I get it from my husband only. I told him to stop yesterday. We'll see if anything changes. I definitely think you should say something.

(((Off)))~~

I'm sorry to hear you've experienced weight gain with your medications. When I started meds about 6 months ago I watched a video from my pdoc about how to deal with that issue. It had a lot of great tips about nutrition and exercise.

Have you flat out told your mom that her insults hurt your feelings? Has she had weight issues herself?

YOU, my dear, are not the number on the scale. Maybe you could throw your arm around your mom's shoulder and say something like, "Mom .... I love you and you are an important to me. But when you give me a bad time about my weight, it hurts me deeply and I can't subject myself to that."

Good luck!

Many times weight gain is impossible to stop.

It's hard to explain to people , it's not because you are over eating or a lazy slob....some bipolar people are lucky and do not have weight gain issues...I am NOT one of those people .

I have real issues about my weight ,I don't snack and I eat healthy , still my Depakote has added weight that is unavoidable

Being over weight is an issue many Pdoc's refuse to listen too....they would rather see us stable

It's an uncomfortable decision..Stable ...or Thin

I think people are often trying to help but pushing and trying to take control of a situation.. but bullying never helps... I would ask her to have a chat ..a sit down to talk about it and let her know she's not helping you but hurting you.. you know what they say about good intentions..
With a lot of our meds the appetite centre of our brain is stimulated so we get very hungry .. our brain is basically tricking us even when our stomachs don't need the food..... big hug for you..x

Hi off. I went on bp meds back in 1996. At that point in time I received no warnings about weight gain issues. I had never used meds much except for treating headaches, bacterial illnesses, and colds & flu etc. so I never even began to suspect that meds were even capable of such things. I was a total mental mess and would continue to be that way for a very long time so the very rapid weight gain never even had a chance to cross my mind. My highest documented weight was 256lbs in 2007. It wasn't until I went off of them due to what I believed to be the approach of the end of my insurance. I did lose all of the weight that I had gained on those meds plus a lot more.

It was after that weight loss that many of my REAL problems with weight began and also my mental health issues exploded. I am back on a medication now and have struggled over the past few years with remaining at a healthy weight. I'll likely never be able to once again fully appreciate the value of medications, though, due to the gain and then the loss of weight. Best wishes to you and I hope for your sake that you place a great deal of importance on your mental health.

I eat healthily & do karate 4 nights a week & I still put on a bit of weight on meds. If anybody ever commented on my weight I would just tell them to take a nice sip out of a cup of shut the feck up.

my ex used to criticize my weight when i got up to 110 pounds (i'm 5'4"). since my diagnosis and medication my weight has crept up to 155 pounds, and while i don't look bad, i feel very fat. today my man friend made a comment about it and it hurt like hell...especially since his figure is far from perfect.

i eat small frequent meals as i am a diabetic, lots of fruits and vegies,walk a lot, but the scale won't budge. i guess i have to learn to accept this weight, but it's hard when others don't.

I've had parents at my sons school comment on my weight. It was upsetting at the time when I genuinely did put weight on due to meds. I have been able to lose 50lb now and although still overweight I hold my head up high.

Maybe you could talk to your mom and explain that its a med thing and her comments are upsetting

Many times, when anyone criticizes you for something relatively trivial and common like that, they are actually inflicting on you some kind of pain they feel from their own fault or downfall. If you can figure out what that may be, then you can fire it right back. That should end that problem!!

Personally I think some of the weight gain comes from the drug slowing down a persons natural metabolism. It doesn't necessarily come from overeating. Exercising can help but some drugs just put on weight no matter what.

I have seen some studies where certain drugs are known and documented to put on 50 lbs and up over a period of so many years. So I don't buy the exercise theory completely.

I know my metabolism was super duper high and I didn't overeat at all. I remember gaining 15 pounds in 3 weeks due to depakote when I was 34 years old and still very very thin. I was still active as person and my activity level was the same ..and then 15 pounds just set in. I got off that drug because of that side effect.

The same thing type of thing happened with litihum. The first time I was on it..which wasn't long I gained a few pounds. Then last year when I went to try it again it actually this time interfered with my thyroid. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I got lithium and a few months later my thyroid went back to normal. I did however gain 8 pounds during that time I was lithium for just a few months...again I wasn't eating more and my activity level was the same as always. So I just don't buy what the doctors exercise suggestion. Now if your eating more okay or if you have gone down in your activity level okay. But otherwise I don't buy it.

By the way it isn't nice to be criticized. If you don't like what your mom is saying then you may just have to speak up and tell her that. It's unkind of her.

Regina~~

Parents at your son's school have commented on your weight?? How rude!! I hope they also commented on your 50-pound loss. I can't imagine saying anything about another person's weight. I suppose that's because my mom, who always struggled with her weight and has cankles, never skipped an opportunity to criticize everyone about their weight.

For me, I'm struggling with the opposite. Lithium has made my weight drop about 5 pounds due to dehydration. I'm trying to chug enough water to keep up but I'm slowly losing the battle.

If you know that you are doing everything you can to maintain good health like exercising, eating healthy, and eating at good times during the day, then you should feel more confident about why your weight is where it is. Your mother is not being fair if she is commenting like this knowing that you are doing all you can to have a healthy lifestyle and stability.

I agree with the others that sitting down and talking to her would be a good option. There will always be people on the sidelines watching what we are doing right or wrong and ready to critisize. What is most important here is how you feel about yourself and not allowing her negative comments to get your down.

I agree that meds can cause weight gain and some of us are more fortunate for whatever reason not to be affected in that way. I have been maticulous about my diet and exercise for years so if someone has something to say about my weight I would be happy to entertain any solution they might have. Maybe the next time your mom mentions it, you could ask her to exercise with you or prepare healthy meals with you if she thinks that is what the problem is. Otherwise ask her what it is exactly that she thinks it is you should do differently. xo

I too have experienced some weight gain from my medsication on top of the weight I was already carrying.

My husband is very supportive of me and my weight. He makes an effort to go to the Aquatic center with me a few times a week. He understands it will not melt away my pounds but just keep me fit.

Maybe you and your mother could do some type of physical activity together to show her you are working on staying fit but it is difficult due to the medications you are on.

Both of my parents have passed on. My mother and father used to get on me about my weight all the time. At the time I thought it was just because they wanted a cute little daughter. As it turns out I think they were worried about the health problems that do come with weight gain whether it is from over eating or medication.

Before I was on medication I was overweight and developed diabetes and high blood pressure.

Now that I have the added weight from medications, I have developed osteoarthritis at 42 years old. This is far too young in my opinion to be suffering from arthritis.

It is possible your mother is trying to look out for your best interest also but doing it in a negative way? I would definately let her know how her insults make you feel. As I said earlier if you two could find something physical to do during the week together that would be an extra bonus for both of you.

Good luck as we battle this weight with medication.

I was always between 110-120. Now I am 169. I am on Weight Watchers and walking for 40 minutes a day. I count my points and rarely go over. I am weighing myself once a month in order to not to obsess over it. I put all that weight on while taking Seroquel. I am on Depakote, but it hasn't caused any weight gain. I haven't gained at ounce since going off of Seroquel. I am sure that I will lose weight.

My mom and dad make comments on my weight. My dad told me I look like shit. That really hurt. My mom told me as I was gaining weight that my Butt was getting big. It hurts my feelings. But I don't know what to do. I am eating A LOT less then I used to. I am eating much healthier now and walking more. I am confident that It will come off. My doctor has me on weight neutral meds right now.