Losing weight on amitriptyline

codemonkey

Not looking for medical advice. I'm on amitriptyline for nerve pain. I've been trying to lose weight and before I started to take this medicine, I was losing weight using a combination of eating properly and doing exercise. It was coming off slowly, but the scale was going down.

Still doing that - eating 1200 calories or thereabouts, walking the dog for an hour each day, going to the gym using cardio and strength workouts and nothing. I've tried low carbing. I've tried no-carbing. I've tried 5:2. All that happens is that I gain and lose the same 6lbs over and over.

I went to see the locum GP on Friday and asked for help with this and was given short shrift. She said that "lots of fat people blame their medication" and that it wasn't listed as a side effect. I pointed out that it was listed in the list of side effects and showed it to her, but she still wasn't having it because there was also a weight loss side effect (she seemed to think they cancelled each other out). All I wanted to know was if there was any diet plan or exercise plan or something that has been successful with people (similar to the low GI being good for PCOS) . I'm the biggest I've ever been and I hate it.

Sorry for being long-winded. I just wondered if any MSErs have successfully lost weight on something like this, and if so, how did you do it?

pmduk

Is there another GP at the practice you can see? Some Doctors are very resistant to suggestions of side-effects.

BarneyRubble

pmduk wrote: »

Is there another GP at the practice you can see? Some Doctors are very resistant to suggestions of side-effects.

But - to be fair - some patients are also very resistant to the thought that somewhere, too many calories are going in.

Fluff15

Are you eating 1200 calories before or after exercise? And how tall are you?

1200 calories isn't a lot at all, unless you're less than 5ft - somehow it's been banded about as this magical weight loss number of calories that isn't a healthy amount for the vast majority to be eating. Most people will in effect, be starving themselves and their bodies are desperately trying to hold on to the fat, making it much harder to lose weight. It may be why it worked initially and now your body has stopped losing weight now - you're not eating enough.

If I were you, I'd up the amount you're eating. Work out your TDEE level, which is the amount of calories you should be eating on your current activity level to stay the same weight, and subtract 20-25% from this to work out how much you should be eating to lose weight.

I have a friend who suffers from PCOS, and the slimming world diet worked for her and she's lost around 25 pounds from that combined with Zumba and walking. I have another friend who was 200+ lbs, and lost weight through high protein, moderate carbs, low fat and weight lifting. I know of people who have lost weight through paleo and keto (high fat low carb) diets - each are very different diets and what works for one won't work for another. I cannot stand low carb diets, they make me so hungry and I feel terrible on them.

What are you eating now, which isn't working for you? Is it homecooked meals, or do you use a lot of 'healthy and low fat' substitutes?

tomtontom

BarneyRubble wrote: »

But - to be fair - some patients are also very resistant to the thought that somewhere, too many calories are going in.

As someone who blamed my meds for many years, I have to agree!

OP, you don't tell us what you are eating and when? Are you getting lots of protein?

quidsy

1200 isnt enough unless you are very very short. For example, I am 6ft tall & need a minimum of 1800 cals a day just to keep my body fuctions (brain, heart) going.

Also how do you log what you eat, do you weigh your food & provide accurate logging?

I use Myfitnesspal & it is a very helpful tool but you have to be accurate in what you log, include any milk with drinks, sugar in drinks etc & also what you eat will have some effect, not massive imo, I once lost 80lbs on crisps & icream diet & as long as you create a deficit you will lose, but with eating crappy foods you will mostly be losing muscle not fat & end up skinny fat as apposed to fat fat.

codemonkey

Thanks for your replies. You guys are really helpful.

I use the myfitnesspal app and log everything that goes in. I only drink water and the odd can of pepsi max (always accounted for) and I'm not allowed alcohol so its not that.

The 1200 calorie thing us probably too few calories for my height tbh - I'm 5'9". But I'm aware I have a pretty slow metabolism anyway (not an excuse - just the way it is - I lose weight slowly and tend to develop muscle ). That was working up until I went on this drug. Then it stopped.

As for what I'm eating, when I'm dieting I try to get a good balance of veg (I dont like fruit much), and try to eat enough protein to stay full. I actually find it really difficult to make 1200 calories as I dont really snack through the day. So perhaps boiled eggs or porridge for breakfast, vegetable soup for lunch, and then grilled meat with the fat trimmed off and salad (dressed with apple cider vinegar) for dinner. I'm allergic to chicken and fish.

For the past couple of weeks I've thought screw it and eaten what I like including pasta, cheese, chocolate and crisps and the scales have showed the same 6lb fluctuation pattern.

I'm honestly not trying to use the medication as an excuse. I got fat all by myself before I was on medication and that's all on me . But if I know I'm doing everything right and I would have lost maybe 1lb or so a week last year and now the scales are holding steady and its the same if I eat well or badly, I have to conclude that perhaps its the medication. I've also gone up 2 cup sizes whilst remaining the same weight. Its incredibly demotivating.

I dont know if its linked but I do have a tendency to hold water and a similar thing happened when I was on the pill - I gained weight like crazy then lost 16lbs really quickly after I came off it with no changes in lifestyle. Coming off this isnt an option so was hoping something, anything would work.

I'm not trying to be a supermodel. Just want to get my weight out of the obese part of the bmi chart.

Eta: I mainly eat homecooked meals as a lot of the pre prepared stuff hides stuff I'm allergic to. Everything is weighed.

~Chameleon~

tomtontom wrote: »

As someone who blamed my meds for many years, I have to agree!

There are a certain group of meds (atypical antipsychotics) that alter your metabolism so you burn fat for energy and store carbs (which then turn into body fat) and these are responsible for weight gain of varying degrees. It's not unusual to gain up to 6kg in the first 2-3 months of treatment on these drugs.

Fluff15

I think in that case, for your height alone you are not eating nearly enough. You're stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and that whole day doesn't sound very satisfying! Those 6lbs sound like water weight too, which is why you gain/lose it so quickly. If your cup size has gone up, I think it sounds like your body is desperately trying to hold on to the fat it has got in fear of starving your internal organs.

I suggest you eat more - work out your TDEE and go from there. Add more calorie dense, nutritious food. Add in nuts, avocado, seeds - all high in good fats and high in calories; the high fat content will make you fuller for longer too.

Do you like smoothies? Green smoothies are a good way to get in more calories and vitamins in one hit - I have one every morning made up of kale, spinach, mango, apple, cucumber, hemp protein powder and spirulina - it's around 350 calories and gives me my 5 a day in one hit. Have a look on the internet for other recipes, there may be one you fancy.

If it's only red meat you can eat, you can make a chilli con carne with beans instead of meat, which lowers the calories and saturated fats, and still high in protein. Try thai curries with tofu in, or just lots of vegetables if you're not a fan of tofu.

Don't deny yourself certain foods, just replace them with healthy alternatives where possible - sweet potato wedges with dinner instead of chips, brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice, dark chocolate instead of milk etc. And don't punish yourself if you do eat a less healthy version. If you're eating good 80% of the time, it won't make a difference. Here is a list of vegetarian sources of essential amino acids that your body will not be benefiting from if you're not eating chicken and fish.

Some people like to incorporate a cheat day into their diets, where they eat whatever on a certain day of the week, and eat good on the others - some people like to incorporate a small naughty something every day instead - don't deny yourself certain things because that will end up making you crave them more.

Keep at it for more than 6 weeks - your body will need time to adjust. And keep it varied, you're more likely to slip if your body is crying out for certain things that it's not getting from those things your craving, if your diet is bland and the same stuff.

I think the myfitnesspal has a good support forum, or us on here would be willing to help I hope this helps.

ETA: Here, here and here is some information that may explain it better than I did!

applepad

Thanks to this drug I put 20kg on in 12 weeks! I have managed to maintain my weight but not lose.

I have a bulging disc and I asked what I could do to help ease the pain and I was told to lose the weight! My BMI was 31. I was sent to weight watchers for 12 weeks and I lost 4 lbs! I was then given Orlistat/Alli diet fat binder pills, but they don't work as I eat a low fat diet.
I have been on Pregablin for my nerve pain for 2 years now and asked if I could switch to something else, told they all have same side effects of weight gain. I could try to reduce it. I tried and my nerve pain came back. My mobility is not that good anyway, I have numb feet, but I now have constant pins and needles/ nerve pain in them.

Just wanted you to know that you are not alone. My husband says it's better to be a bit over weight and be able to walk than to be slim and not. I know he means well, but I was not this heavy when I was due to give birth.

Take care

dippy3103

I am on amnitriptyllin for pain too. I find the muzzy head makes me less active.

I did revert to recording everything I ate & noticed that my portions have crept up.

Hope things improve for you- chronic pain is hideous x