do antipsychotics cause weight gain?

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  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    12 pounds in 2 weeks is probably water retention. It's worth checking back in with your pdoc to make sure that's what it is and that it's not a signal that a serious side effect is going on. It's really not known exactly how meds cause true weight (fat) gain - a lot of it is appetite increase, but in some people it can affect your metabolism a bit too. Watch your calories closely, as you may have to reduce what you were eating in order to counteract the effects of the medication.

    This^^^

    I definitely would give your Dr's office a call. Edema is sometimes a temporary side effect because of the change in body chemistry but there are also serious things like kidney issues that can cause excessive water retention. Let the doctor know and they can tell you if this is normal and temporary or something to look into.
  • Chanchka
    Chanchka Posts: 359 Member
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    Yes, one of the worst side effects with Zyprexa is weight gain. And no, you don't have to be psychotic to have it prescribed. It's used a lot if a person is having problems focusing their thoughts as well.

    But the weight gain - yeah, that's a problem.

    This.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    Yes, antipsychotics can often produce significant weight gain. It does mean you'll have to be much more careful about tracking. Did your doctor start you on an SSRI first (e.g., Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa)? To my knowledge, SSRIs are usually the first line for both depression and OCD (although in a high dose for OCD).
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
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    zyprexa is notorious for weight gain. google "zyprexa" and the first thing that pops up is a list of symptoms, one of which is weight gain. :( I took it myself and also gained a lot, talk to your doc, there are other medications out there. Good luck to you! :)
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    They do not directly cause weight gain, but years ago when I was on Citalopram, they caused me to be so laid back I became lazy. THAT is what helped me gain the weight because I just didn't want to do anything.
  • ajenquin11
    ajenquin11 Posts: 6
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    I've been struggling for over a year to lose the 30+ pounds I gained from being on Depokote for just a few months. I hear you
  • lurker011
    lurker011 Posts: 16 Member
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    thank you all for your replies,what i failed to mention in my initial post is that i have been diagnosed by 2 different psychiatrists with a very serious psychiatric illness that i don't even want to mention because deep down inside,i know that i don't have it. i was previously on Haldol,Geodon and Abilify but all of those meds caused involuntary muscle movements. The Zyprexa has not caused me any of those issues,it's just that i am very very hungry all the time while on it.

    I admit,i have not been eating the best..i eat microwave foods,frosted flakes cereal,potato chips,fried chicken,subway pastrami sandwiches and sometimes a Carl's JR burger. i also drink Cactus Cooler Soda. i live all alone and have no friends/family,and i can not cook so it is hard to me to diet properly. i feel depressed because all of my hard work is slowly being washed away.

    2 years ago i was 298 lbs and i was down to 215 lbs 3 weeks ago. without my basketball sneakers on,i am 5'10.5 and i weigh 225 as of today but i still crave food all the time. i want to know,can i take Zyprexa and make my goal weight of 180 lbs. by next year? i am a fat person trapped inside a skinny person's body. my bones are long and thin but i love to eat. i feel like if i drank water and was a vegetarian,i could easily be 160 lbs. when i graduated HS i was 5'9 and 150..now i am 33 and i really just want to lose the abdominal fat and not be depressed and have OCD....thanks.
  • WorthlessFag
    WorthlessFag Posts: 8 Member
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    you people are silly to blame drugs for your poor ability to monitor eating or stop yourself from overeating.

    Take some accountability and responsibility and put the spoon down. Nothing makes you gain "actual" weight besides overeating. Nothing.
    There are actually several ways to gain weight without overeating. Don't believe me let me introduce you to several doctors, mine as well as those of several family members. They will give you proof as to those ways, including not eating enough. I have always had healthy, whole foods, eating habits.While I don't always eat I, more often than not, eat very healthy, heavy on the veggies, meals. My weight gain was, in fact, due to the medication. I did not eat greater quantities, or less healthy, and I had a very physically demanding job. In fact I was probably eating less because I had less desire to cook and I HATE to eat out. Not to mention, I don't believe in microwave "cooking" as it does not yield edible food, in my opinion.
  • roeroe5
    roeroe5 Posts: 27
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    Yes, what you put into your mouth makes you fat. That said these meds make you hungry!! Drugs like Eglanol, Remeron and others are prescribed off lable to gain weight.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    thank you all for your replies,what i failed to mention in my initial post is that i have been diagnosed by 2 different psychiatrists with a very serious psychiatric illness that i don't even want to mention because deep down inside,i know that i don't have it. i was previously on Haldol,Geodon and Abilify but all of those meds caused involuntary muscle movements. The Zyprexa has not caused me any of those issues,it's just that i am very very hungry all the time while on it.

    I admit,i have not been eating the best..i eat microwave foods,frosted flakes cereal,potato chips,fried chicken,subway pastrami sandwiches and sometimes a Carl's JR burger. i also drink Cactus Cooler Soda. i live all alone and have no friends/family,and i can not cook so it is hard to me to diet properly. i feel depressed because all of my hard work is slowly being washed away.

    2 years ago i was 298 lbs and i was down to 215 lbs 3 weeks ago. without my basketball sneakers on,i am 5'10.5 and i weigh 225 as of today but i still crave food all the time. i want to know,can i take Zyprexa and make my goal weight of 180 lbs. by next year? i am a fat person trapped inside a skinny person's body. my bones are long and thin but i love to eat. i feel like if i drank water and was a vegetarian,i could easily be 160 lbs. when i graduated HS i was 5'9 and 150..now i am 33 and i really just want to lose the abdominal fat and not be depressed and have OCD....thanks.

    Yes, stop the soda and switch to water. That is the most important change you can make.
    Several mechanisms in the body work with the antipsychotic to trigger intense hunger signals.
    A small number of people can keep their weight down (or lose weight) by drastically cutting carbs and doing daily exercise, Otherwise, we now have studies that say that "tradition foods"( non processed stuff) helps with mental health.
    Get enough sleep. Keep to a routine.
    Talk to the pharmacist. Most times, they know more about the medications than the prescribing doctor does.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Antipsychotics have many possible unpleasant side effects, weight gain among the rest.

    (Unscientific) Top 4 reasons people stop taking their meds:

    1. "I don't need it." They feel better and don't attribute this to the med, but think they just got better and don't need it.
    2. "I'd rather be crazy." The side effects are too big a strain.
    3. "I can't afford it."
    4. "I don't know." That's the most interesting one, IMO. :)

    Don't ever quit taking a med without talking to the doctor about why you want to quit. At least call and ask the pharmacist if it would be physically unsafe.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    thank you all for your replies,what i failed to mention in my initial post is that i have been diagnosed by 2 different psychiatrists with a very serious psychiatric illness that i don't even want to mention because deep down inside,i know that i don't have it. i was previously on Haldol,Geodon and Abilify but all of those meds caused involuntary muscle movements. The Zyprexa has not caused me any of those issues,it's just that i am very very hungry all the time while on it.

    I admit,i have not been eating the best..i eat microwave foods,frosted flakes cereal,potato chips,fried chicken,subway pastrami sandwiches and sometimes a Carl's JR burger. i also drink Cactus Cooler Soda. i live all alone and have no friends/family,and i can not cook so it is hard to me to diet properly. i feel depressed because all of my hard work is slowly being washed away.

    2 years ago i was 298 lbs and i was down to 215 lbs 3 weeks ago. without my basketball sneakers on,i am 5'10.5 and i weigh 225 as of today but i still crave food all the time. i want to know,can i take Zyprexa and make my goal weight of 180 lbs. by next year? i am a fat person trapped inside a skinny person's body. my bones are long and thin but i love to eat. i feel like if i drank water and was a vegetarian,i could easily be 160 lbs. when i graduated HS i was 5'9 and 150..now i am 33 and i really just want to lose the abdominal fat and not be depressed and have OCD....thanks.
    There is NO reason to be ashamed. Some people still attach a stigma to mental illness, but it's BS. If your brain is not working properly, it's not something you did. Hearts, kidneys, livers and brains sometimes don't work properly. Whatever you have, you shouldn't be any more ashamed than someone with asthma. It's not your fault. You have a problem.

    If other people have some problem with the fact that you have physical problems with your brain, it's their problem. Seriously. Screw that. People have to get over it.

    I'm so sorry you're going through this. :(

    Talk to your therapist. It's what they're there for!!
  • JordanMK_
    JordanMK_ Posts: 54 Member
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    My mom is taking Zypadhera (for Schizophrenia) and she gained 30 kilos!

    sorry to hear that (assuming it's a negative/unwanted gain) but you need to take into account what else is going on...weight gain may not be soley down to meds people take.

    As you said it's a mix of poor lifestyle and medicines.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    you people are silly to blame drugs for your poor ability to monitor eating or stop yourself from overeating.

    Take some accountability and responsibility and put the spoon down. Nothing makes you gain "actual" weight besides overeating. Nothing.

    Let me guess . . . you have never been put on a medication that caused insatiable cravings, have you?

    We all know it's the food, Captain Obvious, but when your brain chemistry is suddenly changed you need to find out how to deal with it and there can be some speedbumps in the process. Overeating is not the only behavioral change these meds can cause. Some can make some people more aggressive, some can increase or decrease libido, etc. They are not "happy pills", they are very powerful medications specifically designed to change how the brain thinks and there is a possibility of unwanted changes along with the ones needed.
  • icetopaz
    icetopaz Posts: 28 Member
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    The antipsychotics don't themselves change the way you metabolize food. They may have some effects on your mood that might have side effects on your weight.

    Oh yes they can change the way you metabolize food! This post made me feel so angry not just because you've got your facts wrong but because this type of ignorance can be so harmful for someone experiencing weight gain and then being blamed for lack of self-control or care with counting calories. Check this study out http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/smri-ham013112.php . Antipsychotics can directly cause metabolic syndrome. I have first-hand experience of this and now have diabetes type II because of being prescribed this type of drug.

    Before scientists had greater understanding of the effects on metabolism, antipsychotics were already known to increase a person's appetite.

    The only thing that brought my own eating more under control was a reduction in the dose of med that I took as well as choosing whole clean foods and and cutting down carbs. I'm not advocating that a person reduce their med without the appropriate professional help and advice - but there seems to be widespread ignorance about these drugs.

    As this thread is about help with weight I won't post more about the meds - but if anyone is seeking further information you are welcome to pm me and I will refer them to an evidence and some experience based sites which I've found helpful.
  • lexluv101
    lexluv101 Posts: 5
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    I gained weight on them without eating more, they didn't affect appetite but my metabolism or something seemed to slow down quite a bit.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    I gain ten lbs just hearing the word zyprexa. It is notorious for weight gain and can cause metabolic syndrome. As others have said, you can combat the weight gain with conscientious eating and exercise. There are other antipsychotics that are weight neutral that you may want to ask your doc about. And, some side effects subside after awhile. I take 2 antipsychotics, ability and seroquel and am losing weight., but I have a lot to lose. It does make weight loss more challenging but it is possible.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    So the weight that you may gain isn't that much. I am on medication for depression and haven't noticed any gain at all. I agree with the poster who says that people are just blaming weight gain on the medications. I have been on countless. Yeah it sucks, but you can deal with it if you really want to lose weight. The manufactures have to disclose that it may cause weight gain, but it doesn't cause THAT much weight gain. It's just your lack of self control.

    To the OP. You have already posted other threads like this, quit searching for an answer that will justify your habits. If you want help there is advice out there. The last time you had posted something like this it was 16lbs in 3 weeks with the same weight range. If it's such a huge deal just go off the meds, talk to your doctor. If you're always hungry, drink water. But if you were overweight before the medication it is your habits that are causing you to gain weight.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    you people are silly to blame drugs for your poor ability to monitor eating or stop yourself from overeating.

    Take some accountability and responsibility and put the spoon down. Nothing makes you gain "actual" weight besides overeating. Nothing.

    As harsh as this is, this is pretty much it.
  • melissamarie2196
    melissamarie2196 Posts: 42 Member
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    Well I work in the Mental Health field and I got to say YES with a lot of the meds you do gain weight..I myself have got on Zoloft for depression and having a lot of anxiety and its been only acouple months and although I haven't gained, it seems like Iam not loseing as fast as I would in the past??? IDK what it is, I myself am hopeing its not gonna cause me to really struggle with this weight..:frown: If so Iam going to the Doc and gonna have to address this issue...Good luck and keep me posted..

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