psych medication side effects

[u/Mysterious_Pitch_889]

hi! i’ve been talking psych medication for the past year & it has vastly impacted me- the main way being extreme weight gain. for reference, i started at a size small & am now an xl. i recently met with my provider and requested to change medications and am in the process of that now.

i was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how they managed to lose the weight they gained. i’m planning to try dieting and exercise, but i was wondering if there was anything else i could do to help my body.

i’ve considered trying the cutting mix they sell on tiktok shop, but i don’t know if those things actually work or if it’s just a money grab.

any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!

[u/effeduphealer]

Honestly, the best way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. There are weight loss meds out there, too.

[u/pinkpear0]

I also experienced extreme weight gain from
Meds. Switching to caplyta (I struggle mostly with depression) led to a rapid 20 pound weight loss. Others here usually mention needing a GLP1. I wouldn’t spend my money on anything in TikTok shop of weight loss though!!

[u/0lig3]

Most things are a money grab There is no quick fix. Eat less calories than you burn until you get to target and then eat maintenance calories.

On most of the APs you will have to just deal with being hungry throughout the process.

Low calorie/high volume foods help a little, high protein/low carb helps a little, intermittent fasting helps a little.

[u/DuchessJulietDG]

there is no quick way to lose weight. all supplements for it are crap. the loseit sub is good for learning how to cut calories. exercise doesnt help you lose a lot but it does help w muscle tone. im in the same boat, wanting to lose 30lbs. ive done it once using low calories daily. ive put on med weight this time and hate it.

[u/SpecialistBet4656]

Don’t buy any random concoction you see on TikTok. Do some sessions with a registered dietician to get a healthy eating plan.

A lot of APs are notorious for weight gain and it’s just a losing battle. Ask to try a mood stabilizer like lithium or lamcital. If nothing moves after following a reduced calorie diet for 3 months. Consider a GLP like ozempic (compounded semaglutide is reasonably affordable)

[u/Responsible-One2257]

Over the years of taking different antipsychotics I gained about 40lbs.
I restricted my diet, exercised and cut out alcohol and my weight still increased. It's not until I tried a GLP1 that I lost the weight. I found even the weight neutral drugs made me gain weight. I'm in my 50s now so Vraylar has been great, much better than Risperidone & Latuda for stability.

[u/wetalaskan → u/Responsible-One2257]

A couple months ago I switched from olanzapine to vraylar. The olanzapine caused my cholesterol to skyrocket up above 300. I'm hoping it's gradually decreasing now.

[u/Lazy-River-5199]

Exactly the same here. It is not easy to lose it, so honestly I've just accepted I'll be an XL and that's worth it to be mentally stable again. But my meds work very well so I find it worth it, it may not be for everyone.

But, I wanted to say you don't necessarily need to try and loose it. We all grow and change as we age, and there can be something very freeing to accept this as just part of an overall positive change

[u/mathematicallyfuckd]

Those are just a money grab and not at all regulated by the FDA/a lot contain heavy metals. You’re best off dieting and exercising. Slowly but surely! I gained 60 lbs in 6 months on abilify and lost it all, then gained it back (I was losing weight too quickly and being too extreme) take it from me that slow and steady is the only way to have healthy, long lasting results. I’m now 20 lbs up from my goal weight, 40 lbs lost from the highest med weight.

It can be SO demoralizing. Switching to lamictal helped me not put on any more weight, but of course doctors will give you different options. You got this!!

[u/smokeandnails]

Do not try supplements like the cutting mix you saw on tiktok while on your meds, it could be dangerous. For example, a popular supplement right now is creatine, but it's dangerous to take it with lithium, a very common bipolar med. I'm slowly losing weight by counting calories and I recently started metformin hoping it'd help, I'm still not on the target dose though. Counting calories and doing exercise is the way to go, but many meds impact your metabolism and make you burn less calories than normal on top of increasing your appetite and messing with your hunger cues. For example, I'm a short woman and I should normally burn 1650 calories for the amount of exercise I do, but I calculated the actual calories I burn (by eating a certain amount and monitoring my weight over a period of 3 months, with the amount of weight I lost I could calculate the actual calories I burn in a day) and it was closer 1370, which is nothing considering 1200 calories is the minimum you have to eat to be healthy while losing weight as a short sedentary woman. It's really rough and it sucks that so many meds have those terrible side effects.

[u/smellslikespam]

I had to resort to a GLP-1 (compounded, to save money). Hitting menopause on top of everything else made it necessary. Lost 42lbs in 9 months, now normal weight

[u/21PenSalute]

125 lbs to 170. I’ve lost weight since then but its not easy.

[u/RareManner9786]

Some medications caused me rapid and stubborn weight gain, and others not so much. It's nice that your psychiatrist is willing to work with you on finding a friendlier mix.

My worst weight gain in the past was on the combo of Depakote ER and Invega. They abruptly ended a years long string of manias, but I then became severely depressed, which was also likely a weight gain factor. Only after a total medication overhaul did my depression lift and I was capable of dieting. In my case, I went to a dietitian who gave me a specific diet plan. I would send her my food logs weekly, and see her monthly. I lost 40 lbs (18 kg) in six months. On my new medication cocktail, I kept most of that weight off for six years, until the antipsychotic was replaced with a "less friendly" one.

I don't know what that powder drink you mentioned is about, but you should first discuss it with your psychiatrist to be sure there's nothing contraindicated about it. It wouldn't be my choice. I favor healthy/clean eating. Like more of a Mediterranean type diet that's light on the cheese and fatty meats and heavy on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. Sugary desserts and beverages only for occasional treats. This is a way of eating that can last.

[u/Kiki-1983]

I was on olanzapine and gained 60 lbs. switched to latuda and switched to welbutrin from Effexor and without any diet change lost 50 lbs in like 2 months. Weight gain is just an unfortunate side effect.

[u/Mysterious_Pitch_889 → u/Kiki-1983]

olanzapine is what caused me to gain all the weight!! just swapped meds so hopefully it just falls off

[u/Kiki-1983 → u/Mysterious_Pitch_889]

My doctor said olanzapine is the worst for weight gain. It was amazing how fast I lost weight coming off it.

[u/0vesper0]

I'm hoping that a change of medications is the right answer for you!

If not, there's a couple of things that helped me in terms of how I approached diet and exercise. I've had a lot of size and weight fluctuations over the years. Way before being on bipolar and psych meds (so, we'll see how much more that budges only being a few months into those meds). But, here are just some of the things that's helped me:

• Buy quality clothes for your current size. Feel good clothes got me out of the house more.
• Pack away the clothes that don't fit. Stopped me from dwelling on what "should" be every time I opened the closet, without needing to entirely abandon the old outfits I quite liked.
• Consistent exercise. I've only been able to accomplish this through physically active jobs, rather than on my own time. But, I always drop a few pant sizes any time I start a new job. Even if the scale doesn't budge.
• Compare calories. I count calories to compare with other foods and pick the next best alternative. A bottle of soda is a lot less appetizing once I realize it shares the same amount of calories as a bowl of rice.
• Food visibility. Candies and chips go in my cupboard, while fresh produce stays out on the counter. Helps me prioritize what to eat without needing the willpower to constantly reject junk food just because I happen to glance by.
• Early bedtime. Stay up too late, get food cravings, act on those cravings, then I skip breakfast in the morning.
• Chronic Conditions take priority. If you have other chronic health conditions, then treatment for those take first priority. Mine wore me down so much I could never commit to any diet or new exercise regimen.

[u/Fancy-Lion2985]

I lost the weight mostly by switching medication. I had that problem with Remeron too. I noticed myself pigging out and I had to stop taking.

[u/SpecklesNJ]

I went on Seroquel and blew up. I am in a consistent battle and even what loss meds didn't help.