papertrees Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Is weight gain on lithium mandatory for everyone? Or does everyone gain weight on it? Are there people who actually lose weight on lithium? What can I do about the weight gain? Will a low-card diet work? Please, any input will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 I've never taken it, but I thought lithium was usually weight neutral?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 It has been entirely weight neutral for me. At the moment I am trying to lose a few extra pounds put on from Christmas turkey, not lithium, and it is going just fine. Absolutely no weight issues for me whatsoever from lithium. This has not been my experience, but I have read anecdotally and in various books, that some people will initially gain a few (NOTE FEW, not excessive) pounds right after starting, and this is most likely water weight. My guess this is related to the fact Li plays with your sodium, and you will probably (indeed should) start drinking more water. If your increased fluid intake is limited to water, and not sugary beverages, this weight will probably dissipate soon as your body adjusts--i.e., the water weight will dissipate. IF that happens, which it certainly may not. However, while you may read in the side effect profile "weight gain", and you may read the occasional anecdotal report of such, there seems to be far far more people claiming that it's relatively weight neutral--or at least, claiming that over all it's been side effect friendly (meaning the same thing for most people). Certainly has been for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 Okay. So the side effects do differ from person to person? I'm just extremely worried as I've got an eating disorder already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb252 Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 i've lost weight since being on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 jmb252, how did you lose weight and why? Did you drink so much water that you lost appetite for meals? How was your appetite then? What about water retention? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb252 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 my med combo just leaves me with no appetite, which i had before i added in the lithium. i do drink lots of water, but not as much as i probably should (some days i forget until i get a blinding headache). i also tend to get stomach aches and digestive problems when i eat too much. i've never really retained water in my life. water that goes in comes right back out. i have a lot of excess weight from seroquel, so the weight loss has been a positive thing for me. it's just helped me stick to the diet i'm supposed to be on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Century Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 jmb252, how did you lose weight and why? Did you drink so much water that you lost appetite for meals? How was your appetite then? What about water retention? you know, this isn't a dieting forum. i understand not wanting to put on a lot of weight... but meds work out differently for different people and sometimes you just have to suck it up and see how a medication works *for you* Drink the amount of water you need for lithium to work, don't drink too much. don't use water as a diet aid. you drink water on lithum to make sure your kidneys keep working, not to loose weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 ALright thanks. Sorry for always repeating about the diet thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicole Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Prior to that I was misdiagnosed with major depression with psychosis...they put me on antipsychotics and I gained a substantial amount of weight. My most recent doctor put me on Lithium...I am so worried about gaining more weight. I hope I have the same experience as you by losing the weight I gained. Did you gain any initial weight with Lithium? I was told I would gain about 5 pounds but, that it would be water weight. Please help! Can you send a response to (email address deleted by olga) Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tonna Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Prior to that I was misdiagnosed with major depression with psychosis...they put me on antipsychotics and I gained a substantial amount of weight. My most recent doctor put me on Lithium...I am so worried about gaining more weight. I hope I have the same experience as you by losing the weight I gained. Did you gain any initial weight with Lithium? I was told I would gain about 5 pounds but, that it would be water weight. Please help! Can you send a response to (email address deleted) Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Nicole, if you want private replies to your questions, please join Crazyboards and ask responders to send you a PM. It isn't safe to put an email address in a post here on a public forum. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin150 Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Stay Away from lithium i mean get off it the risks are Hypothyroid Kidney problems failure and liver problem i was on it and i got hypothyroid and i have to take thyroid pills for the rest of my life you should not worry as much about the weight problem just get off before anything serious happens taking thyroid pills the rest of your life like me is more serious then weight gain luckly i did not get kidney / liver so forget about weight gain and get off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 1. Liver disease is not a risk of lithium treatment. 2. Hypothyroidism is correctable. Suicide is not. 3. Renal monitoring is part of treatment. I have renal damage (and hypothyroidism.) I continue with lithium anyway. Why? See number 2. It's not the right drug for everyone. It is for some people. ~10% incidence of hypothyroidism secondary to lithium use. ~3-10% incidence of nephrogenic DI with higher-level, long term use, depending on whose numbers you use - with levels generally used today, the incidence is at the lower end of that range. All treatment has risks. Adults weigh the risks and benefits out. Me, I like being alive and married to my current husband. Lithium ups the odds that I can maintain both conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin150 Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 what do you mean correctable ? i was told its permanent and i was told i have to take that pill till i die but i heard of Thyroid Assist http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/thy...unctioning.html but thats it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I mean that you can take thyroid replacement therapy until, as you put it, the day you die. Some people do have lithium-induced hypothyroidism that remits once they stop the lithium. Apparently you aren't one of them. On the other hand, it seems that thyroid problems are more prevalent anyway in the manic-depressive part of the population, even the unlithiated people, so that's another cheerful fact to consider. A noticeable percentage of us are just going to turn up hypothyroid anyway without ever eating a milligram of Lithobid.) However, once someone has suicided, there are no medications, nostrums, or remedies to bring them back. (Although, heh, if there were, someone really could say, with no hyperbole, that the treatment "makes me feel like a zombie.") I'm sorry about your hypothyroidism, but I think it's somewhat sweeping and irresponsible to say "stay away from it" or "just get off it." Anyone who's taking it needs to be able to stop, think, look at the evidence, weigh the risks, and make a careful decision. That decision is going to vary by the person. For you, it meant stop taking it. For me, it meant keep taking it and also take levothyroxine, as I was getting very clear benefit from it. (And "just getting off of it" is a bad idea with lithium, which needs to be tapered off slowly. I'm throwing that in here for anyone who's reading this in the future and decides that "just get off of it" is their best option.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maychild Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Okay, as to the poster's original question, and I believe it is a worthy one: yes, there is a chance of weight gain. But everyone is different. Everyone's system metabolizes medications in different ways. Mine just sucks... Even with a thyroid med on board (even before Lithium and yes I have to take it for the rest of my life, I don't care, I'll be on meds anyway), I've gained 25 pounds since starting Lithium last December. It's water. It's okay. I've always had body image issues and the one thing that this experience has taught me is that it doesn't really matter does it? If you are well, that matters. Now if there are other side effects that are manifesting themselves, then yes, talk to you pdoc or PN and see what other avenues you could take. Don't stop this drug just because of a risk that you won't be able to fit into your bikini... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 Because I am the original poster, I am compelled to post again. Haha. I didn't gain weight on lithium. In fact, I lost weight on it, coupled with lexapro... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maychild Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Because I am the original poster, I am compelled to post again. Haha. I didn't gain weight on lithium. In fact, I lost weight on it, coupled with lexapro... Well, I am happy to hear that you didn't have that negative side effect... guess it's only poor saps like me that get all of the luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Because I am the original poster, I am compelled to post again. Haha. I didn't gain weight on lithium. In fact, I lost weight on it, coupled with lexapro... Well, I am happy to hear that you didn't have that negative side effect... guess it's only poor saps like me that get all of the luck. It decreased my appetite and I felt no side effects from it either. I was on 900mg/day with a serum level of 0.9. I was expecting to gain weight on it and was taking it with lexapro but I lost weight instead. It amazed my pdoc to no end and she kept wondering why. But I have since switched pdocs and the new one has me on abilify and topamax instead. hope you have good luck on lithium. It really is a wonderful med when it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maychild Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Because I am the original poster, I am compelled to post again. Haha. I didn't gain weight on lithium. In fact, I lost weight on it, coupled with lexapro... Well, I am happy to hear that you didn't have that negative side effect... guess it's only poor saps like me that get all of the luck. It decreased my appetite and I felt no side effects from it either. I was on 900mg/day with a serum level of 0.9. I was expecting to gain weight on it and was taking it with lexapro but I lost weight instead. It amazed my pdoc to no end and she kept wondering why. But I have since switched pdocs and the new one has me on abilify and topamax instead. hope you have good luck on lithium. It really is a wonderful med when it works. I'm actually tapering off of it, because my cycles are so effected by seasons. I don't need the Lithium during the spring, summer and fall. It gets so dark and gray where I live during the winter and that's when I have to use it. One of the things my pdoc and I have learned about my brain's chemistry. I'm down to 300 mg's and have been for two weeks now, so tomorrow will be my first day without it. I'm very happy about that and I hope that the 25 lbs of water weight that I've been holding onto will drop off. I'd like to be able to wear my summer clothes this year. My pdoc brought Geodon on board to replace the Lithium which has worked great. Abilify had kind of a strange effect on me, but Geodon is great coupled with the Lamictal. Thanks for the well wishes... K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GorgeousMa Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I have been taking lithium for over a year. I have e/d also but since takin lithium I am so lethargic and have a 'Whatever' demeanor I really didnt focus on how much weight I had gained. I have gained a total of 50lbs. Im going to call my Dr. Monday and schedule and appt. I cant take it anymore I am so fat now that jogging on the treadmill hurts my knees... What good is taking an anti-depressent if you get depressed from the weight gain of it? Ugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicaragua Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 I was on lithium but got off of it because of a 7lb weight gain in one month and the risk of hypothyroidism. I'm 24 and having been suffering with Eating Disorders on and off since I was only a child. I have BPD and Bulimic tendencies. This past winter I weighed 100lbs, started stripping, gained muscle weight and developed an appetite till I weighed 107lbs. I was not happy there at all, but at least it was a weight I could live with. My current weight, 114lbs, is DISGUSTING. I am disgusted when I see myself naked. I am only 5'4". I hate being off of the Lithium....For the first time ever I didn't feel over emotional, I was able to ditch my abusive boyfriend and stop dancing and try to get my life on track. Now I feel like hell again, clingy and emotionally unstable. I don't know what to do anymore. Maybe actually take my Adderall perscription to stop eating then continue the lithium? Idk. The Hypothyroidism scares me! Any advice anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicaragua Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 I have been taking lithium for over a year. I have e/d also but since takin lithium I am so lethargic and have a 'Whatever' demeanor I really didnt focus on how much weight I had gained. I have gained a total of 50lbs. Im going to call my Dr. Monday and schedule and appt. I cant take it anymore I am so fat now that jogging on the treadmill hurts my knees... What good is taking an anti-depressent if you get depressed from the weight gain of it? Ugh The lethargic/whatever demeanor is what makes lithium the best and only drug ever! It may make us fat as heck like me, but that thinking, is totally awesome! It makes the Lithium addicting in a way. If only I didn't have an ED.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicaragua Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Because I am the original poster, I am compelled to post again. Haha. I didn't gain weight on lithium. In fact, I lost weight on it, coupled with lexapro... Well, I am happy to hear that you didn't have that negative side effect... guess it's only poor saps like me that get all of the luck. It decreased my appetite and I felt no side effects from it either. I was on 900mg/day with a serum level of 0.9. I was expecting to gain weight on it and was taking it with lexapro but I lost weight instead. It amazed my pdoc to no end and she kept wondering why. But I have since switched pdocs and the new one has me on abilify and topamax instead. hope you have good luck on lithium. It really is a wonderful med when it works. I'm actually tapering off of it, because my cycles are so effected by seasons. I don't need the Lithium during the spring, summer and fall. It gets so dark and gray where I live during the winter and that's when I have to use it. One of the things my pdoc and I have learned about my brain's chemistry. I'm down to 300 mg's and have been for two weeks now, so tomorrow will be my first day without it. I'm very happy about that and I hope that the 25 lbs of water weight that I've been holding onto will drop off. I'd like to be able to wear my summer clothes this year. My pdoc brought Geodon on board to replace the Lithium which has worked great. Abilify had kind of a strange effect on me, but Geodon is great coupled with the Lamictal. Thanks for the well wishes... K Careful of that Geodon, it is awesome cause it works and is weight neutral, meaning I could maintain my model-build while on it. But a couple of time I missed work cause that Geodon KNOCKED ME OUT! I couldn't risk losing a job so I had to get off of it and the shrink put me on this lithium which has since made me HUGE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscillateWildly Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 As I posted before, with lithium the problem is not direct metabolic (energy-using i.e. metabolizing glucose) but it is secondary to endocrine imbalance (low TSH and thyroid hormone). Lithium has a bad reputation for weight gain for two reasons. 1) it is one of the oldest still widely used medicines, so the side effects are just as notorious (whereas the newer drugs have a lot of PR spin on them to cover crap up, ahem ahem seroquel and zyprexa all went through a lot of lies and obsfucation about the grave extent of their metabolic problems). 2) it is worthless financially, no one besides physicians make money off of lithium (who have to manage it), therefore a lot of PR people from pharms make lithium seem like the WoRsT EvAr when in reality a lot of the new drugs are actually much worse for weight and energy and stuff. I mean in a world where seroquel is used as sleeping pills and people wonder why they have problems with eating...yet people are lead to believe lithium = becoming hugely fat. It doesn't make sense. In short, lithium has a bad reputation because no one is fighting for it, because no one profits. It's a salt. There are a lot of relatively natural substances which are extremely effective (e.g. choline and lithium for mania, inositol and chromium for depression) according to real research but no one knows about them. The research on lithium is only out there because it's efficacy is legendary, it can turn people from psychotic to sane. Also because lithium is very toxic, physicians must manage it (it would be a horrendous nightmare if you could buy lithium OTC) so there is a vested interest in researching lithium therapy on behalf of physicians. When the substance cant be patented, when the effects are less obvious and when a physician is not required, don't be surprised if it isn't well known or even smeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly2009 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I've gained 20 pounds off Lithium/respiredol cause of hypothemia. I am having the hardest time losing the weight. I work out once a day and ow 2 time a day, and my weight would go from from 147 to 142. Lithium slows down your metabolism. So, it is normal to gain weight off of lithium. I m hoping to lose all of it and go back to my normal weight, which is 120-123 and size xs/s 4 instead of living on size 6 and 8, i mean it is not bad but i'm wearing all my mom's clothe so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thankyoufairy Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I've taken nearly everything on the market. I took lithium in 1989 and developed an underactive thyroid. It went away when I stopped taking lithium. I've taken it several times since with no thyroid problems. Go figure. Synthroid was easier to take than dealing with the side effects from some of the other drugs. Lithium has never made me gain weight. Never. Just don't drink a bunch of sugary drinks when you get thirsty from it. Many people who gain weight on lithium are drinking a lot of calories. Lithium makes me thirsty, so I make a special effort to get unsweetened beverages if I'm not drinking water because I know I could get too many calories otherwise. I gained an incredible amount of weight on Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperadol and I also gained weight with Depakote. I couldn't stop eating. On Zyprexa, I would have tried to eat the kitchen sink if I could have smeared it down with enough butter. I would eat until I was physically in pain but I still felt like I was starving. Lithium doesn't make me hungry. I can wake up and actually drive to work in the morning, which is something I absolutely couldn't do on Geodon. It helps with the depression without making me manic unlike every SSRI I've tried. I can afford it. Next to Lamictal, it is my all-time favorite treatment option. Since I started having allergic reactions to Lamictal (which is wonderful when it works), it is my only treatment option since I refuse to take any more new drugs unless they can prove they are more effective than the old drugs. My doctor tells me lithium is still the gold standard drug for bipolar disorder and in my case, it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Update: I've been back on lithium for about a month already. It's been fantastic! I love how I feel. And at first, I gained 5 lbs, but now i've lost it all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Talia Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I gained 50 pounds on lithium, and I'm still gaining. It's miserable. None of my old clothes fit. I have 300mg 3 times daily, those of you who didn't gain on it are so so lucky, because it's hard. I went from 114 to 165. It's really terrible, my pdoc doesnt know what to switch me to, but I hate it. clothes I got for christmas don't even fit me. I want to cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lithium1500mg Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Hi, I always thought there were diet problems or weight, etc. that caused my depression and hypomania, so I exercised and ate well before meds, lost weight went down to 159lbs (it's normal for me, I am an athletic female, 5'9"), being really depressed at the time, I went to seek help and was treated for depression with Lexapro and gradually became manic. In the past I had used exercise to get rid of agitated depression, now on Lexapro, I had to do even more exercise caused by dysphoria and nervousness, so I ran, every night, for a good hour, and went down to 150lbs. My doctor caught the mania on time (I didn't want to admit it at the appointment:), had to write an apology note) and started on Lithium. Not until 2.5 - 3 months into treatment, did the weight start coming on. It was pretty gradual, the manic motivation to exercise was gone and who needs the motivation to stay fit, so much more fun to bake a chocolate cake and eat it:). Anyway, I keep exercising every day and have sustained a pretty good routine (yoga and running alternating days or so), I eat more than usual, but I have also noticed that the feeling of hunger (and I have to admit it's different from the feeling of hunger, when off meds) is really a deep feeling of thirst and can be taken care of with a non sugary drink. I am 174lbs now, not good, but could be worse:) My doc thinks there could be a thyroid problem and is doing bloodwork. I think it is just an adjustment and I hope I will lose the weight and be at least down to 160 one day. Oh well, crying and crawling out of my skin, coupled with depressed and suicidal at 159lbs vs calm, happy, hopeful and productive at 174lbs. I choose latter:) Good luck, everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lithium1500mg Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I have been taking lithium for over a year. I have e/d also but since takin lithium I am so lethargic and have a 'Whatever' demeanor I really didnt focus on how much weight I had gained. I have gained a total of 50lbs. Im going to call my Dr. Monday and schedule and appt. I cant take it anymore I am so fat now that jogging on the treadmill hurts my knees... What good is taking an anti-depressent if you get depressed from the weight gain of it? Ugh The lethargic/whatever demeanor is what makes lithium the best and only drug ever! It may make us fat as heck like me, but that thinking, is totally awesome! It makes the Lithium addicting in a way. If only I didn't have an ED.... I agree that the lethargic/ whatever is the best effect of Lithium. Turns out that is how normal people think and act anyway. It just seems lethargic after experiencing the super in tune, sensitive, too many in a day thoughts of a Bipolar sufferer. I used to think hundreds of thoughts up of what I should do, be, achieve, only to beat myself up at the end of the day for not doing them (way to have a good self esteem - just kidding), while everybody else went on about their day and accomplished things anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Melody Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I lose weight on it too! Okay. So the side effects do differ from person to person? I'm just extremely worried as I've got an eating disorder already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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