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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by 4WD on January 17, 2008, at 20:46:42
Is it because it makes you hungrier and you eat more or does it just happen on its own?
Also is Nardil notorious for insomnia?
Marsha
Posted by Phillipa on January 17, 2008, at 23:44:35
In reply to Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by 4WD on January 17, 2008, at 20:46:42
Masha thinking of trying it? Seems like a lot are. Love Phillipa
Posted by 4WD on January 18, 2008, at 8:59:51
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain? » 4WD, posted by Phillipa on January 17, 2008, at 23:44:35
> Masha thinking of trying it? Seems like a lot are. Love Phillipa
Yeah, I am thinking about it. It's kind of a last resort. I am worried about if it makes you extremely hungry though because I am a recovering bulimic and I can't afford to take anything that will cause me to start binging and purging again. I also worry about the possible insomnia.
Have you ever tried an MAOI?
Marsha
Posted by Justherself54 on January 18, 2008, at 14:34:01
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain? » Phillipa, posted by 4WD on January 18, 2008, at 8:59:51
I don't feel like eating anything during the day on Nardil..it's the night time sugar cravings that hit me, although I'm also taking seroquel at night..so far I've gained 4 pounds..and yes..most people on Nardil do experience insomnia..if you decide to try Nardil, you may have to take sleep meds..but for kicking depression and anxiety out of your life..it's the best I've been on..
Posted by bulldog2 on January 18, 2008, at 17:54:22
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain?4WD, posted by Justherself54 on January 18, 2008, at 14:34:01
> I don't feel like eating anything during the day on Nardil..it's the night time sugar cravings that hit me, although I'm also taking seroquel at night..so far I've gained 4 pounds..and yes..most people on Nardil do experience insomnia..if you decide to try Nardil, you may have to take sleep meds..but for kicking depression and anxiety out of your life..it's the best I've been on..
I've have found that when I have carb cravings that nibbling on carrots or apple slices is something you can do without fear of weight gain..When trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain try to eat 5 or 6 times a day to prevent huge appetite surges. Carrots or apple surges are both healthy and will statisfy the urge to binge on high calorie foods.
Posted by Phillipa on January 18, 2008, at 19:43:55
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain? » Phillipa, posted by 4WD on January 18, 2008, at 8:59:51
Masha no and not going to would try EMSAM like the patch idea my pdoc said too stimulating for me. Love Phillipa
Posted by Justherself54 on January 18, 2008, at 20:25:45
In reply to Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by 4WD on January 17, 2008, at 20:46:42
I find that eating vanilla yogurt at night can sometimes do the trick to satisfy my sweet tooth, and also not having any jams, honey's or anything sweet that I can spread on toast or crackers helps too..
Posted by stargazer2 on January 18, 2008, at 22:36:28
In reply to Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by 4WD on January 17, 2008, at 20:46:42
Yes, because it makes you eat like a pig especially the first few months you take it. You cannot control this and you eat everything you may normally have control over. It's like all will power is taken away and I ate sweets and bread and candy and everything in my house that was not on the basic food groups. I would substitute good eating for easy to eat snacks.
If you don't buy this type of food you may be OK but I gained about 20 lbs before i even realized it.
The insomnia problem is not too bad for me. I might wake a few times a night but I always go back to sleep.
Honestly, the weight gain is worth not being a depressed slug, just my opinion. I have forced myself to workout and this was what I needed to do and wasn't able to do before Nardil.
Stargazer
Posted by 4WD on January 19, 2008, at 9:18:17
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by stargazer2 on January 18, 2008, at 22:36:28
I am really scared of Nardil. Anything that is going to increase my appetite is going to make me go back to bingeing and purging. That's why I can't take Zyprexa.
My mind doesn't interpret hunger signals as "let's have something to eat." It interprets them as "let's go to the grocery store and buy $20 worth of fatty and sweet foods and stuff them down our throat and then go throw them up."
I guess Nardil isn't the drug for me.Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and answers.
Marsha> Yes, because it makes you eat like a pig especially the first few months you take it. You cannot control this and you eat everything you may normally have control over. It's like all will power is taken away and I ate sweets and bread and candy and everything in my house that was not on the basic food groups. I would substitute good eating for easy to eat snacks.
>
> If you don't buy this type of food you may be OK but I gained about 20 lbs before i even realized it.
>
> The insomnia problem is not too bad for me. I might wake a few times a night but I always go back to sleep.
>
> Honestly, the weight gain is worth not being a depressed slug, just my opinion. I have forced myself to workout and this was what I needed to do and wasn't able to do before Nardil.
>
> Stargazer
Posted by Racer on January 19, 2008, at 11:09:30
In reply to But I'm a recovering bulimic!, posted by 4WD on January 19, 2008, at 9:18:17
I was going to post something about StarGazer's post, which struck me as being a pretty wide ranging generalization. StarGazer's experience was that she ate more, etc. That doesn't mean it happens for everyone. It might not happen at all for you.
It's worth looking at the potential benefits, as well as the potential drawbacks. You know that this drug can cause weight gain, so you can walk into a trial of it with that warning, and some coping mechanisms in place if you do get an urge to binge. Sometimes knowing that the possibility is there helps avoid it.
As for why Nardil causes weight gain, that has a very complex answer. It involves neurochemistry, histimine, flying monkeys, and I could try to explain it, but then I'd have to wake everyone up afterwards, so I'll shut up now... (You might post about that on the new Neurotransmitter board, though, since that's what the explanation entails.)
Posted by Justherself54 on January 19, 2008, at 12:27:03
In reply to But I'm a recovering bulimic!, posted by 4WD on January 19, 2008, at 9:18:17
SSRI's put a ton of weight on me..far more than Nardil has to this point. I am a binge eater..and as long as I don't bring anything sweet into the house I'm doing OK..initially gained 6 pounds, but have lost them. I don't have any appetite during the day, it's the night cravings that I have to watch..it would be a shame not to give a med a try that may turn your life around..sometimes I cave in and binge on chocolate (that's my weakness) but all in all it's nowhere as bad as I thought it was going to be..like I said, on some SSRI's I was totally out of control with binging..
Posted by okydoky on January 19, 2008, at 15:11:41
In reply to Re: But I'm a recovering bulimic!, posted by Justherself54 on January 19, 2008, at 12:27:03
I too am a recovering bulimic. I took Parnate (similar to Nardil) for many years. I also took Marplan. I had less appetite and lost weight and kept it off the entire time I was on these drugs. I found them to be activating for me too so I was more active.
That was my experience.
Good Luck
You can always try it and see!
Posted by stargazer2 on January 19, 2008, at 16:26:04
In reply to Re: Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by stargazer2 on January 18, 2008, at 22:36:28
What I should have said is that it made ME eat everything and that doesn't mean it will do the same thing for YOU.
If you haven't found a med that works for your treatment resistent depression...Nardil, or perhaps Parnate or MArplan, should be one of the meds to try.
The only side effects that would scare me off would be something to make me feel worse mentally. For some strange reason, I can deal with many of the physical side effects better than the emotional ones. Probably because I have been battling depression on and off for 30 years. Physically I have looked fine but have suffered tremendously with a mood disorder that has be classified as recalcitrant.
I would try any med that had side effects of weight gain, since that is a price I would pay for mental health. Not that I would be happy about it, but the risk of this occurring was something I didn't dwell on.
Again, given my history, where no other AD's, Ap's, mood stabalizers, etc have worked for me, the risk of any side effect was worth it since all of the Ad's I have tried have affected me this way.
Nardil is not considered a first line med either but I would recommend it strongly to anyone who has suffered without relief as long as I have.
I haven't become obese but I have gained weight and now can deal with that better since my depression has lifted.
Sorry my response was stated so generally. I forget to think about how others may interpret my message sometimes. I hope you condsider Nardil since weight gain may not happen to you and the risk of helping you may be greater than the risk of weight gain, which may not occur at all.
Stargazer
Posted by 4WD on January 19, 2008, at 19:08:55
In reply to My response was a bit overgeneralized, but...., posted by stargazer2 on January 19, 2008, at 16:26:04
Thanks, all.
I am going to bring it up with my psychiatrist when I see him Thursday. Maybe Parnate or Nardil or Marplan. I lean toward Nardil because I have heard it is good for anxiety which is one of my major problems.
I don't know what the difference is supposed to be with Marplan. Is it like a cross between the two others?
Marsha
Posted by Racer on January 19, 2008, at 20:13:12
In reply to My response was a bit overgeneralized, but...., posted by stargazer2 on January 19, 2008, at 16:26:04
>
> Sorry my response was stated so generally. I forget to think about how others may interpret my message sometimes.Thank you so much for posting that. I worry when I read some posts that generalize effects, because I think sometimes people get so hopeless in depression, that it's easy to give up on medications which might help them.
Frankly, I've been there myself at times. At the point where hearing other people discuss how awful their experiences were on a certain drug, that I would just go limp and say that there was no point in trying anymore, that nothing would help, and anything that might help would just make my life that much worse in so many other ways, etc. You know, the sort of negative thinking that often goes along with depression for some people. I'm glad that I'm mostly in a place now of being more positive about the potential for finding a workable drug regimen, but I remember how close I have come over the years to choosing a different outcome after reading negative posts about drugs suggested for me.
Thanks again for posting that. It's a good reminder for all of us.
Posted by cumulative on January 19, 2008, at 22:33:23
In reply to Why does Nardil cause weight gain?, posted by 4WD on January 17, 2008, at 20:46:42
Chairman MAO (an old, very knowledgeable poster) suspected a lot of it was increased water retention. He took something for it. Coffee might help in the same way.
Posted by stargazer2 on January 20, 2008, at 21:29:24
In reply to Thank you for posting that » stargazer2, posted by Racer on January 19, 2008, at 20:13:12
You're welcome.
Two strange things about my weight gain. One was that I was aware of eating more, but not being aware of the effects that this could have, because my focus was only on feeling better. It was like the weight gain was happening to someone else.
The other was that I didn't even think to weigh myself until my clothes started getting tighter. I almost never weigh myself and I didn't think of doing that until it was obvious I had gained weight.
Another thought is that I am currently in menopause and some of my weight gain may be related to that more than anything else. I am realizing too that perhaps my recalcitrant depression over the last few years may also be hormonal in nature, so there are many factors that perhaps played a role in this effect.
My weight gain is not related to fluid buildup, there is no swelling or water retention.
I think I've lost about 10 out of the 20 I gained and I have been exercising more faithfully, but of course,not enough.
I'm still enjoy eating sweets, but not as voraciously as before, so perhaps the real intensity is in the beginning or during any adjustment phase of starting Nardil.
I leave my house with some regularity now, have none or little self consciousness most days and I am even looking for a job. That is real progress for me despite not having the physique I did a few months ago. That is less important to me than my functionality. Those with extreme depression will understand this way of thinking (well, again I generalize... perhaps not everyone) Levels of depression vary so greatly that no two people experience depression quite in the same way.
Stargazer
This is the end of the thread.
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