loveon2legs

Hi everyone!! Well, I'm 87 days sober feeling wonderful about that, however there is this issue I have with my weight...I'm bipolar so have been taking lithium for 5 months, all was fine at the beginning but now it seems like I am always bloated!!! I am an active person, and I do drink about 4 cans of coke a week but mostly just water water and more water.... but just can't seem to get rid of this bloat!! it gets uncomfortable at times..reminds me of when I was drinking...that puffy feeling, I thought for sure I would have lost weight after the drinking ended....have any of you taking lithium experienced this?? I'm not asking for medical advice, I am going to talk to my doc...just curious if this is a common side effect...

Thanks for sharing

Liz

Rowan

Hi Liz,

I take Zyprexa and Cipralex for my BPD and the former has caused a significant amount of weight gain. Weight gain is a common side effect for a lot of anti-psychotic and anti-convulsants drugs. Having said that, there are some that have a much lower rate of weight gain, and I'm going to look into that at my next pdoc appointment.

I didn't lose weight when I gave up drinking, but I didn't gain any either. I continued to go to the gym, and to eat healthy, but I was going to the coffee shop and eating decadent desserts with my new sober friends - I couldn't keep up that lifestyle for long!

Good for you for achieving 87 days of sobriety - keep up the good work. It just keeps getting better and better.

Ro

ClayTheScribe

Yes Lithium does contribute to weight gain, mainly that it holds on to water so much and you probably find yourself more easily dehydrated now too. I gained a significant amount of weight after starting the Lithium. I would talk to your psychiatrist about this.

loveon2legs

Thanks so much for the replies, it seems I'm always thirsty!!! I can't get enough water into me..my fingers aren't swollen but my stomach!! I go and see my psych next month so I'm going to bring a list of my concerns....I just wonder if there is another medication without these side effects..The lithium really has made a difference with my moods it's just a shame it comes with a cost..

barb dwyer

I was NOT on anything other than lexapro - and gained a lot of weight when i got sober as well -
but MY problem it turned out was my thyroid had begun to fail.
I also had considerable kidney difficulty in early sobriety...

maybe have a chat with your doc
to be sure all systems are up and running?


hey congratulations - you're almost at NINETY DAYS!!!! wooHOO!!!

iloveme

I have been on thyroid meds for 6 years, uugh. I tried supposed trace amounts of lithium orolate to help with "trigger" mood swings... It is a salt! H20 follows salt. Please drink plenty of water......

The thyroid is definitely affected by Lithium... Get your numbers the next time they do a blood draw... Make sure you are between 1.0-2.0 or you will more than likely feel like poo....:day6