I do suffer from my depression more than the manic side of my disorder -- I'm Bipolar II. But I know that pretty much ALL medications prescribed for BP cause weight gain, and I thought maybe those of us on those meds could use our own thread.

I've been pretty diligent about my eating since November of last year when I was diagnosed with BP and put on Depakote. I admit that I'm not exercising the way I need to, but I've been so ill... oh, blah blah blah, you know the excuses. Is there anyone on here who has been on Depakote or Lithium for a long time that knows if weight loss is even possible, exercise, good diet or not? I'm getting discouraged losing and gaining the same five pounds over and over again when I have so much total to lose.

I was diagnosed as Bipolar several years ago (actually about 9 years ago when I was 15). I took Zoloft and Zyprexa for a couple years and then…I stopped. Which I don’t recommend for anyone else, but it actually worked out for me. I have my good days and my bad days, but for the most part, I am handling it and I don’t really feel Bipolar anymore. Diet and exercise helps a TON. I feel more in control, I feel more secure and it really helps stabilize my mood. Medication or not, there are tons of reasons that eating healthy and working out are beneficial. (So I guess my answer to your original question is: yes/no.)

Good luck on your weight loss journey. I wish you all the best and I have a good feeling you’ll be successful. You have to keep us all updated!

Well Ducky, I am in the club. I am also bipolar and like you, I tend to get more depressed than manic. Actually, I never knew I was bipolar because my manias were so subtle that I really didn't notice them. The way we found out is that no depression medication ever worked for me. They actually made me worse. So after finding a good psychiatrist and talking to her for quite a while, she diagnosed me as bipolar.

I am now on Lamictal, Wellbutrin, and Seroquel. The Lamictal and Seroquel are mood stabilizers and they are great. With those and the Wellbutrin, I feel better than I can ever remember feeling. I am actually comfortable in my own skin for the first time I remember. I have started exercising again, which is great. All of these medications are considered to be weight neutral, which from what I understand, Depakote is not. Maybe it's time for a talk with your doc about changing medications. Possibly you could switch to something newer that doesn't cause weight gain. Best of luck and I'm here if you need someone to talk to. I know it sucks.

I do not have bipolar but I do have borderline personality disorder, dysthymia, and social anxiety disorder and seizures.

I have taken Depakote for 13 years for my seizures. I have taken seizure meds since I was two and switched to Depakote around age 19/20 or so. I have lost maybe 5 pounds out of the 100 or so pounds I gained, however keep in mind that I used to be an AWFUL 92 pounds and looked really sickly. Part of my weight gain has been the medication and part has been just the foods I eat and my sedentary lifestyle.

I also take seroquel (which caused me to gain more weight), Lexapro, and lyrica. Momwithissues-- Seroquel is also an anti-psychotic as well as a mood stabilizer. (I believe its a mood stabilizer in people with bipolar) My Depakote serves as my mood stabilizer and anti-seizure medication. Seroquel is my anti-psychotic. It was a LIFESAVER for me.

But next visit my neurologist says he wants to take me off the Depakote because of my weight, so we'll see what he says about that. I'm not too keen on going off something that has worked for me seizure wise. So we'll see if I go off of it at all.

I have Bipolar II. The doc tried to put me on Depakote but I looked at him and said, "What about my 300 lb body makes you think I need to take a medication with a number one side affect is weight gain?" So we did Topamax instead.

The Topi's actually made me LOSE weight at first but ultimately I leveled out. I also take Lamictal and Abilify. I've been (more or less) stable on this cocktail (with a few tweaks) for about 5 years. Topamax and Lamictal are my mood stabilizers and the Abilify he calls a "booster". (Who knows?)

I'd talk to the pdoc about other alternatives if the weight gain is a huge issue. Maybe there's something else you can try? Of course, if your cocktail is keeping you sane, you've gotta weigh the pros and cons. As horrible as my depression have been, I think I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and crazy as ****. (Course, I've never been thin - happy or crazy - so I don't know...just a guess though.)

I was on Depakote and gained 40lbs which I still haven't lost. I am now on a very new medication called, Sahris, it tastes terrible but you are supposed to be able to lose weight on it.

Sorry I spelled that wrong it's SAPHRIS

Thanks for all your experiences, ladies. I have an appointment with my pdoc week after next. He's always talking about Depakote and Lithium like they're they only mood stabilizers. I definitely do NOT want to take Lithium, although he insists that the weight gain is worse on Depakote than Lithium. I can't even complain about weight *gain* on the Depakote, because I haven't gained so much as I can't *lose* anything. I keep gaining and losing the same five pounds over and over again.

I need to increase my exercise regimen more before I give up and get back on the medication roulette wheel. Of course, the cocktail I'm on right now is not working well, either. I just got off the Lexapro that I had been on for years and years, and now my depressive crashes are more acute than they've been in a long time. He suspected that the anti-depressant might be the reason that my moods were still so unstable, and now I don't know what we're going to do next. On top of all of THAT, I've been suffering from the brain fog I've heard some Depakote and Lithium users talk about where I can't really speak or write succinctly because I lose my train of thought (or I babble on and on without ever making a point like I have been in this thread), so we've been thinking about a possible cognitive medication such as Abilify.

I am so tired of this. The last couple of days, I've just been so depressed and frustrated that I've just eaten whatever I darn well felt like in a sort of defiant rebellion. Like, why should I even bother? Why shouldn't I at least have my one good, reliable friend food when everything else is so out of hand?

I know, I need to be healthy, especially with all the health obstacles I face, but I just get SO tired.

I agree that you need to talk to the pdoc. There are so many other, newer mood stabilizers out there that are "weight neutral". I really like the Lamictal. It has helped me to level out and I haven't noticed any side effects at all. Unfortunately the Lamictal by itself wasn't enough for me and I also take Wellbutrin. I also take Seroquel, which is a mood stabilizer also but I take it at night to help me sleep (and it does).
Between those three meds I am doing really well. As my doc puts it, I am finally off the roller coaster! I do agree with Soulnik that I'd also rather be fat and happy that thin and crazy as ****. I don't want to go back to being up and down, so I'll just keep taking my meds. It's a lot easier.
Don't worry about your eating. When you start to feel better, it's a lot easier eat well and exercise. Best of luck with your pdoc. Let us know how it turns out.

Hi. I also have a dx of BP II. I am not on any medication for it though, I refused to take it. I havent taken any in several years. I battle with the Depressive side of it too myself. I have a son who is Bipolar 1 and on a lot of Medication for it though.

I'm Bipolar II, and not medicated for this particular condition. I took Lamictal for a few years but felt really flat on it so dropped it in favor of getting back on Celexa which I had been on before for social anxiety.

I was fine for a few years, but then started to have mood swings again. I knew I had to do something but was NOT wanting to deal with another med change again. I am happy to report that I am now stable due to the following simple (and cheap!) regimen.

Fish Oil - Look for a 90 percent concentration and make sure it contains more EPA than DHA. Also make sure it does not contain mercury. For Bipolar approx 9 grams a day is recommended for optimal benefits. With an average tablet ranging around 1,000 mgs, that means you have to pop nine of those puppies daily. But if you get the pharmaceutical grade that's coated, it's not so bad and you can take less to get to the 9 grams.

SAD Therapy Light Box: I use the Zadro 365. It's the cheapest I could find. Flimsy stand but it works. I use it daily for at least an hour and love it.

Last but not least, exercise. (This one I just started last month, so not real sure on weight loss benefits yet.) I hit the elliptical at least every other day for 30 minutes to an hour. I was feeling much better with just the fish oil and the light box, but still not tense at times. The exercise has really evened it all out and I feel pretty darn good.

I'm finding I have more motivation now to improve other areas of my life such as de-cluttering, getting more organized and socializing more. I definitely suggest talking to your doc first before even mild changes in your routine such as any of the above, but for me, it's worked wonders. Good luck to all!

I have been on zoloft plus lamictal for a few years now. I have been able to slowly lose weight on this combination and stay out of depression, so it works well for me.
FYI, I was diagnosed with bipolar II ~20 years ago because when I took prozac for major depression I became hypomanic. After having had only deep depression for so long, the hypomania was welcome for a while, but soon it became problematic [I was a lot like this little carrot guy! --> ]

Merrie,
I so know what you mean. I was recently diagnosed with Biopolar II. Up until then I (and everyone else) thought that I just suffered from depression. I had the same experience with SSRI's. I always thought the hypomanic stages were just feeling "good" and not depressed. WRONG!!!Now I was finally diagnosed as Bipolar II.

I take Lamictal, Wellbutrin, and Seroquel. As I have said in other posts I am finally "off the roller coaster" as my doc puts it. My only problem now is that I am having some strange dreams. They range from a little bizarre to downright terrifying. I though it was the Seroquel, but it was recently suggested that it might be the Lamictal. I'll have to do more research on this since I really HATE to give up the Lamical.

I'm bipolar type two as well, though I don't take anything for it. I've had some very bad experiences with antidepressants, so I'm hoping to avoid medication.

I do a lot of different things to cope -

1. I eat the same things, at the same time, every day. Drops in my blood sugar are my number one trigger, and managing them has made all the difference in the world. Also, it's perfect for dieting. This isn't always easy, but it is very worth it.

2. Exercise. I walk 2-3 miles, 5 days a week. Also helps with the dieting.

3. Lots of alone time. I'm a big introvert, so that really helps. Also, just getting my life under control - going to college, getting married, figuring out my future (as much as one can). All of these things helped me to feel grounded, they made me happy, and they generally make my life awesome. External happiness really helps me.

I've been on some sort of medication now since 1999. I have been diagnosed with Anxiety, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, Depression and finally recently my doctor (physician) diagnosed me with Bipolar disorder. I am a therapist by profession and have long suspected that I was Bipolar. The psychiatrist I had been seeing was not working at all. So my primary care physician (who has been treating me since age 11) has taken over. Currently I take Topomax (for migraines), Zoloft, and Seroquel XR. The goal is that when this round of Zoloft is gone I be done with it. I have seen some positive changes on the Seroquel. It's interesting because I had the best luck with Cymbalta in 2005. Changed my life. As did Topomax 2 years ago. (has since leveled out, but when I first started it, I lost 60 lb with this and slim fast)

In april 2009 I was fired from my job and was out of work from then till this month. In that time I gained 40 lbs. I went from 160lb to 200+. I got lazy and am paying for it now. I am in a pretty low place and am trying to crawl out of it. The Bipolar doesn't help. I am trying to get back into Slim Fast, etc.