How to Use Antidepressants to Treat Overeating

Antidepressants, which are prescribed medications used to treat depression and other types of mood orders, are often used to treat eating disorders such as compulsive overeating. Since depression may be either a symptom or a cause of most eating disorders, due to low self-esteem issues concerning body images, you should ask your mental health care professional if you should use antidepressants to treat overeating behaviors.

Things You'll Need

• Antidepressants
• Mental health care professional, such as a psychiatrist

Instructions

1. Consult with a doctor or psychiatrist to determine which type of antidepressants you should use to treat your compulsive overeating behavior. A physical examination may be required to determine whether your binge eating patterns have caused any long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease before antidepressants can be effectively prescribed.

2. Choose antidepressants that are not known for causing weight gain in patients, such as Wellbutrin. Many of the more often-prescribed antidepressants, such as Prozac and Zoloft, list weight gain as one of the most common side effects. Your health care professional should be able to select an appropriate type of antidepressant to treat overeating.

3. Be aware of the other potential side effects that may be caused by taking antidepressants to treat overeating. These include headaches, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea and dry mouth. You should also note that a small percentage of patients who take antidepressants may have an adverse reaction to the medication, causing them to feel even more depressed than before.

4. Boost your serotonin levels naturally by getting plenty of exercise while you are taking antidepressants. Most antidepressants work by raising serotonin levels chemically. Make sure you start your exercise regimen slowly, choosing such activities as yoga, tai chi, walking and stretching exercises in order to avoid injury.

5. Use caution in adjusting or eliminating your dosages levels of antidepressants. If you fail to wean yourself off the antidepressants slowly over several weeks, withdrawal symptoms may occur. These symptoms can include increased feelings of depression, suicidal tendencies, headaches, tremors, hallucinations and frequent nightmares. Never stop taking your medication unless you are under the strict supervision of your doctor or psychiatrist.

Tips & Warnings

• The use of antidepressants alone to treat an eating disorder such as compulsive overeating will only serve to mask and cover up the symptoms, as opposed to addressing the root causes of the undesirable behaviors. Combining antidepressants with psychotherapy or behavior therapy is considered the front-line treatment for treating an eating disorder.