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medications for bipolar and panic disorder that don't cause weight gain or have dangerous side effects
i take serequel 100 before bed for panic disorder and wellbutrin 300 for depression tramadol for fibro pain cholersterol meds. what meds do you all take for bipolar and anxiety that aren't dangerous side effects or make you gain weight i am worried about the serequel thank you
Seroquel made me gain weight also, but nothing like the Depakote or Zyprexa.
I bounced from med to med, until nothing compared to the hope at the end of the days.
My neuro./psychologist I have just began seeing tells me their is light at the end of this. But he was upfront with me that told me the treatment will be monitored closely.
I am VERY fortunate that I got in to see him. I had been on the waiting list for over a year.
The med./sinemet may help, who knows, but I am willing to cross any hurdle t drink a cup of coffee again, or eat with a fork, eat out in public without someone having to carry my plate/cup. Write, you get the picture eh? By the way the neuro. DR is one of the leading Alzeheimer DRS also. So, I am indeed blessed to be given this opportunity.
Hugs, Tres
I bounced from med to med, until nothing compared to the hope at the end of the days.
My neuro./psychologist I have just began seeing tells me their is light at the end of this. But he was upfront with me that told me the treatment will be monitored closely.
I am VERY fortunate that I got in to see him. I had been on the waiting list for over a year.
The med./sinemet may help, who knows, but I am willing to cross any hurdle t drink a cup of coffee again, or eat with a fork, eat out in public without someone having to carry my plate/cup. Write, you get the picture eh? By the way the neuro. DR is one of the leading Alzeheimer DRS also. So, I am indeed blessed to be given this opportunity.
Hugs, Tres
thank you who answered with your views on all these medications. my panic disorder started last fall ----constant panic attacks continually?i had been on the wellbutrin but now the dr has me try the serequel and klonopin the panic is there but not as continual. i went the the er 5 times with excruciating rib and all over pain which precipitated the panic disorder. they thought it was my heart no, they stated your heart is ok i have fibromyalgia and sciatica plus the depression and now anxiety. i am trying to watch my weight and after reading the side effects i spazzed out about it that is why i am writing. i just wanted to hear what others take i know we are all different but alot of us have the same conditions. my family and people who know me can't believe the panic attacks i had i feel that think i'm whacko............i am working with my dr again thank you all for your great answers the best to all of you always.........
Hey Im a left coaster too (santa cruz) anyway, Yeah I suffer from severe anxiety with bad derealization, and bipolar 1. I know I'm not on high levels but the way people describe going toxic makes it sound like it can just happen all of a sudden. No?? They checked my levels at 600mg but it was out of range (.3) so now Im on 900. I just got freaked out because the one person said they went toxic within a month and I dont see my pdoc until another month. I was just wondering if there were any warning signs, but to be completely honest I've been a little manic lately....probably because the lithium isn't working yet................but it makes me a little paranoid. I'm better today though, not as scared. Everything is going fine except the tremors , nausea.....one of the days I was so dizzy feeling I had to just lay down with my face in the bed all day.
Testing numerous medications, I lost my appetite and gained almost 80 lbs. It's inevitable.
hi all,
I have been diagnosed with bipolar for about 2 years. I found the Epilim of 200 mg made it really hard not to over eat. This was balanced out by 1/2 tablet of 10mg of Lexapro. when i take the lexapro the food is really good and easy not to overeat...but the epilim was and still is abit of an issue.
I am now down to 100mg of lexapro and 1/4 tablet of 10mg of lexapro. I know this is a subclinical does but if I go any higher I can't remember where my car is parked or what I am suppose to be doing for work and that is scary. but so is the additional mania (I ate 20 biscuts after lunch the other day to calm down the mania but it didnt' work..made it worse) and depression (i then don't see the point in not eating!) that comes with a lower does and I am trying to handle it ....am considering going to a GROW meeting and also a private hospital to see if htere is a way of handling things better.
Do other people have ideas about how to do a lower medication, more ups and downs but other ways of handling it? Has meditation helped? If so how long do you do it for and how often??
I have been diagnosed with bipolar for about 2 years. I found the Epilim of 200 mg made it really hard not to over eat. This was balanced out by 1/2 tablet of 10mg of Lexapro. when i take the lexapro the food is really good and easy not to overeat...but the epilim was and still is abit of an issue.
I am now down to 100mg of lexapro and 1/4 tablet of 10mg of lexapro. I know this is a subclinical does but if I go any higher I can't remember where my car is parked or what I am suppose to be doing for work and that is scary. but so is the additional mania (I ate 20 biscuts after lunch the other day to calm down the mania but it didnt' work..made it worse) and depression (i then don't see the point in not eating!) that comes with a lower does and I am trying to handle it ....am considering going to a GROW meeting and also a private hospital to see if htere is a way of handling things better.
Do other people have ideas about how to do a lower medication, more ups and downs but other ways of handling it? Has meditation helped? If so how long do you do it for and how often??
i think they all have a possible side effect of weight gain! topamax actually i think is the only one tht causes weight loss but my pdoc won't prescribe it is not well known in ireland. if you are in US i think your pdoc would if you asked.
i have bp with dysphoric mania which means that i have rapid cycling of moods sometimes every few mins in an hour!! also means that i have mania while despressed nad very few of the 'highs' or a very mild form of them. (although i have been known to be v. high and do the shopping spree thing!)
i have bp with dysphoric mania which means that i have rapid cycling of moods sometimes every few mins in an hour!! also means that i have mania while despressed nad very few of the 'highs' or a very mild form of them. (although i have been known to be v. high and do the shopping spree thing!)
Hi medicmommy
So am I right in assuming that the question regarding BP meds is in regard to your husband? The question about weight gain from meds - is for you?
Weight gain is a side effect listed on many medications and as some of the others have pointed out it doesn't necessarily mean you will gain weight. I have been on some that caused weight gain - WITHOUT OVEREATING - sorry just wanted to make that clear :) The weight I gained was water weight. However, there are ways to alleviate that, namely drinking plenty of water and cutting down on caffeine. Some of the medications are thought to trigger a "need" for either more salty foods or more sugary foods and this is where you need to be good at watching out for any changes in your patten/type of eating.
You mention seroquel, I've heard every story - some gain, some stay the same and some even lose weight on it so it really is an individual thing.
With regard to the BP question, as rliz has mentioned, if you go to the welcome note at the top of the forum you will see a link which will take you to a list of excellent sites that will give you information on all types of BP and the widely used medications.
So am I right in assuming that the question regarding BP meds is in regard to your husband? The question about weight gain from meds - is for you?
Weight gain is a side effect listed on many medications and as some of the others have pointed out it doesn't necessarily mean you will gain weight. I have been on some that caused weight gain - WITHOUT OVEREATING - sorry just wanted to make that clear :) The weight I gained was water weight. However, there are ways to alleviate that, namely drinking plenty of water and cutting down on caffeine. Some of the medications are thought to trigger a "need" for either more salty foods or more sugary foods and this is where you need to be good at watching out for any changes in your patten/type of eating.
You mention seroquel, I've heard every story - some gain, some stay the same and some even lose weight on it so it really is an individual thing.
With regard to the BP question, as rliz has mentioned, if you go to the welcome note at the top of the forum you will see a link which will take you to a list of excellent sites that will give you information on all types of BP and the widely used medications.
Do you mind if I ask, what's hypomania? And could you tell me more a bit about the symptoms you have with your bipolar disorder? I know everyone is a bit different, and I'm trying to understand my husband's bipolar behavior better...We're "left coasters" too...Thanks..MM
You are on really and I mean really low doses of those drugs, neither drug is close to being in "therapeudic" range. Your Lith is a fairly standard dose. I wouldn't freak out, if you were toxic on the Lith, you would have been told, you must have gotten your blood tests from your doctor right? It's pretty common knowledge even with family doctors what safe levels are with that drug. How long have you been on the Lithium for? Are you unrinating normally? is anything feeling abnormal? If nothing is, don't work yourself up over something that may not occur. If you really are concerned call the doctor who prescribed it. Anxiety goes hand in hand with Bipolar, pretty darn common, I suffer from that and hypomania, which has been really helped by the Seroquel - it might help you too, but if you are freaked out, it's best you speak to your medical professional.
Jimgreg the tachycardia I had from Seroquel was annoying to be honest. The only antipsychotic where heart arrythmia is of real concern is Geodon. I had to get an EEG before that and when I got heart palpatations I was taken right off it. Its the same as the Clonidine I take now lowers blood pressure and can on occasion cause abnormal heart rates. I have a blood pressure machine and keep track. Not a very big deal. Lamictal might be an option worth discussing. Beatfreak as regarding Lithium the best thing to do is get a blood test each month and if its within normal levels its not a big deal. I'd suggest reading the "Depression Central" website if you want to understand what the warning signs are of Lithium toxicity are but don't scare yourself. Sorry to combine responses but the Clonidine is making me a bit sluggish and I went out yesterday for the first time in a bit which made me physically run down. Best to understand medications and their side effects but not be afraid of them. Informing yourself is good. Scaring yourself is not.
I haven't gained any weight from all the ones I'm on (they are all suppose to make you gain weight) the othersI've been on since christmas.
I take 25mg of lamictal, 50mg of seroquel at night, I just started lithium (1 1/2 weeks ago) and my doc just bumped me from 600mg (blood was .3) to 900. What kind of warning signals are there to go toxic? Are there any?? I'm kinda freaked out now....
I have to point out that there is a very low risk of drug interactions, severe reactions are not the "norm" - as some posters have described. All meds have risks, acetominophen has risks so does Ibuprofen, but folks take those meds without a thought. I think it's important to be educated - but just because one person has a reaction, doesn't mean you will.
You are on a comparably low dose of Seroquel, I'm on 100XR mgs noon, and 300XR mgs at bedtime. I have not gained an ounce on this med. The reason being is, I know that most psychopharmaceuticals have the possibility of weight gain, but it doesn't mean you will, as long as you watch your diet, you won't just pack on the pounds by taking it. You have to eat more. I've had a long standing issues with my weight, for me not to gain any is proof that it doesn't always happen, I've actually lost weight, partly because I'm calmer, and not emotionally eating like I was. Food calmed me down, but I don't need to self-medicate with food any longer. I hope this gives you another perspective.
You should have sat down with your pdoc, before s/he prescribed you these meds, to ensure you wouldn't have any interactions. I would sit down with your pdoc, and go over the meds you are taking again., it sounds like you are on a good combination, but I'm not a medical professional, so this is only my opinion. You could always talk with your pharmacist. When in doubt, call your doctor.
You are on a comparably low dose of Seroquel, I'm on 100XR mgs noon, and 300XR mgs at bedtime. I have not gained an ounce on this med. The reason being is, I know that most psychopharmaceuticals have the possibility of weight gain, but it doesn't mean you will, as long as you watch your diet, you won't just pack on the pounds by taking it. You have to eat more. I've had a long standing issues with my weight, for me not to gain any is proof that it doesn't always happen, I've actually lost weight, partly because I'm calmer, and not emotionally eating like I was. Food calmed me down, but I don't need to self-medicate with food any longer. I hope this gives you another perspective.
You should have sat down with your pdoc, before s/he prescribed you these meds, to ensure you wouldn't have any interactions. I would sit down with your pdoc, and go over the meds you are taking again., it sounds like you are on a good combination, but I'm not a medical professional, so this is only my opinion. You could always talk with your pharmacist. When in doubt, call your doctor.
i was on the 100mgs of the seraquil and yes you can gain weight..but you will notice a increse you being in the kitchen more often lol.. but you have to watch ..i gained 12 pounds on it then realized how much more i was eating..then ove a yr i lost 60 pounds and only gained 6 pounds back..but im not on seaqil anymore..it made my heart rate jump to tacradia 140 bpm at rest..took me off of it..i miss that med cuz it helped me sleep!! im on nothing at this time..will be on something soon..but in some people even if you do watch what you eat..you can still put the weight on..by the way the med is metabolized..in ur body..everyone is difft..and so are the side effects..i was on lithiem for 4 monthes was doing real good..and went up from 600 mgs aday to 900 mgs aday..serem levels were good...6...then inside of 1 month i went toxic..1.2 is the toxic range i was 7...and never did anything wrong..even the dockys in the I.C.U. said thats just how this drug works..i only have 1 kidney but it works fine then and very,very lucky that it still does....so we all have to take our chances..what might work real well for you won't me..is what im saying......good luck too you!@!@! james
I can't comment about the cholesterol medications but 100 mg. of Seroquel is actually a subclinical dose. I would not go so far as to call antipsychotics "dangerous". All medications have side effects. All antipsychotics can cause weight gain. Abilify is the least likely. You could ask your psychiatrist to change you to another anti-anxiety medication if they believe you don't need an antipsychotic. Wellbutrin is a well tolerated anti-depressent. For more information on anti-depressents google "Depression Central". The medication that I take as an antipsychotic is still in Phase II FDA study so I wouldn't put it into discussion unless a person had treatment refractory psychosis and then they could bring the information to their provider but that class of medication (glutamate antagonist) is under study for anxiety as well (for more information google "psychmeds123" for all psychiatric medications in development) and when they are approved will have a better recovery rate and side effect profile than what's out there now.
But as for what's available now there are still many options. That one site and some of the others on the links page could tell you more and you could discuss it with your psychiatrist. But weight gain is a very common medication side effect. It can be managed with a proper diet and generally dealt with that way. Lovaza ia an anti-cholesterol medication that since it works like fish oil is an FDA approved medication used off label for bipolar experimentally. You could ask your psychiatrist about that. As for your other post I take Klonopin myself and have for ten years. As long as a person is responsible, it can be taken safely.
But as for what's available now there are still many options. That one site and some of the others on the links page could tell you more and you could discuss it with your psychiatrist. But weight gain is a very common medication side effect. It can be managed with a proper diet and generally dealt with that way. Lovaza ia an anti-cholesterol medication that since it works like fish oil is an FDA approved medication used off label for bipolar experimentally. You could ask your psychiatrist about that. As for your other post I take Klonopin myself and have for ten years. As long as a person is responsible, it can be taken safely.
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