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Psychiatric medicine and weight gain
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi,
Just wondered if anyone has experienced this ?
Ever since taking anti-psychotic medication I've been overweight.
I used to take one called amisulpride, but am now on one called aripiprazole - this one is meant to be better for weight than amisulpride.
It feels like an uphill struggle to lose the weight though - the medication makes it more difficult to lose weight I believe due to effects on the metabolism.
Just wondered if anyone has successfully lost weight whilst on these drugs ?
Just wondered if anyone has experienced this ?
Ever since taking anti-psychotic medication I've been overweight.
I used to take one called amisulpride, but am now on one called aripiprazole - this one is meant to be better for weight than amisulpride.
It feels like an uphill struggle to lose the weight though - the medication makes it more difficult to lose weight I believe due to effects on the metabolism.
Just wondered if anyone has successfully lost weight whilst on these drugs ?
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In all honesty, if I start to gain weight, or experience excessive tiredness, I'm going to stop. When I am well, fitness and going places is a large part of my life. I don't want to be big again, I like having energy, being free from joint pain (I have joint problems) and being able to buy the clothes I want.
Is the weight gain not because of cravings? I don't understand how it is scientifically possible to gain weight without consuming more calories? Not that I blame anyone if they succumb to cravings, I've heard they're awful. I don't know a lot about metabolisms and stuff...
There's lots on online forums about people who are saying they gained 50lbs and don't know why?
But also lots on craving.
Do the medications work?
I was put on quetiapine around Easter time, I started on a low dose and it has increased since then. I stopped taking it over summer for various reasons but was forced to start taking it again recently. Higher doses make me sleepy but I haven't had an increase of appetite nor have I gained weight. It's one of the few things I've taken which hasn't caused me to gain weight, mirtazapine was awful for this. Thankfully I wasn't on it for very long. The sleepiness with quetiapine is bearable, I take a higher dose at night and it makes me sleep for a few hours and then a smaller dose in the morning which doesn't have any sleepy side effects.
The meds really help me. I eat more which is the main reason but I don't feel as if I am over eating, just eating when I am hungry but that is a lot more.
Lithium slows the metabolism down so you can't eat as much and not gain weight whereas most of the atypical anti-psychotics just make you eat more / do less.
When anorexics take the APs they often don't gain any weight anyway as they have the self control not to eat more. I was anorexic before but I must have been a bad one cos I put on tonnes of weight.
I put on a lot of weight with amisulpride. I'm now on one called aripiprazole and hope I can lose weight on it - don't want to be overweight anymore.