Posted by Ted on November 27, 2002, at 13:51:54
In reply to Bipolar and Obesity, posted by IsoM on November 27, 2002, at 12:15:58
I have bipolar disorder and I count as obese (just barely) by the standard height-weight charts.
Here are my thoughts:
Many medications which are taken to treat or augment treatment of bipolar disorder cause weight gain either directly or indirectly in most people. Depakote is implicated in weight gain for 60% of patients. Many antipsychotics (zyprexa, risperdal, lamictal, etc) cause significant weight gain. Often the medications are solely to blame because when the patients stop taking the meds, the pounds come off very quickly. (I have a niece who took risperdal for 2-3 weeks and it increased her weight by close to 30%. She stopped the risperdal and all the weight disappeared in another 2 weeks.)
Some medications indirectly cause weight gain. For example, lithium intake causes hypothyroidism, which in turn leads to weight gain. This is why many lithium patients also take thyroid hormones.
Last, lifestyle which is affected by bipolar disorder plays a significant part. Someone who is manic, even only marginally so, is very active, has high metabolism, and burns calories quickly so they are thin. A depressed patient is slowed, unmotivated, and tends to be inactive, which adds weight. Complicating this is the fact that many depressed people turn to food for comfort, which adds weight as well.
Ted
poster:Ted
thread:32791
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20021120/msgs/32796.html