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Supplements lead to weight GAIN?


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#1 staceyo

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Posted 26 July 2007 - 08:23 AM


[:o] I was on an SSRI for 15 years and recently got off of it with the help of various supplements. The SSRI had packed several pounds on me and I was looking forward to losing them. But the opposite seems to be happening! I've been fairly good about diet, but I've added a lot of supplements to keep my mood stable: L-tyrosine, L-glutamine, Inositol (5 grams), CLA, Omega 3 and digestive enzymes. Could any of these cause weight gain? I am so sick of this.

#2 krillin

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Posted 27 July 2007 - 12:30 AM

[:o]  I was on an SSRI for 15 years and recently got off of it with the help of various supplements.  The SSRI had packed several pounds on me and I was looking forward to losing them.  But the opposite seems to be happening!  I've been fairly good about diet, but I've added a lot of supplements to keep my mood stable:  L-tyrosine, L-glutamine, Inositol (5 grams), CLA, Omega 3 and digestive enzymes.  Could any of these cause weight gain?  I am so sick of this.


10 grams/day of glutamine caused some water weight gain in me. 4 grams/day doesn't do this. I have no other ideas.

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#3 niner

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Posted 27 July 2007 - 01:04 AM

Staceyo, the usual effect of SSRIs is appetite suppression. I suspect that the weight gain was caused by getting off the SSRI, not by the supplements. Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR) at 1 gm/day causes SSRI-like mode elevation in a lot of people. I don't have any data that demonstrates it, but my half-baked speculation is that it might also be appetite suppressive. Other people might weigh in with some more well-formed ideas for keeping the appetite down.

#4 tedsez

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Posted 28 July 2007 - 05:54 AM

Keep in mind that CLA and omega-3 supplements have about 10 calories per capsule, which can add up if you take a lot. Also, it's possible that the digestive enzymes are causing your body to absorb more calories from your food than previously. And, of course, your metabolism may have slowed over 15 years.

So the solution could be as simple as taking in fewer calories, exercising more, or preferably both. If you find you're doing more "emotional eating" than before, then a therapist, a nutritionist or Overeaters Anonymous can help.

#5 unbreakable

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Posted 28 July 2007 - 03:55 PM

@staceyo

If you took the SSRI for depression you may look into Wellbutrin XL. It is especially useful if you had energy/motivation problems. Often psychiatrists combine it with SSRIs to offset their sexual side effects. It can induce significant weight loss:

Objective: To critically examine the efficacy of bupropion SR for weight loss.

Research Methods and Procedures: This 24-week multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study randomized obese adults to placebo, bupropion SR 300, or 400 mg/d. Subjects were counseled on energy-restricted diets, meal replacements, and exercise. During a 24-week extension, placebo subjects were randomized to bupropion SR 300 or 400 mg/d in a double-blinded manner.

Results: Of 327 subjects enrolled, 227 completed 24 weeks; 192 completed 48 weeks. Percentage losses of initial body weight for subjects completing 24 weeks were 5.0%, 7.2%, and 10.1% for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively. Compared with placebo, net weight losses were 2.2% (p = 0.0468) and 5.1% (p < 0.0001) for bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d, respectively. The percentages of subjects who lost 5% of initial body weight were 46%, 59%, and 83% (p vs. placebo < 0.0001) for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively; weight losses of 10% were 20%, 33%, and 46% (p vs. placebo = 0.0008) for placebo, bupropion SR 300, and 400 mg/d, respectively. Withdrawals, changes in pulse and blood pressure did not differ significantly from placebo at 24 weeks. Subjects who completed 48 weeks maintained mean losses of initial body weight of 7.5% and 8.6% for bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d, respectively.

Discussion: Bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d were well-tolerated by obese adults and were associated with a 24-week weight loss of 7.2% and 10.1% and sustained weight losses at 48 weeks.


Bupropion SR vs. placebo for weight loss in obese patients with depressive symptoms.Jain AK, Kaplan RA, Gadde KM, Wadden TA, Allison DB, Brewer ER, Leadbetter RA, Richard N, Haight B, Jamerson BD, Buaron KS, Metz A.
Medical Research Institute, Slidell, Louisiana, USA. ajain@medresearch.com

OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of bupropion sustained-release (bupropion SR) in reducing weight and depressive symptoms in obese adults. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Obese adults (body mass index, 30 to 44 kg/m(2)) not currently meeting criteria for major depression but with depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory score 10-30) received bupropion SR 300 mg/d or placebo for 26 weeks with a 500 kcal/d-deficit diet. Patients who lost <5% of baseline weight at week 12 had bupropion SR dosage or placebo increased to 400 mg/d in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: The bupropion SR group (n = 193) lost an average of 4.4 kg (4.6% of baseline weight) vs. 1.7 kg (1.8% of baseline weight) on placebo (n = 191, p < 0.001, last-observation-carried-forward analysis). More patients in the bupropion SR group than in the placebo group (40% vs. 16% of intent-to-treat sample, 50% vs. 28% of completers, respectively) lost at least 5% of baseline weight (p < 0.05 at week 4, p < 0.001 at weeks 6 to 26). The percentage of patients reporting > or =50% decrease in depressive symptoms did not differ between groups, but depressive symptoms improved more with bupropion SR than with placebo among patients with a history of major depression (p < 0.05, weeks 4 to 26). In the sample as a whole, improvement in depressive symptoms was related to weight loss of > or =5% regardless of treatment (p < 0.0001). Bupropion SR was well-tolerated. DISCUSSION: Bupropion SR in combination with a 500 kcal/d-deficit diet facilitated weight loss. Weight loss of > or =5% may improve mood in obese patients with depressive symptoms.



One of the most potent weight loss agents is topiramate (Topamax). It is an antiepileptic with mood-stabilizing properties.

#6 krillin

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Posted 28 July 2007 - 05:51 PM

One of the most potent weight loss agents is topiramate (Topamax). It is an antiepileptic with mood-stabilizing properties.


I knew a girl who was taking it for the migraines she got from our moldy workplace. (They ended up firing her for taking too many sick days instead of doing something about the mold.) The weight loss comes (at least in part) from it making things taste awful due to the carbonic anhydrase inhibition. The drug also makes you stupid and unable to think of the right words. Definitely a drug of last resort.

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#7 unbreakable

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Posted 29 July 2007 - 02:06 PM

I took topiramate and had no side effects at all, but it's true, in general it's side effect profile isn't very nice.




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