To be mad at antipsychotics?

[callmehannahbaker]

Yes, they have saved my life, yes they make me function as a human BUT why did I need to gain 6 stone in a year and a half that is pretty much impossible to shift

I know medication is needed and is great but the weight gain is horrific for me. I used to be a size 6 and am now a size 14.

Why can't they give me slimming pills/a gastric band to help?! I (now) eat less than 2000 calories a day despite the constant hunger and I exercise.

Sorry, I'm fed up.

YANBU. Weight gain should not be a reasonable price to pay for sanity. It's not a problem that's taken sufficiently seriously. There needs to be more research invested in developing antipsychotics without the side effects.

I gained a great deal of weight on quetiapine . I googled it and and if i remember correctly I found some research that says it tricks your brain into thinking that your blood sugar levels are lower than they are, so your body sends hunger signals to refuel . I was hungry ALL THE TIME. At my dads suggestion I swapped to a high fat low carb diet and I lost three stone in three months and kept it off no matter how much I ate. I had ( as an example) coffee and cream for breakfast with low carb Continental sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes. Chicken and leek soup for dinner with pork scratchings and a salad for dinner with fruit and cream. You can add cheese omelletes, steak and veg, scrambled egg and salmon etc ......Basically anything that grows. Add a fat source and you are away. The key is no grains at all, no artificial sweetener or sugar and eat clean. Its hard for the first week or two as your body is addicted to carbs and will fight it but its the best thing I ever done.

Do you mind me asking which ones you are on and the dosage? I'm about to go on a low dose of Quietapine for anxiety and I'm worried about this.

@MelaniaMacronI agree completely

Go very low simple carb like rice, pasta and potatoes. My DP is on them and put on 3 stone. Cut out the above and lost it all. Antipsychotics don't like carbs at all it turns them straight into fat.

It must be really frightening for someone who has been able to eat 2000 calories a day with no problems to suddenly find themselves putting on weight, but unfortunately this is what life is like for most overweight people whose weight gain is caused by a medical condition. Calorie guidelines are unworkable for many, many people. I eat less than 1400 calories a day, all low-carb, and that's to maintain my current weight. To lose I have to go down to 1000-1200. I've pretty much said goodbye to pasta, bread, dough, pastry, cake etc etc, apart from on very special occasions (and on Fridays - my treat day - when I allow myself 1800-2000 calories so I can have a glass of wine or two!).

I really feel for you OP - my weight gain was sudden and caused by a medical condition too. You CAN get through it, it just requires a massive, massive adjustment in terms of portion size, carbs and calorie allowance.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

@Blaaaaaaaah sorry for the delay, I'm on 20mg aripiprazole (along with other meds).
Aripiprazole is one of the best regarding weight gain, however, this hasn't been the case with me - can't all be lucky.