Gaining Weight & Metabolism

[[Re...]]

I've found many posts about people losing weight during benzo use/withdrawal/recovery but I haven't seen much about gaining weight. 

 

I've gained a lot of weight throughout my time on psych meds including benzos. Every time I quit them in the past I lost the weight except for this time. I'm currently not on any psych meds. My weight isn't budging no matter what I do. I'm worried that my metabolism is permanently damaged from all this. Anyone else experience weight gain from benzos? Anyone have success stories of metabolism returning to normal after healing?

[[ex...]]

Regarding persistent weight after benzo, I haven't experienced that, however, I also experience weight issue as you may have read on my thread, in my case, I'm still trying to gain weight, as this is one of my major issues after being benzo free.

 

But I can tell you that I was gaining a huge amount of weights when I was still in benzo & other psych meds. I was skinny before I consumed those, and I began to gain weight little by little until I became really fat, with terrible belly fat (perhaps this was what you guys called benzo belly?), my maximum weight was around 176 lbs. Up until now I had no idea it was caused by psych meds. In my case, the weight started to gain little by little, years after years as my consumption of junk food increased as well, and I was sure that my psych meds especially anti psychotic at that time also caused my crazy appetite.

 

That's all I can tell you right now, I hope the other buddies here have the experience to answer your persistent weight question.

[[Re...]]

It's true that psych meds make a lot of people gain weight especially antipsychotics. They lower your metabolism and also increase appetite. When I was on seroquel there were many evenings after I took a pill that I couldn't control myself. I've never had an issue with food like that before. I wish you the best exbenzo. Thank you for sharing.

[[Re...]]

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[[Re...]]

Really?! No one else gained weight on benzos that they cannot get rid of after quitting?!

[[Gr...]]

Well I originally stayed pretty skinny on benzos, but I have gained weight during the withdrawal.  I also gained weight while on zoloft, and that weight I have not been able to lose yet.  I really feel like the zoloft was the reason for the weight gain cause it happened during my first six months on zoloft and became impossible to lose and I didn't stop gaining weight until I was off the zoloft.  I really felt like not only were my cravings uncontrollable but zoloft really changed my metabolism.  On the other hand, zoloft also quelled my anxiety like nothing ever did before.  I feel like there was a choice between skinny with anxiety and fat without anxiety, but I'm still hoping to get back to skinny someday.

[[Re...]]

I would prefer to be skinny with anxiety too! I have many non-medication tools to cope with anxiety. I'm not coping well with the weight or losing it though.

[[Sh...]]

Hi Red Sky,

 

Count me as one who gained weight as soon as I weaned off and jumped.  This happened the first time around as well as the second time.  In between, after I had reinstated occasional rescue doses of Xanax, I lost the weight without too much effort.  When I jumped the second time, the weight practically leaped back on.  I am now over 2 years off and mostly healed, but the weight issue is being very stubborn.  I am very careful about what I eat, count calories, exercise and really try hard, but the scales just won't change!  I'm not sure the exact mechanism, but there is definitely a difference between being on the X and being off weight wise.  I can only hope that over time, whatever is broken about this process will also heal and allow us to come back to baseline.

 

She

[[Re...]]

She, do you have thyroid or hormone issues? I'm trying to figure out if my metabolism has been permanently damaged. I hope it's not permanent.

[[Gr...]]

I've gained a lot of weight on benzos and antidepressants. I've been off Valium for seven months and lost 5-6 lbs. I seem to have plateaud but I haven't been working super hard to lose it. I also found out I was very hypothyroid last summer and went on thyroid meds for that. I've slowly been decreasing the dosage as my thyroid creeps back to normal. I hope I can stop them eventually.

[[Re...]]

Grapejuice, is your hypothyroidism from benzos? How can you tell it's going back to normal?

[[Gi...]]

i gained like 20 lbs in a year of withdrawal. wasn't well enough to exercise then injured my knee. 

[[Re...]]

Gina, I'm sorry about the injured knee on top of everything else. Strength and healing to you. xoxo

[[an...]]

I gained 50 and have only been able to lose 15. A friend who's healed told me that around her 2 1/2 year mark, the weight finally felt off. She told me that our cortisol is too high to lose while our bodies are in this shock- however her and I had an extremely bad wd so you might not take as long as us.

[[Re...]]

Ang, That is a relief to hear, thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you're struggling with this too.

[[Gr...]]

Grapejuice, is your hypothyroidism from benzos? How can you tell it's going back to normal?

I'm not sure if it is from benzos or not. I have a history of it going underactive and then back to normal and it runs in my family. But I was also on benzos the previous times I had a problem so I don't know.

My dr checks my TSH every few months and we lower the dose of my meds if it starts getting close to hyperthyroid range, it's been reduced three times now since the diagnosis last summer, so my thyroid slowly needs less help.

[[Re...]]

Grapejuice, is your hypothyroidism from benzos? How can you tell it's going back to normal?

I'm not sure if it is from benzos or not. I have a history of it going underactive and then back to normal and it runs in my family. But I was also on benzos the previous times I had a problem so I don't know.

My dr checks my TSH every few months and we lower the dose of my meds if it starts getting close to hyperthyroid range, it's been reduced three times now since the diagnosis last summer, so my thyroid slowly needs less help.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry you have to deal with this on top of benzo recovery.

[[lo...]]

I've gained something like 10 or 15 pounds. I mostly attribute it to needing to give up coffee entirely. Hungrier more often, slower resting metabolism. Exercise is also pretty hard with symptoms

[[Sh...]]

She, do you have thyroid or hormone issues? I'm trying to figure out if my metabolism has been permanently damaged. I hope it's not permanent.

 

No I don't have thyroid or hormonal issues that I know of.  All my blood work is normal.  I suspect its the way benzos and withdrawal disrupts our HPA axis and  interferes with our metabolism in some way, but I have no scientific studies to quote.  I will continue to be diligent every day to eat a healthy diet, get exercise and try to lose the weight, but its a struggle at 2+ years off.  I am not overweight per se, but my BMI is right up there nearing the upper limits.  I just know that I feel a whole lot better, have more energy, my blood pressure is better and my clothes fit about 15 pounds lighter, which is what I gained during this.

 

She

[[Re...]]

She, I'm glad you are feeling better!

[[Gr...]]

My thyroid was off once and I took thyroid medication for like six months and then they said I could stop and my thyroid was normal.  It was so weird, and I can't help but think it was part of the benzodiazepene effect.  I wouldn't be surprised if our thyroids were in and out of commission many times during not only withdrawal but just regular benzo usage.

[[vi...]]

Really?! No one else gained weight on benzos that they cannot get rid of afteer quitting?!

I did and I think it's because the benzos whacked out my thyroid or it was something else but now I have Hashimoto's disease and I have been binge eating as well.

If I tried I could probably lose some but I gained a ton of weight starting back in late 2014 as soon as I started tapering.

[[Re...]]

Hi Green and Violet, we have all the colors represented here now! Yes, I've discovered benzos mess with every chemical system in the body including pituitary and thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones. I chose the worst time to be in benzo withdrawal/recovery... perimenopause. Ugh! And like it did for GreenCup I hope it passes for us too.

[[vi...]]

Hi Green and Violet, we have all the colors represented here now! Yes, I've discovered benzos mess with every chemical system in the body including pituitary and thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones. I chose the worst time to be in benzo withdrawal/recovery... perimenopause. Ugh! And like it did for GreenCup I hope it passes for us too.

I was in perimenopause as well at 37 I was just so sick of the meds and didn't think there would be so much of an effect on my HPA axis.

[[Re...]]

Hi Green and Violet, we have all the colors represented here now! Yes, I've discovered benzos mess with every chemical system in the body including pituitary and thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones. I chose the worst time to be in benzo withdrawal/recovery... perimenopause. Ugh! And like it did for GreenCup I hope it passes for us too.

I was in perimenopause as well at 37 I was just so sick of the meds and didn't think there would be so much of an effect on my HPA axis.

 

I wasn't expecting that either! Strength and healing to you. xoxo