Too much medication and too much weight

[qtpie]

I have been getting treatment for bipolar and depression for 3 years now. Left undiagnosed for many years prior.  I have in that time gained 30kgs. I have done all that I can but to no avail. Every time I get a change in meds the obvious pops up "side effect" weight gain. I have talked to GPs, Psych, Fitness instructors etc etc but all I get is eat well and exercise. Okay eat well, try having a episode and feel like sitting down to a nice healthy salad. No I binge eat all the wrong things, feel bad about what I have eaten, therefore get more depressed. Exercise, done the gym membership thing, lost nothing, except money. My partner says my next visit to my Psych will be I go in there and demand that I go off everything I am on and he is to find me a treatment plan that is not going to make me look like a beached whale the rest of my life. Yeah I will do that, right up till the point I walk into his office, cry a little about my weight and walk out with nothing changed. Strength I have none left. 

[white knight]

Hi qtpie, welcome to beyond Blue forums

I could have written that post myself. Except earlier this year I had pneumonia and lost 18 kgms and have kept most of it off. Lucky I suppose.

My first reaction to your post is that you are placing your weight issue over and above your mental health. That is the wrong way around. You shouldnt risk your mental state at all.

I've been on more diets than I can recall.  Now I eat whatever and try to limit snacks and how much I eat. Seems to work. Exercise is a foul word for me. But I do have DVT in both legs so its out anyway.

Go to your GP and get a recommendation for a dietician. I got one under my free health care plan.  He helped a lot.

[Pounce]

Hi qtpie,

welcome, I'm rather new here too, and newly diagnosed and newly medicated.  I've just started taking a new AD that has that good old side effect - weight gain!  I can see why it would make you gain weight, too, because it makes me really hungry!  hungry enough to overcome my inertia, get up off the couch and go make some toast!  So, don't blame yourself, it must be really hard.  Personally, I find eating a chore rather than a pleasure, so when I'm feeling depressed I tend to stop eating and lose weight.  Of course, that's not a healthy solution, but maybe make eating more of a chore.  No easy snacks in the house (except fruit).  No high calorie snacks.  Put food high up out of reach so you have to get a step ladder?  Buy only food that you have to go to a bit of an effort to prepare? you never know, it might help.  It would be nice if my problems could be solutions for others...

[Stormgirl2012]

HI qtpie

Your post has made me cry, as I am in exactly the same boat as yourself.  Prior to going on meds (this is my FOURTH change in 3 months) I was pretty pristine with my eating and fitness.  Now I am demotivated as I just can't get the weight off no matter how hard I try, so I give up and binge then get more depressed.  It's fine for people to say eat well and exercise but these meds clearly seem to make you really hang on to whatever weight you gain.  I, too have run out of energy and strength.  You're not alone.

[Stormgirl2012]

Hey there!

I love your comment about placing the weight issue above the mental health - it's a very good point that a lot of us don't think about.  I'd love some advice on how to to that.  For some people, (including myself) the weight gain clearly overpowers the other good effects of the meds because you feel terrible and get upset and mad as hell every time you look at yourself in the mirror or go to put some of your nice clothes on to go out and they just don't fit any more :-(.  I think most people know how to eat properly and keep themselves fit.  I was extremely pristine with my diet and exercise before all this happened so I know only too well what the struggle is. I still eat well the majority of the time and I exercise regularly at the gym and play sport but these meds just seem to really make you hang on to everything you eat 😞

[qtpie]

Hi. Thanks for your post.  I have found that people with Bipolar tend to crave carbohydrates. Which in my case has become a reality. Also I crave ice coffee milk, coke and coffee.  But with a lot of strength I have cut back on my carbs and my psych has changed my medication.   I have lost 2kg, I know that's not much but I am 0.5kg off coming back under 100kg, this excites me.  It took a lot of courage to confront my psych about changing my medication but I did it.

[Pounce]

That's wonderful! Keep going. Slow and steady as they say. Good luck 🙂