starpirate555 Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkiemarie Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybetinymaybesad Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6un6silent6 Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Sorry to bring up an old thread but I wanted to chime in. I was on Lithium 600mg for about 7 mo and when I increased to 900mg I went from 175lb to 180 within 3-4 days. Logic would tell you the body cannot put on weight that quick unless it is fluid or food. That being said, I did notice an increase hunger for carbs and I was slamming down water. After about 4 weeks on the 900mg dose I'm averaging 178-179 and holding. On days when I don't get enough water my body will retain/bloat and I'll tip at 182-183 but it will come down in a couple of days. The tell-tale signs of water retention are bloat around the mid-section, puffiness in the face and fingers, and swelling in the lower legs. I'd just continue to drink water eventually your kidneys will start to flush as you do not want to get on a diuretic as they can make you toxic if you're not careful. The long-term weight gain may also be fat weight, but most of us report gaining 5-10lbs and stopping there (provided we don't change our lifestyles to the bad). Lithium is a salt, salt makes you retain water, you're constantly putting highly-concentrated salt into your body so you're going to always hold more water than if you weren't on Lithium. Normal table salt plays a role as well, but I'm not entirely sure its mechanism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj1127 Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 It depends on the person, but for me I am fairly sure it is both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebMcN Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I get intense bloating with lithium. I put on 10 lbs in the 3 weeks it took to get from 0 to 1200mg dose - that's from 135lb to 145lb with no changes to diet or activity. The water retention seems to be dose dependent. I've had times when I've come down to 600mg and lost 5 lbs virtually overnight. I suspect there's a relationship between how much lithium I need to take to get to therapeutic blood levels, and the amount of water retention?? Most people my age/size/gender are on far less... I recently changed to the the long-acting and gained another 5lbs in a week. I have to be really careful drinking water when I'm active because I seem to sequester the whole lot. My heart can't pump that volume of water around AND support strenuous activity... I try and try to pee and can't until I'm sat down and I've got my feet elevated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 2 hours ago, DebMcN said: I get intense bloating with lithium. I put on 10 lbs in the 3 weeks it took to get from 0 to 1200mg dose - that's from 135lb to 145lb with no changes to diet or activity. The water retention seems to be dose dependent. I've had times when I've come down to 600mg and lost 5 lbs virtually overnight. I suspect there's a relationship between how much lithium I need to take to get to therapeutic blood levels, and the amount of water retention?? Most people my age/size/gender are on far less... I recently changed to the the long-acting and gained another 5lbs in a week. I have to be really careful drinking water when I'm active because I seem to sequester the whole lot. My heart can't pump that volume of water around AND support strenuous activity... I try and try to pee and can't until I'm sat down and I've got my feet elevated. Have you tried taking a (DR approved) prescription diuretic? I was on maxzide (potassium-sparing diuretc, as opposed to HCTZ, which you pee the potassium out, possibly causing hypokalemia .... BTDT many times, ending up in the ER for low potassium) at one point, and it kept the water balance pretty well. Something to maybe ask your DR about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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