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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
Ok - I am a 30 year-old male, 5'8" and currently weigh 240lbs. I am so appalled by this I can barely type. I've weighed 150 most of my adult life (18-27) and can't shake the weight gain from meds no matter what.
Currently, I eat one meal a day - granted it's at night and it's not the most fat-free - but it's not a whole pizza either.
I'm taking Lexepro 30mg, Dexedrine 80mg, Ambien 20mg, and Seroquel 300mg (for insomnia). I strongly suspect the Seroquel and then the Lexepro - but I am ballooning up and it's physically "weighting" me down.
Sure, I'd love a magic pill to take all the weight away - but I'm in touch with reality (I think). Anyway, when I walk tomy car before or after work I almost faint from wheezing. I feel like I'm dragging 400lbs of bricks behind me. Even if I go out for a walk, I have to turn back because it's too much.
I jsut never imagined I'd be this size - I was always skinny. I just don't know what to do or where to start.....
anyone? advice? anything?
Thanks.......
Posted by jay on December 10, 2002, at 0:21:55
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
Hi:Well, I would suspect the Lexapro AND the Seroquel. But I don't think it means having to ditch these meds. I am in a similar boat...am 5'11 and up to 250lbs. I know it doesn't make you feel really good about yourself...even though you are still the same good person regardless.
A couple of things...I found a large dose of Evening Primrose Oil helped with weight loss, spread out through the day, but you want to be very careful, as I found it also seemed to cause anxiety. Have you gotten your other basics tested out...like thyroid, and other hormones like testosterone tested out?
I am on Effexor and Risperdal, and the Risperdal has caused me weight gain, as well as the years of Effexor use.
I think it's unfortunate that doctors don't pay a little more attention to these side effects, but get yourself feeling as best as possible, then see if you can formulate a diet plan. I've struggled with weight issues all my life, and I am 33, and I know it is far, far from easy.
Best wishes,
Jay
Posted by Jefff on December 10, 2002, at 13:04:59
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
My situation is very similar. Im 33 and was always very UNDERweight until about age 19 when I finally began to gain some decent weight. Im 5' 10" and I managed to stay at 150 lbs with a 29" waist (which I wasnt in the best shape, but I was happy) until about 1995 when I quit smoking and starting eating more... I starting gaining weight but began excersizing (45 min. bicycling daily and also had a soloflex which I did 5 days a week). Yes, I worked my ass off but it paid off because I got into the best shape of my life. I still had these small "love handles" and small fat tummy section I couldnt get rid of, but I now believe that was because I ate way too much pasta (therefore way too many carbs making it much harder to burn the fat). I also went on prozac around that time so perhaps that made it more difficult to lose the weight too, but I dont know.
Anyway you cant just eat one meal a day. Youre body will think its starving and it will try its hardest to retain the fat you already have... and people who starve themselves to lose weight look horrible because they lose all their muscle mass too.
But... unfortunately for me my depression and horrible life took over after awhile and I gave up excersizing, starting eating like a fat pig and have now gained almost 100 pounds (Im now 245lbs!!!!) in the span of about five years.
Ive recently gone on klonopin which has been great for my anxiety. I also got a new med. prescriber and she talked me into going up from 20mg paxil to 37.5mg Paxil CR.
Im planning on gettin back to my excersize routine (as soon as I can possibly motivate myself) and if I have any problem losing then Im probably going to go off the paxil.
hope this helped,
Jeff
Posted by xjs7 on December 10, 2002, at 13:05:13
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
Hi jerrympls,
I agree with your suspicion that it is the Seroquel. Seroquel is associated with weight gain in a substantial number of people who take it. I am not sure why you are on a dose of Seroquel that would treat psychosis or mania; most people who take Seroquel for sleep take a much lower dose. Personally I don't think using an AP med for sleep is a good idea, but I suppose taking an AP is better than severe insomnia. Perhaps, if you want to continue using an AP, you could swap Seroquel for Geodon, which does not cause significant weight gain. Many people who have switched from one of the other newer AP's to Geodon due to weight gain have lost a lot of the extra weight. I hope this helps.
xjs7
> Ok - I am a 30 year-old male, 5'8" and currently weigh 240lbs. I am so appalled by this I can barely type. I've weighed 150 most of my adult life (18-27) and can't shake the weight gain from meds no matter what.
>
> Currently, I eat one meal a day - granted it's at night and it's not the most fat-free - but it's not a whole pizza either.
>
> I'm taking Lexepro 30mg, Dexedrine 80mg, Ambien 20mg, and Seroquel 300mg (for insomnia). I strongly suspect the Seroquel and then the Lexepro - but I am ballooning up and it's physically "weighting" me down.
>
> Sure, I'd love a magic pill to take all the weight away - but I'm in touch with reality (I think). Anyway, when I walk tomy car before or after work I almost faint from wheezing. I feel like I'm dragging 400lbs of bricks behind me. Even if I go out for a walk, I have to turn back because it's too much.
>
> I jsut never imagined I'd be this size - I was always skinny. I just don't know what to do or where to start.....
>
> anyone? advice? anything?
>
> Thanks.......
>
>
Posted by Mr.Scott on December 10, 2002, at 14:30:47
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
I don't think anyone can provide a definitive answer on why people gain weight from SSRI's and Seroquel type drugs. But the truth is that the majority of takers do. Celexa and Lexapro both caused me to gain 10 pounds in a week at which point I had to ditch them in favor of my own nasty moods and wasteline. I gain weight in my face and gut. There has been some discussion I've read on how SSRI's can change certain hormone levels tricking the bodies cells into thinking they are hungry while simultaneously storing sugars and or fats. So you store more calories and eat more as well. My experience is that Prozac has the smallest effect of the SSRI's on weight gain mainly because at the beginning it causes you to lose weight, but you will catch up eventually and gain a few at that. With drugs like Paxil and Celexa which don't possess much anorectic effect people start gaining right away.
Again this is just my personal experience and reading. I've had no experience with Seroquel.
Scott
Posted by Jaynee on December 10, 2002, at 16:12:40
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
Here is my opinion. Make sure you drink enough water and don't drink anything but water. If I drink pop, especially pop, I can put on weight so easily. I call it my fat juice. Try not to drink anything but water, sometimes herbal tea is okay. You should eat more than one meal a day, you are supposed to eat 5 small meals a day. Cut out most of the carbs and eat more protein. Try CLA.
One other thing, I had read somewhere, I also think it was on this board as well, that Zantac can help eliminate the weight gain from Anti-psychotics and anti-depressants. You should look it up.
Posted by SLS on December 10, 2002, at 17:42:39
In reply to Re: Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight, posted by xjs7 on December 10, 2002, at 13:05:13
> Perhaps, if you want to continue using an AP, you could swap Seroquel for Geodon, which does not cause significant weight gain. Many people who have switched from one of the other newer AP's to Geodon due to weight gain have lost a lot of the extra weight. I hope this helps.
I am currently taking Zyprexa 5.0mg for its antidepressant effect. Unfortunately, I too have gained almost 10 pounds in two weeks. It seems to work well for depression, but my vanity is tugging at me to switch to either Geodon or Abilify. You would think that after years of treatment-resistance, I would be glad to trade twenty pounds for a new life.
I wish I knew if either of these two drugs would work as well as Zyprexa for depression. Any input?
- Scott
Posted by SLS on December 10, 2002, at 18:03:18
In reply to Re: Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight, posted by SLS on December 10, 2002, at 17:42:39
Regarding Zyprexa and weight gain:
Zyprexa is a potent histamine H1 receptor antagonist, as are drugs like Sinequan and Remeron. All of these drugs are notorious for extreme weight gain. Histamine acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and serves to reduce hunger. Blocking its receptors leads to continual hunger and bingeing.
I find that I can reduce my intake of food with Zyprexa by eating controlled portions and leaving the table wanting more. It isn't long before a feeling of fullness and satisfaction arrives. It seems that Zyprexa prevents feelings of satiation as one progresses through a meal. There is a time delay of sorts. A few days ago, I binged on 8 chocolate donuts. I probably would have been satisfied with one if I had only waited ten minutes. I don't know how much of the weight gain produced by Zyprexa is due to increased food intake versus decreased metabolism.
Someone I know said that she is having success controlling her weight by using the drug, amantadine (Symmetrel).
Any other tricks out there?!
- Scott
Posted by Jaynee on December 10, 2002, at 18:55:43
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
: J Clin Psychiatry 2002 Nov;63(11):981-4 Related Articles, Links
Topiramate treatment for SSRI-induced weight gain in anxiety disorders.Van Ameringen M, Mancini C, Pipe B, Campbell M, Oakman J.
Anxiety Disorders Clinic, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada. vanamer@mcmaster.ca
BACKGROUND: Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been associated with significant weight gain, a problem that frequently leads to noncompliance and premature discontinuation of treatment. Topiramate is a novel anticonvulsant that has also been used as a mood stabilizer and augmentation agent in mood disorders. Topiramate has been observed to have an interesting side effect of weight loss in some individuals. In this study, topiramate was added to the treatment regimen of patients with a primary DSM-IV anxiety disorder who had experienced substantial SSRI-induced weight gain, in an attempt to induce weight loss. METHOD: Topiramate was added to SSRI treatment in 15 anxiety disorder patients, starting at a dose of 50 mg/day and titrating up to a target daily dose of 100 mg/day, with a maximum dose of 250 mg/day. Subjects' weight was measured at baseline and after 5 and 10 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Before topiramate treatment, SSRI-treated subjects in this sample had gained a mean of 13.0 +/- 8.4 kg (28.6 +/- 18.5 lb). After the addition of a mean dose of 135.0 +/- 44.1 mg/day of topiramate for approximately 10 weeks, subjects lost a mean of 4.2 +/- 6.0 kg (9.3 +/- 13.3 lb). CONCLUSION: Topiramate may have a role in managing SSRI-induced weight gain in anxiety disorder patients.
PMID: 12444810 [PubMed - in process]
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Summary Brief Abstract Citation ASN.1 MEDLINE XML UI List LinkOut Related Articles Domain Links Genome Links ProbeSet Links Nucleotide Links OMIM Links PopSet Links Protein Links SNP Links Structure Links
Posted by sjb on December 11, 2002, at 9:20:40
In reply to Topiramate article, posted by Jaynee on December 10, 2002, at 18:55:43
I'd like to see stats after 15 weeks.
Posted by Jerrympls on December 11, 2002, at 19:27:41
In reply to Re: Topiramate article, posted by sjb on December 11, 2002, at 9:20:40
Topimax made me severely irritable and suicidal at just 25mg. HATED IT. I'm no longer on it and never will be again.
Posted by Alara on December 12, 2002, at 1:21:38
In reply to Re: Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by Jaynee on December 10, 2002, at 16:12:40
> Here is my opinion. Make sure you drink enough water and don't drink anything but water. If I drink pop, especially pop, I can put on weight so easily. I call it my fat juice. Try not to drink anything but water, sometimes herbal tea is okay. You should eat more than one meal a day, you are supposed to eat 5 small meals a day. Cut out most of the carbs and eat more protein. Try CLA.
I agree with Jaynee. Many people suffer from a dry mouth as a side effect of medication and reach out for a refreshing drink to compensate. It is tempting to reach for a soft drink, which is laden with sugar. The excess kilojules that we get from those soft drinks are stored as fat as the sugar raises our insulin levels, making it harder for our bodies to metabolize fat in general. If you trade fizzy drinks and flavoured juices for water, you should see a reduction in weight.
Posted by Jaynee on December 12, 2002, at 19:44:55
In reply to Re: Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?! » Jaynee, posted by Alara on December 12, 2002, at 1:21:38
Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome1,2,3
Sharon S Elliott, Nancy L Keim, Judith S Stern, Karen Teff and Peter J Havel
1 From the Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis (SSE, JSS, and PJH); the US Department of Agriculture Western Human
Nutrition Research Center, Davis, CA (NLK); and the Monell Chemical Senses Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (KT).This review explores whether fructose consumption might be a contributing factor to the development of obesity and the
accompanying metabolic abnormalities observed in the insulin resistance syndrome. The per capita disappearance data for
fructose from the combined consumption of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup have increased by 26%, from 64 g/d in 1970
to 81 g/d in 1997. Both plasma insulin and leptin act in the central nervous system in the long-term regulation of energy
homeostasis. Because fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic ß cells, the consumption of foods and
beverages containing fructose produces smaller postprandial insulin excursions than does consumption of glucose-containing
carbohydrate. Because leptin production is regulated by insulin responses to meals, fructose consumption also reduces
circulating leptin concentrations. The combined effects of lowered circulating leptin and insulin in individuals who consume diets
that are high in dietary fructose could therefore increase the likelihood of weight gain and its associated metabolic sequelae. In
addition, fructose, compared with glucose, is preferentially metabolized to lipid in the liver. Fructose consumption induces
insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriacylglycerolemia, and hypertension in animal models.
The data in humans are less clear. Although there are existing data on the metabolic and endocrine effects of dietary fructose
that suggest that increased consumption of fructose may be detrimental in terms of body weight and adiposity and the metabolic
indexes associated with the insulin resistance syndrome, much more research is needed to fully understand the metabolic effect
of dietary fructose in humans.Key Words: Fructose * leptin * weight gain * insulin resistance * triacylglycerol * hypertension * obesity * review
Posted by bookgurl99 on December 12, 2002, at 22:35:23
In reply to Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?!, posted by jerrympls on December 9, 2002, at 23:11:59
Jerry, I'm sure you've heard that eating less further slows the metabolism. If I only eat once a day, I really start to balloon up.
I take it that you've lowered your meals to 1x/day in an effort to lose weight; could you try switching to spreading a healthy amount of calories over several, say 300 calorie meals a day? This is a tactic that's commonly used to lose weight.
Also, jmpls, have you talked to your doc about this? Did he/she take it seriously? I would make an appt. just to go in and talk about this one thing. Your doc can probably order the right tests and help you figure out what's goin' on.
Good luck,
your fellow blubber (but workin' on loosin' it),bookgurl99
Posted by PAULAGAIL on December 13, 2002, at 20:27:25
In reply to Re: Someone please tell me how I am gaining weight!?! » Jaynee, posted by Alara on December 12, 2002, at 1:21:38
I take 800 mg of seroquel nightly for insomnia, when I can start seeing myself gaining weight, I take ambien in place of the seroquel. Remereon caused me extreme weight gain, especially with seroquel, I have found when i take my topamax (200mg) as directed, 100 at night, 100 during the day, it helps with weight loss. havent made a decision about the lexapro yet.
This is the end of the thread.
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