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 am also Bi Polar. I never had a problem with my weight until my father died in 1999. When this happened it set off some swings..and ultimately found out after years that I was bipolar. Usually I am just low..but any stressors set me off into mania.(which I do get alot done for a change)
I was 112 pounds until I was 33 then within 6 months I went to 188. Ultimately through many med changes I topped out at 232.
I was on Depakote, but that caused hair loss..I am on Lamictal...Geodon (which caused TD) and cymbalta.. the meds seem to be working as I'm not having severe mania..but I tend to have too many swings..so the doctor is working on adjusting my meds slowly. It is just a delicate balance and a constant journey.
I have finally decided to fight my meds and depression and work on weight loss. I have lost a few pounds and look forward to some day regaining my health. thanks for the post OP...it is nice to chat with others in the same boat.
I can totally relate. I've been bipolar since I was 12, so almost 11 years now. I did take meds for awhile, and they totally caused weight gain. I switched to talk therapy because I wanted to really get at the root of my problems and I felt that the meds were really only acting as a bandaid where surgery was what was really necessary. I have learned that being bipolar affects how I lose weight. Any small slip up at all can send me into an enormous downward spiral and unless I pay close attention to things I know to be dangerous warning signs I find that I can really easily slip into ugly cycles of overeating and feeling miserable. It makes it hard to stay on plan too because some days I simply feel like "why bother...it doesn't matter...etc." At the same time, we depressives have a somewhat bizarre advantage on many people. Depression forces you to learn a lot about yourself and in the end you can have a really strong understanding of who you are and what your needs are. You also have been strengthened by dealing with something that many people never have to. So yeah, that's my two cents. Never forget how strong you are and never hesitate to ask for help! *HUGGLES*
I had something similar, it was like post traumatic bipolar. I am now fully recovered, but I was on wellbutrin and lithium. Wellbutrin is also known as the "happy horny skinny" drug, and I will say I experienced all three. But the combo of anti depressant and lithium is for those whose lows are worse than the highs.
I am BPII. Diagnosed at 14 (now 22), meds from 14-16. At 20 I relapsed. Now on 500mg Depakote, 75mg Effexor, 0.5mg Risperidal. After I got off lithium at 16, I lost 43lbs. Now I can't seem to lose more than 5-10 because of the water retention. Its frustrating. My Pdoc is skinner than I am and seems to lose weight between appointments.
I'm BP Type II and take Seroquel. I've always been sooo afraid of getting tardive's dyskensia. I have been on so many types of meds . . . it's ridiculous. I've been on so many drugs and need a cpap and I'm ready to scream! I'm sad and tired all the time. But, there are things I can do (like my hubby says - just do what you can, even it it's a little). I know that exercise, nixing sugar and white flour and using my cpap could help. What I want to know is - why the heck don't I do it?????
He is on seroquel at a low dose and has full body jerks at times.
I was diagnosed bipolar a few years ago. I've since been rediagnosed as bpd. But I was on seroquel for a long time. That stuff made my ankles and feet swell and tingle with shooting pains. My dr didn't believe me so I switched drs. I was taken off of it and it hasn't happened since. I don't fully trust any one of them.
Anyone else go through stages where you don't think you need your meds but you rationally know fully well you do but don't take them anyway? I go through stages like that alot.
I've been on all sorts of stuff. Lamictal made me gain 50 lbs and I can't lose it at all! Right now i'm currently on Topamax, Cymbalta and Niravam.
Too late to keep this thread alive? I was thinking of making a new thread, but this one is still here, so I'll just add to it.
I'm Bipolar I, I was diagnosed when I was 13. I've had such a big problem with meds and weight gain. For a while there I just decided to not take any meds just so I could lose weight (and I did lose weight, but that definitely backfired). My biggest problem was Lithium. It was the only thing that worked for a while, and I took it for almost 2 years. I gained around 100lbs all together in those 2 years. The reason I didn't stop it before that was because I was also on Depo Provera so my doctor just assumed that's why I was gaining weight so rapidly. So when I stopped taking Lithium for good the weight came off pretty easily.
Now I'm just on WellbutrinXL, which is working really well for me. I haven't had a manic episode in quite a while, I'm getting better at figuring out when I'm about to have one, so my doctor decided it would be okay to just take Wellbutrin. I take xanax sometimes too for acute anxiety. And I also take seroquel for sleep, but I'm starting to believe it's been increasing my appetite. :/
10 years ago, I was diagnosed with depression and was put on anti-depressants. However, the anti-depressants threw me into hypomania. So then I was diagnosed as having bipolar 2 and was put on mood stabilizers. They only served to make my moods swing up and down erratically and caused me to gain 50 lbs in 6 months! Meanwhile, I started seeing a behavioral therapist and it was the best thing I could have done. I weaned myself off all meds, continued to meet regularly with my therapist to control the depression, and because I was no longer taking anti-depressants, I no longer flew into hypomania. So "technically" I have bipolar 2, but I've been swing- and med-free for 6 years! That doesn't mean I don't have to figure out other ways to cope, however. I constantly have to monitor my moods, I have a "stand-by" medicine available in case of anxiety attacks, therapy is still my anti-depressant (without the nasty side effects), and I have to avoid situations that I know will stress me out. But hey, it works for me!
I'm glad this thread is back up. I take Wellbutrin XR and Seroquel, both of which have worked well for me.
I'm similar to you in that respect. I've been doing well with both, after trying different dosages. I check in w/ my doc every 3 months, but other than that use various coping strategies and being more aware of my moods.
Through out the years I've taken different medications to different amounts of success. I've gained with some but not very quickly, slowly but constantly.
As far as weight goes, I've lost 20 lbs since January, and a lot of it has to do with working out but working on issues. I'm much better with emotional eating and keeping on an even keel...
I figured it's better to be healthy than thin and miserable..that always back fires. Once I accepted that this is my lot in life, but I am not defined by it, things improved.
I'm glad you found this thread, it's good to have around, even if it's just a reminder that you're not alone.
I joined the forum years ago when I had a very good phase in life. It all went quite good until I ended up with a huge hypomanic (or maybe manic) episode. Only I didnīt knew it back then...I am quite recently diagnosed with Bipolar rapid cycling (mostly depressive and mixed states). Suddenly a lot of things make sense....
Well, anyway. I already gained a lot of weight because I have chronic pain and had to take a lot of different pain killers. Now I take Lamotrigen (for/ against the pain and as mood stabilizer). I am quite reliefed that it is not known for weight gain, but my Doc said that I should get used to the fact that I maybe have to take another med...which maybe cause weight gain.
So know I try to lose some weight before I have to try a new med. And I hope that a few changes in my exercise routine and eating behaviour would maybe help to stabilze my situation.
hm, i've tried many different meds, abilify works great but i have gained 60 lbs on it, so now im going to the gym and lowering my dose myself doctor changed me to moban so we shall see if it works... i was thinking about takign5 milligrams vs 20 of abilify to help... good luck to all who suffer with any kind of mental illness, it's a horrible feeling
Has anyone had any trouble taking antidepressants? I used to take them all the time till recently. If I try to take them now I can't sleep and they just really mess me up. I'm bipolar II and right now I'm taking Neurontin and just started klonopin today for my anxiety because I can't tolerate antidepressants all of a sudden.
Antidepressants are almost always a bad idea with Bipolar disorder. They can push you into mania (or hypomania in Bipolar II). I can't take them at all either. I take mood stabilizers, anti psychotic and anxiety meds.
BTW - I can't concentrate on any one thing for more then two seconds because I am having a major bout with dysphoric mania and I'm on here instead of doing the damn treadmill so bye bye.
Last edited by witchyonadiet; 04-14-2009 at 06:55 PM.
But the combo of anti depressant and lithium is for those whose lows are worse than the highs.
