Going off psych drugs to

averysmallhouse
averysmallhouse Posts: 15 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
My serious weight gain began almost 4 years ago when my dr began trying me on different psychotropic drugs such as Pristiq, Lexapro and Zoloft. None helped with my depression and anxiety and although it took me a while to figure out what was going on, these meds started me down the path to a 60-70 lb weight gain. However my mental health was still unstable even with these classic antidepressants and I was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder with ADHD. I believe this diagnosis is correct and my meds were adjusted accordingly. I am now taking lithium, lamictal, olanzapine (brand name Zyprexa), a thyroid medication, Klonopin and adderall. This drug cocktail has helped some but I still have some pretty rotten days, both with anxiety/panic disorder and with depression. Plus, my weight gain doesn't help me feel any better about myself.. After doing some research I've learned that both olanzapine and lithium are absolutely notorious for causing significant weight gain - particularly olanzapine. At my next psych dr appointment I plan to focus on my weight gain and ask him if I can try going off the lithium altogether and try just keeping lamictal as my mood stabilizer. I also want to ask him if I can quit taking olanzapine daily & only take it in case of emergency (olanzapine can be taken on a PRN basis). I feel good about this plan and considering the amount of weight I've gained I feel like my Dr should now be as worried about my physical health as he is my mental health.

Have any of y'all gone off lithium and/ or olanzapine to get your weight under control? Did it help at all and how long did it take. I've read horror stories online about people's metabolism never returning to normal after taking lithium and/or olanzapine and I could really use some first hand stories regarding going off psychotropic drugs and how it impacted your weight.

Thanks for all input!

Replies

  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
    My friend has the same problem currently takes citalopram, buspirone, and abilify. Has gain over 80 lbs. Its all in her stomach and she literally looks 8 months pregnant. She however isn't concerned right now about her weight. She is the mot stable I have seen her. I think she is also ADD but isn't being treated for that. Years ago she was on adder all but it gave her migraines. Definitely talk to your pic doctor and see what he suggests. You want your mental health stable as its no fun having all theirs and downs. Since you are concerned perhaps following a calorie deficit will help you, maybe start logging your foods and calories each day and take a walk each day. Good luck and hopefully between you and your doctor you can develop a plan.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My brother takes mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics known to cause an increase in appetite. When he was in a hospital setting, he gained weight while eating hospital food and not getting much exercise. Now that he is home, eating Mom's cooking, helping her with extensive yard work, and walking several miles per day, he lost all the weight he gained in the hospital and has maintained a healthy weight for over two years.

    He doesn't count calories. He does eat lots of whole foods - fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, etc. He was a pescastarian for about a year and now is eating chicken as well. There's very little, if any, junk food in the house.
  • KristyDonovan
    KristyDonovan Posts: 67 Member
    I take lithium and my dr proscribed metaformin ( a insulin stabilizing drug and hunger suppressant) to balance out the weight gain. I also take Latuda which has been a life saver. Please do not do anything without medical supervision. Shop around for psych's if yours isn't meeting your expectations
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    ^Yeah...this. SO much this.

    I wouldn't go quitting psych meds for the sole purpose of weight loss. The pills themselves don't contain any calories so they don't cause weight gain directly, but they can increase appetite/decrease activity or both. Personally, I am on quite a few medications that state weight gain as a side effect, but I've lost weight by controlling my appetite.

    Yep this. I was on quetiapine as my first mood stabiliser and it did cause me to gain weight because of the increase in appetite (and there are some reports of it causing metabolic syndrome but that wasn't the case for me). I actually started losing weight while on it and my results were in line with the calorie deficit I created (1lb per week).

    I am now on lamictal which has weight gain, loss or weight neutral listed as side effects! I haven't observed anything with regards to appetite so for me it is weight neutral.

    So as others have said, don't come off something that you are finding useful for weight loss as that is largely within your control, though adjusting your appetite can be a battle of wills initially, particularly if you are new to the med causing the appetite increase.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    I second a lot of the others- definitely bring up your concerns about your weight gain to your pdoc. They should be able to address your concerns and make a plan for you.

    Do not go off your meds. Your mental health is the most important. Most psych meds lead to weight gain for the simple fact that they do increase appetite. However, I believe it is Zyprexa that is indeed notorious for rapid weight gain. With that, there are studies out there that do suggest that it may have an effect on metabolism. While the studies aren't conclusive, I understand the worry about that med.

    I'm on psych meds for bipolar as well. I was able to finally drop down to just a few now. I'm currently on lamotrigine, gabapentin and trazadone. The last two used to treat insomnia. I've had the run around with many of the antipsychotics and mood stabilizers and know the feeling of being switched around so often. But it is important to find the right meds to keep you stable. When stable, you'll be more able to focus on weight loss!
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    My wife gained 40 pounds on risperdal. After a few years we changed our diet. Her doc said maybe we should change the meds. "You'll never lose weight on it". Six months later I saw the look on her face when DW had lost 40 pounds.

    My point is docs don't understand weight loss very well. CICO did work..Sometimes it is not the med. If you are depressed it's tough to eat, exercise optimally.

    I would also encourage you to work with your Doc on the medicine changes. It's not worth a really bad episode.

    Best wishes on your health.
  • gingerdoesfitness
    gingerdoesfitness Posts: 12 Member
    Please be careful I went off lithium bc of weight gain against drs advice I lost the weight rather quick but ended up maniac then attempting suicide then in too the hospital... I now take Zoloft limictal and wellbutrin with buspar as needed
  • jessicalferrara
    jessicalferrara Posts: 59 Member
    I was in the same boat with you. I was taking Abilify and put on 50 pounds. My eating was out of control. I ate everything that was bad for you because it was all I craved. I went on and off medication as if I'm changing my clothes daily, but now I found a combination that works. I'm taking Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Lamictal, and Risperdal. Some of them are supposedly weight gain, while Wellbutrin is suppose to be weight neutral. I have lost about 40 pounds before and then have put it back on, but I'm back down 17 pounds since January, so it is possible to lose weight and be on anti-psychotics. Lamictal works as my only mood stabilizer, so maybe that will work for you too, but DO NOT GO OFF ANY OF YOUR MEDICINE WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S KNOWLEDGE! Also, since I started Orangetheory Fitness, I have been able to lower my dose of Lamictal from 600 mg to 200 mg, so exercise is a big key to bipolar disorder as well.

    I hope you find your answers, and enjoy the benefits of both being mentally and physically healthy! Good luck!
  • strifechick
    strifechick Posts: 129 Member
    @averysmallhouse

    I have really bad chronic migraines and anti-depressants/anti-seizure drugs are the most typical preventive medications so I have be on tons of them in the past could years.

    And dang those bad boys do a number on your body and it's so hard to lose that weight too!

    I was given on anti-seizure medication and I went from being just over 100lbs to 200lbs+, not even joking I gained all of that in about 6 months! That was a few years back and I STILL haven't lost all the weight! I'm only down to 155lbs now (I'm 5'2")

    I've also been on a couple of the anti-depressants/psychotics/anxiety drugs, some of which you listed) and when I was on them I gained another like 20lbs, luckily when I stopped taking them my weight did go down to what it was before I started them.

    Except I didn't quit those meds fast enough because one them made my nails paper thin (tore and broke constantly) and a ton of my hair just fell out. Like I went to take a shower and when I was washing my hair I was just pulling giant hunks of hair off my head. I wanted to cry.

    And to be honest I think the various drugs did totally screw up my metabolism because my eating habits have totally changed, ex: when I'm hungry, and what I can eat. Plus I used to basically survive on junk food and was still pretty darn skinny, now I'm eating all healthy and gaining back some weight.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    Be careful changes around multiple medications at once and doing so quickly. Just be honest with your doctor and see what they have to say.

    By the way, I have depression and ADHD.
  • old_me
    old_me Posts: 69 Member
    edited April 2017
    My husband has bipolar disorder and has struggled for years to find the right medication...for now, olanzapine works on the anxiety side of things. He too is experiencing weight gain due to the olanzapine. He's been thin his whole life and now, he is frustrated over the growing belly. His doctor referred him to a Cannabinoid Specialized doctor and now he is seeing success with cannabinoid oils. The goal is to experiment with different oils until he feels he's found the optimal one so he could eventually reduce the olanzapine and hopefully the weight gain. We too are curious as to whether or not metabolism is affected long-term due to olanzapine...
  • eagle_74
    eagle_74 Posts: 13 Member
    Yes, these drugs are notorius for rapid weight gain which certainly doesn't help mental health situation.

    At one point for a few years I was on Clonazapam, Seroquel, Buspirone, and Ativan. I started making positive changes RE: Social anxiety and forced myself outside everyday and treated it as a workout so to speak. Before long,
    I decided to quit Clonazepam and Ativan cold turkey and it was an absolutely brutal 2 weeks of my life. I was pretty much useless and my brain was frazzled. After that, I weaned myself off other drugs with my Doctors supervision and blessing.

    My advice is don't quit cold turkey. I was curled up on a couch for 2 weeks going through withdrawls. I feel it took over a year for my Brain to re-adjust. Do everything with your Doctor in the loop. There is always light at the end of the tunnel!
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    edited April 2017
    Ask about transitioning to oxcarbmazapine. It wasn't perfect for me, but did help. Sadly, I had to go off of it when my white blood cell count dropped, but it took a decade of use before that happened, and it doesn't happen to most people.

    ____________________________________________

    Down 140lbs: My story.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    Talk to your doctor about similar medications that have less weight gain. You might ask about abilify or Seroquel in place of zyprexa for instance.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Talk to your doctor, ask about alternatives, but don't go off on your own.
  • ElegantCircuitry
    ElegantCircuitry Posts: 12 Member
    It looks like several people beat me to it, but yes, don't go off on your own.

    I did that myself, and it was a huge mistake. While my mood was overall okay, I went through a lot of really strange physiological symptoms that I'm now kicking myself for not having monitored by a doctor. And something as heavy as lithium can have serious complications when done by yourself.

    That's unfortunately where my advice ends. :( I was misdiagnosed and now am just doing CBT with no medication. (I have ASD/OCD, was misdiagnosed as Bipolar previously)
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