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Weight loss

Posted , 6 users are following.

rw79630
rw79630

Hi I suddenly began having panic attacks/severe anxiety everyday about 5 weeks ago. My weight has been dropping off (couldn't afford to lose any in the first place). I have no appetite & can't eat much at all. I have a weight gain powder which has 700 calories per scoop. Will this actually help me maintain/gain my weight or do I still have to eat a lot to stop losing weight? I just need something to stop the weight loss until I get my appetite back. I've started on Citalopram 6 days ago so think loss of appetite is one of the side effects.

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks smile

0 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • lily65668
    lily65668 rw79630

    Posted

    Could be a side-effect of the citalopram or just the anxiety itself, or more likely both. The powder alone should help you maintain your weight, though you probably won't gain any weight unless you're eating as well. It contains all the basic nutrients but it's only a stop-gap solution to get you through your current problem.

    Try to eat as much as you can alongside the powder. While you're in this period of poor appetite, it won't hurt to nibble on whatever you fancy eating, but make sure you don't get into permanent habits of poor eating. Once you start regaining your appetite for protein foods and fresh fruit and vegetables, you can start cutting down on the powder. The powder doesn't contain any magical ingredients that aren't in food. It's just a rather poor substitute for proper food, but one that will tide you over this difficult period.

    I do hope you soon start feeling better. And don't forget the Citalopram will take at least four weeks to even start working, even if the side-effects have already kicked in.

    • rw79630
      rw79630 lily65668

      Posted

      Hi lily

      Thanks for your response smile

      do you know when my appetite might come back? I hope it doesn't take 4 weeks sad I can't do anything because I'm so weak. I nearly fainted the other day.

      Literally everything apart from fruit makes me feel sick. I could only have half a bowl of soup and two shakes today.

      My doctor told me she could tell from my urine that I haven't eaten much somehow!

      X

    • lily65668
      lily65668 rw79630

      Posted

      Hi Rebecca,

      Sounds like this might be an unusually severe reaction to the Citalopram. Maybe you should discuss this with your doctor - there are plenty of other antidepressants out there and it might be that another one would suit you better.

    • rw79630
      rw79630 lily65668

      Posted

      Oh god really? sad I thought everyone got like this to begin with. My doctor prescribed me propranolol too but I am too worried to take it. My doctor saw me a few days ago & checked me over said heartbeat normal, blood pressure slightly high but due to anxiety and urine fine. When I do feel ill I tend to not eat anyway. I do feel anxious but less than first taking my meds. Which could be causing the feeling sick? I haven't actually been sick for 3 days now I think so I am seeing slight improvements x
  • BellaLuna
    BellaLuna rw79630

    Posted

    I have no idea why I was moderated but will try again, when I first became very ill again I lost a lot of weight too, now I had been on a diet prior to that so had a hard time convincing people that I did not have an eating disorder, even I thought maybe I had but eventually it was accepted as appetite loss.

    I don't know anything about weight gain by using a powder but for me I knew I was 7 pounds under what my doctor advised and needed to do something.

    I would blend meals into soups because it would at least get some nutrition inside of me, blood tests showed I had no vitamin deficiency, my doctor was going to offer suppiments if that had been the case.

    I tried to eat little and often and chose calorie dense foods, pasta, cheese and bread were ideal because they gave me calories without having to eat an awful lot at a time when I simply could not manage a huge meal.

    A lot of people with anxiety lose weight, adrenaline uses up a lot of energy so you need to find a way to fuel your body that works for you.

    Previously I was a healthy eater but the weight loss concerned me so I indulged in chocolate, ate doughnuts if I fancied them and didn't allow myself to worry about that, after all it was far more important that my weight went up at that point in time.

    I may still be unwell but my appetite is much better now and my weight is healthy, I am back to a normal and healthy diet so it does get better but until it does you have to find ways to get nutrition and weight gain/maintain is about calories in vs calories out although you should always check with your doctor about your vitamin and iron levels x

    • rw79630
      rw79630 BellaLuna

      Posted

      Ahh I've always been slightly underweight until I began eating much better last year. So now I dread to think what I weigh!

      I haven't ever had a blood test (I'm 23!) and I'm terrified of needles so don't want to have one if I don't have to! Especially in this state.

      I have managed a tiny amount of pasta on previous days but today I just can't handle anything, I have to go in a different room when my partner is cooking dinner because even the smell sets me off.

      I've been taking a multi vitamin each day.

      When did your appetite return?

      X

    • BellaLuna
      BellaLuna rw79630

      Posted

      Mine took about a month and I think that was only due to the fact that I had a slght increase in my medication which is another story but let's just say it didn't help me much, just allowed me to stop sweating and my appetite returned.

      I would speak to your doctor in case it's a side effect of the medication or it could be the anxiety but combined with the side effects it is making it worse, having to leave the room because the smell is too much for you is a severe state to be in x

    • rw79630
      rw79630 BellaLuna

      Posted

      Did the increase make you a lot worse then?

      Yes I think it's the anxiety as I'm not a big eater anyway & I used to never eat if I was anxious/ill before I realised I had anxiety & depression.

      I think my doctor is calling me tomorrow to see how I am X

  • elizabeth11977
    elizabeth11977 rw79630

    Posted

    Hello. Weight loss /loss of appetite is one of the hardest things I have to deal with through health anxiety because I equate weight loss with serious illness . I feel nauseous most of the time and wld prefer not to eat but I quite literally force myself. Sometimes I win! I eat alone and watch telly to try and take my mind off eating. I would say that in the interim until you get a bit of appetite back u eat anything you can! If you can't think of eating anything then you're not going to be thinking about a healthy diet! I just think calories so anything I can swallow over does me at the mo. I realise this can't be a long term thing but it will do until we get better! Can I ask what powder you use? I thought about meal replacement shakes but anything I found was based on milk and I don't take lactose. How much weight have you lost in what period of time? This too will pass!! 
    • rw79630
      rw79630 elizabeth11977

      Posted

      Hi smile

      Me too! It's the hardest thing for me as well as I'm already slim. If I could just eat a full meal I think I'd feel so much better! I feel like I'm dying a slow death!

      I also feel sick 80% of the time. Although I have stopped actually being sick which is good. I was being sick constantly a few days ago for about 2 weeks.

      I hope it doesn't last long for us! I am having 'serious mass weight gain powder' I'm not sure if it's milk based though but it does taste quite milky, even though I mix it with just water.

      I don't even know how much weight I've lost as I don't own scales... Which I'm kind of glad about because I would be panicking even more. I was only around 8.5 stone to begin with & it's very noticeable how much I've lost so probably a stone over around 5 weeks, although I didn't eat much over Christmas because I was ill so I probably lost some then too. How about you?

      I hope it passes soon! sad X

    • elizabeth11977
      elizabeth11977 rw79630

      Posted

      Oh I'm sooooooo sorry you're having to go through this! It's the pits! I wld still say just think calories until you're  better. Healthy eating can wait! I did read that putting wee snacks in different rooms can help. Nuts, cheese crisps etc and you have a wee nibble in passing. I have had several issues to deal with in the last year and I've probably lost one n a half stone in that time. Physically I can afford to lose that but mentally I cant. I weigh myself too often and I will do completely irrational things like put boots on or drink a pint of water before I go on the scales. Daft or what??? I think it needs a determination to get food down you. I grit my teeth and swallow whatever it is. Too often my partner asks me "would you like" and I automatically say no. Just earlier he asked if I wanted a wee individual trifle. At first I said no but then I thought "CALORIES" and I managed to eat it. Can I ask where you got the powder from and I can maybe check it out. Hang in there. When you're this low the only way is up!! 
    • rw79630
      rw79630 elizabeth11977

      Posted

      aww I'm sorry you're going through this too! It is such a horrible feeling!

      I will try the snacks in different rooms. I think it's just psychological that I'm associating food with being sick because I went through panic attacks and was sick everytime I ate? I hate that the mind can be so powerful!

      Aww yeah that's why I don't want to get scales because I'd become more anxious about the weight loss.

      Yeah sure I got it off amazon. I tried to post the link but didn't realise that wasn't allowed. If you type it in it should just come up though. 2 scoops is 1200 calories I think! I only put one in each shake as it's quite a lot

      Do you also feel sick while eating? Are you on any meds?

      Thank you smile let's hope we both feel better soon! Xx

    • elizabeth11977
      elizabeth11977 rw79630

      Posted

      Thanks for this. I will have a look. I am rarely actually sick but I feel sick most of the time . I say my relationship with food now is bad becauses it causes me anxiety every time I think I should be eating. Breakfast, lunch dinner etc. I have to say I'm anxious in between too though. I really try n talk myself into eating. Like if you don't eat you'll lose more weight, you'll get more anxious, you'll have to go to doc etc. I mostly drink water with food. It helps it go over easier but yes I retch several times that why I said it needs determination to get it over. I am prescribed Valium...5mg a day but I do take more if needed. I gave up on meds a long time ago because of side effects. I tend to get the weird and wonderful! Lol. Just a thought....I eat soup, tinned rice or custard which I just take the chill off in the microwave. I use a cup and that can be swallowed over quickly even with a couple of retches! I've just eaten a couple of chunks of tablet! Bedtime now but tomorrow will be a better day!! Night night. 
    • rw79630
      rw79630 elizabeth11977

      Posted

      Yes i have stopped being sick now, but i feel sick everytime i think about food sad 

      I might ask my doctor for some anti-sickness pills tomorrow. I was prescribed lorazepam but doctor told me to stop taking them (only took them for a couple of days) didnt see any difference.

      I'm going to try and have some plain rice & see how that goes down!

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