I am Taking 4 different types of RX for BiPolar disorder & have quit sleeping & have gained weight....what should I do?

Hi! I have been taking Seroquel, Zoloft, Remeron, and Xanax for a long time now & I have noticed that I have gained 100 lbs since I begab taking this medication as well as having been told after a sleep study that I am not going in to REM sleep. Not sleeping well & gaining weight has seriously affected my moods. What should I do?

Im no specialist on any of those RX's..but i know that Seroquel can have a side effect of messing with your eyes. One website said, "Patients using Seroquel therapy must have an eye exam every six months to identify if cataracts are forming." I also have heard that Zoloft has caused hostility and aggressiveness. My friend started taking Zoloft and also gained weight, so the weight problem may be in result to Zoloft. Your story sounds serious, so i would recommend seeing your doctor asap about possibly changing your meds. Good luck and keep us updated!

Thanks for the eye exam tip --bop-- I have had and heard of lots of side effects from seroquel but that is one I did not here. I have an eye exam today so thats good to know.

Jacqui :-))

Remeron can produce weight gain, but check with your pdoc, Zoloft does that in some people too.
Seroquel, I am not sure about, I have never taken that one, but I think you should ask your pdoc about this and see if there are any alternative meds, cause we know weight gain does not do anything for our depression.
I wish you lots of luck with this

DE

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

Can I ask you why you are on that many?

I am on Remeron, and it can cause weight gain at the begining when you start taking it but the weight for most people leave again. Seroquel doesn't usually cause weight gain either. Could it be that you are depressed? Maybe it is from having trouble sleeping. Are your eating habits off by chance? Exercising?

<font color=red>~Sundance~</font color=red>

<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>

Hi Sundance, the reason why I am on so many is b/c apparantly one medicine is the cure all. I have so many disorders wrapped into one that when I was only taking 1 RX, it was only treating one on the disorders. I was only taking Prozac & we found that it did more harm than good when I was hospitalized due to almost committing suicide. So, I take the Remeron as a sleep agent, since it is both a sedative as well as an anti-depressant, the seroquel to level the ups & downs associated with being Bi-Polar, & the zoloft, I am not sure why & I talked about that with my pdoc today. I have another appointment next week & we are going to re-valuate all the meds that I am taking & see what is working & what is doing more harm that good. The zoloft may be going, which I am not sad to see go. As for the weight gain, I talked with my therapist today, & he wants me to start keeping a food journal so we can see what my eating habbits are. He thinks I may be eating in place of something thats lacking in my life, which I agreed on. That is probably why I have gained as much weight as I have. Like I said, I have another appointment next week & hopefully, some of the medicinal problems will be solved. I think a lot of what my problem is the fact that i have not been in therapy for a good long while & the meds alone aren't going to solve my problems. needless to say, I had a break through in my session today. I thank you all for your support & concern & look forward to keeping in touch. I will let you know what my pdoc has suggested after my appointment next week.
= )
Gheddie

I was on zoloft for 7 -8 yrs, and it just stopped working, usually someone is only on one anti-depressant but there are times when people have to be on a couple. I am on Remeron now, it doesn't make me tired anymore, i'm over the 6 week period, well I guess it does make me tired when I take it at night, but it isn't for sleep but for depression, GAD and PTSD. I don't know much about Bipolar Disorder, but I do know a couple people who are on a few different drugs to help with that. I also keep a track of my food and write it down, it could be the Remeron though. IT is known to cause weight gain, but it is only suppose to happen when you first start taking it, as a side effect. I use to be like 97lbs, and now up to like 108 lbs. I am wondering it is the Remeron, or being 24 my metabolisim is going downhill? I have been eating a bit too, and since this is also a bit of a concern for me, my psychiatrist is telling me to write down what I eat, how much I eat and the time. Trying to get myself into a healthy pattern.

<font color=red>~Sundance~</font color=red>

<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>

Your weight is still a great weight, a few pounds is not bad, and golly, wish I was your weight.
Wishing you well,

DE

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

Hi Ghedsiah- My husband is on Olanzipine and believe me he sleeps. Now he sleeps too much and it's a matter of adjusting levels. It too made him gain weight but he's now managed to lose most of it. He's been on it since January. Seems to be helping but remember everyone is different. Hope things go better. Take Care!!!

'G"

I am bipolar as well, and after 10 years of multiple meds, I have doubled my weight, though it sounds like your T has good out look on this. I am on I think 7 psych meds and 9 physical meds, and have been constantly changing meds for over 10 years, to treat my bipolar and others. I have a very high tolerance to medication and at times resistance. I understand about the number of meds, for the different p disorders.

Peace

Take Care,
Kris

I wish you the best, and the hope for a better day for us all, in out struggles no matter how large or small I wish hope for us all

If you think you have totally gave up, you haven't, because you are here!

I know Darkeyes,

But i've never had to deal with it until now, and when the clothes don't fit exactly like they use too it is depressing. The only thing I'm self consious about is my tummy.

<font color=red>~Sundance~</font color=red>

<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>

I can sympathize with this, I have a closet full of all coloured tops and pants, I had finally got down to fit them all and quite well, size 6, for 40+ y.o. woman that is not bad then the DX came and had been on several meds that caused weight gain and even hair loss, I have been on a med for over 2 years and thank God it hasn't caused any of those nasty side effects. The 2 that made me gain weight were Depakote and a brief trial of Remeron, I am glad I am now on a med that agrees with me in many ways.
I wish all that need meds the best of luck, it will come, just takes some tries with different ones, like trying on shoes we have to find the ones that fit most comfortably, remember sometimes it takes a little "breaking in".

Sincerely,
DE

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

the weight gain is most liekly from the remeron, it makes you hungrier than a pregnant woman, and the REM sleep, most psych meds do interfere with that, most peopel on meds don't dream.

"don't kick the puppy" ~ j.e.p.

I supposedly have bipolar disorder also it took months to find a reasonable combination. At night: Gabitril 4mg, Trileptal 450mg, Restoril 15-30mg. During the day, Prozac 20mg and Provigil 10mg. I have stayed at 110# the whole time. When they started putting me on pills I told them I wouldn't take anything that made me fat or sleepy all day. This seems to work, but I still have problems with depression and agitation.

TELL YOUR DR

"don't kick the puppy" ~ j.e.p.