![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dcruik518 on March 20, 2009, at 0:07:34
I'm starting to wonder if this drug isn't a serious yet insidious weight-gainer. At first I didn't think so, and they say it's weight-neutral, but looking back after having been on it a few years now, I have put on A LOT of weight. Only problem is that it really helps with this hair-pulling thing I have, and it's the only drug I know of that treats trichotillimania. I wish I could know for sure whether it's responsible for the weight gain.
Posted by SLS on March 20, 2009, at 7:35:06
In reply to Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify?, posted by dcruik518 on March 20, 2009, at 0:07:34
Regarding Abilify:
> I wish I could know for sure whether it's responsible for the weight gain.
I began taking Abilify thinking that it was weight neutral. It certainly didn't put the kind of weight on me as do Zyprexa or Nardil. Right now, I am taking Abilify along with a few other drugs that are weight-neutral (Parnate, Lamictal, and desipramine). I had gained 50 pounds previously while taking Nardil and nortriptyline. Now that I have discontinued those drugs, I expected to lose the extra weight quickly. I am actually stuck at +40 pounds. I have come to believe that it is the Abilify that is preventing the weight loss I had expected. Also, I have known other people complain of weight-gain with Abilify. It comes on slowly, but relentlessly.
- Scott
Posted by JadeKelly on March 20, 2009, at 10:53:44
In reply to Re: Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify?, posted by SLS on March 20, 2009, at 7:35:06
Hey,
This doesn't answer your question but:
My son's cousin gained 50lbs in a very short time on Abilify. Not sure how much my son gained, but without any effort, it took quite a while to slowly come off.
I imagine had he been working out and dieting it would have come off sooner. Weight loss has been concurrent with use of Seroquel at 300mg a day, and Depakote at 1500mg a day. I think that says he doesn't gain it easily, he was a skinny thing before Abilify.
Hope that helps. (is there room here for...I TOLD you so? Or is that pushin it?) lol. It seems the writing is on the wall my friend...
~Jade
Posted by JayBTV2 on March 20, 2009, at 10:53:47
In reply to Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify?, posted by dcruik518 on March 20, 2009, at 0:07:34
I've only been on it for about two months now (dosages were 15mg now only taking 5mg) but so far in that period my weight hasn't gone up 1 lb....
I'll post if anything changes...
Posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2009, at 12:38:26
In reply to Re: Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify?, posted by SLS on March 20, 2009, at 7:35:06
That's a shame hence all the atypicals add weight? Phillipa
Posted by SLS on March 21, 2009, at 16:58:15
In reply to Re: Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify? » SLS, posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2009, at 12:38:26
> That's a shame hence all the atypicals add weight? Phillipa
Geodon seems to be truly weight-neutral, despite its ability to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and block 5-HT2c receptors. It is a complicated drug.
- Scott
Posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2009, at 19:35:44
In reply to Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify?, posted by dcruik518 on March 20, 2009, at 0:07:34
When I first started Abilify, I had high expectations, given that it was the latest of the atypicals and supposed to have all the benefits without all the weight gain and sedation. The first time I took it, I was prescribed 10mg/day, and I only stayed on it for about a week. Then, a couple of years later, my new psychiatrist prescribed it at 30mg/day for an extended period as maintainenence treamtent for bipolar disorder. I honestly don't know that it did much to help. But in contrast to my first experience, I do think that Abilify at 30mg caused significant and gradual weight gain.
I do agree with someone else's post that geodon for me was weight-neutral.
Posted by always_doing_laundry on March 29, 2009, at 16:45:32
In reply to Re: Has anyone NOT gained weight on Abilify? » dcruik518, posted by CareBear04 on March 23, 2009, at 19:35:44
My son has been on Abilify 10 mg for at least 3 years. We have tapered off, then gone back on, twice and can report the following observations:
On Abilify, he has night-eating episodes for which he has no memory that are particularly high in carbs (maybe by coincidence or maybe not). He also craves carbs more during waking hours. Maybe independent of the eating or maybe not, even his fasting blood-sugar is high; he has frequent urination; and he weighs 5-10 pounds more.
Even at a tapered dose of 2.5 mg, the weight drops back to his baseline and the bingeing improves/disappears.
Unfortunately, without Abilify at the higher dose, the obsessive features and fears associated with his PDD-spectrum disorder diagnosis ... re-appear, and it interrupts with his daily and social functioning. There also is an agitation/mood factor that Abilify smooths out that reappears w/o it.
We have decided to just monitor the blood-sugar issues and work with the waking diet and exercise as much as possible. Abilify helps him seem "normal"/no more than just quirky ... w/o it, he seems markedly symptomatic.
He also takes Concerta, so the stimulant may offset some weight gain.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.