Hi ... I have been on all kinds of medications and experienced weight gain with mosts.

i was on lithium for several years and gained about 30 pounds. I was then put on depakote and zyprexa (i was told both have side effects of extreme weight gain months later) and gained 100 pounds in about 6 or 7 months. I'm a little guy (5'4") and weighed 250. Talk about depressing! I stopped taking the zyprexa because it made me sleep all day and i eventually stopped the depakote because it wasn't helping and it seemed to me it was only making me fat (may 1998). I got back down to 165 pounds a year and some months later. A year and a half later though i was again severely depressed and was eventually put back on meds, first tegretol and lithium for about a month, then paxil for 5 months. at this time, paxil was the only medicine that helped my depression, but i gained another 40 pounds -- back to 200, which is where I am now. I was then taken off paxil and put on wellbutrin and seroquel about 2 years ago. This combination has been very successful for me! It has been the best anti-depressant and with the seroquel, I get plenty of sleep and takes the edge off the anxiety. From what I understand, welbutrin doesn't seem to have much weigth gain in people. The biggest problem is that if you have bi-polar like mood swings, the welbutrin can bring on manic phases. The seroquel keeps that in check for me (it is a very low dose of the seroquel). Additionally, there were some hormonal issues and I started taking testosterone in Sept 2000 and that has amazingly helped me as well! A new person with little depression!

From what I understood from my doctors, the Prozac line makes you crave more food -- and it's more carbs -- and that's what causes the weight gain. The doctors told me when you are taking these meds you need to be vigilante about the foods you are eating and the amount you are eating. also, paxil made me lathargic -- so i was doing less on top of eating more. Some meds like Lithium also mess up your thyroid.

I think doing a low-carb diet while on a Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil is a good idea based on what my docs have said!

But also, there are things you must do for yourself to help depression and mood swings, especially you have something serious like bipolar. I:

1) Make sure to get 8 hours of sleep

2) Watch caffeine intake

3) Make sure to get 8 hours of sleep

4) Drink lots of water

5) Make sure to get 8 hours of sleep lol

6) Keep a very consistent and regular schedule. Eat at the same time. Take your meds at the same time. Go to bed at the same time.

7) No alcohol!!

8) Check other hormonal things -- low thyroid causes weight gain and depression

9) Exercise!! Very imporant too.

10) See a therapist who can reality check your moods

11) and most importantly, gettting 8 hours of sleep.

I found that running helped pull me out of some bad depressions.

Sorry this was long. Hope it helps!