Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right board to post this in but I hope someone can help. Please don't lecture or critisize me for my habits, I just need some advice. I know I need to start eating right and exercising. Thank you. (not trying to sound rude but I feel like crap, sorry )
I'm 22 years old, minimal physical activity (only work and normal activities), poor diet, and I take several medications. They include: citalopram and wellbutrin (for depression/ADD) and adderall (ADD). Lately my diet has been even worse....I've had a few things happen in the past couple of weeks that have brought me so low that I have been spending all day in bed. I know it sounds pathetic.
Basically I need some advice on what food I should eat to get me back up and going. I feel so weak that it takes all my energy just to take a shower. All I have been eating is just a bit of junk food here and there. So when I do actually eat something its not healthy. If anyone has any ideas on what foods and vitamins I can take, please let me know! Also does anyone know if any of those medications can deplete your body of certain nutrients?
It's difficult enough to deal with the food situation but when you add "several medications" into the equation it really compoounds the problem. That might be the reason for you not getting any replies up untill now. It's really complex.
My suggestion is to visit or call your doctor's office. If you call, ask to talk to the nurse and tell her about your weakness, lack of energy and lack of appetite. Ask if your combination of "several medications" might be causing your problems. If so, would it be possible to suspend some of them?
Last edited by JohnR41; 06-20-2010 at 02:23 PM.
Reason: delete words & spelling
i have a similar problem, im not overweight either and i'm on celexa.
it helps for me to take it at night as it makes me EXHAUSTED. i can easily sleep 10 hrs a day now. also what youre experiencing is quite common i believe, dont feel bad
Last edited by hollysargis; 06-18-2010 at 11:58 AM.
Thank you very much for both of your replies. Holly...I'm sorry to hear you have the same problem, its not fun! I have been taking my celexa at night and the wellbutrin during the day. What started my depression this time was a break up with my boyfriend and problems at work. So I just couldn't get out of bed and stopped eating. I did some research last night on the medications I take and sure enough they do deplete certain nutrients in your body! I took some b-12 yesterday evening and I think it helped....might have been a placebo effect but whatever works
Hi there, I know exactly what you are going through. You're situation sounds exactly like mine, except I've put on 40 pounds or so this past year.
Anyway I would say that it's difficult to say - when you are on those medications. I know that a lot of anxiety meds can make it worse if you are a person that's tends to tire easily to the begin with. I would definitely research some of the drugs you are on, and maybe lessen the mg...
Exercise is a pain in the butt - but it really helps... Drink more water, and hold off with soda. (If you drink it) I feel like soda really makes me feel a lot worse.
This might sound weird, but do you use the bathroom regularly? For me, I don't pass waste the way I should..., and so I learned that might be one of my issues.
So obviously, the better you eat and take better of yourself - the better you will feel in the end.
I definitely agree with the bathroom issues...I have that problem. I just feel unhealthy internally, kind of a weird feeling. I'm almost afraid I am going to be become diabetic, all I ever want are sweet things. I have no desire whatsoever to eat anything salty or like a normal meal. I wish there was just a magic vitamin that made us healthy lol
I definitely know that medication can make you feel super tired and weak! Definitely talk to your doctor about that. If you feel this way and you still feel depressed, you might need to make some changes!
Like you guys, I've also had some low points this year. It saddened me so much to watch a family member struggle with cancer and pass away this year. Unfortunately things like this just take time for you to start feeling better and get your energy back!
I let myself take naps if I need them, but I set an alarm clock so I don't sleep too much during naps. I find it helpful to eat a lot of good, healthy foods, like plenty of lean protein, fruits, and veggies. It helps my mood and energy level greatly. If I'm eatnig too many "comfort foods" then I start to notice myself being a lot more tired.
As for exercise, sometimes just getting out and going for a walk can help! Start small and build your way up. Try pilates or yoga for stress. I also enjoy running, but I feel that I need to have more energy to do it or I lose my balance too much. I've tried to force myself to run while very tired and I usually get minor injuries, so instead I recommend something a bit easier on the body!
Best of luck and just know that you are not alone!
All I seem to ever want are sweet foods....like cake and stuff like that. I used to get hungry for real meals but now I can barely force myself to eat anything besides sweets! I recently started taking cinnamon to help metabolize all of the sugar I've been eating. When I'm at work/school I'm very busy and it's hard to eat healthy. It's so much easier and cheaper to grab something pre packaged and ready to eat lol. I'm almost worried that I'm too unhealthy to exercise at this point! I don't have a paying job right now so I am somewhat limited on options with food and exercise. I kind of just have to eat whatever is in the fridge. Things are not fun right now but I'll just have to deal with it and it'll get better eventually. Thank you for your support!
One thing you can do is to make sure there's always SOMETHING to eat that's at least minimally nutritious.
Go to the store, get a dozen eggs and hard-boil them all. There's instant nutrition. Or a sack of baby carrots and maybe salad dressing for them. Or peanut butter and whole grain bread or crackers. Or a can of tuna. I don't know what you like, I'm just looking at stuff that can stabilize your blood sugar a bit.
Exercise: Is it feasible for you to just take a walk outside? That might be the best place to start. Might get you an appetite for real food also.
Has a real psychiatrist prescribed your meds? Mixing mind medicines is sometimes necessary, but it's a very delicate process.
Thanks Jane! I just had my primary dr prescribe me the meds. My insurance doesn't cover anything to do with mental health. As you know from my other threads, I'm still trying to figure out what dosage and if I even want to stick with the wellbutrin. I plan on seeing my doctor in a couple of weeks. I'm doing better than I was when I wrote this post but my eating habits are still horrible. I am trying though...I only drink water and occasionally I'll have apple juice. I'm trying to get my boyfriend to eat healthier too so we can help each other(he is so stubborn!).The heat index here has been over 100 so I'm not too fond of the idea of going outside. I've been doing a lot of cleaning and stuff around the house to keep me busy since I can't be very active otherwise. I keep wanting to go and play tennis, I heard something about a cold front moving in so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Yeah, I wound up paying cash for my psychiatrist. Might be worth considering, if the meds aren't quite balanced right. Even in one visit he can go over what you're doing and send you back to family doctor with new ideas.
I think a complete "B-complex" would be very helpful for you. B12 is just one of the vitamins that help with mood and energy. You might also want to try "Holy Basil" and/or ashwagandha which are both helpful for energy and the adrenal glands - and safe to use while on medication. A high-quality fish oil would also be super helpful to you (look for one with EPA and DHA - about 1000 mg combined)
So you know, craving sweets is a MAJOR way of your body saying "I need more protein!!" Plus, protein rich foods help boost serotonin and give you more energy. Try to eat lots of raw nuts, wild caught fish, avocadoes. Also, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat. Good luck!
YES I crave sweets like crazy too when I'm stressed. Usually I crave salty snacks, like chips, but under this year of stress, I keep wanting cupcakes and cookies and donuts... anything like that just about every day! To fight these, I let myself enjoy one every once in a while, and I eat good the other days. I had a few days where I let myself have a small portion of sweets (like a 100 calorie pack of mini cupcakes) each day, but honestly, it made me want them even more. I also felt that I'd get an "energy crash" afterwards... it was very noticeable that I was feeling more tired after eating these! It felt like I was stuck in a cycle... I'd crave the cupcake, eat it, feel good, then get tired... then I'd want another the next day.. and it kept going! I try to keep fruit around. I love strawberries and apples. Those cupcakes actually cost more than buying some fruit anyway! When I'm eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and making sure I eat my protein, it does help with energy. Even if I'm not in the mood for it, I make sure to eat some lean meat and get some protein to help me stay satisfied and keep up my energy levels.
PS, the other day I let myself enjoy a delicious cupcake (I only bought one REAL cupcake- not a pack of 100 calorie mini ones) as a special treat for the week. It was much more rich than the smaller ones I tried to eat... I could not eat all of it at once and ate about half, then saved the other half for the next day. Eating a real treat like I was craving and only buying one helped me.. I got to enjoy it and not try to substitute it with something else not as similar, and now I got over my craving! I'll want one again eventually, but I felt like I had enough
I hope I'll get to that point too....I'm doing good if I just to eat anything at all. I haven't been eating or hungry and when I do get hungry it's only for sweet things. I would rather not eat than eat something I'm not hungry for. I hate it! I'm in a depression right now...boyfriend and I broke up again.
Thank you for your reply! I do get in a not going out mood and it takes sooo long to get out of it! I just stop wanting to go out, it becomes easier to just stay at home.
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