Medication and Weight Gain

There are all kinds of reasons why a person might gain weight. Unplanned, unwanted and unintended weight gain can happen because of health problems. Unplanned, unwanted and unintended weight gain can also cause health problems. Many times the weight gain is caused by taking in more calories than are being expended. The extra ice cream cone or the special piece of cake can contribute to our annual weight gain.

Gaining weight as you grow older is considered natural in today’s society, but is still something that isn't desirable. As we age our metabolisms slow, and we are no longer able to indulge as we were able to do as children or young adults. Our levels of activity also decline. We may have a desk job that keeps us from moving as much as we would like, or aching bones and muscles may make us want to move less and less.

Weight gain may also be a sign of an illness or another problem.

People who take psychiatric medications are often faced with the problem of weight gain in part due to the medications they take. While the weight gain is still a matter of too many calories, some psychotropic medications are proven to cause weight gain as a side effect. Antidepressants, Lithium, tranquilizers, and antipsychotic medications may all cause weight gain.

The way this happens may be different. Some of the medications may cause a person to crave certain foods to the point that it may feel impossible to stop eating them. People talk about craving potato chips and ice cream while on different medications.

With some of the newer atypical antipsychotic medications that have been developed, not only can a major weight gain happen, but there can also be changes in a person's metabolism. Information that explains that a person’s metabolism can change due to an atypical antipsychotic medication is available in documents from the National Institute of Health. It's not unusual and it's not a secret.

Some medications are more likely to cause weight gain than others. This is well known. What may be less well known is that, of the two newer atypical antipsychotic medications that have been proven to help people gain weight, the way that happens is very different.

At the time this web page was written those two medications are Zyprexa and Clozaril.

Clozaril weight gain is considered to be dose specific. Now, someone can take Clozaril and not have weight gain as a side effect. That is great. However, if a person is taking Clozaril and gaining weight,  there is a tendency to gain more weight if they take more Clozaril. That means that the weight gain is dose specific. More Clozaril, more weight. There are a number of ways that weight problem might be addressed.

Zyprexa

Weight gain from Zyprexa is not generally considered to be dose specific. What this means is that, if someone is taking Zyprexa and is gaining weight, it may very well not be a situation in which the person can reduce the amount of Zyprexa they are taking and have the tendency to reduce weight gain. If a person is likely to gain weight from Zyprexa, they may gain weight while taking a relatively small dose of Zyprexa. This medication has been reported to cause the most severe effect on weight gain and metabolism (New York Times, October 27, 2009). Zyprexa was heavily marketed and pushed as a medication before psychiatrists and physicians realized how severe the weight gain and metabolic changes might result.

Patients/Clients/Consumers taking the medications of Zyprexa and Clozaril often gain so much weight that they are at increased risk for obesity related problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Mike Adams, author of the book How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days, stated, “We've known for a long time that antipsychotic drugs cause severe blood sugar imbalances and even increase the risk of diabetes.” 

There is evidence that the weight, blood sugar imbalances, and metabolic changes happen very quickly.

Risperdal and Seroquel fall somewhere between Zyprexa and Abilify with regard to weight gain. Abilify is the least likely to cause severe metabolic changes and weight gain. It is also considered to the least powerful of the five medications.

So what can be done? 

1. Become an informed consumer. Know what you are taking and what can happen. Ask
   
   questions about your treatments, including your medications.
2. Let your
   
   treatment team know when something is going wrong (like excessive weight
   
   gain).
3. Ask questions about why the medication is prescribed, and find out if
   
   there are other options available to you.
4. Ask if there are gym memberships
   
   available so you can go work out.
5. Find a way of eating (diet) that you are
   
   comfortable with. If there is a food that is a trigger for you (that makes you
   
   want to eat it more and more), find out if there is a different, healthier
   
   alternative.
6. Remember that small changes (link) can really make a difference.
   
   Don't think that changes all have to happen at once. Small changes piled up on
   
   top of other small changes can really make a difference.
7. Moving more can
   
   also help change your metabolism.

Have your weight, glucose levels and lipid levels measured regularly if you are taking an atypical antipsychotic medication. You have the right to ask questions, understand what you are taking, and why you need to take that medication.

Being proactive in your recovery is important. It's your life, your body and your recovery.