Bipolar, meds and weight.

[Annie_7]

I’ve been on medication for my bipolar for 10 years - all my adult life. Since starting my medication my weight has increased and increased and I’m now at my heaviest. My husband and I are trying for a baby and i know loosing some weight might help fertility.
I’m so frustrated at my medical management. I’ve tried to tell my (multiple) GPs and (multiple) psychiatrists over the years that I feel like there is some underlying reason why I am having issues with my weight. They just keep linking my mood to my eating patterns. I’ve tried everything apart from surgery to get the weight off and nothing has helped. At this point I’m desperate. My weight is a huge trigger for stress. I’ve been doing some research about antipsychotic/antidepressants and metabolic syndromes/insulin resistance and I’m wondering if anyone else can shed some like on the subject/experience?

[Lonelydan]

Hi Annie, welcome to the forums, I agree I’ve been taking medication for the past 5yrs my weight has gone from 85kg to110kg my appetite hasn’t increased I’m still eating the same as I always have. It’s the medication absolutely. I’m 46 so I expect some changes but to gain over 20kg ??????

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Annie_7,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for your post. I'm sorry that you're frustrated with this and I understand it completely. I've gained weight with my medication which has been completely dismissed as well.

Unfortunately though, the information that I've found is limited, and I think even if I'd found some good research papers it wouldn't really help - it would only explain what I (and we!) know but not 'fix' the problem.

Can I ask if you've considered seeing a dietician? It is really common for people to gain weight through medication, but it's also possible to lose weight too. My guess is that by seeing a dietician they'll be able to see that your weight gain is justified by the medication and help give you some advice.

Hope this helps,

[Nevergoodenough]

Hi Annie,

unfortunately quite a number of the psychiatric medications can cause weight gain (some significant) and it can also be exacerbated because when you are unwell, many people with depressive disorders have low motivation to exercise. I’m an exercise and fitness freak and really strict about my weight but on one hospital stay I went from 73 to 81kg in less than a month. Ill have to disagree with Dan.... I put on all of that weight because my appetite had no limit and I just kept eating. Luckily Im no longer taking that pro. Good luck

[quirkywords]

Annie_7

I too welcome you to the forum.

It is so difficult managing weight and medication .

I have been on medication for bipolar for nearly 30 years.

I put on about ten to 15 kilos over the first ten years and I would lose a few kilos then gain more. I was told it was my increase in appetite that caused the weight gain. The trouble was I could put it on so quickly but it would take me months of a very restrictive diet to lose one kilo.

I went off my medication about 13 years ago under the supervision of my doctor and I lost ten kilos in ten days and no change in diet or much difference in exercise. I was only off the medication for a few weeks as I came crashing down.In two weeks the weight came back on.

I realised I could lose weight and have mood swings or I could have extra kilos but be relatively stable.

I will never be slim and never be someone who can eat whatever they like.

I am lucky I have found a medication that seen me relatively stable more a few decades.

There is a thread called This bipolar life, you may like to have a look at and maybe post there as there are people there with different experiences with weight and medication.

Quirky

[Bazleenus]

Hi annie, i think this is one of the biggest problems that us bipolar sufferers go through...
Im 22 and quite active but, before starting bipolar medication last year in september, i was 79kg and hit my heaviest weight at 95kg
I went through both stages, of uncontrollable appetite and gaining lots of weight, and then just strict eating with no extra exercise and it just seemed as if i was slowing down the weight gain, but it didnt exactly stop..
Literally couldnt count on my fingers and toes, the amount of days i would starve myself and eat a bowl off lettuce with a little bit of dressing for dinner to try combat the weight, but it always kept coming on and on whilst on the popular antipsychotics. I obviously do not recommened this at all, but me myself, got to a point where i couldnt stomach any food at all because the weight was bringing me so far down, let alone the bipolar downs that we experience. But i told my psychiatrist this, and only till this day that i told him i couldnt stomach food that he actually changed my medication.. And when he changed it, i cant name which one on here but it was a non PBS medication which was new and quite expensive which i also do not suggest if you're tight on money, but it massively, massively helped with the ability to manage my weight a whole lot better.
I hope this can help somewhat!

[Matches]

Hi everyone,

Recently I’ve been reading about Nutritional Neuroscience, while protein deficiency is a well-established cause of depression, there is some interesting new research about the link between certain amino acid deficiencies and mental illness/suicide.

Anti-depressants and mood stabilizers caused me to gain a lot of weight >40kg. My psychiatrist prescribed anti-psychotics and warned me that my weight would most likely increase. However, I had the opposite effect, my new found capacity to exercise, my self-esteem and desire to eat healthily, allowed me to lose the weight.

Silly me stopped taking my medication last year, I had a long high period, convinced myself I was fine without meds. I’ve gained most of the weight back but have started taking my medication again.

For me, it is definitely about nutrition and exercise.

Matches