why does lithium make you fat? and how can i shift it?

Question

iv really tryed but its no good,ill try any thing. im desperate.

Answer 1

I took lithium for four years and went from 7 stone to 11 stone. Unfortunately all mood stabilising drugs make you eat more food, as nothing makes you feel satisfied. The drug itself will not make you put on weight. You need to be really careful with your diet and make sure you exercise for 30 minutes everyday. Also drink plenty of water to reduce water retention, which is also another potential side effect. It took me a year to shift the weight with a balanced diet and exercise. Am still on mood stabilisers but am ultra careful. I wish you all the luck, I know how miserable it can be. You could also ask your doc if their is something else you could take which doesn't increase your appetite as much. Lithium is a nasty drug.

Answer 2

Lithium is used to make batteries. Overall, it is a "dirty" metal (well sort of metal....element) like lead, cadnium, osmium, plutonium, nickle,and others, poisenous in quantity. Nickle in jewellery gives some people rashes, plutonium nukes you, lead poisoning...theyre all of a muchness. It is used, in anti depressant drugs, however. (but they used leaches, years ago).
Its not really what you want in your body, at any level.
To increase the naturally unavoidable doses, gives an effect, in lithiums case, stopping absorbtion of chemicals at cellular level.
You dont get depressed, cause the depression chemicals (they dont know exactly how to isolate them) dont get in and effect cells....nor does anything else.
Obviously, this is going to effect loosing weight, as the cells are nullified and dont function well, including matabelising food!
Most women get depressed about thier weight, some become depressed because of thier weight, so to give lithium to a depressed person, seems bizzare.
Try other treatments, less severe ones (it really is a nasty chemical) and it just seems to do the job, but so did the polio vaccine, initially.
You will only gain weight while on this medication. A doctor will deny it, saying the dose is small, but all they can do, as gp's, is despence drugs, the one's thier given, and if its not proved unsafe, all the drug companies care about is money, and a product that gives one particular result, and they brainwash the gp's, who have to give out drugs, as theyre not surgeons, shrinks, or social workers.

Answer 3

It makes you fat because it is a salt. It causes you to retain water. You can shift it by REALLY watching your diet while on lithium or by taking a different mood stabilizer. Ask your doctor about Lamictal.

Answer 4

I think it's water retention rather than fat, if it is then ask your doctor for a diuretic to shift it. It might also be that as your mood has stabilised you are eating more, and therefore putting on weight. You should just eat sensibly and exercise more.

Answer 5

lithium would not get u fat but it will make u eat more and sleep more.. so to shift it you have to force youself to be more active or just watch you u stuff in ur mouth.

Answer 6

join weight watchers or speak to your Dr about changing your tablets