Eating Disorders Support Group

Eating disorders are marked by an obsessive need to control the intake and/or purging of food. This community is dedicated to those struggling on the road to recovery. Join to discuss your experience with others and find support. Get advice, ask questions, and meet others who are going through similar struggles.

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Prescribed Abilify-TW

eshaw
eshaw
I am struggling with tx resistant major depression and my doc prescribed Abilify. He didn't tell me it causes severe weight gain. After I read that I reduced my dose, when that wasn't helping my depression I started taking it as prescribed, but cut my diet down, "to be safe". I'm scared to eat because I can't cope with weight gain. Its been 2 days since I ate a meal, though I've had a few snacks and tons of calories from beer that keeps me sane. I feel much better today than yesterday. I have no appetite and the longer I go, the better I feel. This is totally triggering my ED obviously. But the depression makes me want to kill myself. I have tried so many meds and haven't found one that works, this one seems to be helping. I don't know if I should go off it, but I can't stand the thought of gaining weight. I feel like I'm running out of good options. I know how aweful this sounds that I'm fully aware I am choosing to engage in my ED. I just don't understand why it seems to help so much. When few other things help me cope. I know this will all change and go downhill if I don't stop. I just want to feel good and I'm feeling really hopeless at finding ANYTHING that will help me live a happy life.
ann54
ann54
I am so sorry to hear about the depression and the medication that is causing ED to rise high. I too have chronic major depression and anxiety and it took years to find the right mix and the right doctor. your doctor should of told you and talked to you about what may happen, does he know that you have ED? I am on Effexor and Cymbalta for depression and that has stabilized me. I understand completely about the fear of gaining but going on for days without eating and then drinking beer will not help you in the long run, as you likely know. I don't know how many meds you have tried but would you consider calling, explain what you are doing and ee if there is a combo you haven't tried. your life is precious.
wildflowers44
wildflowers44
I really feel for you. What you are going through is so tough, and I can understand how your ED brain is using the risk of weight gain from the medication to cause you to restrict.

That being said, I agree with Ann, that having an open and honest conversation with your doctor is the best thing. Let him know your fears related to the medication. Maybe there are other options.

On the other hand, try to remind yourself that just because a medication CAN cause weight changes doesn't mean it will in every single individual. Also, when they say a medication can cause weight gain, it does this by increasing appetite. So unless you start eating large (and I mean large by normal standards, not ED standards), you will not gain weight. Does your doctor monitor your weight? If so, then he and you would both know that if you started seeing weight gain, it would be due to the medication. If this were the case, you would be able to stop taking it. That is completely under your control.

Try your hardest to push those ED thoughts away and nourish your body with food. You deserve to live a happy and healthy life, and you will. I believe in you.
eshaw
eshaw
I am going to talk to my doc today. I appreciate the feedback, I didn't see that it was under my control, but your right, my ED just took off with it fearing weight gain. It through me through a whirlwind and I need to get back to thinking more clearly and force myself to eat. I have lost too much weight these past two weeks. Thanks for believing in me wildflower, I need to find a way to believe in myself.
Take care.
eshaw
eshaw
I was right, I lost 10 lbs in two weeks. Its taking all I have to force myself to eat when I want to keep going down in weight. The doc Is going to monitor my weight while on this med. Hope I find the willpower/desire to stop the power this ED has on me right now. Thanks for listening. I'm glad I have somewhere I can be honest about this struggle.
wildflowers44
wildflowers44
eshaw, I know how hard it is to think rationally sometimes when the eating disorder is screaming at you. But you can scream right back at it, even louder. Get angry at it for all it has taken from you, and realize that you have the power to talk back to the eating disorder. Write it out on paper if you have to (this sometimes helps me when my brain is foggy). The more you talk back, the quieter the ED voice will get.

I am proud of you for talking to your doctor and being open and honest. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. We are all here for you in this community, and cheering you on every step of the way.
kathywonders
kathywonders
Sorry to hear about your fears with the medication. I too have been scared of medications causing weight gain but for me none actually have. Wildflower and Ann have already given you some great support and I agree with everything they say. All medications have amazing lists of possible side effects, but usually even the "common" side effects affect only a minority of users. So its worthwhile giving the medication a fair trial - beneficial effects can take several weeks to begin to be felt. Depression is an awful life-sabotaging force and I hope that you will find medication to help you reach a state where life is really worth living.

Be proud of yourself for trying so hard and talking rationally to yourself. Its a good thing you realise your recent weight loss is far too much. I hope you can allow yourself to gain back these recently lost pounds. As Ann says, your life is precious! (((Hugs)))
kpsurfersfan
kpsurfersfan
Hey E, it's scary to take new medication especially when you look at all the possible side-effects, but like Kathy none have ever made me gain weight, and the positives have always outweighed any negatives. I've found from my own journey with meds that they have helped stabilise my mood; no longer getting those low-lows. They aren't a magic bullet and don't make life perfect but they offer you a buffer and bring the brain chemistry into healthier, balanced levels. Persevere and give a go if you can. The first few weeks you can feel a bit odd and are tempted to think it's not working... but I've found it sometimes takes up to 6-8 weeks to feel full benefit of something like this.
electropro176
electropro176
First off, there are more than one dosage of Abilify. I take 15mg a day for Bipolar/Schizoaffective Disorder and depression. I think the doses are 2.5mg, 5mg, 15mg, 20mg, and 30mg. Ask your doc to try you on the lowest dose first. I also take Effexor XR along with the sometimes Ativan for anxiety. I know it's hard to eat when you're worried about weight gain, I'm having some of the same issues right now. I live in assisted living, they know about my history of anorexia, they told me to "take it one meal at a time", so that's what I'm doing. When someone tells you to eat something, it doesn't have to be big. Start with something simple like a little peanut butter (if not allergic) when you get hungry.
eshaw
eshaw
Thanks Electropro. My depression has lifted some, but I'm still really terrified of weight gain. I am on 5 mg a day, but I see my doc tomorrow. I think I'll exaggerate how well I'm doing so he doesn't up the medication.
eshaw
eshaw
Finally saw my doc today. He took me off abilify, but added Lotuda. He says its the least likely to have weight gain as a side effect in drugs like this, so I feel better about it. Hopefully my depression doesn't worsen. Its hard to judge what is more troublesome when I am such a mess. Anyhow I've tried so many meds in my lifetime I feel like a lab rat. Hopefully this helps.
electropro176
electropro176
From what I've seen & read of the ads for Latuda, it's for bipolar depression, mainly. I don't know much about it other than that. I hope you have success with it, that you are able to think more clearly and fight your ED. I'm still struggling (a lot), but I don't see my new therapist til the end of this month. Joining this group and the others within the last 10 days has caused me to consider things about ED that I've never admitted to, though a former psych doc told me and I didn't listen at the time. Guess I wasn't ready. For now I'm done moving my meds around. Therapy, journaling, and talking here will have to do.