Comments on: Would you take a drug for weight loss if it made you as dumb as a rock?

By: Charlynn

Charlynn — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:16:54 +0000

One thing I really hate about mood stabilizers is they all have their own series of horrible side effects, even moreso than SSRIs and potentially more serious, too. Each medicine affects everybody differently, so you basically have no choice but to try them all and see which one works best unless you stumble upon the “perfect” medication first time around.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:37:38 +0000

I won’t take birth control or any antidepressant but Welbutrin because of reported weight gain as side effects. I took Topamax once (it was prescribed as a mood stabilizer) and I lost weight, but I was also eating disordered during this time. The side effects from Dopamax were definitely not worth it. I almost got into a car accident once, I was so disoriented and out of it.

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:37:52 +0000

My little sister got scary skinny on Topamax. (Although she is short, so ten pounds is huge.)

I stole a few one time, and tried to waitress. I felt like I’d forgotten how to chop vegetables.

So, I guess my answer to your question is no, because I didn’t take any more.

On the other hand, I refused to take the birth control pill for years because I was afraid of weight gain. I finally gave in a few months ago, and I’ve gained 2 pounds. Don’t know if it’s related…. but if it’s much more, I will consider quitting it. And it’s Yaz, so it’s even helped my mood (I may have had PPD.) So the question you posed with this pose raises a good point. How can we allow weight to be more important than areas of our lives like mental health and functioning??? Not to mention potential pregnancy…(!)

I appreciate everyone’s insights. It’s good to know you’re not alone!

By: Charlynn

Charlynn — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:40:41 +0000

Tanya, you make a great point about rejecting medications because of possible weight gain as a side effect. I hadn’t considered that, but I’ve done it myself. When I gained weight quickly on Paxil, I told my psychiatrist I wanted off the medication ASAP – nevermind the fact that it did help my mood somewhat, but its effect was diminished by my reaction to the weight I had suddenly put on. Now I am on a low dose of Depakote and I am scared to death that I will suddenly and rapidly put weight on again. If I do, I will ask my psych to let me try another medication, even though Depakote is doing a great job of keeping me stable. After the crazy ride I’ve been on with trying out medications this year, I absolutely won’t try another medication with major weight gain as a potential side effect. I just won’t go through it again. It’s way too taxing to my sanity.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:52:39 +0000

No, just the word retrieval and trouble concentrating. It can be pretty frustrating and we actually just cut my dose. But I would have to say that the weight loss was worth it. Ugh.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:05:36 +0000

Honestly, my first thought was “Yes!”
My second thought was “No”, but only because I thought that’s what a logical person should say.

It’s the exact same as the finding that more children would rather lose an arm or leg than be fat. I’m sure many adults would rather lose cognitive function than remain fat. Just like people who reject medications if the side effect is weight gain, placing favor on those that often don’t work as well, but may result in weight loss. There’s still a lot of people who’d happily stare death in the face if Fen-phen were still available, and people who hide medical conditions if it means they get a drug with a higher incidence of weight loss, or those like myself who created their own homemade versions of the ECA stack when the original stackers were pulled off the market.

It’s quite sad, but I’m sure that there’s a lot of people out there whose first response was, “Oh hells yes!”.

By: Charlynn

Charlynn — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:07:44 +0000

I appreciate your honesty, Sarah. If I may ask, have you had any other side effects? Has the weight loss been worth it to you?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:11:14 +0000

I kind of do already . . . I take Topamax and I definitely have cognitive side effects. The other day I was struggling to retrieve the words “word retrieval.”

I wasn’t prescribed the Topamax for weight loss but I already knew about it from diet boards and when my doc suggested it I jumped at the chance to get on it. I think that’s kind of sad but that’s where I am.

By: Tiptoe

Tiptoe — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:01:13 +0000

Hard to say whether this will be hailed as the new weight loss drug. More studies definitely need to be done.

At one time, I probably would have considered this idea, especially in wanting to just lose weight at any cost. These days, I would not at all. There’s more to life than that, and I really want to keep my mind intact, thank you.