im on medication for epilepsy and i havent put on any weight and ive been on it since i was 12 and im now 20

the problem is that they have been changing my medication a lot. epanution to epitec to epilim to tegratol. i feel so frustrated because of that and don't know whether this has an effect on my weight. i know i does on my mood swings. but thanks for your reply.

If your on a single AED, usually no. Athough weight gain is a less common side effect of AED's, it's pretty much a side effect of most meds, not just AED's. But if you take a combination of 2 or more drugs, for a long time, then switch one of them, then the possibilities are there. I was on Dilantin and depakote for a long time(5yrs) and I would gain and loss weight from week to week. I'm not talking a few pounds, but gain 10-15 lbs 1 week and lose it the next. It was an up and down thing until I was taken off the dilantin and it was replaced by Neurontin. A month after replacing the dilantin, I gained 40lbs in 5 days. I had to buy all new clothes. I gained 3 inches on my waist and went from a med. size shirt to XL. The doctors thought it was water, but it wasn't. They told me that the constant fluctuation in weight was because the dilantin and depakote were wrecking havoc w/my metabolism. When the one med was replaced, there wasn't the checks and balance anymore and the depakote took over my metabolism and it came to a halt. Of course, alot of other factors like anxiety, stress etc. that comes w/seizures could also be the cause.