They were on their primary medication for at least a year before adding abilify. Zyprexa has continued selling in the range of nearly $3 billion a year in the United States even as concerns emerged about its tendency to cause patients to gain weight. It causes severe daily headaches as well. Being treated over the long-term generally results in a greater severity of drug-induced physiological alterations. Weight gain may be most likely in children who are taking Abilify for symptoms of autistic disorder. 4 Orlistat 60 mg (alli), orlistat 120 mg (Xenical), and sibutramine (Meridia) are available agents, but, currently, little literature exists regarding how they affect atypical antipsychotic-induced weight gain. All of these medications are known to increase the risk of weight gain except lamotrigine. Serious Abilify side effects include tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It will feel empowering just knowing you are having that discipline in your life, and eventually (it may take time) you WILL see the results! Where applicable, this content has been reviewed by a medical expert. However, how much will depend on the individual and it can be controlled. So if this is the way its going to help with bi polar than I don’t want it. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. I had never taken medications like this previously, have dealt with depression my whole life and just started these meds. Not only the weight gain, but I also developed a tick of sorts in my face. This is especially true as Abilify was originally considered to be weight gain neutral, or even to possibly assist weight loss. during that short time. I have never been like this and I’ve never had a problem with weight. Some folks will not experience any side effects at all and may reap substantial benefits! Each year when I went to my PMD I had gained weight. It is disgusting that this medication would be prescribed with such a high incidence of weight gain. Sadly, bipolar is surrounded by myths & distortions. Antipsychotics prescribed for bipolar disorder include olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole (Abilify), ziprasidone (Geodon), lurasidone (Latuda), cariprazine (Vraylar) and asenapine (Saphris). 1 includes weight gain as a “more common” Abilify side effect, but BOTH weight loss AND weight gain as a “less common” side effect. I started out weighing 155, now I’m nearly 173. In other words, “weigh” the side effects (including weight gain) and determine their severity. Previous post: Can Wellbutrin Ever Cause Weight Gain? Some of these medications can increase your appetite or cause changes in metabolism leading to weight gain. It worked really well to control my mother’s schizophrenia/bipolar disorder but she rapidly gained 30lbs because of it. My daughter only took this drug for 3 months it and caused her to feel like she was always staving. Did she offer to talk with my Psych.? One of my previous patients gained 45 pounds in a month for taking Abilify 10mg for 2 months. Additionally, even among individuals for which the drug is working well to manage symptoms, side effects like weight gain may be highly discouraging. 1. That was another experience, and I know we should never try something like that without being under a doctors care, but I felt completely hopeless, and I knew, even if no one else believed me that abilify was the culprit. Abilify withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, panic attacks and sweating. We/website/any experts on this website do not offer specific medical advice for you. Although the average weight gain for adults taking Abilify is unknown, the experienced doctors know that on average, patients are probably going to gain at least 10% of their pre-drug body-weight as a result of the medication. In 8 months. As many as one in eight people who take Abilify gain at least 7% of their body weight. Abilify causes rapid weight gain! However Latuda I wasn’t on for very long and seroquel I was on a subtherapeutic dose. does abilify (aripiprazole) cause weight gain? I can work through this with my doctor as I am going to continue taking Abilify. Some more than others, such as Seroquel or Zyprexa I have found to immediately affect my weight. I’m concerned because this medicine helps some. In fact, most people end up eventually discontinuing treatment as a result of either the drug failing to treat their symptoms or tolerability issues. However my weight loss has been at next to a snails pace, makes me wonder what’s happened to my metabolism. I am trying to lose the weight but it is hard. For example, Latuda (another mood stabilizer/atypical antipsychotic) is known to cause less weight gain than Abilify, and Abilify may cause less weight gain … Abdominal Obesity may occur which in turn may ^ risk for insulin resistance. I have lost 45 pounds by watching what I eat. Learn how your comment data is processed. Existing strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity amongst these patients are disappointing. I have nothing against Abilify and it got me stable while I was in the hospital and until I could change some of the things that were harming my quality of life at that time in my life. I did gain a lot of weight quickly though. I have not seen any side effects at all. It could cause a lack of feeling full (lack of satiety) or cause an increase craving for sweets or food in general. The only way to combat it without taking another med is to limit your portion size and eat foods that are healthy for you. I have never had any of these issues my entire life. In any regard, it is thought that the longer duration over which you have been treated with this drug, the more likely you will have gained weight. A little weight gain wouldn’t have bothered me but the constant feeling of starvation (and that’s not an exaggerated description!) Abilify (aripiprazole) is an atypical antipsychotic that binds strongly to dopamine, serotonin, and other receptors in the brain exhibiting its effects in the treatment of psychiatric diseases. In other cases, people end up not gaining any weight. Unlike many similar medications, Abilify is not as significantly associated with weight gain. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Abilify can contribute to uncontrollable urges, including binge eating or overeating, which can further result in significant weight gain. Also, this is a drug that is extremely high priced, plus it has the weight gain side effect. Does Trazodone Cause Weight Gain? This is consistent with other atypical antipsychotics side effect profile. The Nursing 2009 Drug Handbook, 29th edition,  also list BOTH weight gain AND weight loss as potential side effects. Let*s see how that works. It's less likely to cause side effects than other antipsychotics. maybe for some. My depression and Bipolar issues are much better but I have gained 30 pounds. My Autistic daughter gained over 50lbs in less than a year on Abilify paired with Zoloft. In Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses, 11th edition, 2009, weight loss is listed, NOT weight gain. Its making me miserable quite honestly, but my Dr. doesn’t care. Try to incorporate small changes over time, baby steps that keep adding. There’s no predicting exactly how much weight you’re going to gain from taking Abilify. When it comes to Trazodone classification, this antidepressant is from the drug class which is called serotonin modulators, which means that it increases the levels of serotonin, a natural brain chemical responsible for maintaining mental balance. I’ve been on 1mg of Abilify for 3 years and gained 50 lbs. Individuals taking antipsychotic drugs are reported to commonly gain 20 to 30 pounds. I’ve been taking Abilify for almost 3 months and I have gained almost 30 pounds. Generally if a drug isn’t working to treat your condition and/or side effects are interfering with your well-being, you may want to consider a medication switch or Abilify withdrawal. Grand total 22lbs in 3 months. I actually lost a lot of weight while on Abilify, but I had to diet and exercise (work) for it. The duration over which you have taken the drug may have an impact on the amount of weight you gain. I had to stop taking it because this medication made me so hungry that I could not get the feeling of fullness no matter how much I ate. Yes Abilify made me lose weight when I was on it. Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of people who take Abilify will gain weight, it doesn’t meant that everyone will experience noticeable weight gain. Abilify works in a manner somewhat different from the other antipsychotics and Saphris was based on Abilify (Serotonin-Dopamine agonists) so it should have a similar side effect profile of having less sedation and less of a potential for weight gain and diabetes (though all current antipsychotics can cause this). Lexapro helped me majorly, as well as therapy and daily discipline on my perspective (combating my distorted perspective with truthful steps and reminders and using Christian therapy resources). 5. The biggest problem with Abilify (aripiprazole) is it binds to the Dopamine receptor very tightly and can make you restless. Some: Abilify (aripiprazole) is in a class of medications known to cause weight gain and sometimes diabetes and high cholesterol. I have gained almost 50 pounds. Short-term: The shorter the term over which you’ve been taking the drug, the less likely you will be to have gained weight. My young son has been diagnosed early on set childhood schizophrenia. In some cases, it is necessary to take personal responsibility for some of the weight that you gain throughout treatment. The antipsychotic medications classically deemed to be most significantly associated with weight gain are clozapine and olanzapine. This is a medication produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb and is classified as an atypical anti-psychotic (meaning is one of a new generation of drugs developed to treat symptoms of psychosis, for example in schizophrenia.). Find everything you need to know about Abilify (Aripiprazole), including what it is used for, warnings, reviews, side effects, and interactions. He has gained weight. When I finally realized, I stopped. was not an issue before I started on Abilify. I shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions within this website. Abilify is an antipsychotic drug usually prescribed to treat psychotic conditions. However, more recently there have been claims that Abilify DOES lead to weight GAIN, causing much confusion and concern to consumers. Basically he laughed. If you are taking a serotonergic antidepressant (SSRI) along with Abilify, there is greater likelihood that you’ll gain more weight than someone taking only Abilify. Does any one have any idea of what I can do to get this doctor to listen…because I’m out of thoughts on what to do. There are many side effects when taking any antidepressant and, unfortunately, weight gain can be one of them. I have successfully dieted in past years so I put that knowledge into action. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sifting through each medication can be a daunting task—one that is equaled by determining if weight gain is caused by medication, lifestyle, or just plain edema. Zyprexa has continued selling in the range of nearly $3 billion a year in the United States even as concerns emerged about its tendency to cause patients to gain weight. Most people taking Abilify for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder end up taking between 10 mg and 15 mg daily, but dosage can be increased all the way up to 30 mg. A shot that’s making me fat and miserable. My psychiatrist put me on a low-carb diet, but it is SO HARD when all I want to eat is junk food. Both of them. The rest of the weight came off easily with regular exercise and minor diet changes. Pesters me non stop about his next meal. A Dr. should be concerned if you have gained weight from this drug. Csummers March 10, 2017, 4:30am #4 Pantoprazole (Protonix) vs. Omeprazole (Prilosec), Lexapro (Escitalopram) vs. Prozac (Fluoxetine), Pregabalin (Lyrica) vs. Gabapentin (Neurontin). The weight loss stops after some time on it’s own. Eating causes weight gain. The biggest problem with Abilify (aripiprazole) is it binds to the Dopamine receptor very tightly and can make you restless. There are studies suggesting that certain medications are capable of causing increased weight gain while on Abilify. I have been on it for only one week and my mood has really improved for the last two days. I was on escitalopram and thought that was the culprit so my therapist changed be to trintellix. within the first 6-months of treatment. Abdominal Obesity may occur which in turn may ^ risk for insulin resistance. I have heard similar stories…but I have also heard stories where people struggled just as much as if they’d gained the weight naturally. Abilify is less likely to cause weight gain, Drugs such as Luvox for curing OCD have been known to enhance the impact of aripiprazole drugs. Lexapro (Escitalopram) vs Zoloft (Sertraline): Extensive Comparison. That cause some people responding well known that can occur with significant weight gain. At my last visit with my PMD in November I told her that since she had started telling me of the weight gain, elevated cholesterol and BP I was getting even more depressed (I also take Zoloft 15mg and Lamictal 200mg prescribed by my Psychiatrist) than I ever had before. Stopping Abilify may cause withdrawal. She said I should talk to my Psych. I was on Seroquil for 2 months and gain 8 or 9 pounds by February. It can negatively impact glucose metabolism w ^’ed risk for Type II Diabetes Mellitus. So, as of November 21, 2016 I stopped taking the Abilify completely. In 8 months. Has anyone taken anything else that is weight neutral? It causes me to wake up every night at 2am to eat, about a thousand calories worth in anything that contains sugar. It started the weight gain trend for her. The older one 40 and the younger one 60 pounds!!! The different ways people can gain weight as a result of quetiapine medication are given as follows: Cravings. One person may experience an increase in appetite and start eating more, while another may believe their metabolism slowed. It is known to cause resistance to insulin and trigger a metabolic syndrome. Others experience an initial spike in weight, followed by more gradual increases in weight over the long-term. It is often important to consider that there are certain behaviors that you are exhibiting that are directly contributing to weight gain. Fast food is the quickest and cheapest option to satisfy these cravings and therefore contributes to weight gain the most. I will be getting switched to Topamax. It has been 10 months and I have lost 10 of the lbs without making any significant changes. In the past 4+ years I have gained 26+ pounds and I look like I’m pregnant. Keck, J. P., Calabrese, J. R., McIntyre, R. S., McQuade, R. D., Carson, W. H., Eudicone, J. M., ... & Sanchez, R. (2007). It keeps me “normal” in mood, but I would say it definitely has messed up my metabolism. Patients experiencing atypical antipsychotic-induced weight gain can use calorie reduction and dietary education programs, as well as pharmacologic treatment. With significant weight gain a side effect of almost every medication used to treat bipolar symptoms, weight related Abilify side effects are of great interest. It is known to cause resistance to insulin and trigger a metabolic syndrome. So, so upsetting. Also, I could walk for miles on it as well. It’s beautiful to look back over a month and see what I did. It seems that Abilify makes it impossible to lose weight. 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