Bipolar meds and weight

[Isserty_Dawn]

I was just diagnosed with bipolar. So far I'm on Trileptal, I was told that it wouldn't cause any weight gain. But my doctor is going to put me on another one on top of the one that I'm taking soon.
So I was wondering, if she does put me on a med that causes me to gain weight is it impossible to lose? Does it take longer and more work to lose?
I gained weight as a result of past situations and am just now starting to lose it.
Please tell me what you think.
Thank you.

 

[Laurel Crowned]

I was just diagnosed with bipolar. So far I'm on Trileptal, I was told that it wouldn't cause any weight gain. But my doctor is going to put me on another one on top of the one that I'm taking soon.
So I was wondering, if she does put me on a med that causes me to gain weight is it impossible to lose? Does it take longer and more work to lose?
I gained weight as a result of past situations and am just now starting to lose it.
Please tell me what you think.
Thank you.

Hi ID,

I'm not familiar with this medication so I'd suggest asking your doctor or doing a web search on that med. From personal experience, my medication (lithium) caused me to gain A LOT of weight when I first started it. I still haven't lost it all.

LC

 

[sl_pahotogal]

Be careful taking Trileptal. I took it for less than a year and ended up in the hospital for 7 days with Pancreatitis. I almost died. Discuss any possible side effect and adverse reaction with your doctor. Be careful.

 

[Shalia]

I was just diagnosed with bipolar. So far I'm on Trileptal, I was told that it wouldn't cause any weight gain. But my doctor is going to put me on another one on top of the one that I'm taking soon.
So I was wondering, if she does put me on a med that causes me to gain weight is it impossible to lose? Does it take longer and more work to lose?
I gained weight as a result of past situations and am just now starting to lose it.
Please tell me what you think.
Thank you.

What other med? In general, Trileptal is weight neutral, even though it has a habit of increasing appetite. It also can mess up other meds you are taking so if you have other medical problems, such as high blood pressure, you might need to change doses of other meds. Trileptal's main "curse" so to speak or worst side effect is it can cause hyponatremia which basically means low salt content in the blood. Keep some salty snacks handy at all times if you feel light headed.

Other (generally) weight neutral drugs include Lamictal <mostly good for bipolar depression, nearly useless on mania>, Tegretol <which is just an older version of Trileptal so don't bother>, Keppra <which is so new most doctors won't prescribe it yet and most insurances won't cover it yet>, and the anti-psychotics Geodon and Abilify are shown to be "relatively" weight neutral.

The main ones that can cause you to blow up like a balloon are Zyprexa, Risperidal, Depakote, Lithium, and Seroquel. Although Seroquel used in tiny doses for sleep usually isn't a problem with weight, it's when it's used in the high doses for anti-psychotic properties that it's an issue.

Topamax and Zonegran can actually help you LOSE weight, but they are also known to make you feel stupider, and they are best used for a certain type of bipolar. Well, Topamax is. Zonegran has VERY few studies to back it up. I can say it worked for me for a time. Got yoinked off it while in the hospital. Oh, well. But those are options as well.

There are others, but those are the main ones. What drugs on the med-go-round have you tried, and to what effect? And what symptoms are you trying to control? It's easier to try and tell you what the best options to ask your doctor about if you tell us what your main problems are. Do you tend to the manic or the depressed side? What manic symptoms do you tend to have, euphoric or dysphoric? Are you BP1 or BP2? Do you have any comorbid issues? Those would help in assisting you to find options to discuss w/ your doctor.

Shalia

 

[Shalia]

Be careful taking Trileptal. I took it for less than a year and ended up in the hospital for 7 days with Pancreatitis. I almost died. Discuss any possible side effect and adverse reaction with your doctor. Be careful.

And I love Trileptal. It is my miracle drug. It's a huge blessing for me. On a bipolar board I'm a community leader on <and med research assistant> I have my "top 10 reasons for loving Trileptal". It's amazing how differently these drugs work on different people.

The "three T's", Trileptal, Topamax, and Tegretol all tend to work on people with temporal lobe issues rather than frontal lobe where most bipolar issues are located. People with temporal lobe issues tend to have more problems with rage and anger, tend to have deja vu, jammais vu, ultraradian cycling, olfactory hallucinations, and a host of other things I can't remember right now cause I take dopamax and it's 11:30 at night. And I already took my sleeping drugs. Can I mention I love Restoril for sleep? But if you don't have a temporal lobe problem, you might not fall into the percentage those drugs will help on, and you'll just have the side effects and come out hating the drugs. No wonder. Who wants to take something that doesn't work?

Shalia

 

[I'ddie4him]

I have been taking Lithium for about 11 years now, I haven't had a real problem with weight gain since I started taking it. I was on about 6 or 7 different meds before they finally got me on lith. I use remeron when I have trouble sleeping. I have also taken lexapro for my depressive cycles in the past few months. I have had real success with the meds I am on. My Dr. told me that I had rapid cycling Bipolar, meaning that my cycles lasted about 24 hours up and back down again. That was a roller coaster I don't ever want to be on again.