I know I'm obsessing but AP, weight gain

Victoria'smom · Jun 25, 2013, 07:44 PM

So Pdoc wasn't there today but me and him usually play lets make a deal. I have to try 2 APs before my insurance will pay for abilify. I'm less then compliant with weight gaining meds. Seriously maybe a week or two before I out right refuse them.

So I need to know out of :

clozapine
FANAPT (iloperidone) AP
INVEGA SUSTENNA (paliperidone)*
LATUDA (lurasidone) AP
quetiapine Ap
risperidone
SAPHRIS (asenapine)AP
ziprasidone

What have you tried and how much weight did you gain in the first month? through out the whole time on it?

I know, I know stop stressing but.... it's me. thank-you.

Good thing I have therapy right after pdoc.

bunnifoo · Jun 25, 2013, 07:57 PM

My pdoc wanted me on Invega but the insurance wouldn't approve it. I'm currently taking risperidone and I think I've gained weight (I'm not sure what I weighed last time I was at his office) but I'm having other side effects.

I couldn't tolerate the restless leg part of Saphris long enough to gain weight.

I'm currently tapering off Seroquel. I can't tell you how much I gained in the first month I started taking it, but I'm going off of it partly because of the weight gain. Overall I've gained about 70 lbs in the past 10 years or so. But part of that was me just not caring and eating whatever I felt like/craved. (Prior to starting it I was in Zyprexa and gained quite a bit of weight in one month - like 20 lbs in one month)

Oh, I did try increasing the Seroquel and I gained about 8 lbs in a month. But I don't think I gained that much when I first started taking it.

I'm not sure what I weighed when I began meds because it was 13 years ago so a little hard to remember, but I think I wore a US women's size 12 and now I wear a US women's size 20.

~Christina · Jun 25, 2013, 08:07 PM

Latuda,and Fanapt was weight neutral for me, I quit due to cost.

I have not tried Invega, nor do I want to.

I flat out refuse to take the ones that cause weight gain, Secondary health problem due to weight gain is not acceptable to me.

bunnifoo · Jun 25, 2013, 08:21 PM

Invega isn't supposed to cause weight gain, or it's supposed to have less of a chance which is why my pdoc wanted me on it.

I will say that despite my weight gain and sedentary lifestyle I'm fairly healthy. My blood pressure is always on the low side of normal, my cholesterol levels are prefect. My cardio vascular health could improve.

Honestly I can't remember what meds I was on before Seroquel but it was one I finally didn't have major side effects with so that's what the doctors stuck with. I'm having the same problem with trying to find an alternative - side effects that aren't weight gain but cause more immediate problems (not being able to stay awake, pins and needles feeling throughout my body, etc).

Honestly, I was never what you would call thin, I mean I wasn't stick thin and got teased into believing I was fatter than I was. I look at pictures of me in middle school and high school and I remember being HUGE only I wasn't. Maybe 10 lbs overweight but not fat.

So gaining weight was never a big fear for me, but I don't want to gain more. And also I think the Seroquel makes me tired/worn out feeling so I don't have the energy to exercise which would help keep my weight down.

comicgeek007 · Jun 25, 2013, 08:32 PM

Seroquel had me gaining weight within the first few weeks of me being on it! I quit it for tha reason.

hamster-bamster · Jun 26, 2013, 01:25 AM

My clinic has the same rule - you need to have exhausted all your options before they pay for Abilify.

Ziprasidone/Geodon is almost weight neutral and I would start with it.

It is bizarre that the clinic would require Ziprasidone trial before abilify since they cost about the same. Bizarre. My clinic has the same rule though.

Victoria'smom · Jun 26, 2013, 01:56 AM

I know it's really weird what is aloud and what isn't. My poor pdoc really I'm always difficult between my rules and the clinics he must get exhausted. I'm not even good at taking non-weight neutral when I haven't gained weight on them because I start panicking that I will.

Anyone know which can be prn?

WrongEverything · Jun 26, 2013, 02:51 AM

I was on Geodon for about 5-6 months, and only gained like 11 pounds on it between those months, and I can pretty much guarantee that's my lazy lifestyle, not the AP.

RachelB2013 · Jun 26, 2013, 03:06 AM

I was on Zyprexa for 5 months and gained 5kg. The weight gain sort of stopped after that, it was easier to handle my diet. Then I switched to 300mg Seroquel and gained another 3kg in 2 months, also levelling out. I guess for me its handling the cravings when I first start on the meds.

lil_better_everyday · Jun 26, 2013, 05:36 AM

On my third month of seroquel, I started losing weight. But I'm guessing that's due to finally having enough energy to start working out again and I started caring enough to watch what I eat. So take that as you will.

polesapart · Jun 26, 2013, 06:52 AM

The first time I was on Seroquel I put on weight, but I was severely depressed and I think that was the most likely cause. The second time I was put on Seroquel was to bring me down from a high. I was on a higher dose and lost 15kg in 2 months. But again I think that related my mood as I didn't stop moving for 2 months, rather than relating to Seroquel.

bluemountains · Jun 26, 2013, 09:59 AM

My sister has gained weight since being on Latuda. She has been on it for about a year. It isn't really fair to judge this weight gain yet, though, because she had got way too skinny while she was going through her psychotic episode. Now she appears to be back to her normal weight, and I will have to see if she goes over. She says that her appetite has increased a lot and she worries about it, but, again, she was eating nothing before. She also says that this has been the only drug that has truly made her feel good again, and she has gone through many over the past thirty or so years.
Bluemountains

Jun 26, 2013, 11:52 AM

I haven't gained at all on Geodon. I didn't gain on Seroquel, either, but I eventually stopped taking it because it was very sedating for me. I've heard Risperdal is a weight-gainer. Not sure about the others. Good luck and keep us posted.

hamster-bamster · Jun 26, 2013, 04:06 PM

I am wondering if the pdoc can reason his way to allowing abilify for you by saying that your ED is an objective reason why you cannot be put on others. Say, the ED would cause non-compliance with the meds that might produce weight gain and hence those meds should not be tried. Something like this. Since your ED is documented, maybe this would be an option.

venusss · Jun 26, 2013, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I am wondering if the pdoc can reason his way to allowing abilify for you by saying that your ED is an objective reason why you cannot be put on others. Say, the ED would cause non-compliance with the meds that might produce weight gain and hence those meds should not be tried. Something like this. Since your ED is documented, maybe this would be an option.

it's not even matter of non-compliance, but... rapid gain of weight may trigger and worsen her ED. Hence, it's countraindication pretty much.

~Christina · Jun 26, 2013, 04:30 PM

Or .. Just pick one ... Don't take it. When it is determined it's not helping , time to move on to Abilify.

I think it sucks to have to lie , but if you are forced to jump through hoops, choose your own hoops.

04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

So Pdoc wasn't there today but me and him usually play lets make a deal. I have to try 2 APs before my insurance will pay for abilify. I'm less then compliant with weight gaining meds. Seriously maybe a week or two before I out right refuse them.

So I need to know out of :

clozapine
FANAPT (iloperidone) AP
INVEGA SUSTENNA (paliperidone)*
LATUDA (lurasidone) AP
quetiapine Ap
risperidone
SAPHRIS (asenapine)AP
ziprasidone

What have you tried and how much weight did you gain in the first month? through out the whole time on it?

I know, I know stop stressing but.... it's me. thank-you.

Good thing I have therapy right after pdoc.

A site that I refer to has told me whether a drug causes weight gain or weight change I recommend it. Drugs.com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects
warm thoughts

hamster-bamster · Jun 26, 2013, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

it's not even matter of non-compliance, but... rapid gain of weight may trigger and worsen her ED. Hence, it's countraindication pretty much.

even better - tighter rationale

hamster-bamster · Jun 26, 2013, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Or .. Just pick one ... Don't take it. When it is determined it's not helping , time to move on to Abilify.

I think it sucks to have to lie , but if you are forced to jump through hoops, choose your own hoops.

that is so true - you did not invent the rules but are forced to "follow" them, so a bit of creativity would be well justified.

A Red Panda · Jun 26, 2013, 05:46 PM

I totally get the worry about the weight gain. It is the ONE side affect I am not risking. My ups are mild enough and if I was to start gaining? I would panic, and it would certainly set off a depression and I already know I would stop taking the meds immediately. So... no point in even starting those ones.

Victoria'smom · Jun 26, 2013, 06:09 PM

I'm so nervous for just asking and I still have a week to go. I've successfully avoided pdoc since February. Now I have to not only have to ask to up my mood stabilizer, but also explain why T wants me to have at least an emergency AP, and why I refuse an everyday AP even if everyone wants me on a AP. Then we have to deal with the whole weight gain issue and fighting with the clinic to approve it so insurance will approve it. Then there's the whole constant tactile hallucination thing. When all I want is to flush my meds and go back under my covers.

Thank-you guys, I'm going to see what he offers but I want my lamictal raised to raise my viibryd before adding an AP. Hopefully he'll want to use ziprasidone as both the PRN and daily AP. I don't think he'd put my husband through trying to give me a weight gaining PRN.

Christina I could not lie to him or T. I think the deal will be a four week period trial and track how often I can force myself to take it. The more manic I become the more adverse I am at putting anything in my body. So the PRN is going to have to be weight neutral but the PRN is for a last ditch effort to ground me and make involuntary hospitalization a little further from reality when manic.