advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Blue_Bird
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Blue_Bird's Avatar
Blue_Bird is ready for recovery!
 
Member Since: Jun 2013
Location: Hogwarts
Posts: 36,660 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
14.3k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 02, 2019 at 06:36 AM
  #21
I walk a lot and do yoga, try to be careful with what I eat. I'm about 150lbs which isn't too bad but it's higher than I think my weight would be without the meds though, my range used to be around 120-125 lbs. I've been able to maintain this weight even on seroquel and another AP so far, it's just hard and I have to really be careful cause I also have struggled with bulimia for many years, but am recovering now. The biggest problem I had with weight was from Depakote, but switched over to Trileptal and have lost all that

__________________


R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” -St. Francis of Assisi
Blue_Bird is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist

advertisement
Blue_Bird
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Blue_Bird's Avatar
Blue_Bird is ready for recovery!
 
Member Since: Jun 2013
Location: Hogwarts
Posts: 36,660 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
14.3k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 02, 2019 at 06:39 AM
  #22
Quote:
Originally Posted by AspiringAuthor View Post
topamax might help. I was not able to tolerate it because it was causing depression, but it is an unusual side effect. Naltrexone and Wellbutrin are two other options. And FitBit or Apple Watch to make sure you walk at least 10K steps a day.
FitBits are great, I just have the simplest model right now, the FitBit Zip but it's great and keeps me motivated/aware of my steps and if I need to increase my activity

__________________


R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” -St. Francis of Assisi
Blue_Bird is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
AspiringAuthor, bpcyclist
Moose72
Silver Swan
 
Moose72's Avatar
Moose72 has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jan 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 16,413 (SuperPoster!)
15 yr Member
2,511 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 02, 2019 at 09:14 AM
  #23
I just weighed myself- ive lost 5 pounds! So much left to go but now im back on seroquel.

__________________
Wellbutrin XL 300 mg
Caplyta 42 mg
Ingrezza 80 mg
Ativan .5 mg 2x/day
Propranolol 20 mg 2x/day

Mania (December 2023)
Mixed episode/Hypomania (September 2023)
Depression, Anxiety and Intrusive thoughts (September 2021)
Depression & Psychosis (July/August 2021)
Mania (April/May 2019)
Moose72 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
*Beth*, Blue_Bird, bpcyclist, Sunflower123
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
Happy Camper
Member
Happy Camper has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: usa
Posts: 328
10 yr Member
102 hugs
given
Post May 02, 2019 at 07:23 PM
  #24
Seek out a diaphragm trainer. I know of only one still breathing.
Happy Camper is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
Ylba
Member
Ylba has no updates.
 
Member Since: Apr 2018
Location: US
Posts: 118
5 yr Member
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 12:13 AM
  #25
I'm trying Noom. Hopefully it will help.
Ylba is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, daladico
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*, bpcyclist, daladico
daladico
Member
 
daladico's Avatar
daladico has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jan 2018
Location: Seattle, wA
Posts: 150
5 yr Member
321 hugs
given
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 02:40 AM
  #26
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ylba View Post
I'm trying Noom. Hopefully it will help.
I’m doing Noom too!! It has helped me a lot. I’ve had to go back up on meds (which have caused weight gain in the past) but with Noom I have been able to maintain the weight loss.
Best wishes to you YIba!! You got this!! 🙌

__________________
Dx:
Bipolar
Anxiety
ADD

Meds:
Risperidone
Tegretol
Abilify
Zoloft
Buspar
Adderall

[prior meds:
lithium,
lamictal,
cymbalta,
ritalin]
daladico is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist, Ylba
Mountaindewed
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Mountaindewed's Avatar
Mountaindewed NoahsArk30
 
Member Since: Jun 2016
Location: Where the sidewalk ends
Posts: 35,836 (SuperPoster!)
5 yr Member
8,654 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 03:41 AM
  #27
I weigh 176. Last year I was about 150. Then I messed up my birth control. I look 20 pounds less then I actually am because I gained muscle so I look about the same. I don’t really eat healthy but I do usually eat to maintain my weight. I’m hoping to start exercising as soon as possible.

__________________
Ridin' with Biden
Mountaindewed is online now   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 06:05 AM
  #28
I was naturally thin - until I went on Seroquel. Over a couple of years I gained over 100lbs. So far, the best I can do is keep myself from gaining more. The Seroquel has really damaged my metabolism.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, lightly toasted
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 06:06 AM
  #29
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightly toasted View Post
Does keeping the med dose low help? Has anyone experienced a reduction in weight gain if they kept their dose of which ever weight gain med they were taking at the lowest therapeutic dose possible?

It didn't help for me (Seroquel).

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, lightly toasted
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist, lightly toasted
sarahsweets
Threadtastic Postaholic
 
sarahsweets's Avatar
sarahsweets has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2018
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 6,006 (SuperPoster!)
5 yr Member
192 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 06:37 AM
  #30
Its going to sound like I have an easy time of it @MusicLover82 but I didnt. I was overweight my whole life by some, then kids and 60lbs later than 30lbs more. I had my last child when I was 28 and ended up in the hospital for 4 days and they doped me up with seroquel. 20 more lbs. At my heaviest I was 310lbs. I began the process of getting approved for gastric bypass. I wasn't food addicted but I huge portion issues and personally believe I had a sugar tolerance. I was pre-diabetic and had fatty liver disease. The process took 6 months of monthly visits and I had to lose 20lbs before the surgery. I had the roux-n-y and they weren't doing sleeves then. I lost 127lbs but it was a tool. I have a low tolerance for sugar and my digestive tract is completely different now. I crept a bit off and on over the years but thats usually when I wasnt eating junk. I gained about 20 covid lbs. My doctor had wanted me to take a certain dose of geodon and I wasnt compliant putting my family through hell. On top of that I am such a rapid metabolizer that I developed an alcohol addiction. (sober 8 years). I know a lot of people that were not successful with GB because they did not follow the food guidelines and take their vitamins. Some even had revisions. It truly is a tool. I am not trying to say there is no other way for you or even if you need it I am just sharing how it worked for me. The roux-n-y doesnt just reduce the size of your stomach, it changes the way you digest which I think is more helpful than the sleeve. I am not trying to brag. I'd share before and after with you but I dont want to seem like an asshole bragging;

__________________
"I carried a watermelon?"

President of the no F's given society.
sarahsweets is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
*Beth*, bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*, bpcyclist
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 19, 2020 at 11:18 AM
  #31
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahsweets View Post
Its going to sound like I have an easy time of it @MusicLover82 but I didnt. I was overweight my whole life by some, then kids and 60lbs later than 30lbs more. I had my last child when I was 28 and ended up in the hospital for 4 days and they doped me up with seroquel. 20 more lbs. At my heaviest I was 310lbs. I began the process of getting approved for gastric bypass. I wasn't food addicted but I huge portion issues and personally believe I had a sugar tolerance. I was pre-diabetic and had fatty liver disease. The process took 6 months of monthly visits and I had to lose 20lbs before the surgery. I had the roux-n-y and they weren't doing sleeves then. I lost 127lbs but it was a tool. I have a low tolerance for sugar and my digestive tract is completely different now. I crept a bit off and on over the years but thats usually when I wasnt eating junk. I gained about 20 covid lbs. My doctor had wanted me to take a certain dose of geodon and I wasnt compliant putting my family through hell. On top of that I am such a rapid metabolizer that I developed an alcohol addiction. (sober 8 years). I know a lot of people that were not successful with GB because they did not follow the food guidelines and take their vitamins. Some even had revisions. It truly is a tool. I am not trying to say there is no other way for you or even if you need it I am just sharing how it worked for me. The roux-n-y doesnt just reduce the size of your stomach, it changes the way you digest which I think is more helpful than the sleeve. I am not trying to brag. I'd share before and after with you but I dont want to seem like an asshole bragging;

I'm not getting why you think you're bragging? You've just explained your situation in a realistic way. I'd like to hear about your before and after.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist
lightly toasted
Poohbah
 
lightly toasted's Avatar
lightly toasted has no updates.
 
Member Since: Mar 2019
Location: Here and There
Posts: 1,147
3 yr Member
1,724 hugs
given
Default Oct 21, 2020 at 06:53 PM
  #32
Quote:
Originally Posted by BethRags View Post


It didn't help for me (Seroquel).
Thank you. Yes, Seroquel is what I take.
lightly toasted is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*, bpcyclist
Soupe du jour
Elder
Soupe du jour has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jun 2015
Location: Czechia
Posts: 5,149
8 yr Member
13.4k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 22, 2020 at 09:41 AM
  #33
I can't exactly say that I'm fit and thin, because I'm about 12 lbs overweight. Also, I have high cholesterol and blood pressure, but I know that my weight could be much higher than it is. Many of my female ancestors (and some male ancestors) have been/were heavier than me, with even worse health issues, so I guess I've done something a little right. Physical activity of some form is likely part of my secret. Even if I'm not doing formal exercise, I'm a fast moving sort. Not lethargic. I also love to cook and know what healthful food is all about. Not that I don't eat high fat/calorie stuff too often, but I eat low calorie/fat, as well. I can give myself credit that I can plan very satisfying low fat/calorie meals. Such meals need not only be lettuce, and other raw veggies, with lemon juice on it.

I fully acknowledge that some bipolar medications can be nasty weight-gainers, but not all. Of my current medications, only Seroquel XR is a challenge for me, but even that is a lesser evil than some others I have taken. I have found some medications weight neutral that others have not. For example, Lithium was weight neutral for me. The only positive about that medication I experienced.

A stable mood certainly helps to keep my weight down. It allows me the motivation needed to stick to a diet and plan meals effectively. Depression makes things very difficult. Hypomania/mania could go either way, when it comes to losing/gaining weight, for me.

I have good muscle tone, and always have. Stems a bit from my ballet years and perhaps genes (mother's side). That and being large-boned make my extra 12 lbs seem like less than many other women's at my same weight. IOWs, many people think I weigh less than I do.
Soupe du jour is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Fuzzybear
*Beth*
catches the flowers
*Beth* is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind, body, spirit.
 
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
23.7k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 22, 2020 at 06:56 PM
  #34
I gained weight from SSRI's, SSNI's, all AP's (especially Seroquel), and a number of other psych meds...mirtazipine was a major weight-gainer for me. I have wondered if, because I started out under weight, my body overcompensates by easily gaining.

A few years ago I sold my car, bought a bike, and rode to/from work and everywhere I needed to go. So I was riding every day. I was eating normally, and (as always) with good health in mind. I thought surely I'd lose a decent amount of weight, riding as much as I was.

Well, I never lost a single lb. I didn't gain any weight, but not losing any while exercising like I was every day...it was discouraging, to say the least.

I've never been a junk food junkie, I've always been very conscious of healthy eating. Metformin has kept my blood sugar low, but that's all. I love water and drink a lot, every day.

At this point I am working on walking more and more (post achilles tendon surgery). I figure I might lose maybe 25lbs., but I don't have high hopes for losing much more than that. I seem to be someone whose weight is affected by nearly every psych med.

__________________




*Beth* is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Fuzzybear, lightly toasted
mugwort2
Poohbah
mugwort2 has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2015
Location: Philadelphia PA.
Posts: 1,291
8 yr Member
28 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 22, 2020 at 09:56 PM
  #35
I'm losing weight with a vegan diet. I was 167 Yesterday 157 in two weeks. I exercise on my stair stepper at least 20 minutes every other day. I am 5' and I know I need to lose a lot more lbs. I wan to get down to 135.lbs.
mugwort2 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Fuzzybear
Fuzzybear
Wisest Elder Ever
 
Fuzzybear's Avatar
Fuzzybear has no updates.
 
Member Since: Nov 2002
Location: Cave.
Posts: 96,298 (SuperPoster!)
20 yr Member
81.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Oct 23, 2020 at 09:17 PM
  #36
Water, lots of water. When I was first on psych meds I did not drink as much water. Two meds I was on caused massive weight gain.

Another doctor wanted to prescribe mirtazapine (sp) for me. Grrr. I did not use the script. (I probably ''should'' not say this... the doctor was very overweight and also horrible with her words )

I've lost the weight now though. I think some meds are weight neutral (?) although I have not experienced that (aside from benzos) I also do not snack at night if I find myself putting on some weight again.

__________________
Fuzzybear is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*
xRavenx
Magnate
 
xRavenx's Avatar
xRavenx has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jun 2016
Location: U.S.
Posts: 2,570
5 yr Member
8,123 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Nov 01, 2020 at 10:06 PM
  #37
I'm relatively thin. Portioning my food has been key for me. Also, I stick to a vegetarian diet. I try to exercise at least 3 days per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.

__________________
Bipolar 1 Disorder, Unspecified Anxiety Disorder
xRavenx is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
*Beth*
wolftrap
Member
 
wolftrap's Avatar
wolftrap has no updates.
 
Member Since: Oct 2020
Location: VA
Posts: 309
3 yr Member
140 hugs
given
Default Nov 02, 2020 at 02:05 PM
  #38
I workout three times a week, try to take a walk every day, and minimize carbs like bread and pasta. Exercise is a twofer - it also helps manage mood swings. And if you drink alcohol, minimizing that intake helps alot.

I hope you find a solution that works!
wolftrap is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
lightly toasted
Poohbah
 
lightly toasted's Avatar
lightly toasted has no updates.
 
Member Since: Mar 2019
Location: Here and There
Posts: 1,147
3 yr Member
1,724 hugs
given
Default Nov 05, 2020 at 07:26 PM
  #39
Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicLover82 View Post
I

I just feel like giving up on trying to lose weight. I used to be a pro at it: I lost 70 lbs and was doing great. Then I had med changes, mood swings, blah blah blah.... gained most of it back. I'm feeling pretty down and hopeless about the whole thing.

Any success stories about controlling your weight on all these meds plus with episodes?

Thanks!
@MusicLover82

I think it is very difficult. A lot of the tips mentioed so far in this thread, while well meaning, are either tips that apply to anyone trying to lose weight. Or they come from people who aren't mostly depressed, aren't on weight gain medication or people who've not been very fat in the first place.

I used to be a pro at getting and keeping the weight off too, but I experienced a lot of hypomania back then, I was younger, and I wasn't taking weight gain medication.

Now I do take seroquel, and I've not seen more than a few minutes of hypomania or the absence of depression in several years.

The real questions are, how does one lose weight when you can work out everyday and still be depressed. How does one eat within their calorie range when they can't sleep because their meds make us so damn hungry. We get up have a yogurt or a piece of fruit, still hungry, still can't sleep...then half a peanut butter sandwhich a glass of milk. Great now we can sleep, but we've eaten too much to lose weight...and this happens every night.

How do we work out regularly, when depression or meds cause every cell in our bodies to cry out to lay down 5 minutes in. We push through and work out anyway, feel the accomplishment. But now we're too exhausted to do anything else. After weeks of doing this we still don't have any extra energy, we're still depressed and our home is becoming a dump, because we choose to workout with our only crumbs of energy. Oh great, now here's two weeks worth of insomnia to make working out even harder. We keep working out, hoping it will help us sleep, but it doesn't. And now we're in constant pain because we're not getting the sleep need to repair our muscles. The pain causes us to become more sedentary for a couple of weeks before we started our sensible workout routine 6 weeks ago. And then we're back at it, but the cycle repeats itself.

How do we stop eating the crap food, or just overeating even healthy food when it's the only damn thing in our lives at the moment that stops up from SI. We've quit drinking, we don't use drugs, don't smoke, but we do turn the drug of choice for "good bipolar boys and girls" - food.

We're not making excuses, we keep hammering away at it, making several attempts each year. Each time telling ourselves, "this time i'll stay stable long enough, or I'll keep going despite how ill I feel , how hungry I feel" or we taper off the weigh gain meds, maybe try something weight neutral, maybe we lose a few pounds before going completly off the rails and begging to go back on the weight gain med once again. Because after all what's the point of being thin if we're dead.

We know what to do- eat less, eat healthier, move more in ways that we like. The illness and meds themselves do create many obsticales.
lightly toasted is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
fern46
 
Thanks for this!
fern46
Anonymous32451
Guest
Anonymous32451 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Nov 06, 2020 at 06:48 AM
  #40
this one doesn't

fit and thin?

does not describe me at all
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:12 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.