Weight gain on bi-polar meds Posted: 04-03-08 14:51pm
My son is on Geodon now, has also taken
risperdal. His weight gain has not slowed
yet, even though I was told it would
bottom out. The risperdal worked the best,
but he had the most weight gain on that.
Any advice on what I can do for him to
help stop the weight gain? He is only 9
and has a hard time understanding what is
going on.
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antigone
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Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 899 Location: IL
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Posted: 04-03-08 17:45pm
I can relate. My son is 9 and was taking
zyprexa and he gained 30 pounds in 3
months. The doctor took him off this
medication for that reason. My son has
always taken risperdal. The risperdal does
not seem to cause the outrageous weight
gain the zyprexa did.
Many psychiatrists will add a mood
stabilizer to the medication cocktail.
Many times a mood stabilizer will help to
keep the weight gain to a minimum. Topomax
suppresses appetite. (My son is taking
topomax to control migraine headaches so
perhaps that is why he is not gaining
weight from the risperdal.) Of course
watching the eating habits is helpful.
Speak with the psychiatrist about this.
These children have huge barriers to
overcome in the social aspect of life and
to add a weight problem to the mix is
making social acceptance much harder. The
long term effects of weight gain are of
some concern. Increasing physical activity
does help. Many children with bipolar
disorder crave carbohydrates. Keep the
carb. intake to a minimum. One aspect of
bipolar disorder involves cortisol levels.
Cortisol is triggered by stress and is the
body's way to allow the body to be ready
for fight or flight. Bipolar disorder can
cause cortisol levels to be raised
perpetually, even in calm states. The
cortisol will cause weight gain.
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid that
is found in green leafy in vegetables in
limited amounts. This nutrient has been
effective in stabilizing moods and
lowering heightened cortisol levels. (I
gave this to my son and he dropped the
extra pounds in a month or so).
This may be an option for you.
I hope some of this information is
helpful. I know I have more information
but my children are demanding my attention
at the moment.
Feel free to pm me. I have lots of
information that I can share. It is
helpful share information and nice to know
someone else feels your pain.
