Medication weight gain

anyone else experience this? It's a type of medication I can't stop and alternatives have the same side effects. Has anyone done anything to combat this? Seems no matter what I do the weight is still being put on. So far I've gained 8lbs. Thanks guys

I don't see how a medication could make us gain weight given the malabsorption we have? 

only thing I can think of is a steroid since the type wasn't mentioned. Maybe cut back on the carbs/sugar?

I'm pretty good in that I only eat about 80net carbs a day on average. Not much sugar either. Hard to maintain less than that, but I'll keep trying!

There have been reports (in the past) that people with RA that go on steroid medications on a daily basis reporting that they have a tendency to gain weight. It completely changes your metabolism. If you use the search feature, you may find it.

Antidepressants have a tendency to cause people to gain weight too.

Scott

Yeah this is an antipsychotic so affects similar areas as antidepressants. Not very fun and not like I can just stop taking them! Wish there were alternatives or the weight would just stop coming. I've been on this dose a few months now too. Sigh

Hopefully the gain won't be too drastic for you.  Just keep on your P's and Q's about best practices for eating and hope for the best.

Thanks so far I'm up about 8-10lbs. Hope it stops soon! 

There are quite a few anti-psychotic/psychotropic drugs out there.  Do some research and see if there is something else you can try that doesn't have the same side effects.  

Weight gain is a big issue, particularly with antipsychotics.  They stimulate hunger, but they also alter the metabolism and the neuroendocrine response to satiety/fullness in ways that are poorly understood independent of digestion.  The problem is that creates a cumulative effect that is difficult for many patients.  However, having a DS likely mitigates some of the effects (high blood sugar and/or appetite stimulation) due to the fact that intestinal bypass and gastrectomies alter these mechanisms.  The gastrectomy affects some of the distal branches of the vagus nerve by necessity (this is a cranial nerve that assists in everything from emotion regulation to satiety mechanisms), and intestinal bypasses are known to alter insulin resistance and blood sugar resilience.  Still, the DS malabsorption likely does not offset the metabolic and neuroendocrine changes they cause entirely, since it's due to neurotransmitter function being altered primarily.  I don't think there's ever been a study done, but I can't check most journal texts here at work, and internet searches are unreliable.

They are powerful drugs make no mistake.  Folks who have been on very high doses for many years may actually develop diabetes.  Most people I've seen gain an average of 50 pounds a few months after starting antipsychotics, but weight loss surgery patients typically gain a fraction of this.  The people with the most severe gains are usually scizophrenic and/or on disability permanently so the doses are high.  Often people on lower doses for depression, anxiety, or other reasons typically don't have as severe effects.  It depends on the individual's dose and their ability to manage their health.  Typically too if we have mental illness that is more severe, it is harder for us to take care of ourselves, so there may be factors unrelated to antipsychotics in the more extreme cases. Mental and physical health have a strong recursive and reciprocal relationship.

Here's a study with more information if you're curious.

As an aside, atypical/newer antipsychotics (abilify, seroquel, etc) are typically more mild in terms of their side effects versus the older ones (i.e., haldol, prolixin).  If it is an issue there are alternatives that may be able to prescribe other things.