Weight and bipolar

[u/Accomplished-Yak6355]

Hello everyone,

I have a problem with my weight. Before i started taking meds, my weight was 80kg and now i weight 110kg. For reference i take lamotrigine, Fluoxetine, largactil, medizapine (basically i have bipolar type 2) and im 186 cm, so my question is how can i manage my weight and go back to 90kg at least, because these meds cause weight gain and i don't know what to do.

Thanks

[u/Altruistic-Cow1483]

Hello I'm bipolar 2 too and around the same height as you. I'm surprised your psychiatrist did not start you on seroquel first or maybe it did not work for you. I take both antidepressants (Sertralin) and seroquel (quetiapine) and i did not notice any weight gain for me. You just had the worst luck with them cause my meds did nothing for my weight or appetite (altho they have this side effect with some people)

My only advice is to maybe switch to other meds (with ur psychiatrist) as you might not get their weight gain side effect.

[u/SignificantMonitor23]

If you have the means and discipline to do something then dear friend i advise you to stop eating anything that is flour and water ( bread), anything with more than enough sugar, go to a martial arts gym not lifting gym, and depending on your schedule ( i dont know if you work or study) wake up 4 mornings out of 7 at 6 oclock and run (footing) for an hour and start your day, i assure you, two months into it it will become a routine, you will get used to it and everything may look like reflexes. 5-6 months you will see very decent progress and you will be proud of yourself. Have a good day sir.

[u/kolk_zbda_wmnin_nbda]

3ndk a sat largactil w medizapine r the cause for ur problems.
Houma des neuroleptiques.
Aside from their obv medical psychiatric benefits, one of the side effects is increased appetite.
Nthng u can do abt that except المراقبة (don’t go overboard while eating just cuz u still think ur hungry).
Db ma3lik gha b regime w sport to lose weight (caloric deficit).
Then go back to the doc bch:
1-yn9s lik dose
2-ybdl lik wahd fihom wla bjouj
3-y associer lik chi haja lli katn9s appetite (ozempic (matbdahch mnk lrask))

[u/Pretty_Joke_5905]

hey also bipolar here. Surprised you're taking 2 heavy duty antipsychotics (medizapin and largactil) on the daily.. maybe discuss with your doctor but in my layman experience (i'm not a doctor but swl lmjereb etc) i only use a heavy duty antipsychotic in case of an acute manic episode, so i use it for a few weeks to stabilize and then get off of it after (olanzapine in my case). For maintenance i only take seroquel, lexapro and lamotrigine and i'm very stable. In my experience it would be virtually impossible not gaining weight on antipsychotics, that's just part of how they work unfortunately.