[starpirate555]

what is the final answer? i hear all over the internet about lithium weight gain being either fat or water retention, which is it? i know lithium can make you crave carbs thereby eat more carbs and get fat and then lithium being a salt can make you retain water. but which one has the upperhand?more water retention or more fat, help me decide. by the way im 6'0" and 338 pounds and i have bipolar disorder. i take lithium and abilify.

[pinkiemarie]

Well, I suppose it really could depend on the person. For me I've had no increased appetite due to lithium and any weight gain (which was a very small amount for me) would have simply been due to how much water I drink.

[AirMarshall]

Which is your preference to obsessively worry about?

I put on about 3 lbs the first couple weeks, partly I think to drinking the needed extra water (2-3 litres a day per the PI sheet). After that my weight has stayed pretty much stable.

I think lithium weight gain gets talked about, more than one can find any documentation for it. The PI sheet indicates it's pretty weight neutral.

Good luck, a.m.

[maybetinymaybesad]

i write this with gentle intentions......if you're overweight by that much, it's not just water retention. regardless of whether the pounds you gained since taking lithium are water or are 'real' pounds (probably it is a mix of both), you probably want to look at making lifestyle changes if you can. i know it's hard, and i know you've probably heard this a million times, but it's all about exercise and diet. there's no question that psych meds make some people gain weight, but in most cases that can be mitigated - maybe not completely reversed but definitely mitigated. rather than trying to figure out how much of your weight gain is due to water retention, maybe you could ask yourself honestly, am i doing everything i can to live healthfully? don't try to change everything at once....make small changes.