Um, weight LOSS on mood stabilizing drugs?

As I have been complaining about a lot for the past three weeks, apparently I am a big ol bipolar mess and have been put on a couple of drugs (xanax XR all damn day long and perphenazine, and older drug).

Well, I have lost almost 10 lbs in three weeks. Normally one would be celebrating, but I feel sorta weird about it. I don't want to eat when I'm hungry (which is becoming increasingly rare) and nothing sounds good anymore.

I have a huge feeling that I was doing a lot of self-medicating with food (bread being my drug of choice) and now that I don't have to, I'm sorta at a loss here. I am running again which I haven't done in a while, so I can kiss goodbye all my muscle since I'm doing it instead of weights.

I have to stop myself from running more than once a day so I end up walking around the neighborhood a lot. I'm gonna be pegged "that crazy woman who just wanders the neighborhood"

I'm trying to keep healthy by eating good foods, and I know all the tricks to add healthy calories to my day (healthy oils, nuts, nut butters, etc).  It's just weird and I'm going through a transition, I know.

I just had to vent and cry and seek attention!

Don't worry about being pegged' the crazy woman who wanders the neighbourhood', hell, even I have that label in my neighbourhood. But as for weight loss have you told your psychiatrist about it? Sometimes mood-altering drugs for bipolar disorder or depression can have an effect on the body (weight gain, weight loss, etc)and is probably effecting your body in the same way. I'm not a doctor, but I wouldn't worry about it, unless you've dropped down to an unhealthy weight or if it really bothers you, then you shouldask abouttrying a different medication.

Huh. It's possible that one or some of your medications might be taking your appetite away. It... could also be muscle loss, as you mentioned replacing weights with running. x: Maybe incorporate light weights back in to your routine? Either way, I'd mention it to your doctor next time you see them - wierd side effects are never good.

Nothing wrong with being the crazy lady that wanders the neighbourhood! I'm also the crazy lady who is in the supermarket each day because she buys perishables daily and semi-daily to avoid waste. I think some of the cashiers know me by name, now. ;P

I lost weight when I was taking Xanax (and some other stuff) on a regular basis... I just didn't seem to get hungry very often. Anti-depressants made me lose weight too (and they absolutely didn't help me with what they were prescribed for -- but that is another story!).

Hang in there!! I hope the meds help with the mood stuff...

I have the weight to lose, so I'm not dipping into unhealthy territory. I'm afraid to tell the shrink because I don't want to be put on the stuff that makes you gain like crazy! I have been put on SSRIs when they thought I had panic disorder and it was a mess. It made 10x worse (which those aren't good for bipolars, which I was at the time but misdiagnosed I guess) AND I gained a good 35lbs each time. I have heard similar stories of weight gain with BP meds.

I know I need to stop worrying about this and worry more about getting better. It's nice to have a place to dump all my rants and thoughts since my family thinks I'm crazy enough as it is.

Original Post by lalabanana:

Nothing wrong with being the crazy lady that wanders the neighbourhood! I'm also the crazy lady who is in the supermarket each day because she buys perishables daily and semi-daily to avoid waste. I think some of the cashiers know me by name, now. ;P

 That's me, too. The neighbor's kid works at the local store and he's always like "why are you here so much???"

hey ho. i remember this with cymbalta. it was really weird with me. i was hungry. at times falling down but when i went to eat i couldnt! and i was wired off my brain........i was goin non stop!!!

i was weird.... though i know with many of the psych drugs can mess with food and mood towards food! give it maybe 2-3 weeks and if the weight keeps dropping i would say have a chat with doc.

i lost a fair wallop a weight on cymbalta.... but it settled

Oh, Spiro, I'll always think of you as the crazy lady ;)

But on note, mental stuff sucks, any drug that changes the whole mental chemical compositon stuff sucks. I mean, it's better than the alternative, but the transition can be tough. I don't know much about bipolar (I'm unipolar, just depression :'( ) but yeah, it's a weird feeling when you start taking stuff like that, it's jsut yeah, weird. Some times I'll think "oh, I should be thinking this or feeling that" for a while it felt like I wasn't me, sort of, having to accept that it was okay not to be sad. Yeah, good luck, I hope it stabilizes for you.

how long have you been on the meds?

I felt that way when I started Lexapro. It took about 6 months but I am finally feeling better and I can eat normally now

It's been about three weeks. I know I have a long road ahead of me, but that doesn't stop me from complaining!

Hey, My mom has been on Lithium since Feb, and she has gained 50lbs. This is not helping with her mood issues (bipolar). Plus the doc decided not to read her bloodwork for the last 2 months, and she has been extremely toxic... not fun times.

Things are getting better now that her meds have been decreased. She is also seeing a naturopath to help with the healthy eating and to try and drop some of the weight. Have any of your heard of any successes with weight loss while on Lithium?

From my own little internet research, it would seem lithium and Serequel are the two biggest offenders of weight gain for bipolar people. I am very sensitive to meds and gained a ton of weight on SSRIs and basically told my shrink I'd rather be a raving lunatic than take anything that's going to make me gain 35lbs in two months.

Real smart, I know

He eventually wants me on Lamictal, which doesn't seem to put weight on people. From what I'm reading, folks have a really difficult time when they gain weight on lithium. I mean you try to do what we all do: watch your food, exercise, etc.

Your poor mom :(

Hi. I just wanted to reply because when my sister was taking that stuff for her bipolar disorder it made her manic and she dropped alot of weight and thought she was great, but she always had that frazzled, deer-in-the-headlights look. 

I think you should be able to talk to your doctor about it, and don't worry about him/her giving you something to gain weight, you can always say "no thanks, not for me", but at least they should know what's going on with you...

I hope things work out! Maybe it's just CC paying off... :)

thanks for the note. It has not been easy. She was just diagnosed in feb, and was perscribed the meds by her GP. She has been to a psycharist once, and then the psycharist left the country, and my mom was not left with a replacement. So, we are now trying to find her another psycharist, which is not an easy task in Ontario for some reason. And money is not an issue. It just seems as though none of the dr.s are taking new patients... gotta love the medical system.

yeahh... its def the medication, i have bipolar disorder too and i take this all natural mood stabilizer that doesnt have many side effects...   most medications are horrible for you and the only reson alot of doctors prescribe them is to make commission off them

haha and as for the " crazy walkign woman" thing... haha i have the garbage picker label.. peopel throw out good stuff... stereos speakers

 haha yeahh nowi m pretty much rambling... im bored ... its like 2 in the morning

 

I too am bipolar and take xanax as well as trileptal (mood stablizer) and a variety of other meds...alot of mood stablizers tend to decrease your appetite...most sadly enough cause weight gain, but there are some that don't.  Trileptal does not cause weight gain.  In addition to taking that I am on wellbutrin which had the same effect on me as your med is having on you I wasn't hungry, not motivation to eat and lost 12lbs in one week!  It got better after that.  Depending how long you have been on it you may either want to give it some more time as it generally takes 6-8 weeks to fully work...I would call your psychiatrist and let them know your concerns and especially the compulsions.  They can get out of hand real fast

Seroquel, Depokote, Lithium, Zyprexa are ll notrious for severe weight gain just so you know

Original Post by mish_arsenau:

thanks for the note. It has not been easy. She was just diagnosed in feb, and was perscribed the meds by her GP. She has been to a psycharist once, and then the psycharist left the country, and my mom was not left with a replacement. So, we are now trying to find her another psycharist, which is not an easy task in Ontario for some reason. And money is not an issue. It just seems as though none of the dr.s are taking new patients... gotta love the medical system.

Ugh, that's too bad. GPs are NOT good sources of health care between the ears. I have been pushing around GPs for years thinking I knew what was best. I don't mean they are stupid, because of course they are not. I respect my doctor very much. Unfortunately she also respects me and when I say "hey I really hate the shrink but here's what he was giving me", they go along with it. I hope you guys can find a shrink because they are so much better. I got into a closed practice through a referral from a therapist. Maybe try that route?

 

sufferinghearts it's funny you mention compulsions, that's one of my issues. My main problem unfortunately is throwing things. Sometimes I get to the point that if I didn't go smash stuff, I would DIE. That's the point where my therapist was like "OK we gotta get you some help lady"

Yeah, I have compulsive problems which I am trying to work on, but so far it's not going so well...I am recovering from an eating disorder as well so I know that goes hand and hand with each other