Roll Call 63...

You can counteract about half of the weight gain by taking metformin, it's an anti-diabetes drug. I hope you find a better alternative---the three weight neutral atypicals are Geodon, latuda and abilify. There are some typicals that are supposedly weight neutral like Haldol as well.

I think it's thoughtless to call people lazy in this forum, especially when you haven't got the same illness they have. And you can't go travelling around Europe no matter what illness you have if it's flaring up. I'm sick of being blamed for things I can't help or change. The last place I should be encountering those attitudes is here in this forum.

I hear everyone about their weight issues. Since becoming bipolar I've gained more than 35lbs because of the meds... or maybe it's the Effexor. Ill just have to ask my pdoc, "what's up?" All of my meds are suppose to be weight neutral. Plus, I'm not eating anything bad, I even add fiber to try to help make me feel full.

At least I'm stable though...

I agree. I don't have Schizophrenia specifically, just Schizoaffective Bipolar and I still have to really push myself to be motivated but I do it. I tend to be a lazy person, I'll admit that but I don't let my illness rule me. I have college credits and will be taking classes again and there's a guy in my group with Schizophrenia who has held down a good job for the past few years. That's part of the reason I go to group, to make myself do something. It's easy to sit around and do nothing. I I still get depressed, I still get anxious, but with the meds it's not the extreme lows and extreme manic anymore, it's manageable normal moods people experience and yeah sometimes it sucks but you have to push yourself and sometimes put yourself out of your comfort zone.

The one I'm on, Depakote, is known for weight gain. I didn't gain weight on Lithium and never heard any bad things about Lamictal and weight. Really it's different for everyone though.

Well actually there's plenty of things one can do to change and improve ones life. But who's actually going to admit they're lazy and in control and responsible for the choices they make, really, well except me, but I'm a special case apparently.

Nice little dig about Europe, I would hardly call a 4 day trip to Amsterdam "traveling around Europe". That was a struggle going on that trip. I was carrying around a knife for a few weeks prior and was almost detained mere days before. So yeah, my "illness" was flaring up, but I don't have schizophrenia so it couldn't have possibly been that bad.

Well I'm on a depot of invega but they want me to take risperidone as well to boost it for a while. But I'm not taking it I know it's increased my appetite I've been horribly hungry all day. I'll be okay I just won't take it and see how it goes

I like Depakote, despite the weight I've gained. I know a big part is how I eat, and I'm trying to eat better. It really helps keep my mood stable

Does Invega make one sleepy?
I find that every night by 9pm I'm out like a light whether I want to fall asleep or not and then I wake up every morning at like 10 or 11 unless I set an alarm.

Are second hand books off Amazon decent? Or does it just depend? I'm looking for a book that I can't get here and I've never ordered on amazon before. It's an Irish history book that's impossible to get in Ireland so I have to order from Texas apparently.

Are second hand books off Amazon decent? Or does it just depend? I'm looking for a book that I can't get here and I've never ordered on amazon before. It's an Irish history book that's impossible to get in Ireland so I have to order from Texas apparently.