I want to know what the mental health professionals generally think of this issue. I mean, what are your experiences of doctors, nurses etc opinions about this? Have you changed meds if it has caused weight gain? Especially if you're at the healthy weight range or have/have had an eating disorder?

There are a lot of antipsychotics that can make a patient gain weight. I'm on Risperdal, 2mg and feeling like my appetite has increased significantly. In fact, I think I weighed five or eight pounds less when I came back from the hospital two weeks ago, and have gained weight ever since. (Five pounds in two weeks is a lot in my opinion!)

I talked to someone on a Finnish forum and everybody who replied to my thread agreed that one must demand for a med that does cause weight gain, since being overweight also causes a lot of problems. and the weight you gain on these meds is not just 20 lbs, it's much more.

And I'm only 5'2, I can't afford gaining 20 lbs since I'm now in the perfectly healthy weight range, not underweight and not overweight. And I'd really like to keep it that way. I've had issues with eating since day one but my therapist does not seem to understand that. She told me that I have to take Risperdal even if it makes me gain weight because being overweight is better than being delusional.

Does that mean that if Risperdal works for you but makes you gain a lot of weight, you're not allowed to try other meds?

I sometimes think I would rather hallucinate and be miserable but be at a healthy weight, rather than be overweight. My therapist does not understand, and says that going through psychosis is not an option. And lets me understand that psychosis will never end.

No wonder schizophrenics have such a gloomy future prospect..