Hi all. My doctor just put me on Lamictal for bipolar. Has anyone had experience with this medication? It's supposed to be weight neutral but in the past 3 days I've taken it out of nowhere I've gained 1.5 pounds. This is very unlike my usual pattern of weight and I don't want this creeping its way up until I've gained back all that I've lost so far.

Does anyone know of any bipolar medications that don't cause weight gain? Why is it that almost all of them do? I don't know what's worse, being bipolar or having to take medications that mess with your body so much!

I have the same problem; I was also on Lamictal at one point. It was my experience that the cravings went away after I got used to the medication. If you find that this doesn't happen for you, I would recommend Effexor XR; just be sure to monitor your moods and talk to your doctor if you notice any signs of mania.

Kate

Thanks for the responses. So far the weight has gone back down so it must have been water retention or just shock from switching meds or something funky. I'm determined to keep my diet straight no matter what the cravings, but they have gotten better in the last day or so.

Thanks again. I have some hope now!

I have had all kind of mixed results with meds ( i have tried about 25). I am not on anything right now and have not been for almost 8 years now. In highschool my senior year i was 160 pounds and i was placed on a medication that took me to 298 in 6 months. My dad is on the same thing now and he lost weight. As a spokes advocate for MHA i find it all depends on the person, how active they are and how well they take care of themself, that depends on how the medication reacts to your body. Keep your head up and keep going, I know it is a long road and can be SOOOO frusturating.

I've been on Lamictal for over a year and have had NO weight issues with it. It IS one of the only ones that is weight neutral.

Hubby tried lamitcal but it didnt control his moods. He is on topamax now it and he is losing wieght on it.
good luck debi

I've heard Topamax promotes weight loss. Wish I could beg my way into getting it. I was cursed with being morbidly obese and still put on ZYPREXA! I ended up gaining 60 pounds in a year with that and Paxil. I've been on Paxil my whole life and swear it's been my downfall. Carb craving city!

I've heard Abilify is very weight neutral and that Geodon may be too. Stuff like Seroquel, lithium, Depakote, all those are gonna cause some kind of weight gain.

It sucks because it's like, do we pick sanity and obesity or feeling out of control and thin?

double-edged sword!

I have Bi-Polar Disorder, with Depressive Episodes. Had it for 12 years. Currently I'm on Effexor XR and Lithium, but I've taken Zoloft with Depakote. I haven't noticed any weight gain due to these meds, but I've always been sort of a larger size gal. However I think you should focus on getting the right meds to deal with your Bi-Polar firstly then, maybe worry about losing weight later on. At least that's what I did.

Also Effexor is a tricky Med, you have to take it exact same time every day, if you skip a dose it can cause horrid headaches.

Good Luck!

ladies know that you have a say in what meds you take. Your doctor is a care provider, not GOD, the two of you should decide TOGETHER what works and what does not work for you. If weight gain is a know issue with a med, then speak up and ask for a different med.

Just like with food we are in control of what go into our bodies!

Hi, I also have Bipolar Disorder. First discovering the disorder I was put on Lamictal. Didn't help my moods. They switched me to Topamax plus an anti-depressant. Which was totally awesome. I had been on Topamax for several months with great results. Both mood & weight were stable. Suddenly, Topamax stopped working for me. They said they wanted to try me on Zyprexa & said that it is one of the worse ones for weight gain. But it's one of the better medications for Bipolar. Can we not win here???My Dr. said that Abilify didn't cause lots of weight gain. They didn't have samples of Abilify. Sooo, i started on Zyprexa. I started out at 158 & I am now 161. So, I can see the weight starting to creep up already. I have been on it a week.

I would like to no why most of these cause weight gain too?It just doesn't make sense?Let's put a person that is already having trouble with moods anyway on a med that makes them gain weight...Let's see just how depressed they can get?????ARGH. Gaining weight is a mood trigger for me..

I am on Lithium. No gain so far, though many report about a ten pound gain.

I'm on Lamictal for epilepsy.

Interestingly, I didn't get any weight gain when I started it at 100mg/day. Infact, I lost 15lbs last year whilst I was on it, it didn't halt my weightloss.

I tried to increase the dosage to 150mg/day however...ohh miii GOD, I put on 7lbs in a week. And my weight NEVER fluctuated beyond 2lbs (I weighed myself a lot) normally either way, so it was definitely the Lamictal.

The moral of my personal story is don't increase the dosage too quickly! If you ramp it up slow, it should be alright. I can't take more than 100mg/day though because it makes me crazy. (Racing thoughts, severe anxiety).

neurontin is also weight neutral. My husband gained when he first started seroquel but he has been on it for a few years and hasnt gain any more. He was on topamax and lost weight but had to go off it because he hit the medicare gap and cant get it now.