Going off a med = weight gain

iotterbeinbed

I was on Geodon for a couple years, and it had the effect of suppressing my appetite. I quickly lost weight and hung around 105-110 for awhile, which was probably too low for my height (5'4). Once I stopped taking it (under supervision by my psychiatrist), my appetite came back and it was FIERCE. I feel hungry 24/7, no matter what I eat. I'm worried I messed with my body's normal balance by not eating enough for over a year. Since January, I've gone from 110lbs to 149.6lbs. I know many people struggle with weight gain while on certain medications, but has anyone gone off a medication, gained weight, and successfully lost it again? I'm feeling a bit discouraged. Over the last week or so, I've upped my intake of protein and fiber, and set a goal for water consumption. And I know calories in/calories out has worked in the past, so I'm trying my best to keep track of what I'm consuming (with the help of a food scale and measuring cups). Will this insatiable hunger subside after awhile?

jennybearlv

That's interesting. I got up to 275 while on Geodon. Still on it and losing with plenty of effort. I guess your example is why my doctor told me it was weight neutral. Did you change to a different AAP or another medication? I know some like Seroquel and Zyprexa can cause some serious munchies.

I usually feel hungry for a few days if I stop counting and start again. You body takes a while to get used to the new lower calories. You don't have much to lose so you probably want to set MFP to lose a pound or less a week. You may just end up grumpy and hungry if you are eating as low as the 1200 minimum.

I've lost 60 pounds and still going having the exact opposite problem with Geodon, so weight loss is possible regardless of what medication you are on or not on.

iotterbeinbed

Thanks for the feedback - Geodon seems to affect everyone in a different way, regarding weight. I was surprised that it suppressed my appetite to such a large degree, as I heard about Geodon weight gain considerably more than Geodon weight loss. I am on Seroquel now (low dose), but did not have issues with appetite increase when I was on it before, hence why I am more inclined to put the blame on discontinuing Geodon (since the appetite changed once I went off of it).

I am definitely not going to go the 1200-calorie route, as I always ended up setting myself up for failure when I did so. I have my goal set as maintenance right now (1960 calories), but I think I will set it to 0.5lb weight loss and see how it goes. It is encouraging to hear your feedback, and it gives me some hope, so thank you. I need to work on my awful eating habits I've picked up over the last few months, but that's not an impossible task.

Do you involve exercise as part of your routine? I used to lift, but the roommate took the weight lifting equipment when he moved out and I cannot currently afford to go to a gym (nursing student budget!). However, I do have access to a stationary bike, and the weather is cooling down so I'm considering going for walks, and picking up Couch to 5k again (a couple years ago I was running 5ks and 10ks).

jennybearlv

With an attitude like yours you should do great! I do exercise both cardio and lifting and find exercise helps because I like to eat. You can still do body weight strength training at home. Check the stickies in the gaining weight and body building section for more info or just ask around.