Believe me things are not all peaches and cream when it comes to zack, but compared to 4 months ago he IS doing better, and I believe a large part of that is due to his meds specificly risperdol...but...he has gained nearly 20 pounds since october...hes 6, 4 ft tall and 82.5 pounds, this is NOT good, hes gained exactly 5 lbs since 4 weeks ago according to the drs scale, im devastated because the wieght gain hasnt stopped or even slowed, and this is really bad for his physical health, he cant fit into any of his clothes I buy him knew ones every month, its starting to depress him (like he needs anything else to be depressed about),We see DR.N on wenesday, but Im so upset right now, i knew he had gained but 20 lbs, fuck i mean this is crazy and he eats but NOT that much, this is so insane, and with my ED history and body image issues I CANT be to careful, his med DR, said its the lesser of 2 evils...really, what other meds can i suggest that might work similar to risperdol...okay so his "official" diagnosis is mood disorder with bipolar traits whatever that means...someone help me, my son needs the meds but at this rate it could make him obese or give him diabetes or god knows what else...
has anyone experianced this problem, what did you do, suggestions PLEASE.
Love, Zacks mom
8 comments:
Risperdol affects the ability for the brain to let the body to know its full. My daughter gained 17 pounds when she first started taking it and didn't stop gaining until adderal was added to her meds. Adderal has a counter effect on the brain.
Hmmm... We are using Trileptal with no weight gain issues, tough Risperdal may be better with rages, we may have to try this med too in the future. Let us know what you find out!
Risperdal is a notorious weight gainer. Have you tried a lithium or an anti-convulsant (mood stabilizer)? Those are your best bets as antipsychotcs all have a lot of side effects and really (in my opinion) should not be used unless psychosis is an issue.
I dont feel like I was heard...lets work on his diet and get him more active...and we will see in APRIL?? really?? I mean he needs something, and something that works like the risperdal...but we see this doc every 2 weeks and he wants to wait til april ( after flag football is over and baseball has started) what if he gains even more by then?? then what...he said there are tons of options, my question....then why cant we try one??
soooo fustrated
zacks mom
Oh, I can so relate to what you're going through! My 8-year-old daughter has gained almost 25 lbs. on Abilify. Our doctor said it's less likely than the other anti-psychotics to cause weight gain, but does for some kids. He said he has had good results, with virtually no weight gain in any of his patients, with Lamictal. So we're seriously considering switching to it. Good luck!
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. My girl gained a ton of weight on Rispedal too. She's on Abilify now. Have you read through CABF's treatment guide for ideas? Have you considered switching pdocs? I am a CABF volunteer if I can help in any way feel free to email. mommylebron at yahoo dot com
I had years trying yo get myself treated effectively, to have to fight for your child is awful. Hello - just wanted to introduce myself. I'm shah - bipolar lady - author of wordsinsync: Monday Madness linky (re mental Health) and your newest follower. You have a great blog. Great to find you.
Shah ,X
I am sorry. This is such a Catch 22.
My daughter has gained a tremendous amount of weight and I can't pinpoint which med did it because she has been on so many and it changes monthly in our attempts to stabilize her, plus she has gone through puberty during the course of being treated for Bipolar but I am buying her jeans every couple of months, then she holds for a little while and may even go back down to an older, smaller size, then back up again. It's such a crushing blow for a teenage girls self esteem to have weight issues and you hit the nail on the head-it's depressing, as if they need something else to depress them further!
But I don't want the alternative, which is for her to be thin and in jail for losing complete control off her meds and doing something horrible. I am trying to encourage her to walk with me and I'm cooking a little healthier and hoping that will at least curb some of the weight gain.
Plus I can't afford to keep buying new clothes, seriously, I know that may sound petty but it adds up and there are times when she doesn't fit into anything but I can't buy her any for awhile!
Good luck.
~Melissa
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