bipolar medications

Warning: The messages in this forum are the personal views and opinions of individuals. NEVER act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum without FIRST checking with your personal physician! Mood Tracker Web Media, LLC is not obligated to check forum postings for accuracy nor does it endorse the opinions of any person using the forum.
brlimie
March 16, 2018 - 11:13 pm
Spam? Offensive?
brlimie
Total Posts: 1
Joined: 03-16-2018
I am having trouble disconnecting from work.
I obsess about the same things every day.
I can 't stop thinking about the same things every day.
I'm anxious all the time.
I get overly excited then depressed.
My mood is never normal.

I tried 500mg of Depakote and 100 mg of Seroquel at night, but stopped because of 10pounds of weight gain in one month.

I'm sad that there is no treatment for bipolar that helps with mood without causing weight gain.

What works for you to treat your bipolar and anxiety?

During a typical day, I
- Obsess and talk about the same things over and over like a broken record
- Have trouble letting go from work/etc
- Have trouble concentrating when people talk to me
- Cannot communicate properly to people
- I don't feel present. I feel like I'm just going through life but I am not really there.
- I talk to myself a lot
- I feel sometimes like I'm better than other people. Other times I'm depressed.
I go from elevated moods one day to depressed another day.
- I have trouble sleeping all the time

Does anyone struggle with the above?
What medication regimen do you follow?
Or have you found ways to address your issues without meds?

Are there any treatments for bipolar that does not cause weight gain?


Spam? Offensive?
brlimie
brlimie
March 16, 2018 - 11:13 pm
I am having trouble disconnecting from work.
I obsess about the same things every day.
I can 't stop thinking about the same things every day.
I'm anxious all the time.
I get overly excited then depressed.
My mood is never normal.

I tried 500mg of Depakote and 100 mg of Seroquel at night, but stopped because of 10pounds of weight gain in one month.

I'm sad that there is no treatment for bipolar that helps with mood without causing weight gain.

What works for you to treat your bipolar and anxiety?

During a typical day, I
- Obsess and talk about the same things over and over like a broken record
- Have trouble letting go from work/etc
- Have trouble concentrating when people talk to me
- Cannot communicate properly to people
- I don't feel present. I feel like I'm just going through life but I am not really there.
- I talk to myself a lot
- I feel sometimes like I'm better than other people. Other times I'm depressed.
I go from elevated moods one day to depressed another day.
- I have trouble sleeping all the time

Does anyone struggle with the above?
What medication regimen do you follow?
Or have you found ways to address your issues without meds?

Are there any treatments for bipolar that does not cause weight gain?


artista
March 18, 2018 - 7:27 am
Spam? Offensive?
artista
Total Posts: 868
Joined: 06-12-2011
I suffered from all the above. But, my symptoms lessened when I had therapy. That helps a great deal if you find the right person.

Sadly, I have not found a drug that does not cause weight gain. Abilify is supposed to not, but it did fit me. However, Depakote is the worst drug you can take for weight gain. Still, it’s better that being psychotic with all the extra trimmings of bipolar.

My new psychiatrist wants to put me on Vraylar to help with my weight. I will be trying that soon.

I encourage you to stay in the meds or your life will eventually become a living hell. And, every episode harms your brain physically.

If you want to avoid weight gain, eat a low carb diet. It counteracts the carb cravings that cause weight gain. It’s not the drugs that cause weight gain. Weight gain stems from overeating due to cravings created by the drug.


Spam? Offensive?
artista
artista
March 18, 2018 - 7:27 am
I suffered from all the above. But, my symptoms lessened when I had therapy. That helps a great deal if you find the right person.

Sadly, I have not found a drug that does not cause weight gain. Abilify is supposed to not, but it did fit me. However, Depakote is the worst drug you can take for weight gain. Still, it’s better that being psychotic with all the extra trimmings of bipolar.

My new psychiatrist wants to put me on Vraylar to help with my weight. I will be trying that soon.

I encourage you to stay in the meds or your life will eventually become a living hell. And, every episode harms your brain physically.

If you want to avoid weight gain, eat a low carb diet. It counteracts the carb cravings that cause weight gain. It’s not the drugs that cause weight gain. Weight gain stems from overeating due to cravings created by the drug.


persistence
March 20, 2018 - 4:36 pm
Spam? Offensive?
persistence
Total Posts: 1532
Joined: 08-11-2012
Gaining weight sucks and it does tend to happen when taking medication to treat bipolar disorder.

Although gaining weight sucks, it is not as bad as being suicidal, destroying things, acting out sexually, spending irrationally, or any of the other things that we might do if we did not take medication.

It seems to me that Seroquel deprives a person of the desire to be physically active. I believe it also changes metabolism so that even a physically active person will not lose weight. I say this based on a period of time When I swim as much as four hours per day everyday while taking Seroquel and I did not lose weight. I also was abstaining from sugar, have not had alcohol in 32 years.

At present, I weigh approximately 204 lb with a 5-foot 5-inch frame, and so I am probably obese.

Over the last 5 years, I have gone from size 36 men's pants 2 size 40 and then back down to size 38. I believe that gaining and losing weight is a symptom of some sort of mental illness even when people are not taking any medicine at all.

Certainly starting to take medication coincides for many people with alarming weight gain.

I would just ask people, would you rather laze in your own bed at home, not feeling particularly bad but not wanting to do much of anything at all? Or would you rather stop taking medicine, lose those extra pounds, and walk about in the yard of a mental institution with other patients who did not take their medication?

For many of us, these are basically the choices.


I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy than a bottle in front of me.
Spam? Offensive?
persistence
persistence
March 20, 2018 - 4:36 pm
Gaining weight sucks and it does tend to happen when taking medication to treat bipolar disorder.

Although gaining weight sucks, it is not as bad as being suicidal, destroying things, acting out sexually, spending irrationally, or any of the other things that we might do if we did not take medication.

It seems to me that Seroquel deprives a person of the desire to be physically active. I believe it also changes metabolism so that even a physically active person will not lose weight. I say this based on a period of time When I swim as much as four hours per day everyday while taking Seroquel and I did not lose weight. I also was abstaining from sugar, have not had alcohol in 32 years.

At present, I weigh approximately 204 lb with a 5-foot 5-inch frame, and so I am probably obese.

Over the last 5 years, I have gone from size 36 men's pants 2 size 40 and then back down to size 38. I believe that gaining and losing weight is a symptom of some sort of mental illness even when people are not taking any medicine at all.

Certainly starting to take medication coincides for many people with alarming weight gain.

I would just ask people, would you rather laze in your own bed at home, not feeling particularly bad but not wanting to do much of anything at all? Or would you rather stop taking medicine, lose those extra pounds, and walk about in the yard of a mental institution with other patients who did not take their medication?

For many of us, these are basically the choices.


I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy than a bottle in front of me.

We use cookies to personalize your experience on this website and to analyze our traffic. By using our website, you acknowledge this notice of our cookie practices.

Loading...