I'm on 60mg of Prozac for depression. I wonder how my weight loss will affect my mental health . How has it affect any of you ?

ive lost 100 pounds and I was on 100mg daily of Zoloft prior to surgery. I lowered myself to to myself to 50mg daily because I felt do good and because I have recently been told that I look like I'm a whole new person. They specifically state that I look "in love with life" and that I couldnt be more "happily glowing". Honestly its the NSVs that rock your world more than anything and you start finding confidence in the small things.

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It can go different ways. For some, the dietary control and weight loss fuels positivity.

For others, the hormonal fluctuations, head hunger, and possible pain/complications "win", and the depression is worse than ever... at least for a while. I do think this postop depression tends to be limited to the 2-3 months following surgery, and it gets better as the patient heals.

It is very important to have a med that you can take.. I mean small enough.. liquid, crushable, or tiny pills. Regular pills hurt for the first month or so.

During the first month out I felt more depressed even though I was continuing to take my Lexapro. I chalked it up to the hormones. Otherwise, I feel better than ever mentally than I have since before my surgery. I describe it to people as "starting to feel like myself again."

Weight loss can and does help with how you feel about yourself, that's undeniable. My opinion or experience might not be popular, but I'll share it, anyway.

Being unhappy and expecting weightloss to make us happy is unfair and unreasonable. For me, the weight was merely a symptom of the underlying issues. So ongoing treatment was required. I need less and less as time goes on, that's true. But I think that's less due to my size and more about the amount of work I've put in and how I feel about myself overall. Does body image factor into that? Absolutely. As does having set a goal, achieved it and my continued maintenance. But I found myself severely depressed at goal because I'd expected to be happier - and that hadn't happened.

Postop our hormones are in flux for a good while. It can really affect our moods. So, just keep an eye on it.

Over time and with work, medication and therapy I'm far happier in both body and mind than I've ever been. But it wasn't one thing that brought me to this point.

Good luck, and be well.

Cheri

On 10/08/2017 at 10:11 PM, danybx said:

I'm on 60mg of Prozac for depression. I wonder how my weight loss will affect my mental health . How has it affect any of you ?

It depends what is causing your depression? Some peoples weight gain causes their depression so weightloss helps. Some people weightloss makes no difference as their depression is not about that, perhaps an imbalance.

The sleeve itself is an emotional rollercoaster, alot have mood swings. I have been down alot. But really happy with my sleeve ( I have been on and off meds since I was a teenager) I am not on meds now.

The sleeve is something I am happy with. My health has improved. But it will not make my mental health issues go away.

Whatever you do though, being in therapy will help , your surgeon knowing what you are dealing with etc.