I know that should seem like a “no brainer” but I just wanted to share my story incase anyone for whatever reason is thinking about “lessening” the dose of their medication or going off it completely (on their own).

My medication has been making me gain weight, drastically : / Although it’s supposed to be one of the more “weight neutral” atypical antipsychotics (Saphris) I have gained 15lbs since I started taking it in January.

Anyway, the weight gain, coupled with things like not having any daily structure in my life (I’m currently unemployed) started causing me to get somewhat depressed. (I saw somewhat because I wasn’t full blown depressed like I have been in the past) I’m supposed to take 5mg daily, and I decided that I would cut my little wafer tablets in half and only take 2.5mg daily. I also decided to start working out and eating better… I thought I would shed the pounds this way. Well not only did it have very little impact on my weight… it caused me some SEVERE emotional problems! For the entire week I was messing with my meds, I was SUPER depressed. I would get upset and irritated very easily, I kept causing problems with my boyfriend, and all I wanted to do was sleep all day. I once told my boyfriend while under the influence of alcohol, “sometimes I wish I would just not wake up so I could sleep forever” (I don’t remember saying this). I would also “get in my own head” too much and my mind would begin racing about random things and I felt like I couldn’t calm my thoughts down. (Something that used to happen before I was on medication)

Anyway, I told my pdoc how I was feeling and he immediately suggested I go back to my regular dosage. He asked if I thought the weight gain was really attributed to the medication and I told him “yes definitely!” He told me not to worry about it, and said to continue to work out and eat better, but to stay on my medication. He said “Why sacrifice your mental health, just to be a little bit skinnier. You’re fine the way you are and the sooner you realize that the better.”

He was right. I’m back on my daily 5mg and I feel SO much better. I’m still working out and eating better, and I really hope this will work in terms of helping me lose weight, because frankly I really can’t afford to be on half of my prescribed dosage. I felt like a lonely, out of touch with reality, depressed, crazy person, haha.