Psychotropic meds & weight gain

nems59

Either take your meds, be stable and be overweight or don't take meds and plummet to hell in a hand basket....no thanks been there but I choose to believe that I can lose this 40 pounds come hell or high water

nems59

I understand what you are saying and agree with CI/CO. However, the use of anti psychotics alters the chemical balance in the brain along with lowering the metabolism thus causing increased appetite and food cravings especially carbs. I have yet to meet someone taking anti psychotics that has not significantly gained weight and found it extremely difficult to lose it in spite of physical activity. I use to be able to eat whatever I wanted without gaing weight...oh how I miss those days.

nems59

No but I can blame the medication for making me hungry

rowlandsw

I developed the bad habit when i started taking seroquel of eating while super tired so i wasn't really paying that much attention. I even woke up with a mouthful of crackers one time. I now take a small snack with the meds and that seems to help. Sadly the weird eating habits are the least of my issues lol.

YvetteK2015

Same here. I'm on a really high dose of elavil for migraines. I didn't notice the increase in my appetite, but my waist sure did. I have to get the weight off, or I'll be taken off the med. I'm careful of everything I eat now.

Shells918

rowlandsw wrote: »

I developed the bad habit when i started taking seroquel of eating while super tired so i wasn't really paying that much attention. I even woke up with a mouthful of crackers one time. I now take a small snack with the meds and that seems to help. Sadly the weird eating habits are the least of my issues lol.

Ugh. I used to wake up with chocolate in my mouth. Thanks Seroquel!

I go to a metobolic specialist (MD) and a registered dietician to help me with my Seroquel assisted weight gain. I've been on a low carb diet for over a year and it's the only thing that's helped me lose weight. It definitely tolerable for me, and even without exercise I'm losing. My depression has been keeping me from working out lately but I'm hoping to get back to it soon.
I do eat low cal, usually about 1100 a day, and I save room for an evening snack.
But it's working. Who'd have thought, mental stability and weight loss!

nems59

Seroguel was the beginning for me. I also used to get up in the middle of the night half asleep and mindlessly eat. Before I started this diet I found myself doing the same thing. I take abilify nowadays along with other meds and have been hospital free for 4 years now

rowlandsw

Stability? You're lucky lol. I just got fatter and crazier. Turns out seroquel only works on half my issues. I actually counted the pill bottles in the delivery from the pharmacy yesterday, 8 bottles with 1-3 pills a day

MonaLisaLianne

I've been on MFP for 957 days. I've been on Zoloft for 16 years. I was able to lose almost 30 lbs. in about a year. Then, on maintenance I found weight slowly creeping back. It was extremely annoying when to find that I could eat even FEWER calories at my new low weight - haha. To make my long story a little shorter, I got the notion to try to get off of Zoloft about 2 months ago. Tapered off very slowly (starting with 25 mg a day) until I was down to none about 2-3 weeks ago. Felt pretty dam good too... I found weight just dropping off, my appetite was *very* decreased. Lost the few pounds I'd been wanting to lose (again) easily. But, THEN.... I started feeling not so great emotionally. Very edgy, a bit manic, blurted out very rude things to old friends (well deserved no doubt, but totally inappropriate) which they fortunately have forgiven me for. Out of an abundance of caution I took half a Zoloft on Wednesday, Friday and today (Saturday). I've NOT eaten more than my daily goal of 1290 & much less than my TDEE of 1550. Did strength training on Thursday, which does tend to add some water poundage, but I weighed almost 4 lbs. more today than I did on Wednesday morning. So... Yes. CI-CO I guess... but something else did seem to happen when I added back the Zoloft. Not scientific evidence, but something. I've heard that Wellbutrin has less weight gain effect than Zoloft, but not sure I feel like playing chemistry games again right away.

nems59

I too played Dr with my meds many times thinking I was "healed" and every time I did, I eventually couldn't function and had to start over which was hell waiting for them to take effect.

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MonaLisaLianne

I plan to try to stick with half a dose (12.5mg) every other day and see what happens. If I need to up it to every day I'll do it. I *know* I don't have to go off the Zoloft in order to lose weight, because I already did it. Going off it wasn't a weight-loss tactic for me. I just wanted to see if I could function & not feel numbed out all the time. The pounds coming off was an unexpected side benefit. It's been refreshing to find tears welling up at sad things - something that didn't happen for years. But when they start welling up over nothing, it's take to sit up and pay attention.

nems59

In years I have only teared up once about 2 weeks ago and never cried about my 3rd divorce it was definitely time to call it quits, I was all cried out years ago. Now I can laugh so that tells me abilify doesn't totally numb my feelings

mbaker566

i've found i can lose or gain weight on all my many meds.
the only one i couldn't control myself was remeron.

track your food and then you can watch your weight to find your ideal calorie allotment

Nicolelmoyer

nems59 wrote: »

Either take your meds, be stable and be overweight or don't take meds and plummet to hell in a hand basket....no thanks been there but I choose to believe that I can lose this 40 pounds come hell or high water

I have been on elavil for 3 months and so far I have lost 18 lbs. I move more, track my calories and (try to) make dinner the smallest meal of the day. Weight loss can happen despite the listed side effects of drugs!

jlscherme

Well with Abilify I am eating more. It is a compulsion to eat and fixate on food. It goes along with the new Abilify side effect of gambling and spending money.

kyramae67

You guys are lucky. I found a med that works for me yet i I've gained 100 pounds on Invega and I don't know how to lose the weight.