As my doctor says...

[kdbee]

the pills don't have any calories!

if we're on meds that have a tendency of weight gain, we just need to keep an eye on our diet. Weight doesn't magically appear on our thighs just because we're taking Seroquil.

Healthy diet/excercize, etc etc (believe me, I know it's harder than it sounds).

Anyway, It's just something I repeat in my head- all of the time!- The pills have no calories!. It keeps me halfway sane and not left feeling completely hopeless.

xoxo

[beetle]

My pdoc said that exact thing to me once and I about wanted to smack her. Don't trivialize the fact (not you, her) that certain meds wreak havock with your appetite and metabolism. Yeah, you can diet and exercise but if your meds have you all outta whack then you're not going to get the benefit from it that you would have with no meds.

But it's true if we're batshit, you have to decide which is worse... fat or crazy.

Fortunately, my pdoc understands that I am sensitive to the weight gain issue and after failed attempts with abilify and risperdal, which both had me wanting to eat everything in the house inculding the drywall, we landed on geodon which seems to have the opposite effect. I like that. And I've lost a little bit of weight.

[vanderk]

Well, the binders and fillers probably add a few calories, but I'm guessing these are inconsequential. Some meds will make you ravenous (TCA's for example), others are metabolic Frankensteins. Some years ago I dealt with a young man who had committed a brutal assault. At the state Forensic Center he was started on Zyprexa. He was in jail for ten months while his trial ramped up. On a fixed calorie diet (and he was indigent--no extras) he gained 130lbs. Still, I know of a few for whom Zyprexa is weight-neutral. Some say the weight gain is a sign of efficacy. Your tonage may vary......

Jay

[kdbee]

My pdoc said that exact thing to me once and I about wanted to smack her. Don't trivialize the fact (not you, her) that certain meds wreak havock with your appetite and metabolism. Yeah, you can diet and exercise but if your meds have you all outta whack then you're not going to get the benefit from it that you would have with no meds.

But it's true if we're batshit, you have to decide which is worse... fat or crazy.

Fortunately, my pdoc understands that I am sensitive to the weight gain issue and after failed attempts with abilify and risperdal, which both had me wanting to eat everything in the house inculding the drywall, we landed on geodon which seems to have the opposite effect. I like that. And I've lost a little bit of weight.

My doc is the same way. She knows that I absolutely won't take meds that have a good chance of weight gain. She gives me that compromise while I give her some compromises (i.e. trying new drugs/being on more meds than I want to be on- which is zero!).

But, you're absolutely right. No the pills don't have calories but what some do to your metabolism and or appetite isn't to be ignored. Whenever taking a new med (whether it might cause weight gain or not) I strictly monitor my diet and any weight changes.

I wish I could choose to not be crazy over not being fat. I'd rather stay thin. But, I say that now when I'm SORT of feeling stable. I must say, though, that the fact that I would on any day choose skinny over sane proves the point that i've got some crazy shit going on in my head

I wish I could remember if abilify made me gain weight. I'm pretty sure it didn't and the reason I stopped taking it was b/c there is no generic (I've got no insurance). I can't remember why I stopped Geodon. That was over 7 or 8 ....years ago.

I'm so happy i've started keeping a drug diary. Better late than never

[celestia]

I wish I could choose to not be crazy over not being fat. I'd rather stay thin. But, I say that now when I'm SORT of feeling stable. I must say, though, that the fact that I would on any day choose skinny over sane proves the point that i've got some crazy shit going on in my head

Yeah, it is crazy. I think the real Holy Grail is not a chalice nor the descendancy of Jesus, but rather how to not be crazy, stay thin and have a healthy libido. All at the same time. I gained weight in the 1+ year I was on seroquel. A LOT OF WEIGHT. I know the pill doesn't have the calories, but as was mentioned above I do believe it wreaks havoc on the metabolism.

[gizmo]

My doc is the same way. She knows that I absolutely won't take meds that have a good chance of weight gain. She gives me that compromise while I give her some compromises (i.e. trying new drugs/being on more meds than I want to be on- which is zero!).

It kind of sounds like you are trying to have it both ways - you want to say to the masses that "pills don't have calories" and all of us who complain about weight gain simply need to watch what we eat and exercise, yet you yourself state that *you refuse to take any meds that might make you gain weight*!

So why haven't you heeded your advice and tried the meds that "have a good chance of weight gain" and then tell yourself "pills don't have any calories" and see how that goes?

I think that the 6 pounds I've gained in the past two weeks since increasing my zyprexa (and getting on generic topamax, hmm) sucks big time. But I'd much rather be on my way to stable than be six pounds lighter.

If you hadn't admitted that you refused to take medications that have a reputation for weight gain, your initial post would hold more water for me.

[AnneMarie]

Athough diet and exercise will make a difference always, they don't necessarily compensate for some of the more insidious ways certain meds can mess with you. I did my year on Depakote which drove an insideous stomach-growling-even-after-a-big-dinner insatiable hunger. I've never, ever experienced anything like that, and when it is 24/7, you do not win. It's your bodily systems stuck in threat of starvation mode all.the.time. All physical sensations scream Must.Eat.NOW all the time. Dieting was a grim battle and it still only added up to eating more than I ordinarily would. Then there is Seroquel. How do you fight the midnight Seroquel half-comatose stumble to the kitchen? You are not exactly all there to begin, and you have a body/brain saying must eat carbs NOW. Or Zyprexa. Sure, you can diet and exercise and not keep fattening things in the house, BUT most any carb gets fattening why dealing with that, and some people get hit hard. And, of course, there's the way meds can make a normal diet suddenly become much more fattening. Yay.

These comments are brought to you courtesy of 15 lbs in 15 days due to med increases to manage crazy. They also are brought to you by serious bloating, the rage and fashion of certain meds as worn on certain people. Sometimes, the weight isn't all fat, ya know. Also, these comments aren't to legitimize meds as an excuse to eat anything. They aren't. BUT, that's different than when the must.eat.now switch is toggled and left in go.

So, dieting and exercise certainly help. Sometimes they are all that is necessary. Other times mood and illness get in the way of best decision making. And sometimes the meds are just gonna win. Most of the time, though, there isn't much effect or the effect is less than the power of an extra walk around the block.

[kdbee]

My doc is the same way. She knows that I absolutely won't take meds that have a good chance of weight gain. She gives me that compromise while I give her some compromises (i.e. trying new drugs/being on more meds than I want to be on- which is zero!).

It kind of sounds like you are trying to have it both ways - you want to say to the masses that "pills don't have calories" and all of us who complain about weight gain simply need to watch what we eat and exercise, yet you yourself state that *you refuse to take any meds that might make you gain weight*!

So why haven't you heeded your advice and tried the meds that "have a good chance of weight gain" and then tell yourself "pills don't have any calories" and see how that goes?

I think that the 6 pounds I've gained in the past two weeks since increasing my zyprexa (and getting on generic topamax, hmm) sucks big time. But I'd much rather be on my way to stable than be six pounds lighter.

If you hadn't admitted that you refused to take medications that have a reputation for weight gain, your initial post would hold more water for me.

You got me...I'd LOVE to have it both ways!

And, yes, i'm very very good at giving good advice to others while ignoring myself (as I'm sure a great deal of us are). I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that I am working on it. It sure as hell isn't an overnight process, though.