Weight gain and Abilify

[Alessandrael]

I have been on Abliilfy for 6 months and I am putting on weight like crazy.  Sometimes I eat all day long and cant control it.  Then other times I can go without eating all day. I dont understand this.  Can someone explain this to me because my doctor isnt.  I brought up putting me on something to control my eating and she just blew me off.

[princess680]

i take abilify, too-  i gained 35 lbs.  thing is, it works.  my doctor is aware that i actually feel hungry all day.  she suggested pepcid to decrease gastric juices.  (OTC).  ask your doctor about this, and good luck.

[mahn73]

I've been taking abilify for several years now and my weight has skyrocketed.  I've put on around 70 lbs.  it's scary to step on the scale at home and watch my weight ever increase to new plateaus.  I've developed back problems because I keep getting heavier.  My doctor says I basically need to become a workout fanatic which I feel is impractical.  Can someone help?!?

[pamstake]

I want to comment on the weight gain that you are experiencing..I feel for you.  Your doctor has options.  I am on two anti-depressants Seroquel and Lamictal that both cause weight gain...however my doctor also prescribed Topamax (used as an anti-convulsant....side-effects...dramatic weight loss!!)

I dropped 20 lbs. in 2000 when I first started taking the medication and have maintained that weight until recently I gained (8 lbs menopause)136 lbs. 5'9" .  You can't feel good when you don't look good.  

[looloo141]

Hi there,
What you describe is unfortunately a huge issue for people taking medications for Bipolar, I have had a huge battle with it myself and I know a lot of others on here are battling with it too.
A lot of the meds cause weight gain and excessive hunger but we are all different and react differently to certain ones. Abilify can make you hyperglycemic which makes you extra thirsty and extra hungry.. This isn't good and your doctor should be more understanding. There isn't much that the doctor would prescribe to control your appetite but she could try you on a different med. I was on Lithium which made my weight balloon in a month, but I now take Divalproex which causes weight gain too, but for me it hasn't caused too much.
I have found that when I take a drug that makes me hungry it is usually a drug that works really well for me, so it is very frustrating indeed. That might be why she doesn't want to take you off it because you are doing well on it.
In my experience, if a med is causing you rapid weight gain, you need to address the problem with your pdoc, because you run the risk of becoming quite low because of your weight and this can make you feel like stopping the med, which can be a disaster!
If you feel this med is not for you, you should be at least able to discuss it with your doctor, if you can't then you ought to think about getting a new doctor!
Good luck!