Issues with meds
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| Fri, 01-05-2007 - 10:52am |
Hello to all,
I feel as if I know the regular posters on this board because I have been "lurking" for awhile now. I have finally decided to join the group.
I was disagnosed with BP Dec. of 2005. Since starting on medication I have gained 40 lbs. When I discuss this with my pdoc she says that getting me stable is more important right now. It's been a year, I'm still not stable and now I'm also fat.
I haven't seen this mentioned in the posts but....I would like to know - Where did my sex drive go? This is another issue that doesn't seem to concern my pdoc. Both of these issues concern me greatly and I am considering my meds because of this.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Vicki
P.S. The fitat50 is because I joined the ivillage weight loss challenge and that is what I am going to be!!!!

Vicki,
Glad you decided to come out of lurkdom, welcome to the board!
I can't speak about your sex drive because I still have one. Always did as far as I know...
But I can tell you, being stable IS more important than your weight. And it can take a long time. It took me nine years, during which time I doubled my weight. But, there are some drugs that are worth a try. Neurontin is what I take- has no weight gain with it. I also take Geodon, also with little weight gain. I've never tried Topamax, which is supposed to help you lose.
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Hi Vicki and Welcome !
God could not be everywhere, so
Hi Marci,
I just got a new pdoc about 3 months ago and she is a lot better than the last one but still it all seems to take so much time. I go to a mental clinic because of lack of insurance and they give you who they have. We are adjusting and changing my meds each time I go back in and so far, well you know the story, not so good. Reading the posts helped me to understand that it can take a lot longer and to try and hang in there. I have applied for SSDI and am on my first appeal. I live with my boyfriend who was understanding at first and now is tired of supporting me, even with the promise of paying him back when I get approved. I am wondering if I should of gotten an attorney for this first appeal.
My boyrfriend also isn't the happiest about my lack of sex drive. I always had a healthy one and now it is just completely gone. I go back in to see pdoc on the 24th and am going to address this issue and the weight issue again.
Thanks for the info. and so glad to meet another "50 something".
Namaste,
Vicki
Hi Beth,
All of the meds you suggested I have tried and they didn't agree with me. Now I take Tegretol, Zyprexa and Visteril. The tegretol is causing the weight gain and the Zyprexa is causing the loss of sex drive. This is a concern to me and my boyfriend because I always had a healthy sex drive until I was put on these meds. I have been on MANY meds so far and sometimes it just makes me want to quit taking them altogether. After you telling me it took nine years for you; I guess it hasn't been that long.
I have an appt. on the 24th and these issues are going to be brought up.
Namaste,
Vicki
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the welcome. You have a partner in the fact that you are one of the funky people who gets the .05% bad reaction to meds. Me too. I got the dangerous rash that you can get from Lamictal and I loved the way it made me feel but I had to stop it. As a matter of fact, I have been searching for something that makes me feel that way ever since. I have been on many meds but right now I take Tegretol, Lexapro and Visteril. I posted that the Lexapro was Zyprexa in a previous message - there have been so many I get confused. I go to my pdoc the 24th and I am going to discuss my weight and lack of sex drive with her again.
I guess I never thought about trying different ways to make me want to have sex. My boyfriend has tried things but I am going through the "can't stand to have him touch me phase" and nothing has really worked. I could care less if I ever have it again as long as I live. It's not menopause because I went through that early in life and came out with a still intact healthy sex drive. I felt lucky. It always came so naturally before that I have been just been sitting here waiting for it to come back like it was. Maybe I have to accept that it isn't going to happen that way and I am going to have to work on it. I'll try the thinking about it and the other things......
Thanks for the ideas.
Namaste,
Vicki
I have Zero sexdrive with Lexapro. I don't have my first Pdoc appt until the end of Feb so that is the only medication I've ever tried.
welcome to the board!
Anna
Vicky,
I gained 10-20 lbs the 1st month on my BP Rxs! I know what you are talking about! And my DH basicly totally lost his sex drive on his Rxs. His is back up now that they have changed his Rxs around. I guess my drive did change a little when 1st taking them. But I would have to say that before i was Dx i was an "addict" as my DH would call me. So...now I feel more normal...which DH still thinks is too high while I still think his is still too low. Oh well. I hope you can get stable soon. That seems long time to not have gotten stable. I got stable in about 6 months. Maybe you don't have the right Rx? I really don't know what to tell you. I would give it more time I guess and if she hasnt' helped find someone else! I saw someone 1 time that said I was like Andrea Yates (is that who i'm thinking of) you know the mother that killer her kids because of PPD. Anyway...I have had many other Drs before and after tell me I'm NOT like that at all. She said "you just want more kids because of your religion" Oh well. I'm glad I don't have to see her ever again. Anyway...good luck and if this PDr doesn't work find one that does!
April
My dh is bipolar and went off his meds last spring when he was under a lot of stress at work, eventually losing his job. He didn't tell either me or his pdoc that he wasn't taking them so his pdoc put him on 4 new meds (Risperdal, Remeron and 2 others I don't remember), all of which made him crave sweets. He gained 80 lbs. in no time. He is back on Topamax and Wellbutrin XL, both of which have weight-loss properties, but unfortunately has now developed a sweet tooth (which he didn't have before the meds) and hasn't taken the weight off yet. So yes, your meds could definitely be causing your weight gain and there are others out there that don't have that side effect. I agree with everyone else--it's better to be stable and fat than going off the deep end!
Our sex life sucks too. He was having to take Cialis and when he gained all that weight (he's gained more weight since gaining the 80 lbs. on the meds), my libido--which was already low to begin with thanks to antidepressants--plummeted. He is too heavy (over 312 lbs.) for us to have sex comfortably so that's out the window. I am more concerned about him being stable, though--as well as keeping my depression under control--to worry about sex right now. Our finances are very precarious thanks to him being unemployed 36 months total out of the 6 years we've been married for sex to be much of a priority.