Depression and Weight IssuesHave you been diagnosed with depression, are possibly on depression medication, and find it affects your weight loss efforts? Post here for support!
I've been reading a lot of threads on here recently and the people here seem very nice and supportive; a good community.
I've been through a lot this year and was put on Risperdal, it helped with some issues but I felt drowsy all the time and gained weight. I gained 10 pounds but I have a small frame so although it may not seem like a lot, it has changed my proportions. Despite my attempts to diet and exercise (spinning for one hour a day 5 days a week), the weight won't come off. It's affected my self esteem. I have a twin sister, identical, who weighs 20 pounds less than me. It sucks.
I told my psychiatrist about this and he's going to put me on Topamax. I'm not sure whether he's going to add it to my Risperdal or if he's going to replace it. Either way, I wanted to know if anyone on here has had any Risperdal weight gain experiences and if Topamax has worked for anyone on here. Anyone on here doing both Risperdal and Topamax? If so, how much weight did you lose, did you exercise, and how fast did the weight come off?
Also, I'm so happy with my newfound mental health that I'm afraid the Topamax will screw with it somehow. I've heard of its infamous "dopamax" nickname. Was there any way to combat the mental side effects?
Welcome to 3FC! I don't know anything about your Rx situation but I'm sure someone can chime in on that. This is a wonderful community and there is so much support here.
Im sure the doc wont mix your meds if there are any negatives to it. Just make sure he is fully aware of everything you are taking.
That said, I used to be on topamax....for almost 2 years. As a compulsive binge eater, my therapist at the time thought it would be good for me. It was, I lost alot of weight (60lbs). Not to mention one of the side effects of topamax is weight loss.
Not sure what Risperdal is so I cant comment on that, but topamax did have a weight loss effect for me.
I also take risperdal, it is the only thing that works for my moods but I have gained over 100 pounds since I started taking it. I took topamax at the same time several years ago and initially lost some weight, but the effects wore off pretty quickly (couple of months), even with an increase in dose. I also ended up getting the topamax-brain that people talk about.
The drug I've found really combats the risperdal, actually, is straterra - I was going up up up, then started taking it. Every one of the 26 pounds I've lost so far has been since then. It's been a year now and its still working (but slowly).
Last edited by graceandbalance; 06-06-2012 at 07:17 PM.
Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about your story! Medications can be a tough battle... I am epileptic and have to take anti-seizure medications. I took Topamax as an anti-seizure medication last year. It was terrible. It may or may not be the same for you, but here is my advice.
If you have a loved one that is close to you, that you really trust, who knows you very well, review the list of side effects with them. Ask them to help you watch for them. Because what happened with me was that I sunk into a very severe depression, completely stopped eating, was unable to do my job (because of the loss of brain function aka dopamax) and I was never able to make the connection that the medication was causing these problems. It was my best girlfriend who saw the issue and drug me to the doctor Thank god for her! I am now taking Zonegran for my seizures which has many of the same potential risks and benefits, but I am not experiencing any side-effects from it.
Good luck! I hope I don't scare you too much, Topamax can be a great drug, I just think it's important to have someone else watching with you.
Thank you FinallyReady and graceandbalance for your responses. I just started Topiramate (the generic) one last night. I already have no appetite. I will look out for the side effects, I was really worried about being "dopey" because I'm a student and don't want my performance at university to be affected.
Graceandbalance, the Risperdal was such a killer to my self esteem. The weight does not suit me at all. I can't wait to shed those pounds. You're the only person I have heard of that has taken Topamax and Risperdal at the same time so I'm glad it worked for you. I don't expect it to work for longer than a few months. Thankfully it's only 10-15 pounds I need to shed.
FinallyReady, I will have my sister looking out for the side effects for me.
i have no idea of the effect of risperdal on weight, but i believe that is the drug that a michigan woman wanted her daughter off of and the state dept of childrens services came and took her daughter because of it. [there, the drug company funded the childrens services.] but the mother wanted her off of it because of the bad effects on her daughter. i dont know what all the effects were, but some were that she couldnt concentrate in school and couldnt get back to normal on sitting and eating and other things. when she got her off of it several months later, the daughter was normal. then she had a legal fight, which she eventually won. but it was a horrible story.
I did some additional research on Risperdal, I had no idea that was the case for some kids. I however, have been taking Risperdal for nearly 6 months and it has been fine in terms of side effects with the exception of some drowsiness (and the weight gain).
On another note, the Topamax has been great so far. It's day three and I've already lost a pound. I have no appetite. I've been eating fruits for dinner and not snacking at all. I haven't felt any stupidity but I guess that's a later side effect. I can't wait for results.
Hi Tara,
What dose of Topamax are you taking? I am taking the generic as well but anything over 25 mgs and I feel totally numb as in zombified, the advanced nurse practitioner I see is looking into changing me onto something different but is waiting to get the records from a psychiatrist I saw for 9.5 years who had me on a LOT of different medications during that time. Unfortunately I haven't experienced the weight loss with the Topamax which is one reason she put me on it to begin with when we were trying to find something to help with mood swings.
I just got off Topamax after only three weeks. I was put on it for migraines, and worked my way up to 75mg daily.
In addition to the tingly feeling in my hands, feet and face, I was unable to eat almost anything. Everything sounded horrible. I couldn't even grocery shop, because the smells and thoughts of whole groups of food would make me ill.
I also experienced extremely high fatigue and shortness of breath, leaving me very weak and unable to do even the smallest household chore. It zapped the life right out of me, and it got quite scary, actually.
I have several friends who have had great success with Topamax. I just wanted to share my story, because it definitely isn't for everyone.
Hey everybody i am at 3fc too, and you know what getting chemi for losing weight i think its unnormall so make sure they dont affect your health! Goodluck!
Risperdal and Topamax
