The Meds Triggered A Fast Weight Gain...

[Sludge]

is it mainly just your gut? If it is it might be a result of fluid retention... I went from 200ish to 252ish pounds (90ish kg to 114kg for y'all across the pond that just had to be different lol) in about 6 days after a meds switch... first they thought it was Congestive Heart Failure then about 3 or 4 other things... regardless they put me on a diuretic and I am at 83ish kg/182 lbs now...

not saying this is the case, but if it is all or mostly in the abdominal area there is a possibility it is...

I thought water retention too at first, but it is not just a gut...unless I am retaining water everywhere. Have to buy new shirts for school soon as my collars are all too tight. the weather has broken here though, so the added good weather exercise should help. Digging ponds by hand and building rock retaining walls should do the trick. Ill probably still be tubby, but the house will look great...

 

[combatgoldfish]

I've had IBS and Acid reflux before I started taking SSRI medications. I was 155lbs when I came back from Iraq. After a few months of taking medication, I went up to 195lbs. I workout quite a bit each week but I've only been able to drop 11lbs.

 

[Sludge]

Lost five kilos this week as a result of awesome weather and 3 meters worth of 1,5 meter high lime stone retaining wall. Talked with my Doc and he says the weight gain is nothing to sweat as in my case I was extremely active for years. Now that i have been chemically slowed down, I guess I just have to adjust to being old and pudgy.

 

[Jimmy1]

I think you hav a point there Sludge mate. I spoke to this chick who had been in the 'Healthy Body' industry for over 30 years. She thinks we should all throw the scales away. She reckons it's about how we feel about ourselves and if we are comfortable. Can you remember when you first joined, after all your training. You were probably young and lean.
I bet you never really weighed yourself, I didn't. Well me personally am not young and lean anymore.
And after 40 our metabolism slows anyway. That is why you see very old people like the Namfarts, Sarg, and Angle who would only eat small portions and use walking frames.

We really have enough in our minds than worrying about our weight. I just have to remind myself that I am not 20 anymore and if I eat a piece of pavlova, or have too much pasta, I have to do an extra couple of kilometres on the treadmil.

 

[Sludge]

Agreed. i think I was more bothered that I had to spend money on new pants. On the other hand, it is kind of nice not to be the bean pole I have been for the first 35 years of my life. LOL

 

[cdn_infanteer]

i put on 70lbs from effexor i know ur pain switched to sitriline and wellbutrin lost it all

 

[Sludge]

I added an 8 kilometer off road mountain bike ride per week to my PT regimen...and the kilos are melting away.

But, Doc took me off the damned minipress and lamontrigine so I assume this helps too.

 

[Jimmy1]

Minipress is an alpha blocker, it slows your heart rate, so it could affect weight gain. Lamontrigine is more of an anti-psychotic used to treat epilepsy, but a lot of those are used for PTSD sufferers.

The problem with a lot of veterans sludge is the depression associated with PTSD. They eat without knowing whether healthy or not, and don't want to leave their safe place, so excersise decreases. Other reasons are injury.
I got myself off some drugs because of the cosmetic effect of weight gain and it had a detremental affect on my relationship. Now I take what meds are needed and just do what excercise I can. You just have to be happy within yourself.

Well thats my opinion.

 

[cdn_infanteer]

yea your right there jimmy, I sat home and ate drank and took my pills for a long damn time:P it was pretty well the mixture that added the weight thank god its all gone now, it only took a year of the gym twice a day LOL

 

[Jimmy1]

The other problem you have to take into account is the visible injuries. PTSD is an invisible injury, a lot of vets suffer from blast injuries, shrapnel injuries, missing limbs, or like me, just plain old worn out. This takes its toll too.

The other thing to take into account is that we are not 20 anymore (well most of us aren't), and our calorie intake.
When serving, we do PT an aweful lot and when deployed we are usually working longer hours or doing patrols which can burn over 2000 calories a day, sometimes double that, so we can eat what we want.

When we are discharged, if we don't reduce the amount we intake, it can rapidly put on the flab.

 

[Sludge]

Me, happy!?!? Hell if that ever happens I'd lose all my drive. :ROFLMAO:

I suspect it was a combination of the meds, a long very cold winter, and age. My wife is a biggun, so she doesn't care about my weight and as for me, I'm still just pissed-off I had to spend money on new clothing that fit. Mostly because I really enjoyed wearing the same size pants since high school.

Actually, it has worked out really well. I look less like a tweaker now and gained a good excuse to PT like I used to. Funny thing about depression for me is I lose my appetite. This is why I worried initially, as it seemed to be an awful lot of gut to grow in such a short time.

Nothing a few thousand eight count body builders can't fix.

 

[Missindie]

not sure if any of you still go on this considering it was this time last year the replies have been written! but in the past say 8 months iv gained 10 kilos! being on avanza.. no im not a combat veteran but i have been looking for answers to why i gained so much weight, and after my doctor called me fat to my face, i started eating healthy and working out more.. but my weight has never changed, nor have i toned or seen any difference, the avanza takes away my depressive mood but now im just down about my weight. im thinking of coming off them seen as i think iv been on them for long enough and didnt even want to go on them to start with. what do you guys recommend?