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Bi-Polar II & Weight

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Posted 12/28/2005 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
hi everyone. i'm new- glad to have found this forum; you all seem really nice. i'll try not to be too lengthy but essentially, i was diagnosed at about 19 with major depression and then rediagnosed at about 25 with bi-polar and then finally treatment resistant bi-polar II at about 27. i've been to so many crappy doctors that i've about given up. i am not currently on medication and am in the process of searching for a new therapist (yay). i'm not sure if any of you have this particular duality, but i also suffered from an eating disorder in my early twenties. although i am not currently restricting or purging- the thought is always in my mind.
my immediate problem is that since i have stopped taking all medication i have gained about 15 pounds. i know this is uncommon- that most people gain weight while ON medication, but for some reason for me it was the opposite. i guess i'm looking for kindred souls- this weight gain has spun my depression into a major episode. i hardly even venture out and i have no self esteem at all. the fact that i've gotten so heavy makes me depressed but then that depression in turn makes me eat. although the one thing i find curious is that physically i feel hungrier. is this the lack of meds or the illness?
well, thanks for your time and best wishes to all of you- i wish it wasn't this horrible disease that we shared
Posted 12/28/2005 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to healingwell calliope.
I can relate to much of your post. I am also currently unmedicated. Not particularly happy about it at this point since I'm having some problems.
What meds were you on? I was on Abilify a few months ago and lost a truckload of weight. Killed my appetite completely. Since I've been off I've dealt with some major upheavals in my life and am at the heaviest I've been since high school.
I was a very heavy teen. I'm 5'3" and nearly made it to 200 in my mid teens. I too developed an eating disorder in my mid twenties (isn't that kinda late for that) and restricted myself to 50 (yep 50) calories a day on most days, for nearly a month and almost did permanent damage. Even after that I would have days I didn't eat at all or very little. I got down to 103 but maintained 110-115 for most of my life.
Now I've apparently got that whole eating disorder thing conquered, I'm at 140 and very depressed about it.
I doubt very much its the lack of meds that have caused your weight gain, well I suppose indirectly, I would assume it to be depression. You will probably begin to lose once you seek treatment again. Hopefully that works for me as well.
I was never a purger, (I HATE to vomit, almost a phobia) but I nearly starved myself to death over the course of a year. Ended up with ulcers, reduced heart rate, hemmoroids you name it. Messed up my body badly. Still the only way I can diet is to cut myself to one small meal a day. I'm sure I should be in some kind of therapy for that as well. Not a particularly healthy to lose weight.

I'm a stress eater so I've done alot of that lately.  Holidays are stressful for most of us and the feasting sure doesn't help either.  Thank heavens the holidays are over and we can get back to normal again.  That may help as well.
I would try to get back into treatment quickly, I'm sure the weight issue will resolve itself once the depression begins to abate.
Good luck and God Bless
Ellie

Post Edited (Ellie 1) : 12/28/2005 10:12:35 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/28/2005 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Ellie-thanks so much for taking time to respond. i have been on seemingly every drug known to man, but the most recent was Cymbalta which was HORRIBLE for so many reasons- the worst of which was the withdrawal. but it DID curb my appetite significantly. i know you are right, i do need to get back into treatment. its just so incredibly difficult when you've been let down again and again. thank you for making me feel like i'm not alone- right now that means a lot.
hugs!
Posted 12/28/2005 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
I think alot of Bp meds cause weight gain (for most people, you're one of the lucky ones) so many of us here have some weight issues. Not all by any means, but a significant number. I'd just be happy to get into my blasted clothes again.
Take care
Ellie
Posted 2/2/2006 6:32 PM (GMT 0)
I experienced wieght gain as part of my bipolar symptoms.  Initially I was diagnosed as deperessed.  I think I started to gain weight even before being on an antidepressant.  With the depressed eating and the antidepressant I gained about 30 pounds.  I never really lost that initial weight, and thought it was horrible.  Then later on I was diagnosed with actual bipolar.  The combination of medication, and just the stress of the diagnosis caused me to gain another 35 pounds.

At that point I was obese for the first time in my life.  I couldn't even go shopping at a normal store.  I was stuck going to Lane Bryant, and plus size clothing stores.  However, I was determined to lose that weight.  I joined a gym, and started going to one of the exercise groups.  I worked out 5 days a work, and watched what I ate very closely.  One of the exercise instructors couseled me on the foods I should eat to lose weight.  In six months I had lost 35 pounds, and was back to feeling normal.  I went from a size 18 to a size 10.  So, even if you gain weight on meds it can be possible to lose it. 

Posted 2/2/2006 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you've had so much success. I've lost a total of 15 pounds this year but still have 15 to go to get down to my normal weight. I"m not an exercise person though. After a couple of back surgerys and some serious knee issues. I control mine with primarily diet alone. I walk when it's warm enough but that's about the extent of my exercise.
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