Bipolar help?!
Question: i was diagnosed 3 years ago with bipolar disorder. many times ive strayed away from my meds and now ive been off my meds for 3 months. i left my meds because the side affects ive experienced. when i was diagnosed, i was 16 and i weighed around 180. im now 19 and weigh around 305. my top weight was 370. on my meds im fine, but i constantly get sick and the weight issue really depresses me. when im off my meds, i cant hold a job and it really affects my life. i dont know what to do. ive switched meds a couple times, but i always seem to have the worst of the side affects. the meds ive been on in the past 3 years are. lamictal, lexapro, depakote, impremen, and gaufacine. if your a psychiatrist let me know what i can do. and are you familiar with a doctor paul hannah in nw indiana, i have had hime these 3 years and have had problems with him
Answers: i was diagnosed 3 years ago with bipolar disorder. many times ive strayed away from my meds and now ive been off my meds for 3 months. i left my meds because the side affects ive experienced. when i was diagnosed, i was 16 and i weighed around 180. im now 19 and weigh around 305. my top weight was 370. on my meds im fine, but i constantly get sick and the weight issue really depresses me. when im off my meds, i cant hold a job and it really affects my life. i dont know what to do. ive switched meds a couple times, but i always seem to have the worst of the side affects. the meds ive been on in the past 3 years are. lamictal, lexapro, depakote, impremen, and gaufacine. if your a psychiatrist let me know what i can do. and are you familiar with a doctor paul hannah in nw indiana, i have had hime these 3 years and have had problems with him
I sure understand about the weight gain issues and I completely understand you wanting to get off your meds because of it. However, you probably know that being off your meds is not a good idea as you mention having insight into how it effects your life ie, job etc.
I have tried many combinations of medications. They can work for me then suddenly stop working and I have to try something new. Right now I am on fluoxetine (prozac) and just started Lithium a little over a week ago. My doctor wanted me on lithium right away when I first met her almost a year ago but I refused because it is notorious for weight gain. However, I am more stable now with the lithium than I have ever been and knowing the terrible havoc my moods can cause I sure hope the weight stays stable too. I really love my lithium and hope it does not make me fat as I will be tempted to stop it if it does.
From what I have gathered over the years it is very common for ppl with bi-polar to stop and start meds. I think maybe you should find another doctor if this one is not working for you. You should have some say about what medications you take. Or at the very least what ones you do not want to take. I refuse to take meds that have really bad side effect as it seems to be bad medicine IMO.
Also ignore the really ignorant ppl on here who obviously have no idea what they are talking about along with their wretched etiquette and focus instead on the strong positive feedback coming from alot of really good ppl who participate on Yahoo Answers.
I have no experience with any of the drugs you have been on so sorry I can't comment on that.
Good luck, take care.
ps feeling as good as I do now on the Lithium I wondered what took me so long as it seems this medication is really really working for me whereas nothing has done this good a job before. You may be surprised that you could actually feel better and when you do you'll find the inspiration to get your body back to a better weight. Just remember to take a step at a time because it will take awhile for you to drop all that weight. Also, getting depressed or manic while being off your meds will NOT help you manage your weight either.
bipolar... its all in your head!!!
go on a diet and exercise
did you ever try citalopram and a serquel mix and i have bipolar and this is working great. don't loose hope keep trying. try ty bo by billy blanks thats how i shed the pounds hi ya. take care
Firstly...get back on your meds...for you...because you are important...and you deserve to have peace of mind...
Secondly...get moving...physically...physical activity will keep the weight at bay...get on to a healthier way of life...choose your foods correctly...and exercise...not only will it improve your weight issue...but it will improve your heart and your mind and your metabolism...when we exercise we release natural feel good endorphins in our body...if you think you wanna eat...brush your teeth...and drink an 8 oz glass of water...you will then feel fool...and you wont wanna eat cause you just brushed your teeth ;o)
thirdly...seek out a new physician...there is definately more than one in your area that would be able to meet your needs ;o)
Let me first address the issue with the therapist. IF you are having problems and are not 100% comfortable with him then you need to switch. Thats very important with therapy. You need to be able to have an open relationship with your therapist one that makes both of you feel comfortable and works for you.
Now on to the main question. When dealing with Bipolar medication is a MUST for some. For my bipolar i tried other natural forms of healing that seem to have worked the best thus far because medication didnt work for me.
In your case it sounds as if medication is both a needed thing and one that is causing yet more unneeded stress and problems within your life. Weigh gain and poor self esteem like your having ( I can tell just by reading the post your self esteem is very low) isnt healthy for you esp with the bipolar on top of it. Get yourself a new doc and talk with them about a new medication. THere are types out there that can help you without the side effects your having. I am unsure of the exact names of them but they are out there. Its important to take care of you. ANd that means feeling good about yourself and treating the health issues you have
good luck
See another psychiatrist for another opinion. See what they prescribe. (Sorry I'm not one.) If that doesn't help, take whatever meds have the least side affects and make sure a psychiatrist says it's OK. Then diet and excercise, ask your doc what you can do about the weight problem.
That stinks I feel bad for you.
I'm no psychiatrist or therapist, however I do have a lot of experience with bi-polar and how meds affect the body when you take them and when you don't take them.
When someone is diagnosed with bi-polar it can be quite devastating. You suddenly feel like your world is spinning out of control and you just don't seem to fit in. Am I right? Do you feel like this sometimes? You constantly ask yourself the ever popular question of "why me?" and maybe you wonder sometimes that life isn't worth living. I'm here to tell you your life IS worth living. Did you know that there are celebrities that have bi-polar? They have managed to deal with their meds and their management with weight.
I strongly urge you to get back on your meds. As for the weight gain issue, you can learn to exercise more and proportion your food. Yes psychiatric medications can and do cause you to gain weight. However, if you incorporate in your daily life a exercise program and learn how to eat properly this won't be a issue.
Many years ago I was on a lot of medications. I gained 150 lbs in one year. I was obese and unhappy and not thrilled with my doctor. Fortunately for me, I found a new doctor and was taken off some of the medications. Perhaps if you are unhappy with the present doctor, you could call around to find out if there is another psychiatrist you could see.
Don't give up hope. Your life will only improve, if you choose it to be. One thing I've learned a long time ago, is to never give yourself a project too great that you can not achieve.
I hope that my answer was helpful to you. Good luck and have a nice day!
The problem probably has more to do with the meds you've tried than all mood stabilizers. Weight gain on Depakote is not unusual and for some ppl it can be a very big problem. A great many gain weight on antidepressants including Lexapro. These two combined probably explain a lot of your problem. I personally am battling the voracious hunger that comes with Depakote. It is tough. Lamictal is weight neutral for almost everyone, so if you were taking it with Depakote, I wouldn't write it off. The other two meds don't sound like any stabilizers that I know.
Go back to your doc and insist on trying other stabilizers. Trileptal is one that's supposed to have a low side effect profile including weight gain. Tegretol is similar. Lithium is a great med as far as I'm concerned. Average weight gain on it is 8-10 lbs and it's rare for anyone to gain much more. I dropped what I gained w/in six weeks. It was more like water weight. Most of the antipsychotics create sugar cravings so you have to be very disciplined with them. Unfortunately, whether you are on meds or not, you will need to be on a diet for a while and seriously exercising to drop the pounds. There are meds that shouldn't make that much more difficult, and the reality is that if your head is together, you are far more apt to stick with the plan.
Don't give up! You can find meds that work without untenuable side effects. If your current doc won't work with you, find another who will.
I'm not a psychiatist, but the one I go to is in Camp Hill PA.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 18. I use to be a size 7/8 now 30 years old size 16. I can help you if you have any questions please email me at stacey4lm@yahoo.com.
Are you able to use weight training, by lifting weights to help you lose the lbs?
I use the BowFlex to keep in shape.
I wish I could refer you to a good psychiatist in your area.
Where do you live?
Sport and dieting, or things will be too awful
Lithium may cause more weight gain, but it is the only thing that has worked for me. I just started back up on Celexa two days ago, and it does well for depression.