Abilify and weight gain/uncontrollable hunger?

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  • Donna2d
    Donna2d Posts: 6
    It is expensive medicine. aren't you worth it?
  • okcat4
    okcat4 Posts: 224 Member
    I am on seroquel which is similar to abilify. It also has caused me significant weight gain, but I also gained weight due to eating when depressed. I found that I really need my meds to be healthy, so I am now working on losing weight while on meds. I find the nighttime carb cravings the hardest to deal with. What I do is leave some calories for the inevitable late evening snack. It is common for my to have a bowl of cereal or half a peanut butter sandwich. I have also been increasing my activity and have found that the exercise has helped to stabilize my moods. If you need any support feel free to send me a message or add me as a friend. We might have an uphill battle but we don't have to accept the increased odds of diabetes and other health affects of obesity just because we need meds to keep us going.

    And Thank You, Alexis, for mentioning that you are continuing to take your meds while trying to continue your weight loss program because it is important to do so. Controlling depression & other issues (not to mention the most important, suicidality, which Abilify is scripted for) is WAY more important. Not to mention that just quitting an anti-depressant without tapering or consulting a physician is VERY dangerous to one's physical and mental health. I CANNOT STRESS that enough. Posters: PLEASE do not advise people to quit their meds!!!! IRRESPONSIBLE.


    Whole heartedly agree! But do inform your dr of you concerns of weight gain so you can be monitored correctly. Stopping these meds should be done only with much consideration and work with your dr or some serious SE can occur. Repeated studies have shown counseling along with med can help even very stubborn depression and anxiety issues. Both are tools to gain control. Really glad you have made the decision to address your depression and anxiety. It is not easy but so worth it!
  • trackmyday1973
    trackmyday1973 Posts: 393 Member
    I wasn't able to sit still while on Abilify.

    Good luck.
  • trackmyday1973
    trackmyday1973 Posts: 393 Member
    Honestly, I have heard nothing good about Abilify. Me and four of my friends were prescribed it with no positive results to announce and plenty of horror stories. Have the restless legs kicked in yet?

    OMG I had restless legs 1 week after beginning it.

    I had to pace around the house and / or keep getting up. I wasn't able to sit still.
  • FootballRN1
    FootballRN1 Posts: 5
    So, I hope that everything went well w/ your visit. Do continue w/ the therapy, as it is really important to go w/ the pharmaceuticals. Mental meds all kind of suck, in that they all have side effects one way or another- this is why it is so hard to get people to stay on them, and then people who don't suffer with psychiatric distress wonder what is wrong w/ people who do. Well- those people haven't had the joy of taking any of the meds that cause weight gain, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations (yep, hallucinations), dizziness, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, RLS...ugh, the list goes on...And then as a health professional you have to try to encourage patients to stay the course because life on the drugs will be better (and it IS, because at least you aren't choosing to commit suicide, or cut, or be anorexic or bulemic, etc...) You get the pic. Anyhow, best of luck and care.
  • rtarino
    rtarino Posts: 1 Member
    My 14 year old was put on Abilify/prozac for bipolar 6 months ago. She has gained 15 pounds in the last 3 months, with her dose increases. Most concerning is her lack of feeling satiated. She can power through large amounts of food and still want more. Even worse is her lack of caring of what is happening to her body. She is mostly in a state of moderate depression (so hard!), and the weight gain has not helped. She sees a psychiatrist and a psychologist every week, but no one is tracking her weight. I just begged her pediatrician to help and she will finally do labs and send her to a nutritionist. When I mention the weight gain to her psych team they say abilify is proven to be 'weight neutral", yet her pediatrician states otherwise.

    I appreciate all of the posts related to this topic. I cannot imagine being an adult trying to manage meds, weights and everything on their own with these significant psych diagnosis. It is tough as a parent, but at least my daughter has support and oversight from her family. Football RN, thanks for your post!

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