Hello doctor, I am a 27 year old female. I had a really tough time in the last two years. I have taken therapy for depression and anxiety. I gained around 20 kg of weight in the last two years. My periods are absent from a year and I am losing hair from the top of my head. My face is full of acne and oil. Please help me. What should I do?
Hello. Firstly, I would like to assure you not to worry. Tension and worry only worsen your problem. So, relax Secondly, you need to do the following: You have mentioned about undergoing depression and anxiety but have not mentioned the kind of medication you took. Some anti-depressants cause weight gain and the changes it causes to your physical state needs to be counteracted through physical activity. So, check the medications and follow up with me or your therapist to make changes for the same. I am assuming you have not done any investigations or laboratory tests for the present condition. You need to carry out thyroid tests, complete blood count and uterus scan for ruling out certain conditions like PCOD (polycystic ovaries disease) that result in the current symptoms. In case of PCOD, it needs treatment and your present symptoms would fade with time. So, it is very important. You need to make changes in your diet plan. You need to have a good and balanced diet with each meal containing a portion of carbohydrate, protein and fat each and meals should be taken four hours apart. Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Consume enough water at least eight to nine glasses each day. Drink a lot of green tea. Avoid any soda, milk or hot beverages. Avoid dairy, including milk, yogurt and cheese. Reduce red meat and focus on eggs or fish instead of meat. You need to exercises. Start with yoga and cardio twice a week and increase it eventually. It is very important to counteract the weight gain and helps fight any physical illnesses.  Avoid fried food. Stick to the grilled version instead. Follow the above advice and you will be good to go. Do not worry. For more information consult a family physician online -->