Meds question to people that have bipolar disorder...?!
Question: Are there any bipolar disorder medications out there that you have tried that do not make you gain weight? I am currently on Lexapro 10mg & Abilify 10 mgs. The Abilify caused me to gain 50 pounds & I barely eat much, I am even on Adderall for my ADHD! I have tried risperadal with the same results. I tell my doctor my concerns every time I go in & he just kind of ignores it as if I have to put up with it but does agree that Abilify is the drug that is causing weight gain. I'm at the heaviest I've ever been. I'm not obese, but it really shows in my face, making it look extremely "puffy" & everyone has noticed it. & please don't tell me "more to love"...I don't want to be fat & depressed....
Answers: Are there any bipolar disorder medications out there that you have tried that do not make you gain weight? I am currently on Lexapro 10mg & Abilify 10 mgs. The Abilify caused me to gain 50 pounds & I barely eat much, I am even on Adderall for my ADHD! I have tried risperadal with the same results. I tell my doctor my concerns every time I go in & he just kind of ignores it as if I have to put up with it but does agree that Abilify is the drug that is causing weight gain. I'm at the heaviest I've ever been. I'm not obese, but it really shows in my face, making it look extremely "puffy" & everyone has noticed it. & please don't tell me "more to love"...I don't want to be fat & depressed....
I notice you're on an antidepressent and an antipsychotic. I would assume then, that you have bipolar disorder type I. I don't know about the combination of an antipsychotic and an antidepressent, from what I've heard from people with this disorder it's generally better to treat type I with an antipsychotic and an anticonvulsant(mainly Lamictal) and type II with an antidepressent and an anticonvulsant. Basically, you should avoid antidepressents if you have type I because they can trigger manic episodes and even psychosis, especially if you stop taking them. If that combination works for you, take it by all means, but use extreme caution.
One of Lexapro's side effects is weight gain. Have you tried Lamictal yet? I take it, it's the drug of choice for people with bipolar I because it's not an antidepressent and it treats type I depression. I haven't noticed any weight gain from it. However, if you've tried it and it didn't work, then don't try to take it again. A lot of drugs just don't work on people. As for other antidepressents, if you must take them then Welbutrin actually causes weight loss instead of weight gain. As far as antipsychotics go, unfortunately all the major ones have weight gain listed as a side effect. Geodon apparently doesn't cause weight gain, but it's not that common. I have no idea how good it is.
For people who say to stop medications, that'll only work if you were misdiagnosed or if you just have cyclothymic disorder, which are both actually quite common. But as any person with real, serious bipolar disorder will tell you it is absolutely necessary that you take them for the rest of your life. I don't care what Michael Savage tells you, keep taking them. Diet, exercise, reducing stress in your life, consuming lots of fish oil, herbal supplements, and vitamins will not cure bipolar disorder by themselves. That's not to say you shouldn't do these things, you should(except for herbal supplements, there's not telling what's in that s***), but you should only do these in addition to taking your medications, not as a substitute. Medications will work if you take the right ones. I have the worst form of bipolar disorder, ultra-rapid cycling, and it's really bad, trust me. But I'm fine with medications. My mood has been stable for about two years.
My advice. Eat a proper diet(use the food pyramid) instead of not eating anything and start exercising a lot. It will help your mood and weight. If you have to switch medications then do so, but sometimes you just have to live with the side effects of medications. I know your shrink isn't that likely to subscribe different medications just because you gain a little weight. I know the side effects suck ***, but that's part of living with bipolar disorder. Also remember that being healthy is more important than being thin.
Depending on how bad your bipolar is you can learn to manage it with out drugs, or with less drugs. Eating healthy along with exercise will help a lot. My mom had the same problem she gained a lot of weight taking zoloft. (I'm not sure of the spelling on that) She went off it and started working out and eating right and she was alright. I don't know everything about it but read up on bipolar disorder and see what you find. There may be other ways to treat you.
Don't listen to Cole!
If you are bipolar it is sever! Duh! I have not herd of any medication relating to bipolar that dosent make a person fell "Fluffy" It's hard when you gain weight and have depression I know I was already overweight to begin with and now I am even more over weight. All I can suggest is when you have that burst of energy (you know when you're experincing Mania) Expercize! And when you have hypo Mania do things such as housecleaning,cook. That's what I do but I am mainly hypo-maina hense the weight!
I hope this helps a little
take care!
First.....I am not a medical professional.
I agree with the previous person about eating right and exercise. I would also recommend acupuncture. Why? I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 8/04. I was in pain all the time, lethargic, etc.etc.etc. In 3/04, I had been prescribed Paxil for depression and had already been taking Klonopin for insomnia. In the 3 1/2 year period that followed, I gained 45 pounds and could barely go to work everyday (didn't quite make it EVERYday). I started acupuncture in 1/07 after trying everything I could think of. By the 2nd treatment, the pain was gone!! With the acupuncturist's help, I came off of both meds by 4/07. It wasn't easy, but, my God, what a difference!!! When I did more research on Paxil especially, I found out that almost all the symptoms of fibromyalgia were the same as side effects of the med!! I'm not "perfect" now by any stretch of the imagination.
Try acupuncture. It can't hurt you....it can only help.
Good luck!