Medications and weight gain thread.
 

I just wanted to post something for all the people who are on meds and have put on weight as a result .Maybe some wont want to talk about it ,but I thought some space for sharing might be nice.
Im on solian and I feel it has affected my weight enormously .I am now cutting down on it wihtout the docs consent .Thye have been no help.they gave me a drug which had very bad side effects on me ,for the second time.Like obv it was going to happen again.
Rant over.

I feel for you and everyone else has gained weight through meds.

I wont put numbers but i have gained *a lot* andam currently trying to loose it.

I think that when people are put oin drugs that cna make them gain weight a plan should be put in place to prevent this and excercise and healthy eating should be ecouraged.

If ths was done for me it makes me think i wouldnt be in this situation i am in now, hating the way i look. it can soemimes add to the persons distresss. Like being ill isnt enough already.

xx

(Oh and im on clozapine)

its true ,my gp promised me free gym membership and 9 months later am still waiting
the psych never listened ,i knew 4 years ago i was putting on weight .i started off very very thin ,so it took me this long to get fat.
im at my wits end .i rang the nurse and asked him would he let me be put on geodon ,its worth a shot ,ill prob have side effects as usual

i gained a large amount of weight when i was on olanzapine, ive only just come off it but the weight gain is horrible and i hate what its done to me.

I took olanzipine in hospital ,an I put on a lot of weight in just one week .In saying that I felt on top of the world whe I was on it .its a pity with the weight gain on that med.

I was on zyprexa for 3 years and i gained A LOT of weight which i still haven't managed to lose. I'm really angry that no one told me that zyprexa is notorious for weight gain. I think that as patients we are ought to be told about side effects of the meds they put us on. Stupid zyprexa!!!!!!

Mirtazapine made me gain alot of weight. I am nolonger on it...but it did help me

Yeah i'm on Mirtazipine and i have gained a lot of weight on it in the 5/6 months i've been on it. Its horrid because people in my family don't know why i've gained so much weight and keep making comments about it and stuff. I want to just tell them that its not my fault but i can't without telling them why. Hopefully though i'll be coming off it next week so i can finally begin to try and lose the weight but then again i have no idea what i'll get put on next.

Its a hard job ,when people say 'God you have put on weight ' ,what are you supposed to say?Oh Im a mental case on savage medication.Not the way to go .No offense like Im talking about myself ,couple of men passed comments on me already.
I have reduced my med and straight away i dotn feel any bit hungry .I mean its so obvious that the meds caused the weight gain but nobody will listen to me.Hopefull Ill stay well enough till I get new stuff ,which Im hoping will work.
They dont tell side effects ,its only to thm they want o make sure that theior patients dont end up in hospital and dont care what it takes.
I was in the psych ward one day to talk to a doc and one guy walked past me .He was an inpatient .he was very very heavy.It was only later I realised I knew him .The change in him was astonishing ,he had put on about 7 stone.he used to be so attractive .I swear its so not fair .
Please make drugs that work and dont make us fat.

good thread

i was put on olanzapine and i went up 4 dresses in 4 months because of it! it was horrible and in the end i just refussed to take the meds which resulted in me almost getting sectioned again. im on different meds now which still have weight gain as a side effect but it isnt as bad but now im on weightwatchers im having to cut back extra to battle the weight gain and im not loosing weight at the same speed as my mum which is upsetting and makes me feel like crap! i feel like getting a marker and writing on my head "its not my fault im fat the meds did it to me" :-p

i hate the doctor that put me on it! i was so out of it when he put me on it (hallucinating and with such disorted thinking) so i couldnt really give my consent! the only thing i remember him saying is "we will put you on this drug because you need to gain weight anyway" why would you do that?

*squishes you for making this thread*
I'm struggling A LOT with this right now, I'm on Quetiapine and I've gained so much on it, it makes me want to cry! I did tell me doctor who just did the whole "Go for walks" and "eat the right things" which annoyed me because it's literally a hunger that I really can't control. I was on Mitazapine before which I refused to take after a while because of the intense hunger I felt, I was eating until I physically felt sick!
I've just stopped taking my Quetiapine now, which I know I shouldn't do without telling my doctor.... or fiancé... but the weight gain has completely triggered a relapse in my ED and I can't face all the questions and what not, I just want to lose this damn weight!

I don't think people realize how hard gaining on tablets really is, so thank you for making this thread!

Hugs all
I needed it myself to exorcise this feeling of helplessness I have.I have gone from being attractive to being just a lump .Its lousy .Im telling the doc next time ,that I will develop serious eating issues if she doesn tdo something.They have refused me haladol for a year ,and I have never tried it properly.How they know it wont help me ?
F*cking scum ,when they can walk around in tight clothes and Im left to rot.I feel very strongly about this.

I'm sorry your doctor doesn't listen, I think they don't understand how hard it is to see your body change so dramatically in such a short period of time and having no control over it.
I can understand your feelings of helplessness, I know that my tablets have worked and are the best ones I've tried so far but the weight gain completely negates any positives from that because I feel so horrible. I'm really sensitive to sure effects from medication and its been so hard to find something that actually works, doctors seem to listen more when the side effects are abpit other tthings (sleep disturbances, heart flutters etc) but with weight gain they basically tell you to get over it.
Please stay safe, I hope you can sort out your meds

Hi tormented .you sound very like me.Im sensitive too to side effects .i have tried most of the meds and had really bad effects from them.The solian is grand .I can work and socialise and live a normal life though I do sleep too much on it.But the weight makes it bad as you say yourself.Isnt it hard to find the perfect drug ?Suppose it doesnt exist.I shouldnt complain too much ,some people dont feel half as well as i do on their meds.Its finding the right combo though too.

I'm trying to lose weight and it just isn't happening with me being on quietiapine. But i can't stop it, because if i do the AD i'm on will send me hypomanic again. :(

bad subject for me.
i have gained so much weight its now i factor to why why feel so shit
speaking to a doctor about your meds is the best thing to do

Yeah I'm another one who had weight gain as a result of mirtazapine. I'm amazed I was put on it really, considering I was overweight before I went on it, and it feels like no matter how healthy my lifestyle is, no weight will budge :( its just unfortunate that the benefits of the drug completely outweigh (no pun intended) the weight gain. Its for that reason that I don't want to change, in every other way, it works well for me, but my weight is really hugely starting to get me down...

At the moment Im taking fat metaboliser tablets but they have a lot of caffine in them .I was taking Alli but the side effects are so gross ,you basically go to the toliet in your pants (sorry guys).I have a bowel problem and couldnt handle it plus I lost no weight .
Am waiting to meet the psych for change of meds ,but knowing her she wont agree to the whatever I suggest .
I can really see the difference whn I lower the meds with my appetite .But I dont really eat that much ,they must slow down my metabolism too.

xxMessedUpxx - I'm glad that you can see that stopping your tablets isn't good for you, I know that it might not seem that way but t really is =) Also I love your sig ^^
88Shelz - I'm sorry it's a bad subject for you, but perhaps speaking about it with people who can understand your situation can make you feel a bit better? I've found that people around me just seem to brush it off like it doesn't matter when it really DOES matter to me. That's why I found this thread such a good idea, because it's hard to understand how it effects you unless you've been/are going through it.
Rockaroni - I'm sorry the weight gain is getting you down but it's positive that you can see that the mirtazapine is really working for you. Have you spoken to anyone about how the weight gain is making you feel?
reallifetime - I hope you're psych listens to how you're feeling, does she give any reasons to why she doesn't agree to what you suggest? Perhaps you could write things out for her so she can get a clear image of how you're feeling and how this is effecting you without interrupting you and only getting half the story?

*hugs everyone*

Sarah (that's your name, right?), 9 times out of 10 doctors just don't seem to get that it could possibly be the med making me gain weight- apparently I'm just greedy and should cut down on food/go on a diet. Almost no GP has ever believed me when I try to say that I'm overweight because of my MH problems (comfort eating etc.), most think I'm just depressed because I'm fat :( I might bring it up next time I need meds though, I see a different doc most times, one of them has got to be nice, right?

Im laura anyway if youre talking to me
One thing I find hard is my family are always passing comments on people who are over weight.Thay dont stop for one second to think how much it effects me.Small minded sh*t
I actually did a food diary for one doc ,cos she didnt believe me.Anyway it was pointless cos she did nothing for me .One nurse abused me screaming inot my face that I was lying about what I was eating.I had to write a letter of complaint about her,shes still working there.
Im peuked of it

I was talking to _Tormented_, but its nice to meet you Laura :)

Christ, people are bloody awful aren't they... I don't understand how some doctors and nurses are allowed to practise when they treat poeple like such garbage. Why do people think its OK to be judgemental about weight (or anything else for that matter) so casually?

Sorry Oops haha
yeah that nurse I complained ,I decided to not take it any further because I would have felt bad.I just wanted to make the other people she works with aware of her behaviour.I dont think she should be in the Mh profession .I think she could be an alcoholic but I couldnt possible say that.
Its awful for patients to be at such a loss aboutt heir weight and be treated with disrespect.Im afraid Im going to develop an ED and Im going to make the psych aware of this .Im at breaking point.

Katie - Yeah it is Sarah =) I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences with GP's, I have actually put it on my record that I refuse to see one of the GP's in my local practice because he is such a horrible man (and it's not just me, I live in a small community and everyone I've spoken to about him has agreed with me.) I hope you can find a GP who you feel comfortable with, I'm not sure about your practice but the one I had in my last area actually had a GP who specialized in treating those with MH issues, perhaps you could ask if they have the same in your practice?

Laura - I'm so sorry to hear that you feel at breaking point, especially that this is triggering worries of ED behavior. I can really relate to that as my meds weight gain has triggered a serious relapse in my ED which, though I had my ups and downs, I considered to be recovered from before taking these tablets. I think it's a very good idea to bring this up with your psych, and I hope that something can be done. I'm also sorry to hear that your family say things like that, have you tried bringing it up with them about how their comments make you feel?

I haven't taken my tablets in quite a while now and I'm worried that I'm starting to get worse again, but I'm terrified of talking to anyone about it because they'll just make me go back on them and I'll carry on gaining weight =( I also have to have a blood test and ECG done and I'm scared that they'll see that I'm not taking them so I haven't made the appointment. Me = Fail *sigh*

sarah nobody listens when I say dont call people fat ,its hurtful.Im having problems with one of the nurses .he knew about a private appointment I had even though i had told NOBOY about it .I am wondering how the psych nurses have access to private information about me .They then gave me an appointment which co incided with the other appointment .So i dont know what to do about the psych now .And I really need a md change

Flutterby, I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I've heard (but I'm not sure where, so don't take it as Absolute Truth) that mirtazapine both increases your apetite and slows down your metabolism, so its kind of a double hit :( but maybe its worth expressing your concerns to whoever is in control of your med change, maybe they can suggest some ways to combat it in a healthy way that won't trigger you to restrict? However you have to weigh up (erghhhhhh puns) whether its worth a couple of pounds to improve your depression.

And Sarah, the thign with my surgery is that its the uni surgery- we have "guest" doctors, for lack of a better expression, who come in from one surgery for the morning to see students on campus. And while most of the time you'll see the same person if you go in on the same day each time, but its always a bit of a gamble. And sometimes you can't really wait that few days to possibly not see someone, if that makes sense?

I have reduced my meds to alomost nothing .I dont feel as hungry as I used to .I hate eating anything cos I feel so fat.Last night I couldnt get pjs to fit me .All last years summer ones are tiny on me .I cant afford to go shopping every month for new clothes as I keep getting bigger.

Im starving and I dont want to eat .

^^^ me 2 :( iv gained soo much weight on my meds its ridiculous, here i was thinking i was fully recovered from bulimia, but this is triggering me so much its crazy

xoxo
kaye

I dont feel as hungry today .Im actually feeling positive about losing weight now .I can stop the cravings for fast food pretty fast .I couldnt before

If it helps any (not sure if it will), I've heard if you're craving fast food, generally it means your body is craving salt. And apparetly sushi is a good alternative for getting that. Same like if you're craving sweets, eat fruit and stuff.

I've gained a lot of gain from taking Depakote and Risperidone.I lost a bit with Effexor,but gained it back.Now I'm on 15 mg of Zyprexa/Olanzapine and my weight is stable.But I still hate my body.

Thanks rockaroni ,thats helpful .I know for deffo the meds were making me fat cos since I reduced I dont feel hungry and my stomach feels flatter.\the last time I stopped taking them I lost loads of weight but they made me go back on again.I had vegan burgers with 1g fat today for dinner and I wasnt hungry after which was very unusual.
I have never heard of Effexor ?Glad your weight is stable now crypt.

iv decided i really need to do something about the weight iv put on, wish me luck!! i talked to my dr and we're lowering the dose of some of my medication to see if that helps..i hope so!
thats really interesting about the cravings etc, il have to remember that :)

xoxo
kaye

Effexor is venlafaxine, I think its an SNRI antidepressant.

Good luck silent dancer, I hope it goes well. I think next time I go to the GP for anything I'm going to bring up my weight and how unhappy I am with it.

Good luck silent dancer and rockaroni.I have found however that the gps are the wprst to talk to .It was all women I met and none of them were sympathetic.One made make a food diary and was actually speechless when she saw how little I was eating.She thought she ws going to catch me out and lecture me.One of them got agressive with me whn I brought it up.None of them would give me diet aids or help me.F*ck the system !!!!!!

To be honest, I'm hoping they'll refer me to a proper dietician. Last time an actual GP gave me advice, they told me to increase the fibre in my diet by shitloads. So I did, and its pretty much left me with IBS, which is less than fun :( but yeah, they were surprised at my average diet, and how its normally healthy. Erghhhhhh.

i've been off my mirtazipine a week and a half now and already i'm noticing my appetite has lowered. natually, i'm now only eating when i'm hungry and not as big portions. i'm also not thinking about food constantly which is good.

its going to be a long slow process though.

Rockaromi ,I have bowel problems so im with u on that.here the psych has to refer you to dietician .Good luck with it.
Mrs sam I know Im afraid at how long it will take b4 Im actually normal looking again.Its betetr to lose weight slow though ,its healthier and stays off longer.Im just dying to wear my minis again!

I couldnt sleep all night so I ended up taking 250 mgs of seroquel.i was starving all day .I then went and bought chips and burger.Which is not healthy I know.Bloody meds

I have gained 50% of my pre med body weight in the last year thanks to seroquel :blush::cry:

Ressurected!
yeah I went to my psych tuesday and she was a new doctor and she had the gall to tell me I wasnt heavy.Ipointed out my dress size had doubled in size .That I am now twice the size I was.
Do they take me for a fool

I have gained SO much weight since being on these meds. I went from slightly underweight to massively overweight (where I still am, bugger) on a heady cocktail of sertraline, mirtazipine and diazepam.

I'm going to Ireland this weekend to see family and I'm CONVINCED that all they'll say is "gosh, haven't you put on weight!". What am I meant to say? Oh, I was sectioned, couldn't move or control my food for weeks and am daily pumped full of chemicals to keep me this side of functioning?

I feel SO gross.

this is scary.. it sounds like basically ALL meds make you gain weight =/

Eh, not all of them do. I lost a little bit of weight on citalopram, when I was on it for a couple of months.

Besides, Weight loss is hardly the worst side effect ever. Its nasty, but if the med works, then your quality of life goes up, and that's worth the weight gain, many many times over.

weighed myslef today and i think i'm the heaviest i've ever been. which just makes me feel 100% worse. stupid meds.

Is it helping you emotionally at all, the meds?

not enough, i need more help but i have to wait to get it.

i want to stop the seroquel but can't cos if i do the fluoextine will send me hypomanic again :(

Not all meds put on weight .Seroquel never put on weight for me when i was on it and nothing else.