Posted by MarkinBoston on November 1, 2000, at 19:17:51
In reply to Types of Weight Gain on Meds, Probably Revisited, posted by shellie on October 27, 2000, at 22:06:55
You might ask your pdoc for some metabolic rate (thyroid, preferably T3 more than T4 enhancer) or stimulant/appetite reducer (Ritalin or amphetemine) for the mix. High cortisol levels, associated tightly with depression and stress cause fat storage among other undesireable things. There are a few anabolic steroids that are appropriate for women in that they have very little or no androgenic (masculinizing) effect and promote fat loss and bone/muscle gain. This whole class of drugs have been deamonized by the DEA, AMA, and FDA that MDs don't have much experience with them and few willing to script them. Though "evil", they are safe enough for use in livestock destined for the dinner table. Not many studies get funded either - these drugs have already been branded evil and there is no interest is scientific data to the contrary.
I too was unconcerned about a little weight gain in comparison to not functioning well at all. Then I started reading about all the long term consequences of and worsening synergy of high cortisol, adiposity, increased estrogen levels, and for men, decreased testosterone levels. They all reinforce each other. Also important is getting enough level 3 (slow-wave) sleep which promotes Human Growth Hormone levels and keeps you leaner, so sleep architecture disturbances as part of the disease or the drug matter too. Increasing age in men >25 correllates with growing cortisol and estrogen levels and decreasing HGH and testosterone levels. All this increases risk for hypertension, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, obesity, and celebacy.
So now weight gain is more important to me and plays a part in what to add in to a cocktail containing an antidepressant. I feel lucky when I find an AD that works at all. I am on a diuretic anti-hypertensive and monitor my blood pressure because anabolic steroids and metabolic rate enhancers both tend to raise blood pressure, and the steroid I'm on, testosterone causes some water retention too, which the diuretic controls.
Unfortunately, as a woman, there is little hope in getting a script for Primobolan or Winstrol and your best bet is getting a stimulant or thyroid adjunct to an antidepressant from your pdoc. A family doc will just recite the patter about counting calories and exercising more. Exercise is the more important of the two because dieting reduces metabolic rate and exercise helps increase it. I find it hard to exercise when depressed, personally. When the libido is low, so is the motivation! Secondly, during exercise, cortisol levels are increased. So, like social withdrawl, other stressful (cortisol increasing) activities are naturally avoided by those with already high cortisol levels (many depressives).
poster:MarkinBoston
thread:47577
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001022/msgs/47958.html