20lbs in a month

Seroquel and Abilify have caused me to gain 40lbs in about 8 months! I had to buy new clothes and I am soooo fat now. I was heavy before, but I am way heavy now.
It sucks, I know and I wish I had some advice, but know you are not alone.

My Dr. tried to put me on Abilify last time I was there, she said that doesn't cause weight gain, I was being obstinate! Seroquel does though, we just can't win But hey, who says you have to be skinny anyway!! I say, F-you to all those who tell us we need to be thin!! LOL, I didn't take my meds last night, feeling pretty lively today

i'm so happy to see the support here that we might use all this info and find some medicine that really helps in every way.

i recomend the geodon and trileptal , this was prescribed to teen daughter who was so depressed, they definately were concerned with not letting her gain any extra weight. We grown moms and women need the same sensitivity!

kj - i usually think about quitting smoking takes practice quitting. you will quit again, it will be ok, and we'll all find decent meds, just have to keep trying every possible combo they give us... ughhh

I'm freaking out reading all this. I just started on lamictal. The doc said no weight gain. I don't really trust this is true for everyone, so here I am. I am also trying to finally address my bulimia I have had for 30 years. The Doc said lamictal has been helpful with this, but how can that be if there is weight gain? & people don't typically stay on lamictal alone....

Question is have most of you gained because you are eating more or is the weight coming on without change in eating habits? I understand there can be a difference in activity level, but I am talking purely food intake.

Thanks!

Since i Posted on this thread earlier my medication has changed ,, im on Haldol and i have actually lost a few pounds i still have a long way to go ,, my doctor said i definatly fell into the "Metabolic syndrome" I have issues with regular exercise as i have severe fibromyalgia .. thunderstorms here all day so my pain went from its normal 7 to a 9 or even hitting a 10 at times ,, Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrrr .. Im hopful with the haldol the weight will come off ...

I dont think we are all vain and just think we need to be skinny ,, I think when you add 20 -40 lbs to anyone they are going to feel bad about it and your body is going to hurt or you wont be able to move around like you did before the weight gain ...

I often think the drug companies know about this and just dont care ..

Just my opinions ~

This is the book that helped me to lose weight without feeling hungry ...

http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Your-Brai.../dp/0615339506

My local library had it. I just use the Amazon.com pages (for the most part) to get information to fill out a request for inter-library loan for the things that my library doesn't carry.

And my weight loss is now over 60 pounds.

I'm losing weight on Lamictal. Fast. I'm not constantly hungry anymore, so I'm eating much more normally. It's like a miracle for me!

The atypical antipsychotics sometimes cause weight gain because they change your metabolism, so even eating the same way, people will gain weight. Not so with Lamictal (which is an anti-convulsant/mood stabilizer.) It is very, very, very unlikely to cause weight gain.

I'm also on Wellbutrin with Lamictal - another weight-neutral drug. I don't think it has had any effect on weight or appetite at all. So if you ended up needing an add-on med, that might be one to consider. Another bonus is that neither of them has sexual side effects.

If your doc thinks it might help you, try to trust that! Worries about side effects are understandable but everyone's body reacts differently, so a med that makes someone else gain 60 lbs may make absolutely no difference for you. And you won't know until you try it.

It's been over a month since my first post. My meds have changed again. I have lost zero pounds,but, gained zero either. My appetite is small, although, I never eat until after about 4pm.. Maybe toast sometimes.I have just begun to get on the elliptical again, keep you posted. BTW, I quit my lithium a week ago, you are the only ones I can tell that too!! HAHA, feeling good today.

Oh, and don't forget for us ladies, our natural hormone cycles can screw everything up. There's pathetically little research on how women's hormone im/balances interact with meds, etc. The pill gave me not only massive weight gain but also triggered severe mood swings - never again!

When I was first diagnosed I was on Depakote and I gained 80 lbs ! Now I am on Geodon and I've lost a few pounds but it's hard. I take Zyprexa when I hear voices but I don't take it all the time because my doctor said I'd gain weight. The best thing to do is try to get some exercise I try to go to the YMCA and swim at least 3 times a week, it does make me feel better.

Seroquel lithium lamictal and depakote are huge wt gain offenders so is remeron and risperdal. Topomax and lexapro are great because they take the wt off and are great mood stabilizers. I have had no problem with ability. I do take seroquel but just don't allow myself to eat when the munchies kick in that's where the majority of the wt comes from. I gained 50 lbs on depakote lithium and remeron they ended up not working and the wt came off.

Hey Woundedheart! Welcome to the forums!
Yea on the Abilify working well for you!
Lamictal is considered weight neutral, I'd have to think hard to remember hearing of any opposite experiences, let alone a "huge" offender. Which forces me to wonder... If you have personally taken it, were you taking it along with something else?
That's great that the weight came off when you stopped taking problematic ones! Really encouraging.
(Just a quick note: Lexapro isn't a mood stabilizer, it's an anti-depressant.)
Hi Kristi and welcome to you too!
I can't answer your actual question, as I've never experienced it. But I can give reassurance on your concern. I'm on lamotrigine (ie. generic Lamictal) and not gained any. This is the experience I hear over and over and over again from others as well. So your doctor isn't lying. It is weight neutral. Oh! And it's also been my only mood-stabilizer (and has been for about 3 years), so combos are not always the case. The only combo for me is with an anti-depressant. Also a non-weight gainer, though it is contrindicated for those with bulimia (I do not have any ED). But there are others (ADs) that I've had that didn't cause any problems either. I had been previously misdiagnosed and treated solely with others, specifically Lexapro and citalopram, which is generic Celexa, that, though by themselves (ie. not in combo with a mood stabilizer) caused big mood problems, again, I had no weight gain. So I hope my experience helps to set your mind at ease.

I am on seroqual and depakote which are weight gainers and made me really hungry but my psych put me on topamax which is a mood stabilizer and decreases my appetite and raises metabolism. I have not gained weight bc of the topamax. But I did need to find the correct dose for me of topamax to take away the hunger from the other meds. Topamax is amazing.

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Innerzone thats so cool!! My goal is to be lamictal only for mood stabilization -glad to hear it from you.

I never gained weight on lamictal.

However, quitting a med that caused weight gain did not make me lose weight, it just made losing weight easier.

I agree Topamax is great, I am on it for migraines, I have recently quit smoking and am scared of gaining weight, Last time I quit I gained weight I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid.

I know the feeling. At times i was the craziest person in the city but i looked good. Always had a nice body even a week after childbirth. Now i have gained 50 lbs and i look pregnant again. Its adding alot to my already horrible depression. Ive been on so many meds this year i cant even name them all. Riight now its seroqel zoloft and tegrtol. I am still gaining every week. I dont think i can stay with the meds, i feel worse on them.

Ask your psych. about Topamax. It is a mood stabalizer but it increases your metabolism and decreases your hunger. It has helped me bc I am on serequal and depakote. Huge weight gainers. It is a great medication to help with those side effects of hunger and weight gain.

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I take the Topamax with my other mess, not instead of them.

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I'd try topomax but my dr made it seem like its a last-resort drug. Next in line for me would be haldol if I decide I can't stand zyprexa anymore.

Has anyone tried going cold turkey off of sereqel? I just dont think its right for me. Not just all the weight but it doesnt help me either.

Oh yeah i take 300 mg of sereqel at night. It did help w sleep for awhile but i wake up 3 times a night now and i get night sweats too.

Moremi~ Seroquel should be a taper off med. Not a good one to just stop cold turkey.

Voice your concerns about the weight gain to your Pdoc ,, There ARE some weight neutral meds out there.. I wish i hadnt let my weight gain go up to 40 lbs before I put my foot down. I know take Haldol and i have lost a few lbs. Im no longer hungry 24/7, I refused to become diabetic from weight gain just to treat Bipolar !
Be your own Advocate

Good Luck

Express very clearly to your doc about the weight concerns, and how you feel they are affecting you emotionally/mentally and physically health-wise. I gained 45 on Zyprexa, 20 on Saphris. 10 with Seroquel. I've had some luck losing weight once a particular med is discontinued, but i went from 97 and i'm now at 140, with a goal of 120 (i'm short). Unfortunately i can't stop the Seroquel.