I have gained weight on lithium, but never tried zyprexa. I know that with certain mood stabilizers weight gain is inevitable.

I TOO HAVE GAINED WEIGHT ON SEVERAL MEDS BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN ON zyprexa with me it seemed like i gained allot the first 3 months than things kinda leveled off i know with lithum it is a form of slat so you gain allot of water weight i don't know much about zyprexa sorrry

Apparently, some weight gain is supposed to occur with zyprexa. It is an antipsychotic though and not a mood stabilizer. You are doing the right thing by going to the gym working out etc. from what I just read.

Ya, I'm *trying* to keep the weight gain to a minimum if I can cuz the drug is working to stop "the crazy thoughts"!

My pdoc is really smart. He got a baseline weight when I started so we can track it at future appts. And he had baseline blood tests done.

Thanks for your responses! :)

From what I've learned, Zyprexa (Olanzapine) makes you gain weight by switching off or turning down the appetite receptors in the brain, so when you've eaten, you don't get the "full" satisfied feeling. The way to beat this is to cut out snacks and be strict with portion control. Put a "normal" amount of food on your plate and when you've finished it, stop eating EVEN IF YOUR BRAIN SAYS YOU'RE STILL HUNGRY. Sure, it won't be fun, especially if you used to have a forgiving metabolism, but it's better than developing diabetes, high cholesterol or morbid obesity, n'est-ce pas?

Hypo that is *exactly* what's happening! My stomach is like a bottomless pit! I don't get the "I'm full" sensation and can eat more...but like you suggested..since I noticed this I try to just eat what I did before portion-wise and not just keep eating cuz I don't get the "full signal". I'm also going to the gym 3-4 times a week.

Thank you for helping me understand what's going on so I can try and nip the weight gain in the bud as best as I can.

BTW, I just found out my cholesterol IS high...and I have NEVER had a problem with it before! Yikes!

Hey, my pleasure. Juggling meds vs side effects is all about optimising your quality of life and balancing your mental and emotional wellbeing against your physical health. I get days when I'm frustrated by the excrutiatingly slow progress I seem to be making towards getting better (I know this outlook is skewed!) but every day that I fail to make my own new discoveries, I feel it's been a purposeful and valuable day if I can help someone else reach theirs and that kinda offsets my negativity. Best of luck on the Zyprexa and stay well!