Hi! Is this group active?
racerdee
Posts: 2
Hi,
Just joined the group as the title pretty much encompassed by entire issue. I gained a couple of dress sizes thanks to seroquel and lithium (although am no longer on seroquel).
I worked hard to get my weight back to normal, then had a bad phase and my medication was adjusted and almost overnight I was huge again, it was so demotivating.
I finally feel ready to start losing again and was hoping to have some support from those who understand how difficult it is to lose weight on lithium. I somehow manage to hold down a job and I find it sickening when the girls in the office go on diets and lose more weight in a week than I do in two months with not even a quarter of the effort I put in.
Anywo....there doesn't seem to be much here in terms of activity, so give me a shout if there's any one here??
Just joined the group as the title pretty much encompassed by entire issue. I gained a couple of dress sizes thanks to seroquel and lithium (although am no longer on seroquel).
I worked hard to get my weight back to normal, then had a bad phase and my medication was adjusted and almost overnight I was huge again, it was so demotivating.
I finally feel ready to start losing again and was hoping to have some support from those who understand how difficult it is to lose weight on lithium. I somehow manage to hold down a job and I find it sickening when the girls in the office go on diets and lose more weight in a week than I do in two months with not even a quarter of the effort I put in.
Anywo....there doesn't seem to be much here in terms of activity, so give me a shout if there's any one here??
0
Replies
-
I just joined this group. I've been yo-yoing for years. I was just put on Seroquel so I'm trying not to gain weight by dieting, journaling what I eat and excercising. It's still to soon to tell if it will work.0
-
The problem with seroquel is that the gain is mainly water (or at least in my case). When I came off it I lost 5% body fat despite the fact I had a sprained ankle and was mostly eating doughnuts....as I clearly hadn't done anything to lose actual body fat, I'm thinking it was water the body fat machine was picking off.
Bah I hate drugs - but as far as I've read most people don't react as badly as I did with seroquel so hopefully you won't have too much of an issue with it. How you finding it so far???0 -
Not too bad. I was really tired at first but that seems to have tapered off. I was on Seroquel about two years ago and gained 30lbs on it. They took me off it for that reason but it was hard to find a combination of meds that balanced me out so I'm back on Seroquel. I was on Lithium too but it affected my thyroid badly so I was taken off of that. I've been off of that for about a year. I gained about 30lbs on that too. I couldn't lose the weight until they put me on ziprasidone last year. It made eating difficult so I was lucky to choke down 1,000 calories a day. I lost too much weight on that so they took me off and put me on Invega which I gained 15lbs on in a matter of 3 weeks. Invega caused too many side effects so here I am back on Seroquel. Drugs are a pain in the *kitten* especially when you can't find the right one but I guess the side effects aren't as bad as what could happen if there were no meds. I'm so worried about gaining that weight again since I've already experienced it once before.0
-
Hi, I have just re-activated MFP after being off for quite a few months (and re-gaining about 10 pounds). First off, a little history about myself-I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 21 years ago and have been on Depakote ER (Huge dosage-2,500 mg at bedtime) along with 50 mg of Seroquel, 50 mg of Trazodone HCL and 3 mg of Klonopin at night. My weight instantly ballooned from a normal weight (I am short, about 5'3")-130 pounds- before my diagnosis to gaining about 30-40 pounds the first 3 months. I was initially hospitalized for about 1 month to get the right mix of meds and was on everything from lithium to Zyprexa to all other anti-psychotics. I was 30 years old at the age I was diagnosed and now am 51 years old. I also previously had endometriosis and PCOS (which I take Metformin for and no, I am not diabetic). I had a complete hysterectomy 7 years ago and am now post-menopausal with further weight gain, especially around my waist.My weight is now about 220 pounds!
My weight just continues to go up and I have talked to my medical doctor as well as my psychiatrist about changing my meds in order to help with the nighttime cravings I get from the Depakote and the EXTREME weight gain. He says I should try diet and exercise (which of course I have). My husband and I even attended a Lap Band Seminar but the meds are the main problem. My doctor doesn't think Lamictal (one of the few mood stabilizers without weight gain side effects) will be as effective for me and I can't be on Depakote and another drug at the same time.
Anyone out there on the Depakote and struggling? I now am 80-90 pounds overweight and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and mild sleep apnea and bad arthritis, which makes exercise difficult.
I feel so helpless and also have recently (May 22nd) lost my father (age 81) and we lost our beloved beagle 3 weeks later. I am hoping to find some friends on here with similar issues. Feel free to add me as a friend-I need HELP!! Thanks!0 -
Hi everyone! I just joined the group. I was just recently placed back on medication and am currently taking Latuda. So far, nothing terrible, but in my yo-yoing, I have gained 20lbs from, all of the medication switching. Geodon, Lamictal, Lithium, Depakote, etc etc etc. I am happy to see this group on here!0
-
I was diagnosed 12 yrs ago... I was already overweight. I yo-yoed my way thru things till lately. After a horrible pregnancy with my youngest daughter I gained 15lbs. Since she was born I was diagnosed 2 different times with post partium. My Dr had spent the last 2yrs and some months trying to get me stable. It hasn't worked. I've tried every catagory of medication out there 2 times in the last 13yrs aaaaaannnnnddddd now I'm back on Lithium. I refused to take until we tried everything my insurance would cover and I bawled when he told me it was my last option because I knew for my kids I had to be stable. I've been on it for 6 months... and I'm not stable however my weight is staying within 10lbs of what it was but I don't want to be almost 300lbs and I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm battling something that I can't win and if I can't control my mental illness and my weight how is that going to help show my 7yr old that she can battle her mental illnes and weight. Has anyone had luck losing weight on Lithium? I was diagnosed on my 18th birthday and 2 months after it I was the biggest I have ever been (clothing wise) and I had to get my senior pictures done like that. I look at my wedding pictures from less then a year ago and want to cry.0
