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Bipolar II Forums › General & Support › Depakote and weight gain...?

05/07/2012 07:52 PM

Depakote and weight gain...?

songinmysoul

Posts: 519
Member

Does anyone have experience with Depakote as far as weight gain...and also was it helpful in stabilizing your mood? I am considering giving it a try but I cannot afford ANY weight gain at all, as I already gain so easily. I am on Abilify and some say it causes weight gain...I've gained probably 15 or so pounds since being on it.

Thanks!

Jennifer

Abilify 2mg
Trileptal 150mg
Celexa 20mg
Trazadone 50mg
Xanax - .05 mg/as needed

05/08/2012 03:36 AM Top

skeptical

Posts: 843
Member

When I was on Depakote a few years ago, it helped immensely for my moods. Unfortunately it did cause weight gain.... and hair loss. At the time I did also happen to be at my worst with my eating disorder, so I technically needed to gain some weight, but not that much. I stopped taking it more because of the hair loss though, because that scared me. I could get over being a little heavier, but a bald young woman is just not attractive.

Some people don't have these effects as bad though.

I was on abilify and also gained some weight. Everyone had been saying that it is a weight neutral med, but I dug up some studies that proved weight gain is a possibility. When I told one of my pdocs about it, she acted like I was making it up and ignored my complaints. I ended up stopping abilify more for the fact that I felt it dulled me down too much. I had no variability in my mood at all, and I felt like it was really hard to interact people with any level of emotion. It sucked. I guess technically it helped my moods, but only for the fact that it eliminated all ups and downs, which is just not natural.

Good luck!

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05/08/2012 01:00 PM Top

Joy75

Posts: 15656
Group Leader
I'm an Advocate

I don't take Deapkote, but do hear it is a weight gainer for a lot of people and the hair thinning thing. I also hear Centrum Silver helps the hair. I'm taking Abilify and I've gained some weight, but I think it's because of my sugar addiction rather than the drug itself. I hope if you do end up taking it, that it works well for you. Exercise and eating well will help. Also not eating when you aren't hungry. I tend to do that and not be hungry, just bored or something. I wish you much luck!

Joy, 37 years old

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Bipolar type 2 and ADD

300mg Wellbutrin
200mg Lamictal
40mg Viibryd
15mg Abilify

I AM NEITHER A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST. I AM HERE FOR THE SAME REASONS YOU ARE. TO GIVE AND RECEIVE SUPPORT. WHAT I SAY IS PURELY MY OPINION. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

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05/08/2012 04:59 PM Top

TheQuiet

Posts: 62
Member

I just started on Depakote about a month ago and so far I have experienced no weight gain, but I have been watching what I eat very closely. I find it helps a lot with impulse control, and for that reason, I have much fewer cravings - food included. I have experienced no more hair loss than usual. I have always had a certain amount of hair loss. I am not on a high dose though, 500 mg a day. I also take Celexa, 40 mg a day.

“To look life in the face, always, to look life in the face, and to know it for what it is...at last, to love it for what it is, and then to put it away.”

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05/08/2012 05:01 PM Top

Bangbang

Posts: 6091
VIP Member

I was on it about 20 years ago and did not experience any weight gain at all.

You are not drunk unless you have to hang on while lying on the floor.

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05/08/2012 06:34 PM Top

songinmysoul

Posts: 519
Member

Ok, thank u for your responses. I'm just so leary of something causing even more weight gain than I've already had. I only take 2mg of Abilify and have gained weight on it. I just have issues with not feeling the food in my stomach when I eat, which is because of the meds & maybe I eat more... Also I've found it takes a very long time to lose weight now. About 5 years ago, I could diet for a week and drop 5-6 pounds...not anymore. It takes at least double that time now, if not longer.

Jennifer

Abilify 2mg
Trileptal 150mg
Celexa 20mg
Trazadone 50mg
Xanax - .05 mg/as needed

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05/21/2012 10:18 AM Top

magoo2you

Posts: 1
New Member

Post edited by: magoo2you, at: 07/08/2012 05:50 PM

Hated depakote, big weight gain (slows your metabolism and makes you hungry). Took it for almost 3 years. My doctor made me crazy by scaring me into staying on this drug. I am bipolar II, and could have taken Lithium or Lamictal. Finally, I decided to switch doctors. Now, am back on Lithium. Sometimes you have to just change doctors. As much as I liked mine, she would not budge.

Post edited by: magoo2you, at: 03/11/2013 01:34 PM

05/21/2012 11:12 AM Top

RickEJ

Posts: 6267
Group Leader
I'm an Advocate

I was on 3000mg a day for a month and gained 10lbs, I was eating 5 full meals a day to satisfy my hunger on this med. I craved a lot of starches & protein, I would even wake up about 10:00pm and usually ate about 1/4-1/2lb of chicken salad every night.

peace & hugs
Rick
If I seem confused it's because I am!
Bi-polar II,GAD,SAD,TRD
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I am not a doctor and do not make a diagnosis.
All information I give is from my own research and experience.

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Bipolar II › Bipolar II Forums › General & Support › Depakote and weight gain...?

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