New Year, New Life, New Me...New Thread!

[kml]

Oh, and one other thing. Do you know which anti-depressant it is that usually causes weight loss versus weight gain? I am 31 and in medical menopause....so that's working against me and I have gained a bit of weight even on HRT. If it's the hormones packing on the pounds, I will gladly switch.

SE - Paxil is particularly known for weight gain.
Prozac or Zoloft - it really depends. If you eat because you are depressed, or have compulsive eating like binges, they can help people lose weight. Still, some people can gain on them. I can't remember if older antidepressants like tricyclics (imipramine etc.) are associated with weight gain - I can look into it if you need to know.

Which HRT are you taking? And how did you end up in menopause - did you have your ovaries removed, or some other cause? Might influence which hormone regiment is best for you.

Microbiology, eh? I was a grad student in molecular biology before I switched to medicine - did work on E. coli gene regulation back in the dark ages.

Ellie

[StrongEnough]

Thanks for the info. I am currently on Effexor XR 225 mg a day. I had read an article on a few women in NY who were prescribed AD's and managed to lose 20+ pounds each. I have been on the Effexor, same dose, for about a year now. Initially, I did not gain weight. I only stared gaining now after the 4 surgeries I had from October to December.

I am in menopause because I had a LAVH gone wrong. I ended up needing blood transfusions, two abscess drainages (infected with enterococcus, luckily not VRE, but still...almost impossible with no fistulas, etc.) only to find out that my ovaries and tubes had collapsed into my intestines and were adhered to them. So, I had to have them removed so they wouldn't stangle my intestines. (I was previously dx'd with GI issues) So now, I am on Soy Balance one pill a day and Premarin 1.25 mg a day. Most of the weight gain has been since the bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. I don't know if it's menopause itself or the HRT. At any rate, it's frustrating!!!

Yeah, Microbiology...I have a thing for the smell of fungus and bugs in the incubator first thing in the morning.

Thanks for your help!! I am desperately wanting to lose weight and just can't seem to. Of note, I did have full work-ups from thyroid to liver functions test. All of my results were within normal limits. I also had many imaging studies, biopsies, etc. Again, all normal. No celiac sprue, no lactose intolerance, nothing. I am essentially healthy other then Crohn's (currently in remission).

Current medications include Effexor 225 mg a day, Zelnorm 6 mg twice a day (temporary), Xanax 1 mg prn, Premarin 1.25 mg a day, Seroquel 100 mg at bedtime, Soy Balance, Miralax 17 gms one or two times a day, fiber supplement, Calcium with Vitamin D.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again for taking the time to help me.

~SE

[kml]

Geez, talk about a medical nightmare!!!!

What was the original reason for the LAVH? Just wondering because mentrual irregularities can go with thyroid problems.

Do you have any of those "normal" thyroid test results? Any family history of thyroid disease? Sometimes more detailed testing than just a simple TSH and T4 is needed to uncover some thyroid problems.

I imagine four surgeries between October and December kept you from exercising much! Perhaps the weight gain is just from that?

One thing I would comment on - you've needed a lot of antidepressants in the past, with less than stellar results, correct? Some thoughts about that:
- nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorption from the Crohn's dz - especially B vitamin deficiencies like folate and B12 are associated with depression. Might check a B12 level, and take a B50 supplement once a day along with a multi. Also check a ferritin level, iron deficiency can be associated with depression as well.

- some psychiatrists treat resistant depression with T3 (a form of thyroid hormone). It's not done a lot, and it's not entirely clear why it works, but it is considered mainstream. I'm reading some fascinating work by a guy who treats fibromyalgia patients with T3, and he has developed some pretty interesting theories as to why it works there even on people who have normal thyroid lab tests. If you really cannot get good control with your current antidepressants, it might be worthwhile discussing the possibility of adding T3 with your psychiatrist.

As for hormone replacement - I'll tell you right now, no one really knows what the best thing to do is for a young woman like yourself. Premarin was meant for postmenopausal women (and it turns out, may not really be that good for them either!) and although it is commonly used in situations like yours, I'm not sure it's really the best approach. Ideally one would like to replace the hormones you are missing as closely as possible to what is normal for a young woman. Although I'm not the biggest fan of bioidentical hormone replacement for post-menopausal women (because we don't have safety data on it) it seems intuitively that it might be a good thing to try for a young woman with surgical menopause. Certainly if your estrogen replacement isn't adequate it's only likely to make your depression worse.

As to whether bioidentical hormone replacement would have a good effect on your weight, I have no idea. You'll probably have to find someone who practices somewhat alternative medicine to get this prescribed for you.

BTW - soy is a goitrogen, so IF you turn out to have any thyroid issues, I would stop the soy (otherwise, it's probably fine to take.)

Ellie

[StrongEnough]

Yes, it was a medical nightmare to say the least!! And yes, spent a lot of in pain due to the abscesses and adhesion and the recovery from the last surgery that I hadn't been able to exercise.

I had the extensive testing for thyroid issues. All negative. There are however, thyroid issues in my mother and late grandmother. I did have b-12 deficiency, that's about it.(It never got treated) I have had the ferretin levels drawn, iron binding capacity and they were normal. I JUST threw out ALL the paperwork from all this yesterday. I saved every last test until then.

As for the anti-depressants, yes, I have been on and off them for many years. Honestly, I would have to say I would always stop them before they proved to beneficial or not. This is the first time I have been consistent with taking them and staying on them, and I think they seem to be working ok.

I take the soy because the 1.25mg of Premarin DO NOT control my hot flashes and night sweats. Rather then increase the dose again, I supplement it with soy. There is a significant family history of non-hodgkins lymphoma, bone cancer, uterine cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer so I am trying to only stay on the HRT for a year or so. I do smoke, and have already had a past history of grade III cervical dysplasia.

Yes, my family has a wonderful gene pool. Everyone has some type of autoimmune disease or another including one of my kids. If they don't, they have cancer.

Let me ask you this. Are you aware of any over the counter diet pills or supplements that actually work? I know most doctors are against this, and I usually am too, but I refuse to buy a new wardrobe. I like my size 1's and 3's and would like to get back in them. I will not disclose my current weight, but I am not in that size bracket right now.

Thanks for all the info. Lots of wonderful information, I think I am going to print it out.

~SE

[kml]

If you are still having hot flashes on the Premarin then I would really recommend looking into bioidentical hormones. I understand your worries about cancer risk but it cannot be good for your body to go without female hormones 20 years longer than it normally would, either.

B12 deficiency can have some serious and even irreversible consequences, so if yours was low, I would follow that up. Get a test for anti=parietal cell antibodies (an autoimmune inability to absorb B12) and a repeat B12 level (which could also just be low due to poor absorption in the small intestines). Get another copy of your thyroid tests and post them.

Ellie

[StrongEnough]

Ok, I have some lab values for you that I found. None of them are from the thyroid test. If you want me to post them let me know, or I can email them to you.

~SE

[kml]

Whichever you are more comfortable with.

[e-mail]

[StrongEnough]

Ok, so yesterday I tackled the basement with H. Got a lot of stuff out of there. It looks sooo much better. It feels really good to have gotten something accomplished. My next steps for downstairs is to tackle the bar. Speaking of which, I am a *little* hungover today so I think I will save it for another day!

All in all I am slowly working on my goals and getting things done. Haven't exercised yet..and don't feel up to it today...but tomorrow is another new day and I will tackle that issue tomorrow!!

Always- How are you doing?

ELlie- Thanks for all the advice and for checking in on Harlydvdn.

~SE

[StrongEnough]

Journaling:


Yesterday was a rather uneventful day. Got some sleep and I feel much better today.

H left his time sheet ticket on his desk this morning. He went in early to work yesterday and all night was complaining about how slow it was due to the weather. (He is a restaurant manager) Well, having done the management bit myself, I know that when it's slow you start your closing procedures early to get out of there early. Well, they close at 11 and he punched out at 12:46 am. Now, there is a woman manager there that he frequently works with that he used to rave about the whole time. Last time he closed with her he worked late as well. That was the whole ugly shirt left in the car incident on my last thread. What an argument that was. Well, after seeing this, I am fine. I am still in a good mood and I still have a positive outlook. I KNOW I can't control what he does. If he is up to no good, eventually it will all come out in the wash. (no pun intended to the prior shirt comment).

So, this is new for me and it's a big step. I can see it and I am proud of myself for it. IF H is cheating again, then H is cheating again. I still have myself and my children. We all have our health. Life is good.

What a feeling when you can lovingly detach yourself from a situation and carry on knowing that you are doing what's right no matter what.

Today is going to be a great day!

~SE

[CRAZEE4HER]

What a feeling when you can lovingly detach yourself from a situation and carry on knowing that you are doing what's right no matter what

Right On, Sister SE.

Just got off the phoe with Keyster (AK) and we were laughing about this very same thing.

Stealing from SVEN - "UP"