Meds are making me hungry

I am hungry almost all the time lately.  I think it is a side effect of the Abilify.  Which, by the way, I think is also making my insomnia worse.  And causing headaches.  But not improving my depression.  Well, gee, wouldn't being hungry all the time but really wanting to avoid weight gain make you depressed?  Duh.

I see my psychiatrist on Thursday.  I plan to tell him I want off both the Abilify and the Nortryptyline.  I don't think either are helping my depression, and the Nortryptyline is also causing unpleasant side effects, including constipation and the worst cotton mouth ever.

So I just gotta get through until then.  I hesitant to just quit taking them without my doctor's knowledge.  Plus, I know with Notryptyline, you have to cut back gradually.  But I really want off these.  They are not helping and the side effects are making me even more miserable.

Any tips for dealing with the hunger until then, though?  It's like I am starving less than an hour after eating a meal.  I've been drinking like crazy and sucking on sugar free candy and chewing sugar free gum to try to put off eating.  I'm not drinking with meals and I'm eating lots of protein, at least most of my meals.

I have just started taking Effexor and worried after reading that it can cause weight gain.

It does in some people, but not everyone.  I've been on Effexor since surgery and had no trouble maintaining at 18 pounds below goal until I started the Nortryptyline and Abilfy.  Now I've gained a bit back.  I'm not happy about it, either.

I took Effexor several years ago and never had weight gain from it. Like Kelly said, it really differs from person to person. 

Almost all of the SSRI (e.g., Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac) and SNRI (e.g., Effexor and Cymbalta) anti-depressants can cause weight gain in SOME people... but MANY people take them without any problem.

Lora

 You know me, I have been dealing with hunger since day one, so I feel you.  I do what YOU tell people all the time, drink warm stuff.  I live on green tea with one sweet and low.  

Also, I find that chewing gum makes me more hungry, like I want to swallow it.  I only chew it now if I need to for breath reasons.  Protein makes your breath stink.

I just got diagnosed with depression.  I hate this feeling.  Now everyone is telling me NOT to take the meds my doctor gave me.  But when I look up the other meds I see just as many people who hate them too.  I don't know what to do either.  I just want to feel better.  I want to WANT to live again, get out of my house, look forward to things again.  I fear I will revert to eating my feelings again if I don't get this under control.

I do drink a lot of warm stuff.  And it helps some.

I would try the meds your doc gave you.  If you have problems with them, you don't have to take them forever.  Just don't quit any meds for depression without talking to your doc first - some you need to decrease gradually or you can have withdrawal symptoms.

 I already responded in the other thread but wanted to reiterate that you should NOT let a couple of people scare you away from the Paxil.  Many people  take it with great success and, as you have already seen, many people cuss about the OTHER alternatives.  Trust your doctor.  Just be sure to let him/her know if you start having very troublesome negative side effects.

Lora

I took paxil years ago and it didn't quite get it for me. I have been on lexapro for many years now and I have had really good results with it. It just depends on the person though. The only thing with paxil though is if you go to stop taking it, even with doing it gradually it can give you withdrawal side effects. It really messed with my hearing for a couple of weeks. Aside from that, it managed the depression well.

I can certainly empathize with you on this. I've been on anti-depressants for several years – depression runs in my family as does addiction. Over the years I've tried many different types and combinations of anti-depressants and finally found one that is the right combo for me. I take 40mg of Celexa and 150mg of Welbutrin. I've been taking the former for years, but last year I felt that it was less effective than before. At the end of last spring my PCP added the Welbutrin. It has helped with my "obsessive thoughts" (i.e. my mind racing a million miles an hour in the middle of the night) and took the edge off my compulsion to eat all the time.

The good thing about both of these is that I haven't had any problem with weight gain from them. Now my depression caused weight gain. Stuffing my feelings down with food will do that. Food was my drug of choice. The only negative I will add about the Welbutrin is that it does cause cotton mouth, but that's the only side effect I've had.

I'm at 12 weeks out, and my hunger is back. It's really kind of scary. I'm trying to stick to an eating schedule to keep me from getting too hungry, but it's been difficult to stick to lately. I also try to keep my hands busy. I knit so that's a good diversion. I also like puzzles, sudoku, solitaire on my iPhone (I'm embarrassed about how much I do that)... basically anything I can get absorbed in that will take my mind off the hunger.

I know these aren't earth-shaking ideas or even very original, but I thought I'd throw them out there. I really hate that you are going through this. I've learned a lot from you on this board, and only hope I can return the favor by at least offering support.