for the really bad days, but I'd have to say they are fewer and farther between as I learn to cope naturally.

I would be interested in a reference that supports the assertion that SSRIs increase cortisol production to a clinically significant degree.

Steroids do not increase cortisol production. Glucocorticoids, prednisone being an example, decrease endogenous cortisol production.



Really? SSRIs quit working in ALL people eventually? Reference?



Incidence? Reference?

Good luck finding "research" on SSRI's. My research comes from forums just like this one. It comes from people who have actually taken these medications. People on these forums are very smart and tend not to take the "research" at face value. If you need a reference, just look around at the pregnant looking bellies of the people who take an SSRI.

Furthermore, my post comes from the heart. I am encouraging people to do their own research and talk to people who have actually had an experience with an SSRI-good or bad. Have you? Or does your research come from the companies selling the SSRI's?

Read the serotonin chapter in Potatoes not Prozac for references on the side effects and why they quit working eventually. The author does cite the research.

As I understand it, SSRIs work by re-using the little serotonin you have. It's like using a tea bag over and over. Eventually there is no there there. This happens for most of the SSRIs for most people apparently.

If instead you figure out why and how you got to a low serotonin state, and then learn to make new serotonin naturally, then you raise serotonin and it doesn't have to go low again.

That's what I did when I followed the PnP program. I was offered SSRIs and found the alternative just in time.

Very well said! We need to find the causes of depressions and anxiety, not just treat the symptoms. In my case, my hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency were the cause of my depression. I am weaning off my Zoloft and am feeling great.

Oh, please. I have seen dozens of people over the years, personal friends included, that have taken SSRIs for years, and do not have "pregnant looking bellies". Is that proof that SSRIs are 100% benign? Of course not. But your example of a reference carries about as much weight, pardon the pun.

I just take exception with blanket statements like "Eventually it quit working which is what happens to all people on SSRI's eventually." I saw a few patients this past week who have been on long term SSRIs with continued response. I also have a personal friend who similarly is doing quite well). Is this evidence that these drugs have continuing efficacy? Again, no, but it is quite a stretch to boldly state that the drugs lose efficacy in everyone.



The argument that most health care professionals are under the magic spell of drug companies is somewhat tiring. I most certainly am not. I don't even see drug reps. Period. Most SSRIs are generic now anyway... or so I think

Lastly, please don't consider this message as a personal attack... it is not. I realize that there are some of you out there who have not "read the textbooks" and develop side effects that are quite unexpected and have not been reported. It is often not easy to challenge the central dogma, and to be belittled because you don't fit the "norm" (term used very loosely). There always has to be a first, unfortunately...

I am certainly sorry that you developed TD from these drugs. I had no idea that this was even possible... thanks for the eye opener... (that'll learn ya... varmint ). I would be curious to know how long has this connection been established.

Regards,
Pro1963