Is anyone bipolar?

dietkatie5309

I attribute much of my weight gain over the last 7 years to my depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. My beloved 18 year old son was murdered 6 years ago and I just fell apart. My illness has morphed from depression to anxiety to bipolar since my son's death. First they tried me on classic antidpressants (SSRI's) and that didn't do any good and that's when the weight loss began. My psychiatrist then tried me on 6 other SSRI's plus Klonopin for the anxiety and the weight continued to pile on. Then he decided that my illness had morphed into bipolar disorder and he put me on lithium and Zyprexa, both known to cause significant weight gain. I've been taking them because they do help but I'm now 60-70 pounds overweight and I don't know how to get off the drugs without slipping back into the hole I was in while I was off the meds.

Are any of y'all losing weight while taking psych drugs? Any tips or tricks?I'm very unhappy being fat but more unhappy with the depression and anxiety.

chrisosemrik

I don't have bipolar, but I have been diagnosed with major depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and autism. I have been on all kinds of antidepressants and antipsychotics, so maybe my experience can help you a little bit. What I found - especially with the antipsychotics - was that I tend to gain a lot of weight. I think it's because the pills made me eat more/worse, and I can't move much due to my other health problems in the first place. It meant I had to work a lot harder to get where I wanted to be, but it's possible. I'm moving slower than I'd like to, but I can see the results and they're worth it. One thing you might consider is trying different medication. I for one find it much easier to eat well since I switched to Abilify from my other antipsychotics. Prozac also doesn't seem to cause any problems in that area as far as antidepressants go.
I hope that was at least a little bit helpful .

whitpauly

I don't know much about the meds but I just wanted to say I'm very sorry for your loss((hugs))

shabanabibi1986

Yes, i have been on meds for about 6 years and most off my weight gain was after the meds. I tried a lot from zoloft, celexa, lexapro, prozac, effexor, and now cymbalta. I have depression and anxiety. Lexapro worked best but made me gain70lbs, got off that and lost weight went back on it 2years later and gain again. Now I'm taking cymbalta and with diet and very little exercise, I've lost 10 lbs. I feel scared to get off them also since i have to take care of two small kids and don't want them to be disturbed bc of my behavior. All i can say is try something weight neutral and u might have to switch a few times until u find something that works for u. Also prozac worked good in terms of weight but i became allergic to it after dosage increase. Good luck.

shaunadaly92

Im not bipolar but I have Ocd, depression and anxiety im on ssris and other anxiety meds, I worry they are the cause of my weight gain bit I belive I can fight againt them, im so so sorry dor your loss and what it has done to you, you are so strong x

VintageFeline

I am bipolar. None of the meds you are on cause weight gain in isolation (as in there's nothing they do to cause storage of fat without excess calories). They likely increased your appetite, which you may not even have been aware of.

So the good news you can absolutely lose the "meds" weight. Lots of people do and there's no need to come off them either.

Put in your stats here and just start logging. I started two years ago, last year my health slowed everything way down but I still came out with a loss because I logged religiously and kept up my exercise as best I could.

You can do it, don't give power to something you have the ability to overcome

Edit to add, when I started losing weight I was on quetiapine, just about the most notorious mood stabiliser for weight gain. I lose exactly as expected. I'm now on a different med and again, I just kept logging and nothing with my weight has changed unexpectedly.

Lorilynn_37

Hi!
I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, nightmares..
I don't want to go into what led me getting their but I understand what your going through.
I take Latuda, lamictal, klonopin, seroquel, and prozosin. About 3 months after diagnosed and have tried so many meds I can't think of them all. I went from 120 to 192 in just simply a few months. The meds are made to relax you your brain and sometimes just knock you out..
Which leads to a lot of sleeping or being lazy. The want to do anything is lost. I always had good intentions each day to get things done but nope couldn't do it.
When i got to 192 and seen a pic of myself I was pissed more than anything that I let myself get to that point.
Taking those kind of meds you have to make yourself move!
Everyone can say just count your calories well for some people like us it's not that easy. Our meds make us to comfortable at doing very little.
I've lost 32 pounds since July of last year and only have 15 more to go. I'm only aiming for a short goal.
But it did not start happening until I got moving! You have to force yourself to go for a walk. Do squats when your in the kitchen lol
My weight made me more depressed and I'm on all the above meds but since I've lost the weight I feel better. The underlying reason why you have these things won't go away. But feelin good about yourself will lead you into a better path.
My psyh told me "not to let the meds win" they are needed for our issues but can lead us to gaining weight.

You can add me private message me or whatever for support.

1sisrat

i have bipolar and I take welbutrin, lamictal, and Zoloft. I lost weight when starting the welbutrin, that is a known side effect. Since I started this cocktail I have felt like a new person, maybe look into that?

BrookeRunningMom

So sorry about your son. My brother comitted sucide 7 years tomorrow.i began to have panic attacks and in 2013 after having my first baby was told i was bipolar (like my mom) and didnt take any meds and had another baby an it got worse ! I sucked it up without meds because of breastfeeding

RosieRose7673

VintageFeline wrote: »

I am bipolar. None of the meds you are on cause weight gain in isolation (as in there's nothing they do to cause storage of fat without excess calories). They likely increased your appetite, which you may not even have been aware of.

So the good news you can absolutely lose the "meds" weight. Lots of people do and there's no need to come off them either.

Put in your stats here and just start logging. I started two years ago, last year my health slowed everything way down but I still came out with a loss because I logged religiously and kept up my exercise as best I could.

You can do it, don't give power to something you have the ability to overcome

Edit to add, when I started losing weight I was on quetiapine, just about the most notorious mood stabiliser for weight gain. I lose exactly as expected. I'm now on a different med and again, I just kept logging and nothing with my weight has changed unexpectedly.

Agreed with this!

RosieRose7673

Lorilynn_37 wrote: »

Hi!
I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, nightmares..
I don't want to go into what led me getting their but I understand what your going through.
I take Latuda, lamictal, klonopin, seroquel, and prozosin. About 3 months after diagnosed and have tried so many meds I can't think of them all. I went from 120 to 192 in just simply a few months. The meds are made to relax you your brain and sometimes just knock you out..
Which leads to a lot of sleeping or being lazy. The want to do anything is lost. I always had good intentions each day to get things done but nope couldn't do it.
When i got to 192 and seen a pic of myself I was pissed more than anything that I let myself get to that point.
Taking those kind of meds you have to make yourself move!
Everyone can say just count your calories well for some people like us it's not that easy. Our meds make us to comfortable at doing very little.
I've lost 32 pounds since July of last year and only have 15 more to go. I'm only aiming for a short goal.
But it did not start happening until I got moving! You have to force yourself to go for a walk. Do squats when your in the kitchen lol
My weight made me more depressed and I'm on all the above meds but since I've lost the weight I feel better. The underlying reason why you have these things won't go away. But feelin good about yourself will lead you into a better path.
My psyh told me "not to let the meds win" they are needed for our issues but can lead us to gaining weight.

You can add me private message me or whatever for support.

I agree with this as well. I'm diagnosed bipolar and I definitely understand the laziness from meds.

Just gotta force yourself to move! It's all about calorie deficit in the end but I do think that activity can not only help improve your mood but also help with that calorie deficit!

VintageFeline

RosieRose7673 wrote: »

Lorilynn_37 wrote: »

Hi!
I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, nightmares..
I don't want to go into what led me getting their but I understand what your going through.
I take Latuda, lamictal, klonopin, seroquel, and prozosin. About 3 months after diagnosed and have tried so many meds I can't think of them all. I went from 120 to 192 in just simply a few months. The meds are made to relax you your brain and sometimes just knock you out..
Which leads to a lot of sleeping or being lazy. The want to do anything is lost. I always had good intentions each day to get things done but nope couldn't do it.
When i got to 192 and seen a pic of myself I was pissed more than anything that I let myself get to that point.
Taking those kind of meds you have to make yourself move!
Everyone can say just count your calories well for some people like us it's not that easy. Our meds make us to comfortable at doing very little.
I've lost 32 pounds since July of last year and only have 15 more to go. I'm only aiming for a short goal.
But it did not start happening until I got moving! You have to force yourself to go for a walk. Do squats when your in the kitchen lol
My weight made me more depressed and I'm on all the above meds but since I've lost the weight I feel better. The underlying reason why you have these things won't go away. But feelin good about yourself will lead you into a better path.
My psyh told me "not to let the meds win" they are needed for our issues but can lead us to gaining weight.

You can add me private message me or whatever for support.

I agree with this as well. I'm diagnosed bipolar and I definitely understand the laziness from meds.

Just gotta force yourself to move! It's all about calorie deficit in the end but I do think that activity can not only help improve your mood but also help with that calorie deficit!

The sedation struggle is real. On top of lack of motivation. I found the key was capitalising on any small window of motivation to get some good habits formed, then it's easier to continue than trying to haul yourself into doing something when the world (your brain) is against you.

Finding the time of day when you are least affected by your meds is the time to get moving. Right now, as I titrate up on my new meds, I have had to adjust my routine. Before I would get up, eat breakfast, wait an hour and workout. Now nearly every day I need to nap after a couple of hours being awake. But after my nap is when I have some energy so that's when I get going.

It helps to think of what little treat I can have with those calories too. As I say about my cats often, I'm food motivated!

jennybearlv

I am bipolar and gained over 100 pounds after getting on meds. Bipolar is something you are born with and requires medication for the rest of your life, so don't think you can just go off it and pull yourself together through willpower and determination. That is not how bipolar works.

Zyprexa is likely the culprit for your increased appetite. I have previously been on Seroquel and Risperdal, also antipsychotics. Both of those meds gave me some weird compulsive eating disorder where I would seriously get out of bed, get dressed, and drive to the store to buy junk food. It was like I traded one crazy for another. I talked to my doctor about it and he switched me to a different med. I still eat too much and gain if I don't track, but if I'm paying attention I do have control over what goes in my mouth. I've lost about 60 pounds, so it is possible to be medicated and lose.

VainMommy

So sorry for your loss! I don't even want to imagine the pain you've endured. I had postpartum depression and anxiety. I've added Wellbutrin to the Zoloft I was taking and my dr. Said they actually use Wellbutrin to aid in weight loss. Probably doesn't help much ....Just FYI

BrookeRunningMom

So sorry phone died lol, anyways had to wean baby because my bipolar was getting so bad and i needed to get out of denial about it causr it started effecting my kids. Now im on prozac and epival. Just start two weeks ago. Been doing alot of excercising and eating healthy to keep my mental health in check even lost 43lbs but my moods were up and down like crazy sometimes you need medication and hey thats OK. I watched my mom screw around with her meds and seen what bipolar can do and i dont want my kids to see that bad side of bipolar. Add me as a friend and we can chat more.