[widgets]

Just curious to be honest and not sure if anyone will know the answer?
It seems to be about 99% of meds that someone with bipolar would take cause weight gain. Do they all have some common factor in them that causes weight gain.
Anti-depressants eq prozac, mirtazapine, citaplopram and buspirone, all say "may cause weight gain or weight loss," so could go either way, i find that i have always lost weight on these.
Probably because a lot of its in your head, eg if it says on meds, "may cause drowsiness," any feelings of lethargy you'll be thinking "its cause of the meds," even if it isnt. Well i know i'm like that.
But anyway why is it that a med to treat a disorder in the bran causes weight gain, but particularly bipolar meds?
I havent looked at the meds for other MHI's just depression, anxiety and bipolar.

[BNLsMOM]

Not sure, but maybe the med affects the part of the brain that controls metabolism?

[blueoctober]

Hi widgets; It really depends on the person and the med. The side effects that are listed are anything that a participant in a drug trial has experienced. For some the meds increase their appetite and/or slow down their metabolism. For some the meds increased their water retention so it gives a "puffy" look in the face etc. I noticed this when I was on lithium. There are meds that don't list weight gain as a side effect. Lamictal (mood stabilizer) doesn't cause weight gain and neither does wellbutrin (anti-d).

[Skully]

A lot will depend on each individuals thyroid function. Most psychiatrists check thyroid levels in blood work (they should anyway, mine always did). I found that while I was on depakote I gain a lot of weight. But the Lamictal and Abilify I have lost weight. I think some of these meds trigger the hunger part of the brain. I know research has been done on it; I think I will google it!

[widgets]

I just always think.. Weight gain would make even the happiest of people feel less happy.
If i was Mr Medicator, i would try and try and try to make all the meds not have this side effect, but maybe its not possible!

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by widgets

I just always think.. Weight gain would make even the happiest of people feel less happy.

I hear you widgets, but luckily there are options that don't cause the weight gain. For some this isn't a big deal, but when I was initially diagnosed the meds I was put on caused me to gain over 50lbs. I had never had a weight problem and it was devastating. I am now on lamictal and have started to loose the weight.

[billieJ]

I have heard that the bipolar med Topamax does not cause wt gain and may result in wt loss. Activity levels may play a part, regardless of food intake, which also figures in.

[bfoxy41brown]

I have heard that it takes 3 to 5 years to find the right mix of medications for you and most Doctors agree that medicating mental illnesses it a hit or miss process. I feel like we are guinea pigs for the doctors and it took me 8 years since finding my first meds to get the courage to change meds. You have to take into account that each person is different. For example, seroquel and depakote made me gain weight but a friend of mine did not gain weight on seroquel. I quit taking seroquel and got on saphir lost 14 pounds. But i don't know if I will keep it off. I had always been a skinny person so being a bigger person has been really hard and I ask my doctor the same question why give someone with depression a medication that makes them fatter and more depressed?? And for the past eight years I have lost, get a lot of compliments then eat ice cream and chocolate until I have gained what i lost back. So maybe it is me aging and getting in a depressed state and not so much the medications. Meds can only do so much.

[kitty004567]

I think some of the problem is the bipolar (or depression) itself. People who are depressed tend to eat more and exercise less. Also, people in a delicate state may be more easily influenced by what they read as side effects and therefore induce the side effects in themselves.

That being said, I gained 50 lbs while on lithium. Course I pretty much never left my bed and ate a lot of cookies (not that this had ever been a problem in the past). So perhaps certain medications do slow down your metabolism somewhat. Now I'm on seroquil and gabapentin and have been *very slowly* loosing weight.

[BlackPup]

I think it is both the hormonal effects, eg thyroid and also some have been linked to metabolic syndrome, as well as changes in appetite and thirst centres within the brain... Sometimes the changes are linked to what they are meant to be doing to control BP, eg effects on noradrenalin etc, other times they are just additional actions that the meds have.