Anti-psychotic meds and weight gain.

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Replies

  • etherealanwar
    etherealanwar Posts: 465 Member
    It seems as though most of the research points to the weight gain being caused by an increase in appetite which is good news in that we can try to combat this by monitoring what we eat. It is difficult but surely not impossible. So far I have lost 11 lbs and I've become relieved that I am able to do this! Without my medication I would be a mess.

    Here is one article that discusses it: https://www.jci.org/articles/view/93362
  • lois1231
    lois1231 Posts: 330 Member
    I am on mood stabilizers and anti depressants and have gained weight; hence, the reason I am here.
  • craziedazie
    craziedazie Posts: 185 Member
    I've been on various anti psychotics for the last 3 years and have gained 70 lbs. I have never in my life been this size. I went off of the drugs last year but I was a miserable hermit who stayed in bed for a year. I am now back on abilify and lamictal. Hoping to lose all 70 pounds. Please add me, you are my people. :)
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    toomuchcider wrote: »
    @jesslla

    Yes, according to this article the problem is that not only does it increase appetite, but also:

    - Slows the metabolism.
    - Alters levels of blood glucose & hormones.
    - Disrupts your gut 'microbiome'.

    All of which can lead to weight gain no matter how well you maintain the CI side of the CICO equation.

    Interesting. I love it when a personal theory turns out to be right. Makes me feel smart. :) I'd like to look for some scientific studies on this too.

    I am convinced that the Abilify gave me diabetes earlier than I would have developed it naturally. My parents and grandfather were diabetic, so there was a strong likelihood that I'd develop it eventually. But I developed it very quickly. I had an A1C every six months to a year, always normal. A finger stick at the doctor an hour after eating two white bread and jelly (heavy on the jelly) sandwiches showed my sugar was normal.

    Five months later I was diabetic. No pre-diabetes or anything. Evaluated blood sugar and diabetes are side effects of abilify.

    If I'd known that, I'd like to say I'd have taken better care of myself and tried harder to lose weight to reduce my risks, but it took me three or four years after being diagnosed as diabetic to change.
    WillingtoLose1001984 wrote: »
    jesslla wrote: »
    I believe that mood stabilizers and anti psychotics that cause weight gain when the diet hasn't changed, such as in the comment two above me that it's changing the CO side of the CICO equation. This is just a personal theory of mine, based on my experience with Abilify.

    I lost 70 pounds with WW while just on Cymbalta. I gained it back when my bipolar disorder got bad, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on Abilify.

    I tried WW again, I followed the program exactly right. I measured all my foods (using cups, which wrong, but better than I was previously doing), I tracked every point for two months. I lost no weight. I was eating the same things in the same quantities as I was when I list 70 pounds, I wasn't any hungrier at all, but I couldn't lose weight. If I was indeed doing everything right, my leader said I was (she looked at my logs), and I couldn't lose, the only thing I can think of is that maybe the medication made my body a little more efficient at burning calories, so I was still eating too much.

    Maybe I'm full of *kitten*. If I am, please tell me, I'm genuinely curious and never remember to Google this.

    I should have tried dropping my points a few and see if that made a difference. Or measured with a scale. Ah, if I knew then what I know now...

    My doctor eventually took me off Abilify and put me on Geodon. I sorta tracked, kind of half-assed it last year and dropped 50 pounds. Again the only real change was my medication, and I stuck to it longer.

    Geodon actually totally took away my appetite. They took me off it though. Abilify actually gave me symptoms I didn't usually have so I went off. Latest I was on haldol and started gaining, 40 lbs in 2 or 3 months. I think the histamine problem that was mentioned happens to me.

    Yuck. I'm sorry. You have my sympathy. Do antihistamines help?
  • doittoitgirl
    doittoitgirl Posts: 157 Member
    I'm on prozac and lamictal right now. But the prescriber really probably shouldn't have put me on lamictal at all. I was always able to lose weight on SSRIs but the minute I added lamictal in I gained and am now heavier than I've ever been. I just went to a new doctor today who reevaluated my meds and she really seems like she knows what she is doing. Today is the last day of my lamictal so hopefully things week start improving in couple months!
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    doittoitgirl wrote: »
    I'm on prozac and lamictal right now. But the prescriber really probably shouldn't have put me on lamictal at all. I was always able to lose weight on SSRIs but the minute I added lamictal in I gained and am now heavier than I've ever been. I just went to a new doctor today who reevaluated my meds and she really seems like she knows what she is doing. Today is the last day of my lamictal so hopefully things week start improving in couple months!

    Lamictal is one of the few mood stabilizers that are weight neutral. I’ve been on various doses of generic Lamictal for years and have never noticed any gain that wasn’t due to me clearly overeating. I’m actually maintaining now while on 300mg Lamictal.

    Regardless, I hope you get your meds figured out and get to your goals! :smile:
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    RosieRose7673 wrote: »
    doittoitgirl wrote: »
    I'm on prozac and lamictal right now. But the prescriber really probably shouldn't have put me on lamictal at all. I was always able to lose weight on SSRIs but the minute I added lamictal in I gained and am now heavier than I've ever been. I just went to a new doctor today who reevaluated my meds and she really seems like she knows what she is doing. Today is the last day of my lamictal so hopefully things week start improving in couple months!

    Lamictal is one of the few mood stabilizers that are weight neutral. I’ve been on various doses of generic Lamictal for years and have never noticed any gain that wasn’t due to me clearly overeating. I’m actually maintaining now while on 300mg Lamictal.

    Regardless, I hope you get your meds figured out and get to your goals! :smile:

    Not everyone will react the same way to a drug (everyone knows that), even though a drug is supposed to be weight neutral someone can still gain from it.

    A quick Google found a few people who said they gained after being put on it too, or that they couldn't lose.

    I'm losing on it, but I (and many others) gained on Abilify which is also supposed to be weight neutral.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    jesslla wrote: »
    RosieRose7673 wrote: »
    doittoitgirl wrote: »
    I'm on prozac and lamictal right now. But the prescriber really probably shouldn't have put me on lamictal at all. I was always able to lose weight on SSRIs but the minute I added lamictal in I gained and am now heavier than I've ever been. I just went to a new doctor today who reevaluated my meds and she really seems like she knows what she is doing. Today is the last day of my lamictal so hopefully things week start improving in couple months!

    Lamictal is one of the few mood stabilizers that are weight neutral. I’ve been on various doses of generic Lamictal for years and have never noticed any gain that wasn’t due to me clearly overeating. I’m actually maintaining now while on 300mg Lamictal.

    Regardless, I hope you get your meds figured out and get to your goals! :smile:

    Not everyone will react the same way to a drug (everyone knows that), even though a drug is supposed to be weight neutral someone can still gain from it.

    A quick Google found a few people who said they gained after being put on it too, or that they couldn't lose.

    I'm losing on it, but I (and many others) gained on Abilify which is also supposed to be weight neutral.

    Exactly. I - and many others - gained ++++++ on abilify
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    What I've seen with folks taking anti-psychotics who have the side effect of weight gain is a two-fold experience. The first is the increase in appetite. This is the most often cited, and probably most obvious issue. And a lot of it seems to stem from mindless snacking, particularly late at night with folks not necessarily having a good recollection of how much they ate or why.

    The other is fatigue and lethargy which can impact weight in that is causes a reduction in NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and exercise intensity. Often without realizing it, folks are less active on a daily basis than they were before. Exercise intensity may feel the same (the person may be winded, feel as though their heart is pounding, sweating profusely, etc.), though the intensity is often at a lower level. Both of these are on the side of the Calories Out part of the equation. There may be an even greater difference in both NEAT and exercise intensity if the mental health issue leading to someone taking the drug(s) featured a manic state, where the person may have been more active than usual and sleeping less.

    Taken together, these things can be a tough double whammy with which to deal on top of an already very difficult situation.

    The right medication and dosage really is an individual issue. Be your own best advocate in talking with your doctor about side effects. You need something you can live with long term. The cure being worse than the disease really is a thing. The most important thing is managing the illness itself; most medications have side effects. The priority is finding meds that alleviate the condition while not providing side effects that are just debilitating in another way. The side effect of weight gain may be a more manageable side effect (through calorie tracking, monitoring activity level and exercise intensity) than that of brain fog/medicine head.
  • MonaRaeHill
    MonaRaeHill Posts: 145 Member
    I suppose I should be grateful that I only gained 30 pounds each, the first two years after my injury! My drugs aren't anti-psychotics, but are in the same category of causing weight gain.
    I ate normally after my surgery, with dessert only 2 x per week, and eating out only a handful of times, per year, but with my slowing metabolism caused by increased age and the lack of estrogen, I gained steadily.......
    I couldn't really nip it into the bud, until I found CBD's supplements, this last fall.
    They are really helping to mitigate some of the foggyness, light-headedness, and general stupor, caused by the nervines. I actually feel much clearer then I have, for the last 7 years! No wonder Big Pharm wants to control them..........(CBD supplements). I wish your niece the best of luck, mental illness runs in our family, too! Gah.
  • MonaRaeHill
    MonaRaeHill Posts: 145 Member
    robwilkens42
    tried to add you as a friend, MFP isn't finding you, can't even email you. settings maybe set at private?
  • MonaRaeHill
    MonaRaeHill Posts: 145 Member
    candchughes:
    I am in the same boat as you.
    I have gotten off all but one of the medications I was on, for two-three years after my injury. It took me all last year and the year b4, to do the withdrawal piece. I had at least two setbacks during the whole process, I fell and broke a toe, as well as a finger (on two different occasions) because of the lowered blood pressure caused by the last one I am on (it's a nervine, for chronic nerve pain). It's been a pretty rocky road, thus far, but I am ready to give it another go.....hoping that starting in the spring this time, will trick my historical DNA, into ramping up my metabolism.......you know.......because of the two starving months in the NE.......think they are April/May........anyhow, my 'add-friend' button, doesn't seem to be working, so maybe you can add me.........need all the friends I can get, at this point!
  • Djlfcfkjg
    Djlfcfkjg Posts: 3 Member
    Hi i have big problem. Im 165.34 pounds and 5.479 feet.

    I use antipsychotics, haldol and azolar. Im bad for my weight. I want to be like i was 8 years ago. That was 121 pounds.

    Pls tell me some good advice. I m always hungry. All my life is such a mess. Dont have a job, boy, nothing.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited February 2021
    Djlfcfkjg wrote: »
    Hi i have big problem. Im 165.34 pounds and 5.479 feet.

    I use antipsychotics, haldol and azolar. Im bad for my weight. I want to be like i was 8 years ago. That was 121 pounds.

    Pls tell me some good advice. I m always hungry. All my life is such a mess. Dont have a job, boy, nothing.

    What weekly weight loss goal did you choose? It is common for us to choose the most aggressive one, 2 pounds per week. Since you only want to lose just over 40 pounds, a pound a week would be a more appropriate goal.

    9kjwnia17qv9.jpg

    Also concentrate on foods you find filling. Run a report on fiber.

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports

    d7542f6522987d9e602e942deb25ead1.png

    Do you hit your fiber goal regularly? If not, gradually add in higher fiber foods. (Adding fiber too fast can cause unpleasant effects.)

    Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

    ...Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

    Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
  • jdbly3373
    jdbly3373 Posts: 26 Member
    edited February 2021
    beatrizguasch2014 wrote: »
    When I started taking medication for bipolar I gained a lot of weight. Now, I am doing my best to lose weight for my health's sake. Since I gained weight I find it hard to climb the stairs, my feet hurts when I stand too long. I cant run. I will not accept being fat because it is not healthy.

    I totally agree. Not being able to move and everything associated with that just isn't accceptable. Some cause you to gain even if your diet remains the same. I always gain on antipsychotics especially Resperidal. I gained 120 or so lbs in 4 or 5 months on that medication. A few months ago I was put on it again and gained 5 lbs in a few days in the hopsital. On Haldol I gained 40 or so lbs in a few months. The only one that takes away my appetite is Geodon but it wasn't effective for me. Now I'm just on a mood stabilizer and antidepressant.

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