[MusicLover82]

Well... I have found the magic pill that has made me feel NORMAL, as in, finally NO mood swings, very tiny bit of anxiety, no obsessing. I know it might not always feel this way on this medication (Latuda), but for now, this "normal" feeling is glorious.

But I started the medication in approximately April and since then I've gained almost 20 lbs. It kind of snuck up gradually, so at first I just blamed myself, but really I haven't been doing anything that different with my diet or exercise. I was already obese because of the other meds I take. I've taken Risperdal for about 15 years and Lithium for about 8 years now.

What would you do? If you have this feeling of "AHHHHH... normalcy!!!" Would you give it up just to (hopefully) lose weight? Or would you just work really hard to try to lose weight even though the Latuda (along with all the other meds) might make weight-loss an uphill battle?

Thanks!

[Crook32]

I have been having this same battle with Seroquel. I have gone off and on it at least 7 times because of weight gain. Unfortunately it seeens to be the only thing that works for me. So I have gained 100 pounds over the last 6 years or so. I hate being obese. It makes my bad knee hurt worse and I have no stamina. Why do we have to choose between our mental and physical health? I am on Metformin but it doesn’t appear to be doing anything. Just these past couple of weeks I have gained 2 more pounds. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t go off the Seroquel again. I was even thinking about raising it. It is really a no win situation for me at the moment. The weight is starting to effect my mood because I was always in shape and an athlete growing up. Now I won’t even allow my picture taken.

[Moose72]

My story too! Depakote and seroquel and zyprexa have packed on the pounds. We die early one way or another.

[Cornucopia]

Have anyone tried eating fairly low carb and no wheat?
I gained several pounds in just a few weeks with Seroquel. I tried different things, nothing seemed to work. Until I stayed away from wheat and cut down on carbs.

I still ate carbs, but mostly oat and way less than before.
I’m not sure what the link might be- maybe just me, haven’t found anything research about it.
I got rid of the extra weight and then some.

I’m on lamictal now, and eat wheat again, no weightgain on this for me.

It sucks that many of the medications we take make us gain weight

[fern46]

I am sorry you are going through this. Crook32 is right. We shouldn't have to choose between our mental health and our physical health. I think it is a real crime that many of the meds we take cause weight gain and other unhealthy issues. I do not think it is hopeless though.

I was a healthy and active person before I started taking meds. My weight was optimal for me and I wasn't dieting or doing anything special to maintain it. I started taking meds last November and I gained 8 lbs in just a few months. I was only slightly less active because the meds made me sleepy. My eating was the same as before. I could only assume the meds tanked my metabolism.

I decided this trend could not continue. I worked hard years ago to get to a healthy weight and I did not want to go back. I tried adjusting my eating first. I cut out sugar and stayed away from junk as much as possible. The scale did not move, but I stopped gaining. I tried being a bit more active. I was walking almost daily and exercising here and there. The scale did not move.

I started a more intensive exercise program. I did 30 minutes of circuit training a day targeted at weight loss. The scale moved only slightly and then I gained it back. I finally started tracking my food and reduced my daily calories at a rate targeted to lose one pound a week. I did this alongside my exercise program. I started toning up and dropping the weight. I've been exercising for 2 months and tracking my food for 1 month. I've lost 6 of the 8 lbs and gained lean muscle. My clothes fit well again.

It took the combination of adjusted eating and more intense exercise to get the weight to come off. I feel like my metabolism is finally rebounding. I'm glad I took action because I imagine I would have gained 20 lbs by now.

There are also meds that are more weight neutral. Perhaps med adjustments are an option. Nobody should have to choose and it is unfortunate that so many of us are forced into it. I chose mental health and physical health and it is working for now. I am working hard at both. I hope I can maintain it. The folks who check in with me on the physical check-in thread have been a huge support throughout my journey. I'm grateful to them. Please join us if you ever want a sounding board or support on the physical health aspect of your journey.

[sarahsweets]

I used to be obese. All my life I had always been chunky. I slowly krept up and with my first baby I gained 60lbs. Then more with each baby. Then I tried seroquel and gained more weight. If I am being honest though I did not eat well. Its all well and good to acknowledge that antipsy's cause weight gain due to increased hunger and poor metabolism but what we eat and how much we move and our portions play into it. For me, I had gastric bypass and lost all but 15 or so lbs. 127lbs lost but it was a tool. I follow a strict eating plan because I know 6 people that all had a form of weight loss surgery and they didnt follow a plan and gained it all back plus some. its an extreme way to go but it changed my life, the way I eat and portion control. But I still have to eat healthy and exercise. I think the meds are hard on our bodies but I do not feel they are the sole excuse as to why weight is gained.

[Blue_Bird]

I'm in the same situation. I've gained a little over 20 lbs since getting on seroquel around March this year and I'm torn between what I should do. I'm the most stable I've ever been and I don't want to screw that up yet the weight gain is concerning and making me feel disgusted with myself

Originally Posted by MusicLover82

Well... I have found the magic pill that has made me feel NORMAL, as in, finally NO mood swings, very tiny bit of anxiety, no obsessing. I know it might not always feel this way on this medication (Latuda), but for now, this "normal" feeling is glorious.

But I started the medication in approximately April and since then I've gained almost 20 lbs. It kind of snuck up gradually, so at first I just blamed myself, but really I haven't been doing anything that different with my diet or exercise. I was already obese because of the other meds I take. I've taken Risperdal for about 15 years and Lithium for about 8 years now.

What would you do? If you have this feeling of "AHHHHH... normalcy!!!" Would you give it up just to (hopefully) lose weight? Or would you just work really hard to try to lose weight even though the Latuda (along with all the other meds) might make weight-loss an uphill battle?

Thanks!

I would definitely try losing the weight first. Have you tracked your eating, calculating at least the calories? If you're regularly eating well over what you can burn in a day, then obviously one must eliminate some foods, preferably high calorie low nutrition foods. Sometimes we think we're not eating much (or that many calories), but we sometimes are. Even habitually.

I know people like to explore all kinds of diets, but I really do recommend at least initially getting a clear idea of what you really eat.

If interested, there are good websites for calculating how many calories are needed for weight loss, or even maintenance. They take daily activity level, age, gender, and starting weight in mind. One is at Calorie Calculator I don't recommend "extreme" weight loss calorie intake. That is usually not easy enough to sustain and leads to failure.

There are great calorie counter sites available for free. I, personally, recommend MyFitnessPal. Their free option is more than useful enough for me. They also have an app with a free option. Google them or a similar, if interested.

If a bona fide attempt to diet (over at least a first month) yields less than a 3 lb loss, then I guess I would talk seriously with your psychiatrist about medications that are more weight friendly. By "bona fide", I mean actually eating few enough calories to be in the usual weight loss range. You may also want to talk with your therapist about any possible psych obstacles that prevent effective dieting. Again, if it is truly determined that the medications are the only obstacles, then surely a medication change should likely be considered. I'm just concerned that sometimes people put all of the blame on medications, when there are indeed other factors that play into weight gain.

[Moose72]

I feel good mentally on 100 Seroquel but Im sick. I got metabolic syndrom from zyprexa and seroquel and now have fatty liver and some hardening of the liver. Im going to die. What's so wrong with mania? Last time I had it I felt fine.

[Jedi67]

I gained a lot of weight while on Seroquel. I've since stopped taking it because my blood pressure was through the roof. also, I was fatigued all the time. since being off of it, I've lost over 35 pounds and I just watch the carbs, go for walks (I can't run, I have bad knees), don't eat after 7 pm and have a big breakfast and light lunch. so far it works for me. oh, and I cut out junk food! no ice cream, cookies, donuts, chips, cheesecake, etc. I only eat yogurt with blueberries and bananas.