I don't understand how meds make people gain and lose weight?

I've taken ritalin more often lately because I needed it. Before the ritalin I was steady on 72 kilo. After been on it a while but not every day I was 75. Just the last weeks I had to take it every day and I quickly as heck shot up to 78.

It makes my pulse rate go up. It makes me have more energy so I'm up and about. It makes me not want food so I eat half what I normally eat.

And I gain. Docs who say it is just about eating.... they are insane. If I need to continue the med I have to cut back to about 900 cal a day I figured out.

jesus that's the cal of 1 large bag of potato chips I may eat at night , there are still people on the forum that don't believe it , but I think they still carry anxiety.

Ya it is roughly a bag of chips.

If I ever eat chips that is what I eat that day.

Very good question. I take medicines, Seroquel and Klonopin, that made me gain weight and are making hard to lose the weight. I think that in order to find a way to reverse the weight gain of some psych meds, it is important to examine the causes of this problem.

For one thing, they can have effects on resting energy expenditure or slowing of metabolism. In other words, it takes less food just to keep you alive.

Many antipsychotics, including Seroquel (and a few antidepressants, too), could be blocking receptors in your brain that decrease eating behavior, so this blocking could be making you eat more.

Psych meds with higher affinities for beta-3 adrenergic receptors, such as the tricyclic antidepressants, can lead to weight gain.

Some drugs, such as Seroquel and others that block H-1 receptors, might be deactivating brain satiety centers, which means you are less likely to feel satisfied after you eat.

Your psych meds also might be blocking anticholinergic sites–the blocking of which is associated with appetite stimulation. That means they make you want to EAT. Yesterday my psychologist said that he thought the Seroquel could be affecting the way insulin is used in my body. That means this drug could be messing with my blood sugar. Scary! My psychologist said, “Sugar plus psychotropic meds equals you in a coffin.” Then he shrugged. “That’s just my opinion.”

I lost a bunch of weight a couple of years ago when I stopped taking my medicines, but I had a terrible manic episode followed by a devastating depression. I am working hard on getting skinny while staying sane!

I think that meds do alter metabolism. I have gained about 10 lbs on Epival without changing my diet or exercise. Me and pdoc are going to talk about that next appt.

great answer and every word true