coping with weight gain

Yes I realise this subject has been hacked to death ad nauseum already but I need a bit of a super vent of my own.

For a while there I was taking Metformin. It seemed to control my weight gain. I even lost some. Circumstances however have changed and I haven't been eating properly. I just can't afford it. So much for my fresh foods. It is absurd that ready made poor quality food is cheaper than 'real' food. The result has been a significant weight gain in a relatively short period of time. During August alone I had to part ways with jeans - even my 'fat' clothes I had hung onto in reserve.

I've been physically active through all this walking 15 - 20 km a week, sometimes more. Yet it still piles on. I can't stand this. It is humiliating not to mention makes me feel ugly.

I hear your frustration. I hate the wieght gain from psych meds. Have you tried good old beans and rice? It's filling, not fattening and extremely cheap. Frozen veggies are inexpensive and a healthy alterative to fresh.

Unfortunately, with the changes to your metabolism and fat storage mechanisms diet and exercise can only minimize the weight gain. I've been lucky in that I'm in the vast majority of users who don't gain weight (or have any other side effects!) on the many psych meds I've tried over the years. But I can only imagine what it does to depressed people who DO gain weight.

Finally diagnosed as Bipolar II and started on appropriate meds after years of antidepressants that made me hypomanic:
Depakote 1000mg
Vraylar 6mg
Ritalin 40mg

I've gained 100lbs. on psych meds. I did start out underweight, but still...this is very frustrating. And now, at age 54, I'm concerned because health problems start appearing because of being overweight.

100 pounds Do your doctors not see this as a problem?

Yes, they sort-of do...although truthfully, I don't think they really believe me. I'd show them a picture if I had one. I weighed 110lbs and now weigh 210lbs. All the psych meds I've been on caused a small amount of weight gain, but it was Seroquel that really did it. I've been way down on Seroquel for a year, but haven't dropped the weight.

i am sorry about this. seems to me that a lot of the so-called "obesity epidemic" taking over much of the developed world is really a result of socioeconomic factors, and its more the result of growing inequality and stagnant wages. ((end rant))

are you still taking metformin? some supplements do seem to help, at least...for me. I've read and heard good things about high doses of alpha lipoic acid, although I haven't personally taken that stuff in years (I took a good bit when I started my supplement program to trigger a detox...it worked, quite nicely...).

I don't know your psych drug situation, but...sometimes switching drugs helps, especially when you're dealing with tranquilizers. seroquel to geodon or abilify, for instance, seems to be a popular maneuver. depakote to trileptal, lithium to lamictal, etc. of course...that requires working with a psychiatrist who will actually listen and help you, which seems to be somewhat uncommon, for some reason.

ever tried juice fasting? I personally don't recommend it to anyone--I did 30 days on carrot and other juices, it was OK--but if a doctor gives you the a-OK, it can help reduce weight and...I dunno...it seemed to hit a "reset" button for me, at least for a while.

some alternative health people these days recommend mini-fasts...replacing a meal or two now and then with vegetable juices, for instance, at most going a couple days on juice, not extended fasting (probably a good idea, btw).

i do hope things get better for you.