Hello,
i have taken seroquel, then neurontin to
manage my bipolar disorder. Both the
meds have caused me to gain about 30
pounds in the last 2 years. I have
recently switched to lamictal... Does
anyone have any experience with this kind
of switch and it's effects on weight? I
feel like I just keep going up without
cause.
Thanks,
diana
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vrajavala
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Hollywood Florida
Weight Management Posted: 02-22-04 09:19am
Hi I am on prozac and depakane for
management of bipolar. I can tell you
that the depakane makes me more rational
about my eating behavior and less likely
to binge. Why son't you speak to your
doctor about this? As binging is
definitely part of the mood disorder.
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Diana_8 Posted: 02-23-04 23:08pm
I have taken lamictal off and on for the
last 5 years. This was listed as one of
the top ten new treatments in medicine.
It was shown to have the least amount of
side effects and the best coverage for ups
and downs. Although, I myself have had a
problem with my weight, I have not noticed
that specifically lamictal was to blame.
Ask your pharmasist or doctor what the pdr
(physicians drug reference) says about
weight gain.
I found it much more tolerable than any
other meds. It doesn't cause the
lethergy that drugs like lithium do.
Good luck
mia
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2ferano
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 3717
Posted: 02-24-04 05:39am
I was on depakane for two years and I
gained a lot of weight. (and I was not
eating that much at all.) then, my hair
started to fall out. I was fine at the
beginning of treatment. I did not have
any noticeable side effects, but when it
rained it poured. But, when I was put on
lithium (the best prescription for
bipolar) I was fine. If your weight gain
is bothering you that much, you should
definately talk to your doctor about
switching medications.
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Hotasfrick Posted: 02-25-04 00:13am
I hate to differ on opinions, but as I
said before, lamictal was chosen as one of
the top ten new treatments in medicine.
This is scientific breakthroughs for
medical advancements. Lithium has been
and will continue to be, the last stop for
people that nothing else works for,
however, anti-siezure medications like
lamictal are the future. Lithium has a
tendency to give life back with one hand
and suck joy out with the other.
As always, medication needs to be
monitored by your mental health care
provider.
Best of luck
mia
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2ferano
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 3717
Posted: 02-25-04 05:01am
The last stop? Are you kidding? I
have studied bipolar disorder over the
last three years and lithium is the only
drug that is proven to keep bipolar under
control! If you have a mild disorder
then the other drugs will work. Lithium
can be taken at different doseages you
know.
Now, not everyone can take lithium for one
reason or another. And if on the wrong
dose you could have adverse effects.
But no one person can rule out lithium
until the have tried it for themselves!
It is a life safer for a lot of people,
not a last resort! I do not doubt that
these new drugs will work. I am not
arguing with you on that, but lithium is
the top one, not just in the top ten. If
on the right dose it sometimes gets people
to a level where they never have to take
drugs again. (sometimes!)
yes we obviously do not agree, I am not
arguing, but I would never tell anyone not
to take lithium unless a last resort,
because it could be the one thing to
finally help them. These new drugs have
not been around long enough to know the
long term effects. Not saying that they
should not be tried either, but bottom
line, lithium is not a last resort!
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Not a Last Stop Posted: 02-25-04 18:40pm
I am very glad that lithium has been a
life saver for you. When I was on it, I
was a "zombie". I wasn't depressed, but
I also had no joy, !!Ever!! Lamictal was
a wonder drug for me. I can only speak
from my own personal experience what
worked for me.
And as I said before, lamictal was one of
the top ten "new" drugs, not new drugs for
bi-polar. Lithium has been the #1
treatment for serious bi-polar, but
doctors don't usually start with lithium.
They usually reserve it when all else
fails, or when someone becomes a danger to
themselves or to others.
Everyone has to find what works best for
themselves, with the help of their mental
health care provider, of course.
Best
mia
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purple333
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 1420 Location: Sydney
Posted: 03-12-04 00:46am
Mental health professional or plain health
care provide, they are merely mecahnics
for your mind or body nothing more &
they are not gods they can & do make
mistakes, many of them are either too busy
or too linked to pharmaceutical companies
or just hitch their diagnoses &
prescriptions to the current in-thing so
they don't actually properly diagnose you
as an individual which is what we all
are!!!!
What works for one won't automatically
work for others.
On top of which if you do any sort of
research into the facts of pharmaceuticals
(not to mention looking at the facts of
side effects of all pharmaceuticals &
what the companies have hidden from us
about the drugs they make & how much
money they make off us & how there are
natural alternatives available that are
far more effective with few if any side
effects - so long as they're taken
properly - but !!) you would know that
companies call their new drugs no1 &
the latest & best available to get
brainless idiots to accept them & then
the companies make more money.
Talk to your dr or find a new one or a
someone who is interested in natural
alternatives & see if you can take
dhea with your meds as it not only helps
mental health problems it also helps
reduce weight, you might even look into
this & other natural alternatives, st
john's wort, vitamin b's, 5htp
(tryptophan), sam-e to name a few.
Whatever anyone tells you, research it all
for yourself, it's your body & you are
the one who should decide. If you are
gaining alot of weight the depression
caused by that (if that is what is
happening) can undo any good the meds do!!
So do some reseach, do not blindly accept
what drs & drug companies preach. I
& several members of my family (over
70 odd years & many different medical
problems) have found that the only way to
find what works for you is to take what
drug companies & drs say with a grain
of salt & research it all for yourself
& you decide what you feel is right
for you then give that a go.
Homeopathy is another alternative worth
checking out.
Of course some people will always believe
that drs & drug companies only have
the patients best interests at heart &
that they would never lie & couldn't
possibly make a mistake & will believe
whatever hype is dished up to them
regardless.
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Brainless fool Posted: 03-13-04 14:37pm
Well, I guess i'm just a brainless fool
who found a doctor who researched his
medicine choices, was brave enough to look
the side effects up in the pdr (physicians
drug reference book) in front of me and
and discuss his choices with me, when I
was unhappy with lithium. I don't
beleive I have insulted anyone in this
forum, and I would appriate in the future
if other people would be as kind.
Mia
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purple333
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 1420 Location: Sydney
Posted: 03-13-04 15:50pm
I & others I know have seen drs look
up meds & their side effects &
then discuss their decisions &/or
options with the patient but the patient
then still only knows what they have been
told by the dr & usually hasn't read
the total range of side effects for
themselves & drs do not have time to
read every patient all known possible side
effects of meds - get real if you think
they do.
You need to do your own research into not
merely the meds suggested but also what
other causes there may be for what you are
experiencing. The latter is especially
important because when you go to a search
engine yourself & check out what can
cause "x" you often find a whole different
story to what the dr has given you. Not
just because they don't bother, don't care
but because drs today are just so busy
& so overwhelmed with all the
information etc that they do not know it
all, but you are only looking for you,
it's (or should be) vitally important to
you prsonally so you can make the time to
check out all of the options available
(meds, natural & pharmaceutical; side
effects, alternative therapies & most
importantly other causes for your symptoms
that the dr might not have recognized or
thought of for tonnes of reasons,
including not being aware of something
because you didn't realize it was
important.
Anyone with access to a computer today is
an fool if they do not check out as much
as they can about side effects,
alternative treatments & alternative
causes of their problems. Hell you don't
trust your mechanic 100% with your car
(you go back if there's a noise or
something "feels" wrong even if you're a
mechanical fool like me) so why is it that
poeple insist on trusting drs 100%,
especially when e rarely if ever give them
100% of the relevant information (simply
because we ourselves don't know what is
relevant!!).
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Purple Posted: 03-15-04 03:52am
You are continuing to call me an fool, oh
i'm sorry, a brainless fool, people come
to this forum for support and information
not being insulted. So no matter what
your opinion on things are, don't insult
or call the people that come here names!
Mia
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purple333
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 1420 Location: Sydney
Posted: 03-17-04 06:27am
Mia,
there's different types of support &
one (which I guess you're unaware of) is
being tough, calling things as you see
them, saying what you feel needs to be
said as opposed to what is nice &
gooey & not always what is needed.
Sometimes support & advice is just
that support, empathy, advice but
sometimes it's harsh or harsher, trying to
get people to take off their blinders,
open their eyes & minds &
think!!
Are they doing all they need to do, are
they doing all they can do, are they doing
what they should be doing &/or are
they avoiding reality & making excuses
for inaction. (i personally do alot of
the latter, so I know what it's about, but
i've also done the opposite).
We all should take responsibility for our
own lives & not simply leave it to
others to tell us or prescibe, we should
be checking for ourselves, seeing whether
what is prescibed, what is diagnosed is
accurate. Today we have the internet
which makes searching out alternative
answers & full details so easy &
yes, anyone who simply takes whatany dr
says as gospell & what any dr
prescibes as the best (even if the drug is
fantastic it may not be right for you,
& it sure won't be right if your
diagnois is wrong!!)without checking &
questioning for yourself, yes anyone who
fails themselves in this is a brainless
fool.
You may not see that as supportive or
helpful, but from personal experience I
know of people who would be dead, another
who would have had a kidney transplant,
another in a wheelchair, another deaf
& many (worldwide!!) who would be
seriously ill & possibly dead due to
both misdiagnosis & wrongly prescibed
medication (both wrong for the diagnosis
& wrong for the individual).
But people are free to continue seeing drs
as gods & not questioning, researching
for & about themselves, we have
freedom of speech, but i'm free to say
they're idiots for not taking
responsibility for their own health.
That's the last i'll say on this issue; if
you don't get it now, you never will.
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kentuckywoman
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 2 Location: kentucky
Posted: 07-17-04 12:08pm
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when
I was 19 but I didn't take my medication
properly (didn't like the side effects)
until I was 24, after a few
hospitalizations for mania. Now I am
34.
In the past 15 years I have gained 95
pounds. A couple of years ago I was so
frustrated that I quit all of my
medication. I lost 60 pounds in 9
months and was able to swim, run, play
soccer, and tennis. It was great.
I was feeling like the happy college
athlete I used to be until I had to be
hospitalized for mania. I now weigh
230 and I should weigh 135.
In the past I have taken lithium,
risperdal, tegretol, depakote, zyprexa,
ativan, perphenazine, seroquel,
wellbutrin, neurontin, restoril, and
sonata. I told my psychiatrist I was
tired of experimenting with drug
cocktails. Now I am taking lithium and
lamictal. I have felt so much better
since I have started taking lamictal and
have not become manic. I want to try
using lamictal as my sole therapy since it
is not associated with weight gain.
I'm going to ask about it at my next med
check.
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mia
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 147 Location: dallas
Kentuckeywoman Posted: 07-18-04 13:56pm
Welcome,
lamictal was the best thing that ever
happen to me. It has no side effects for
me, but you need to watch out for the one
very serious, deadly side effect it has, a
rash. If you start having a rash call
your doctor immediately!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other than that, this is the best medicine
ever. No weight gain, no grogginess, it
seems no side effects what so ever.
If you took zyrexa for a long time, get
checked for diabetes. There is a
classaction lawsuite against the
manufacturer of zyprexa for causing
patients to develope diabetes. You
should have this checked out, I currently
am having my tests run because I also took
zyprexa. It wasn't bad enough it made
you gain 9 pounds a month!!!!!! Now you
find out it gives you another disease in
addition to the one you already had.
Good luck
mia
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kentuckywoman
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 2 Location: kentucky
Weight Gain Posted: 07-18-04 18:20pm
Thanks mia!
I will get checked for diabetes. Maybe I
can even sue zyprexa (hahaha). I'm glad
lamictal is working well for you. I hope
it continues to work for me. I would
really like to lose all of this weight!
Take care!
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Coffee0ooYummy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 16 Location: Maryland
Posted: 07-19-04 11:12am
I was taking lithium when I was first
diagnosed with bipolar when I was 14 (nov
of 1987). It made me a bit of a zombie
too, a house could be burning down and all
I would have to say about it was looky
pretty. I had no real joy either mia.
I stopped taking my lithium cold turkey
and didnt get back on meds til may of
2001. I was taking paxil but then my dr
decided to try me on lithium again since
the paxil wasnt doin what I needed it to
do. I went into a deep depression. I
wasnt cooking meals I laid on the couch
all day and all night, I was not bathing
and wasnt brushing my teeth, I cried a
lot, didnt know why but felt like I was
mourning someones death. And I was mean
too I wanted everyone to leave me alone, I
woould tell them to just go away. My
family had an intervention on me and I
started weening myself off the lithium.
By time I was completely off the lithium I
had an appointment to see my Dr. I was
then put on celexa and klonopin. The
klonopin wasnt helping right so they put
me on depakote. I was on depakote for
quite a while but gained almost 30 pounds
with it and then I was put on zyprexa
becasue I was told it would also help me
sleep. I gained almost 40 lbs with it. I
am now being weened off the zyprexa and
being put back on the depakote, I hope I
dont gain another 30 lbs. I now weigh 238
1/2 lbs I hate being this fat!!!!! It is
depressing in itself. I have never been
this heavy in my life and I am goin to the
gym every day to try and work it off but I
just cant seem to lose the weight, I am
losing inches but not weight. I know how
you all feel about your weight gain, its
awful to have gained so much weight
becasue of meds we are taking to make us
what others concider to be "normal".
