Zyprexa and weight loss - tips for losing it?

Hi all!

I will start by saying that I have been the same 155-165, typically 160 for the past 10 years. 10 years.
I ballooned up once on my own from a very crappy diet, and lost it very easily when I buckled down.

I am on 5 mg of zyprexa and I am 185!!! I went from about 162 to 180 in 3 weeks. I am hungrier, sometimes a bit more sedentary after I take the med and so forth. It then took about 3 more weeks to get to 185.

I cut down my calories, but still feel the need to binge a little at night. Even with my calories cut, which in the past would help me shed weight, I am still averaging 182. I have cut calories for the past 2 weeks. No, I am not exercising, but that's on the agenda. I also plan on very strictly dieting, but that is tough and I am mentally preparing to commit.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks? My body does NOT want to shed the weight and I know it's because of the zyprexa.

Thanks in advance
Nick

This is why I stopped taking zyprexa; 15 pounds in two weeks for me. My pdoc agreed that that was too much weight gain way too fast. It took me literally years to finally be able to lose that weight. The shame of it was that zyprexa worked well for my bipolar symptoms, but the weight gain was too much.

I know - zyprexa works well for me.

The alternatives still put weight on...

After taking quetiapine for over a year (I was on olanzapine before that, to not much effect), I'm a firm believer that food (energy) intake does not equal the amount of (possible) weight gained. The side-effect wasn't as severe for me with olanzapine, but with quetiapine I also ballooned up. I find it did increase my appetite, but nothing that compared to the amount of weight I was putting on. It simply messes with your digestion and leaves on more than it puts out, so to speak. Possibly even at 5 mg (I was taking 300 mg quetiapine).

I'm currently taking ziprasidone in place of the quetiapine (still tapering off the quetiapine) but I'm not yet sure how that will affect my weight, or whether the claimed overall weight reduction is true, otherwise my only suggestion would be to try a different med.

ugh zyprexa...I was similar to Chris, 18lbs in a couple of weeks. It was horrid, I stopped it and I still can't seem to get it off.

All the AP's made me gain weight though.

im on zyprexa & depakote & have never ever had this much trouble with my weight. i have been walking 4 miles a day for 3 weeks but have not lost any weight. the doc in the hospital said zyprexa is bad about making u put on weight & now i believe it! im only 5 foot 2 inches & i weigh 208 pounds. i too have cut down on the caloric intake but only in the past few days. i dunno what to do cuz the zyprexa is the only thing that has helped anxiety besides addictive nerve pills. i thought well i will wean myself off the depakote as ive heard that causes weight gain too but now i dont know what to do after reading these posts. does anyone have any advice?

The way it was explained to me is that the thing in Zyprexa that makes you fat, happens when the med meets stomach acid. Therefore some are prescribed a strong antacid while in Zyprexa.

Also it is avoided with Zyprexa Zydis that is taken up by your mouth, not by your stomach.

I read some statistics about this long ago, and I don't remember exactly how much of the weight gain this helped with. It was not all, but quite a significant part.

Basically, the only way to stop AP weight gain is to not take APs. You can slow it down some with diet and exercise, but you will balloon no matter what you do.

When I finally stopped drugging myself, I lost 150lbs in two or three months without doing any diet or exercise at all. It was ridiculous. The pdoc thought I had an eating disorder; he'd never seen someone stay off antipsychotics long enough to lose all the weight

I tried both of those things when on Zyprexa and I'm not entirely sure they worked for me? Also, the antacids gave me massive indigestion.

Anyway, I gained an extreme amount of weight on the drugs, so it's possible the zydis and the antacid helped against the weight gain, but not enough to be noticeable.

I've been on zyprexa for years, and yes it made me fat. Unfortunately, it also makes me functional, and no other ap does that. My pddoc calls it "vitamin z" for me. I hafta take out to stay out of the hospital. I walked 4 miles a day for 18 months and only lost a few pounds. It sucks, and if there was an alternative, I'd surely do it. I've tried just about all the ap's.

My doc told me that Zyprexa is allowed only because it has such good effects. Or a med with that severe side effects would never be tolerated and it would be banned.

looks like im gonna be taking myself off the zyprexa cuz bein this much overweight & even walking 4 miles a day is just unacceptable & i cant handle it wonder if i should keep taking the depakote & just stop the zyprexa hmmmm playin my own pdoc here but i dont care the pdoc isnt the one who is 200 lbs

Depakote causes weight gain too, doesn't it? I might be wrong about that.

There is a skinny person inside me dying to get out! Unfortunately, I either live slightly overweight, or I become a really good looking corpse. I have to admit, the zyprexa works.

I was put on Xyprexa this year. In a matter of 1 1/2 weeks I put on 15 pounds. I struggled with memory loss too so my doctor took me off it after 2-3 weeks.

I am currently on Seroquel and it doesn't have the same effects. I am able to control my appetite better. I lost the pounds naturally after I stopped taking Xyprexa.

my pdoc appointment is in a couple of weeks. maybe i will try switching to seroquel too. does it work the same as zyprexa?

I was on zyprexa zydis. I really liked it, after 10 years of searching through so many med. And side affects it was the only one that worked.( I get alot of the side affects too)
But i went from 130- to 153 in a matter of months. So my Dr. Took me off and wants to clean out my system. Im down to 135 now in a few months, with the help of yard work. I did feel tired on it, i would have an afternoon nap most days, and i took the meds at bedtime.
I feel better in a way, but sad i had to give that up since so far it was the only thing that helped.
Now back to being a ginnie pig.

I gained 20 pounds on Zyprexa, so my doc switched me to Risperdal (after I switched docs).

Your doc doesn't know what he/she is doing. There's solid evidence that Zyprexa, Seroquel, etc. cause weight gain, and that this doesn't happen as often with Risperdal.

Zyprexa make you more fatty in a faster way so take it then you need it if you achieve your target the stop it then try to tone your muscle with the help of gym..

i'm on 10mg zyprexa oral, i gained 60 pounds over some time, but lost about 50 pounds by becoming a semi vegan i eat veggies and fish only and i fast for 20 hours a day and i exercise i think thats the only way, now thought i'm vomitting alot no idea why