The Elephant in the Room: Medication and Weight Gain
Beloved Readers,
Most of you know by now that many of my threads have a jumping off point relating to my personal life. This intrinsic motivation is what keeps this work so meaningful. I want you all to know that you help me as much as I help you.
Seeing as this topic is a sensitive one, I wanted to open a forum discussion on the balance between the relief prescription medication can bring and the side effects we have to live with. In many cases weight gain is one of our most prominent struggles. I believe this is sort of the chicken and the egg theory in that weight gain can lead to unhappy outcomes in terms of our relationship to ourself, thus perpetuating the intense sadness often accompanied with Bipolar Disorder.
Discuss:
Has your medication caused dramatic weight changes?
How has this affected the way you feel about yourself?
What lifestyle choices do you utilize to combat this side effect? Is it worth it?
Has this changed your relationship with others?
And on a more important and final note:
BLITHE
Has your medication caused dramatic weight changes?
I would say as of yet, no. Although I have gained a solid 5lbs and my weight distribution has changed. I have noticed most of the changes near my tummy, which is disheartening.
How has this affected the way you feel about yourself?
A little. I have always had a sensitive relationship to my body. I fluctuate between practicing self love and understanding that my mental health is a priority. Sometimes I become sad.
What lifestyle choices do you utilize to combat this side effect? Is it worth it?
The food and sugar cravings associated with my medication are really difficult. If I can stop eating after dinner, something I never used to do, or at least restrict myself to healthy choices in order to maintain I will be satisfied. I also look forward to utlizing the gym at our new apartment complex. We are moving this week. For me, it is worth it because my medication has given me substantial psychological relief for the first time in ten years.
Has this changed your relationship with others?
Sometimes I become angry, irritable, and insecure about the changes my body are making but I am blessed with an unconditionally loving and devoted husband who offers me reassurance every step of the way.
Has your medication caused dramatic weight changes?
Not dramatic, but I have gained weight while on medications.
How has this affected the way you feel about yourself?
Absolutely! I have always had self-esteem issues, and problems with my weight, so having an increase made me feel worse about myself.
What lifestyle choices do you utilize to combat this side effect? Is it worth it?
I tried to monitor my food intake, as well as pay more attention to what I was eating. Increasing physical activity as well. It did help a little, but not as much as I would have liked.
Has this changed your relationship with others?
When I don't feel good about myself, I tend to shy away from going out, or being around people in general.
@Quinzel241
Thank you so much for your support and feedback. 
I know this isn't an easy issue to speak about so I most appreciate your participation. I do think this is one of our more prominent struggles. For me, it comes down to weighing the risk of harm against the side effects. As of right now, continuing my medication is a priority of mine. However, I think it is important to understand that it is an imperfect system. When I first went into treatment, a friend of mine reminded me that this would not remedy every issue in my life. That is, medication wouldnt bring all sunshine and butterflies.
Best wishes.
Hello Beauties of 7cups :)
I am a member and id like to introduce myself! My name is Tamara Barnes and i am a social worker and apart of a worldwide organisation whose purpose is to empower, motivate and enlighten young women and men. I support people for a living because i believe that we all live in this one world together, and I think ones action can make a world of a difference. So i am here to make a differnece in YOUR life - if your having bad thoughts about weight, motivation, fatigue, insecurities, depression - YOU NAME IT! I am YOUR helping hand and you may think
"Shes, just come crazy on the internet who doesnt understand me."
I do. Belive me. I do.
I suffered from severe bullying in highschool and had to chnage schools 3 times and from that I was starting to become more and more insecure about my looks and weight which resulted me in having aneroxia and an eating disorder for 3 years. I lost my friends my family and everyone that meant the world to me. I was disintergrating and dying and i started seeing life as a blur and i let precious moments fly by without thinking twice about it. Because my mood was negativley changing i was also diagnosed with depression and was hospitalised for it but it made me worse - I didnt know what i was doing to myself because i didnt care and becuase i wasnt able to function or process anything in my head anymore. I was a mess. I was at tipping point when the doctors my own body was eating itself because it was so hungry and said i probably only have a week to live unless i get sufficient nutrients into my body. I didnt want to do it for myself but when i looked at my mum at that point in time - something came over me and i told myself i had to do it for her. She was the one who raised me, she was the one who supported me thorugh all this time , i couldnt give up, i coudlnt let her down. SO with intenstive care for about 2 years i am a fully recoevered women who is now a fitness and social worker and i help thousands of women and men who are having a tough time in their life. I know what pain is. I have felt. i KNOW what you are feeling. so PLEASE PLEASE, dont ignore this. If you are feeling even the slightest of insecurities, lack of motivation, concerns about weight. please reply to this post, because i have solutions, that may work for you that may potentially get you back on track to the life you deserve to live - a happy, enlightening, exciting and fun-filled life. I LOVE YOU 7CUP BEAUTIES!
the kindest and warmest of regards :)
Tamara
@Tamarabarnes
Amazing post! Thank you so much for providing a resounding resource for those in need. You are very kind and bright hearted, and we are so lucky to have you! Your story is so encouraging. I can relate to a lot of what you said having struggled with various forms of eating disorders myself.
Stay sweet!
Has your medication caused dramatic weight changes?
Yes it has. I think I've gained about 30lbs since being prescribed medication.
How has this affected the way you feel about yourself?
At first I was relly upset about my weight gain. I was pre-warned so I set up a diet and exercise regiment. I was so determined I wasn't going to gain anything. I really misunderstood how I would gain weight. I didn't take into account that the medication would solve a lot of the stomach problems I was having and that it would give me such strong cravings.
What lifestyle choices do you utilize to combat this side effect? Is it worth it?
Exercise, exercise and more exercise. Getting active is how I stopped myself from gaining more weight. I'm changing how I eat more to enhance the effectiveness of my medication. I make sure to get a lot of omega-3s, vitamin D and B12.
Has this changed your relationship with others?
I thought this would severely hinder my dating life. The mainstream thought is that everyone wants the skinny girls, however suddenly when I filled out I had this boom of dates and now I'm in a long-term relationship with a wonderful man. I was told that before I was way too skinny and I looked much healthier and happier now that I've filled out. I've learned to love the fuller me, and I feel kind of silly for lamenting the loss of my size 2 waist.
@Gwrtheyrn
I admire your optimism and strength of character! This is such a prevalent topic for women in particular and everyone in general. I know many people who are of the mind that if psychological health comes with a little more curves then so what? For me, my concern was the distribution of this weight. It wasn't as if I gained a little here and there but seemed all to be going to my stomach which I immediately disliked. I have been naturally thin all of my life. After a year of struggling with the increased appetite I finally found a method that worked for me. Most people criticize this but I do not eat during the day. I save all of my calories for the evening since I know my medication will make me hungry and I do my best to stick to healthy choices. This has helped me lose the 10-15lbs I gained when I started my medication.
Finally, I especialy LOVE what you said about what men really prefer. It is so true! In a world of media frenzy that promotes an association with size and beauty it is very easy to be mislead. I think more important is your relationship to your own body. Most men will say they appreciate and are attracted to good curves on a woman. In moderation, this is also indicative of overall higher health in women.