Its not skills it's my medicine

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 12:20 pm

I have or always had a binge eating disorder that I have discussed here many times before. I have dieted my whole life and lost and gained the same 50 lbs a few times. I've been on every diet "lifestyle change" that's out there but the food noise always wins and I gain the weight back.

The last 2 months I've been on medication that isn't helping much for what it's being prescribed for but I noticed that my desire to binge is basically gone. I am eating less and the food noise is quiet.

I have lost some weight but it's not because I have done anything. I've not managed my binge eating, I'm not eating super healthy, it's all the meds. Like I said it's not really helping what I am being prescribed it for but I want to continue taking it if it has this side affect. Then I feel like I have an eating disorder, using meds just for the weight loss part. I am also afraid what will be if I stop the medicine or my body adjusts and the food noise returns.
This is not weight loss meds. I cannot afford those.
I want to use this time to build healthy habits and maybe maybe maybe, this weightloss will last.
Any advice or ideas or chizzuk?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 2:48 pm

amother Azalea wrote:

What med is it? Vyvanse?

I do take Vyvanse for ADHD but that didn't help my food obsession. This is another medicine that I take in addition (Prozac), I don't know if it's the combination or what it is. The Prozac has side effects of decreased appetite. I'm still anxious, don't see that it's helping much for that, but my eating is not obsessive at all anymore.

amother

Zinnia

Yesterday at 2:51 pm

the reason for your binge eating has been treated by this medicine.
Your binge eating wasn't something you chose, it was something your body was compelling you to do. this medicine is treating that compulsion, and therefore you no longer have that need anymore.

I'd say this is exactly the purpose of a medicine, to treat the underlying root cause of a problem, not just to bandage it.

keep it going OP. you're doing great.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 3:30 pm

amother Zinnia wrote:

But it's not helping my anxiety much at all and that's what it's supposed to be for.

I did a ton of therapy and emotional work to get to the root of my bingeing and we couldn't find much of anything. I don't eat to escape any feelings, I binge to relax or wind down. Mostly we discovered that I binge because I have an urge to binge ie I binge to escape the urge to binge. The food noise is so loud and urgent that I binge to get relief from the intensity of the urges.

Right now with the medication, there are no urges to binge.

amother

Arcticblue ↓

Yesterday at 3:36 pm

amother OP wrote:

The urge to binge is neurological, not emotional. The medication fixed whatever neurological imbalance was there.
If this isn't the best medication to be on, maybe look up the mechanism of action of this medication and see if you could replicate it with something safer. Clearly your brain needs this.

ETA Prozac is thought to work by increasing serotonin. Low serotonin is a VERY common cause of bingeing/compulsive eating and also other compulsive behaviors.

Now that you know this is what you need, you can work on increasing serotonin in other ways.

amother

↑ Arcticblue ↓

Yesterday at 3:44 pm

You said you don't see it helping with anxiety, but food noise and the urge to binge can fall under intrusive thoughts , so it does seem to be helping after all. Makes perfect sense.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:11 pm

I'm still anxious at night and when stressful things come up. It's not intrusive thoughts per se but tightness in my chest.
I never binged to alleviate any feelings other than the urge to binge. When I have time to relax by myself my brain tells me to binge it'll feel so good. The binge urges do feel intrusive.
I just started this medicine so not sure how long this will last but this is very fascinating.
I have tried everything to deal with my bingeing and nothing ever worked. Just go off carbs, join OA, don't diet, yes diet. And all along it had nothing to do with the actual food but the intense cravings.
I just don't know what to do if this stops working, I have no tools.

amother

↑ Arcticblue ↓

Yesterday at 4:15 pm

amother OP wrote:

I wouldn't say nothing to do with food because food has an outsized effect on neurotransmitters but sometimes it's much bigger and stronger than just the foods. It's not the food the way OA tells you it us. It's a brain thing.

If I were you I'd stop thinking in terms of tools, and start thinking in terms of neurotransmitters. Just like you do for your adhd and anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral skills aren't always enough.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:24 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

Can you explain what you are advising me to do in practical terms? Now that I know this, what can I do about my bingeing?

amother

↑ Arcticblue ↓

Yesterday at 4:31 pm

amother OP wrote:

Can you explain what you are advising me to do in practical terms? Now that I know this, what can I do about my bingeing?

https://selfhacked.com/blog/se.....ents/

https://selfhacked.com/blog/se.....tter/

https://selfhacked.com/blog/ho.....onin/

This can be a good start

amother

↑ Arcticblue

Yesterday at 4:41 pm

amother OP wrote:

So you're saying it's about serotine and that I should look for ways to increase my serotine and that will help my bingeing.
Interesting.

Yes but also if younwant to stay on medication, definitely discuss with your doctor. There's plenty of research done on ssri's and binge eating and like I said the urges are intrusive thoughts so really if you want to stay on you have plenty of good reasons too.

Also important to know that a lot of the alternative ways to increase serotonin cab NOT be in done while on an sssri.

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 5:26 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

I have no issue staying on a low dose of SSRI if it works.
I am on ADHD meds too so I need to be careful with medical interference in general.
I have tried the vitamin suggestions in the article.
Curious which things cannot be done while on SSRIs.
Of course if I can achieve the same without the meds I would much prefer that!