[bluewave7]

I can't believe I was so tiny in January and February. Since being on Geodon and Lamictal I have gained 30 ponds or more. My belly sticks out. It is awful. None of my clothes fit.

I wonder if I am over medicated. I take these meds:

Celexa 40mg.

Lamictal 200 mg.

Geodon 120 mg.

Ativan 6 mg

I am going to ask Pdoc about this in June but in the meantime I am starting to feel miserable and my hair is so thin I bought a wig. The wig looks super hot. It's the only fun thing in my life right now.

I walked for 45 mins today. I will try to lose weight.

[middlepath]

Me too (gaining weight). I am only on 150mgs Lithium but my weight is normally rock solid with the exception of gaining 8-10lbs when a deep depression hits. Then, when the depression is over, the weight falls off. Now...I am just gaining little by little every time I step on the darn scale. Ugh. I am going to start uping my walk time/yoga time. Well, Bluewave, I hope we can stop the scale from going any higher!!!

[bluewave7]

Hmmmm....and they say Lamictal doesn't cause weight gain! This is the 2nd time I've been on it and I gained a ton of weight each time. Definitely taliking to my Pdoc. Yoga sounds like fun. I used to do it. Maybe I'll start that up again. I don't have a scale but I can feel it all over and none of my jeans fit!

[middlepath]

Originally Posted by bluewave7

Hmmmm....and they say Lamictal doesn't cause weight gain! This is the 2nd time I've been on it and I gained a ton of weight each time. Definitely taliking to my Pdoc. Yoga sounds like fun. I used to do it. Maybe I'll start that up again. I don't have a scale but I can feel it all over and none of my jeans fit!

My jeans are done, too... I just put on a pair of skinny jeans that actually should be called "make you look fatter than you are" jeans. I thought they *might* fit because they are strechy, but mostly I look like a stuffed sausage. I hope it helps you to know it isn't just you with the weight/jeans challenges. P.s. i think i know why i love yoga so much...the pants always fit, unlike jeans, lol.

[BlueInanna]

I'm with you ladies, trying to lose weight sucks!!! And I hate exercising - I have 2 impulsively bought gym memberships I never go. I hate the gym lol. We need a ton of money and 2 hour massage twice a week. Good for mood and weight loss.
So tried to give a skinny gf my old size 8 jeans super cute. And they're too big on her and she's taller than me. I thought they looked great on her but very nicely she said she honestly probably wouldn't wear them. And for me to save them cuz I will lose weight. She Loves to exercise. I'm really jealous. Love her but still jealous. She says she's jealous of my tiny feet. *sigh*. Juicing I need to do more juicing. And Pray for that Love to move and exercise!

[Moose72]

I wish I could go back and not take the drugs that have made me gain weight.

[BipolaRNurse]

I think perhaps the Celexa might be responsible for your weight gain, bluewave. You're on a high dose (especially for someone with bipolar) and SSRIs are notorious for putting on unwanted weight.

That said, I gained weight on Lamictal too when I first started it; of course, I used to gain weight for any reason or NO reason. Gained ~ 20 lbs on Lamictal, then compounded the insult by adding another 20+ on Zyprexa. However......when I came off the Z, my weight started dropping without even trying, and in the past 8 months I've lost both the Zyprexa AND the Lamictal weight, and another 20 besides for a total of just over 60 lbs. No dieting or formal exercise.....I just lost interest in stuffing myself, and I don't sit around eating crap all day. Although I am more physically active than I used to be, because it feels good and I can.

I'm still on Lamictal and now Geodon, albeit a baby dose. I'm also on a teeny amount of Celexa since my pdoc knows the therapeutic dose (20 mg & up) will throw me right into mania.

Bottom line is, any and all of our psych meds can cause either weight gain or loss, but since more bipolar people are overweight than not, we're more apt to put the pounds on than take them off. KWIM?

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

I think perhaps the Celexa might be responsible for your weight gain, bluewave. You're on a high dose (especially for someone with bipolar) and SSRIs are notorious for putting on unwanted weight.

That said, I gained weight on Lamictal too when I first started it; of course, I used to gain weight for any reason or NO reason. Gained ~ 20 lbs on Lamictal, then compounded the insult by adding another 20+ on Zyprexa. However......when I came off the Z, my weight started dropping without even trying, and in the past 8 months I've lost both the Zyprexa AND the Lamictal weight, and another 20 besides for a total of just over 60 lbs. No dieting or formal exercise.....I just lost interest in stuffing myself, and I don't sit around eating crap all day. Although I am more physically active than I used to be, because it feels good and I can.
M

I'm still on Lamictal and now Geodon, albeit a baby dose. I'm also on a teeny amount of Celexa since my pdoc knows the therapeutic dose (20 mg & up) will throw me right into mania.

Bottom line is, any and all of our psych meds can cause either weight gain or loss, but since more bipolar people are overweight than not, we're more apt to put the pounds on than take them off. KWIM?

I wish this were my story! I want off the Zyprexa so bad.

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by Moose72

I wish this were my story! I want off the Zyprexa so bad.

I didn't want off of it, because it made me sleep very well, and I got stable really quickly after it brought me down off a horrid manic episode last summer. But not only did I gain weight on it, it sent my blood sugar levels into the stratosphere (I was already diabetic) and I was going to have to go on insulin if I couldn't get them down with my oral meds. So the Zyprexa had to go.

Not sure how I got lucky enough to lose the weight I gained on it---many people don't. But it's obviously possible!

I gained 40 lbs on seroquel. I still haven't lost it. I'm on risperdal now only one mg but I'm gaining weight again. It's frustrating bc with by back problem it hurts to excercises too much. I didn't ever gain much weight from ssri's though. That's all I was on and doxepin for yrs until the last two years. I did gain a little weight from the doxepin though.

I hate it, it SUCKS. Idk, what to do bc if I don't take the risperdal I get this really scared feeling. I feel ya!

[wildflowerchild25]

i've gained about ten pounds since starting abilify but that's mostly because i gave up any sort of diet - too much to think about. i think if i start tracking my food again i will do better. but i do feel more hungry on this medicine. i always get bizarre unheard of side effects from medication so even if that's not a known effect of abilify it could be for me.

wish there was an easy solution! I know how horrible it feels to feel so fat.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by bluewave7

I can't believe I was so tiny in January and February. Since being on Geodon and Lamictal I have gained 30 ponds or more. My belly sticks out. It is awful. None of my clothes fit.

I wonder if I am over medicated. I take these meds:

Celexa 40mg.

Lamictal 200 mg.

Geodon 120 mg.

Ativan 6 mg

I am going to ask Pdoc about this in June but in the meantime I am starting to feel miserable and my hair is so thin I bought a wig. The wig looks super hot. It's the only fun thing in my life right now.

I walked for 45 mins today. I will try to lose weight.

This is a highly abnormal weight gain that must be related to being on meds. It is good that you are walking for 45 mins daily or at least plan to, but please do not expect weight loss from it since it would not counteract the deep and disturbing metabolic effects of medications. Walking is great for general health and I applaud you, but do not expect weight loss from it because otherwise your setting an unrealistic goal will lead to disappointment, a sense of personal failure, and other bad things. In other words, now you are 30 lbs overweight and with walking and expecting weight loss form walking, you will be 30 lbs overweight AND disappointed. You do not need MORE problems as you already have ENOUGH.

Hugs!!

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by wildflowerchild25

i've gained about ten pounds since starting abilify but that's mostly because i gave up any sort of diet - too much to think about. i think if i start tracking my food again i will do better. but i do feel more hungry on this medicine. i always get bizarre unheard of side effects from medication so even if that's not a known effect of abilify it could be for me.

wish there was an easy solution! I know how horrible it feels to feel so fat.

No, you did not gain weight because you gave up any sort of a diet - you gained weight because some people on Abilify gain weight as a side effect of Abilify. And no, tracking will not make things any better - it will just make you pre-occupied with a highly unnatural pursuit of tracking foods (believe me, I have done my fair share of tracking).

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by BlueInanna

She says she's jealous of my tiny feet. *sigh*.

I can see that. I would no longer feel this way but I can relate to her feeling jealous. Tiny feet are associated with femininity (in old China they took this notion to its logical, and cruel, extreme).

I have size 11 now, after three children, and was size 9-9.5 before children (the feet for some reason get bigger with each pregnancy).

My first husband's mother said to me once:

"Women simply cannot have such big feet."

In other words, I lacked the very basic aspect of femininity in her eyes.

Rolled eyes, do not know the emoticon.

[BlackPup]

I lost 20 kg that I put on due to meds but now have put half of it back on during my pregnancy and after due to eating crap. Now I feel staving all the time and can't lose weight at the moment and I'm still eating crap. My will power has gone out the window
I'm exercising about 3 times a week but I know the problem is that I'm eating too much.

[moremi]

Originally Posted by wildflowerchild25

i've gained about ten pounds since starting abilify but that's mostly because i gave up any sort of diet - too much to think about. i think if i start tracking my food again i will do better. but i do feel more hungry on this medicine. i always get bizarre unheard of side effects from medication so even if that's not a known effect of abilify it could be for me.

wish there was an easy solution! I know how horrible it feels to feel so fat.

I gained 50lbs on abilify. When I went off of it due to the weight gain I lost only half of the weight I had gained. It was with no conscious effort that I lost it though. My husband was the one that noticed I was losing weight, I had no idea since I no longer stepped on the scale because it just depressed me every time I got on it. So in all actuality it may have been more then 50lbs, It was 50 when I quit stepping on it. The abilify really pulled me out of a very deep depression though when all other meds had failed to do so.