[SorryShaped]

I've gained eight pounds in less than three weeks on the new meds. Some of this message is venting and some is drawing a line in the sand...
If I gain two more pounds, I'm probably going to throw all my psych meds away and only take the thyroid medicine. I know the dangers of stopping them. I also know I'll probably lose all interest in life if I get that fat again. I've been questioning the med choices they made in hospital since day one and taking them anyway with hope that something good would happen. Good isn't happening other than I realized my ex-wife was a bad choice to f----. I want to sleep at night but the meds don't demand it any more so I barely sleep.
TRIGGER WARNING!!!
I've been thinking back to when I used to strangle myself to sleep by squeezing a little at a time until I would finally be out of fight and would pass out for a few hours and how good that little sleep felt.

My pdoc and therapist appointments are Tuesday but I really need support right now.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I'm not really in a place to offer advice but wanted you to know I hear your pain and I'm sorry.

[*Laurie*]

I'm glad you have an appointment next week.
I don't think there's a single person on psych meds who doens't feel extremely frustrated about the weight gain. I absolutely cannot understand why medication has to cause weight gain...seems that researchers could do better.

I am going to ask you not to go off meds without speaking with your pdoc first and telling him exactly how you've been feeling, and are feeling.

I also understand. I've been there with past medications. However, I have found a number that are weight neutral for me. This may be surprising to some, but as long as my moods are good (stable or happy hypomanic), Seroquel XR is usually fairly weight neutral for me.

[Blueberrybook]

Talk to your pdoc. Don't stop meds cold turkey. If the weight gain is upsetting you, let the doctor know and ask if you can try something else. Do you exercise? That can help with mood and also weight gain. What about weight lifting? Even if you don't belong to a gym, you can do a lot with a pair of dumbells if you look online for exercises.

Because of my history with eating disorders, I have flat-out told my pdocs that if I am gaining weight uncontrollably on a med or if they prescribe a med like Remeron (where it is just impossible to avoid weight gain), they can be sure I will stop taking it. I am lucky though. The only med that gave me significant weight gain was Remeron, which I took back when I was diagnosed with major depression & I was given during the worst time with anorexia, ignorant back then that Remeron is so horrible for weight gain, most pdocs don't bother to prescribe it any more.

I do exercise regularly though, several times a week, walking or running. Sometimes too much, sometimes a decent amount. I need to weight train again as that tends to get me closer to a healthier weight as well as give me muscles, but stupid eating disorder thoughts like me being very underweight (though not so underweight that things like my heartrate and electrolytes are thrown off).

For me, Seroquel XR made me want to sleep & eat all the time, mostly sleep, which made me depressed because I couldn't get anything done. My pdoc switched me to instant release Seroquel, and it was like a switch had been flipped. I did so much better. Of course, it makes me fall asleep at night soon after I take it, but I don't feel hungover in the morning the way Trazodone made me feel. Seroquel has been weight neutral for me as I'm able to exercise on it and feel full normally when eating. The Seroquel & Lamictal have helped me a lot, along with the Clonidine, once that dose was lowered so I became less forgetful.

What meds are you on?

[SorryShaped]

The weight gain is from the switch to Prozac/zyprexa from Seroquel. I liked Seroquel, it made me sleepy at night. Nothing makes me sleepy now. I just ordered more kava extract(please don't start with the warnings about this plant deemed safe by the FDA. I know the risks). I've been having higher anxiety lately too, but that's probably related to my ex.
For the working out question, you need to know that I'm an addict to the gym, full on. I go seven or more times a week, plus walk and ride a bicycle. I used to run but my body can't take the impact. I'm going to go ride in a few before it hits 90 F.

[bizi]

I hear your pain. melatonin prolonged release along with 5mg of zyprexa and .5mg of klonipin have finally allowed for good 7 hours of sleep. more than that on the weekend. I am groggy getting up but will take better mood control and sleep any day.
bizi

[SorryShaped]

Weighed in today, and I've gained a total of 12 pounds. Zyprexa is out. I'm not going to take it any more. I know all the serious risks associated with stopping abruptly. I'm not going to gain weight because of meds again. I'm now back in the overweight BMI category.

[Standup2me]

What naturals has anyone tried? I've been reading about the impacts of Coenzyme Q10 and am wondering if anyone has had any weight loss luck with it

[BeyondtheRainbow]

CoQ10 made me manic. I have no idea how common that is but I was told to try it for migraines along with some other supplements and wound up hypo on the 2nd or 3rd day. My not-bipolar sister told me it also was very stimulating for her so this may be a reasonable reaction (or it could be both of us are very sensitive to meds). But be careful.

[SorryShaped]

CoQ10 gave me a buzz too.
I'm going to have to workout more and harder to lose this extra. I am going to ask if my pdoc will go for ect or just put me back on Seroquel. I'm fairly sure the level of tunnel vision alone will put me in hospital.
My neighbor walked with me tonight. I thanked her. She has no idea that I was going out to drink and I didn't because I was being respectful to her. Not being alone was enough to not drink but now I'm alone and really wanting it.
Kava helps with anxiety but doesn't make me sleepy. I bought some more kava extract online, and some CCC and a half pound of kratom. I bought a sedating blend of red/bentuangie kratom to help me sleep at night and help with my chronic pain and anxiety as well.

[SorryShaped]

So without antipsychotics even for one day I feel different. There's a lift in my mood that's above how my mania I was feeling by a long shot. It feels good just to move at all and I'm bored constantly, but the apartment is also now clean, except for the vacuuming, which is probably next. I went to the gym for a while and the library too. I'm probably going to go out tonight and purposely leave my wallet at home so I don't drink or anything. The tunnel vision is much worse but I don't honestly care about it anymore. I see about a third to half of what I'm supposed to see most of the time. The rest of it's all streaky. Nobody's signed up to drive me to my appointments next week so I guess I'll be driving again. Let's hope it gets better by then

[99fairies]

Do you think it's safe to drive with your vision issues?

[SorryShaped]

Slept almost seven hours last night!
Vision is much better today. I probably shouldn't drive but my options are zero otherwise

[SorryShaped]

They're definitely gonna at minimum put a 72 hour hold on me if I go in like I am right now to my regular appointments Tuesday. My vision is down to about 25% and that's not the worst thing going on. I slept with my ex again last night.
I have obtained a driver for Tuesday. I'm not suicidal but I am psychotic in a lot of ways and I don't honestly think I care about what I do to or with my body. I've been hearing things all day like indecipherable whispers.
Here's a warning to people thinking of going cold turkey off antipsychotics... Never go cold turkey off antipsychotics. It hurts. The additional pain levels I'm experiencing are extreme. My neck pain is easily 9.5.

[SorryShaped]

They didn't lock me up. She gave me vraylar. I'll start it tonight or tomorrow depending on when I pick it up

SorryShaped, I'm glad you avoided the lock up. Wishing you all the best with the Vraylar. Stay safe!