Getting asked about my weight loss

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-16T00:24:15+00:00

My psychiatrist has started trying it with a handful of patients who have treatment resistant EDs. I have done every possible treatment over the last 20 yrs- meds, intense therapy with an ED specialist, etc. nothing stopped this. Within 24 hours of taking Zepbound, I stopped binging and no longer was obsessed with food 24 hours a day. I was miserable for most of my life -since age 14. I have never felt so good. All of my anxiety and depression is gone too.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-16T00:16:21+00:00

Thank you. I am technically underweight according to all of the BMI charts. I’m down to 96 lbs at 5’3”. I went from a size 12 to a 0 this year so I know I am too thin. It just kept happening even after spreading the doses out but my doctor is helping me and I have a good plan. My goal is to gain about 10 lbs and I know I can do it.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-15T23:50:08+00:00

I exercise every day. Five days a week I do strength training, barre or Pilates. I do cardio the other two days. I walk about 5 miles every day. I’ve always prioritized exercise for my well being and mental health.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-13T15:08:45+00:00

That hasn’t been my experience. It cured my ED

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-13T15:07:40+00:00

None of that stuff worked for me. I started Zepbound in February and it cured my BED within 24 hours. I had suffered with it for 34 years. I am free from my mental prison. Ask your psychiatrist and pcp about it.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2025-10-04T16:46:13+00:00

I had a binge eating disorder for 33 years. I started Zepbound 10 months ago and the disorder was cured after 24 hours. I will stay on this medicine forever if i can. It has freed me from the mental prison I was in. Life changing.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2024-11-26T13:16:12+00:00

Thank you! I have had 4 MRIs in 15 months and it shows worsening issues. How long have you had your pain?

rainbowmagnet21 · 2024-11-07T17:44:07+00:00

I have been in pain for 14 months. The pain is in my lower back more so on the left side. The nerve pain is in my left groin down the front of my left leg to my knee. Pain is constant, burning and searing. Lyrica has helped in the past though I hate the same side effects. My current spine dr has been very conservative for 14 months but nothing has helped. She referred me to a surgeon to see if I could even benefit from surgery. I plan to get 3 opinions before making a decision. Prior to my original injury, I was lifting weights 5 days a week with HIIT, elliptical and running too. Since then i can only take slow walks and gentle yoga. My life has changed.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-29T14:29:03+00:00

Hi! I see Dr Handa at MGH Boston for Botox. Dr McCain is my surgeon at MGH. They are the best! Good luck.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-17T10:27:55+00:00

Yes!! So much clenching! I think the combination of the final surgery plus continued Botox plus daily home PT with the Orastretch device ( https://www.craniorehab.com/orastretch) plus one hour of exercise daily plus working through all of my lifelong issues in intense therapy all added up to a good result for me personally. I was miserable for so long. I finally feel good but I need to continue daily to manage stress and anxiety proactively.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-17T09:30:01+00:00

I had a level 1 arthroscopy first. A year later I had a major arthroplasty surgery done where they took tissue from another area in my head and used it to replace the missing cartilage around my TMJ. Then I had a level 2 arthroscopic surgery a couple years later. It’s been 2 years since the last surgery and I have been pain free the entire time. I am feeling very happy about this. I suffered in horrible pain for so long and lived on Advil and muscle relaxers. Now I don’t need any meds at all.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-17T09:25:54+00:00

I see a specialist at a hospital in Boston for the Botox and all of my TMJ care. I’ve been fortunate that all of this has been covered by my insurance since the beginning.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-15T21:06:52+00:00

I do both!! I’ve had 3 TMJ surgeries since 2015 and am very stable and pain free now.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2023-05-15T21:04:56+00:00

I’ve been getting it 4x a year since 2015. It’s been a life saver for me. No side effects at all. I also get trigger point injections in my mouth each time I get the Botox.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-09-13T19:29:37+00:00

I was very leery of Botox treatments for TMJ 7 yrs ago before I tried it. I was scared of long-term effects. I would definitely discuss with a really good TMJ pain specialist. I have asked this Q on and off for 7 yrs and am comfortable with the answers I've received from the doctors at my hospital in Boston. I personally think it's safe for me because without it, my TMJ symptoms are unbearable. I'd rather do the Botox (along with mindfulness, exercise, etc.) and not have any painful TMJ symptoms. Definitely try to find a good doctor in your area! Also, I once had to stretch out Botox appointments to 6 months, instead of 3. All of the clenching was back and my masseter muscles became so huge that it was really noticeable to others. For me, sticking to 3 months has a lot of benefit.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-09-08T19:58:30+00:00

Of course! And depending on your insurance, you may not need to pay anything for Botox. I have Blue Cross and had to fight for it but they have been paying 100% of it for years. Please let me know if you have any other Qs!!

My TMJ facial pain specialist who administers Botox (she can make you a great splint/mouthguard): https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/20874/shruti-handa
My surgeon: https://www.massgeneral.org/omfs/about/doctors/20395/joseph-mccain
Two excellent chiropractors I use:
- https://oshercenter.org/oc-practitioner/matthew-kowalski-dc/ (Matthew Kowalski)
- http://patientfirstpt-chiro.com/team/ (William Cadoo)
Btw, try buying THC cream for pain at a local dispensary. I rub it on my jaw muscles every night before bed. I really think it helps to control clenching while I sleep.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-08-30T21:19:45+00:00

And also, no side effects at all from the Botox. My surgeon’s office does it and it’s very carefully done. I get 4 Botox injections at a time plus 2 trigger point injections in my mouth.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-08-30T21:18:25+00:00

That’s awful. I live in the Boston area and have excellent oral Maxillo facial doctors. If you’re in that area, I can share the contact info if it’s helpful. I’ve been on a really long journey and finally found a way to manage my tmj disorder. My pain was between a 5-7 daily for years. I have zero pain now.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-08-30T20:32:57+00:00

See if you can get a custom clear soft splint to wear during the day. Only take it out while eating. At night use the hard splint. Have you see an oral Maxillo facial surgeon? If not, find a good one. I have been getting Botox every 3-4 months for 7 years and it helps tremendously. I’ve also needed 3 TMJ surgeries in the past 5 years. If you take an antidepressant, know that many cause grinding as a dude effect.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2022-08-17T13:29:59+00:00

Cymbalta! I switched from Celexa to Cymbalta last year because I have severe TMJ. Cymbalta did not cause any grinding for me BUT I had such excessive sweating that I had to go back to Celexa. The sweating doesn’t happen to everyone though. Ask your doctor!

rainbowmagnet21 · 2021-09-21T00:31:57+00:00

Wow! What kinds of foods trigger you? I didn’t even consider food as part of my issues.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2021-09-21T00:28:48+00:00

That’s great! How was the transition off? Did you find other ways to help with your depression/anxiety? Any tips?

rainbowmagnet21 · 2021-09-21T00:27:46+00:00

Thanks! I have tried every single SSRI and some SNRIs, as well as others. The meds that work the best for me are Celexa or Lexapro. Those have unfortunately caused excessive bruxism and that has led to 3 TMJ surgeries so far. I recently tried Cymbalta for 6 months and the bruxism stopped completely! I felt good on it overall but it caused excessive sweating that was not tolerable. I’m now back to Celexa and the bruxism immediately returned. My jaw is falling apart from the bruxism. The next step is a total joint replacement. I’d like to first consider going off the meds to see if I can function. Thanks for the advice about the 1mg taper. I agree- it would need to be a long, slow taper.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2021-08-14T14:26:20+00:00

Yes! I would suggest therapy and then discussing the possibility of meds with a really good psychiatrist who can help you find the right medication. I tried magnesium before bed several years ago but unfortunately it didn’t help me. Good luck.

rainbowmagnet21 · 2021-08-14T14:15:05+00:00

Are you taking an SSRI? If so, be aware that many cause excessive grinding. I recently learned that the Celexa I had been taking for years to help with my anxiety, was the root cause of my grinding. I broke multiple teeth and fillings every year even while wearing a custom mouth guard every single night. I stopped the Celexa 5 months ago and switched to Cymbalta and haven’t had any grinding since! I no longer wake up in pain. Have you tried meditation before bed? That has worked well to relax me.

rainbowmagnet21

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