Bipolar Disorder Support Group

Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.

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Disturbed420 03/30/2010

I started taking Carbamazepine/ Tegretol about a month a half ago and Zoloft just over a week ago. I worried about the weight gain with these meds and basicelly all meds thats a mood stabizers and Anti Depressents I am worried about that whole issue. Since I am trying to loose weight and being on meds like this makes it harder to reach my goal. I know its more important to have my mental health rather then the better body. However it makes my mental deteriorate if I am overweight cause I have had issues with weight since i have been young adolesent. I was wondering on ppls take to these drugs , how they have or have not worked for them or side effects with them..

Thx a bunch

deleted_user 03/30/2010

Tegratol didn't make me hungry actually it did the opposite. It gave me a constant stomach ache. I could barely eat so I lost 25 lbs. Zoloft did nothing for me.

deleted_user 03/30/2010

I never have ever thought of Zoloft as a weight gainer, same with Tegretol..

Now Seroquel, Zyprexa, Depakote, Risperdal, and in some Lithium - sure...

deleted_user 03/30/2010

As a general rule also Lamictal, Abilify, and Geodon are known to not have such an effect on weight gain. Topamax and Zonegran don't do a whole lot BP wise according to studies - some say Topamax does help with rapid cycling some... but those are also weight neutral if not make you lose weight.

& definitely mental stability is better than a little weight.. now loads of weight - that can just depress you more, to be honest I gained quite a bit on Seroquel but without that drug I could not of functioned.. so which is worse?

deleted_user 03/30/2010

I have had no problems with Tegretol nor Zoloft in terms of weight gain.

deleted_user 03/30/2010

I have been on tegretol for a long time & it doesn't make any difference to my weight! No idea re- zoloft, though.

I like being fit & healthy too & take a lot more medications than you do...it's ok, is what I mean.

The meds you mention are not any of the notorious weight gain psych meds, FYI (antipsychotics, for instance)

Good luck, you can do it etc

deleted_user 03/30/2010

Also, have a good friend with severe epilepsy who takes a huge dose of tegretol also (& has forever) & is as slim as can be.

deleted_user 03/30/2010

tegretol- works for me..main problematic side effect (for me) is sedation but get used to it or perhaps it wears off some.

deleted_user 03/30/2010

it all depends on what is most important to you... your mood being stable and the help with the depression... i did gain weight for a good while... before i realized that i can control what is going in my mouth... watch what you eat... eat healthy.... moderate portions... fight the need to eat ... sorry, i wish that i had a more glamorous answer for you... but the botton line is do you want some stability and help with the depression... or is vanity the object here?

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