Posted by Cam W. on May 23, 2000, at 7:09:06
In reply to Re: Rather not die alone (Risperidone), posted by Jade on May 22, 2000, at 22:21:25
>
> I am a student who is curious about why some individuals do not experience weight gain on these medications.Most people only have personal experience. The reasons are not yet clear why there is weight gain, but many theories are popping up in the literature, lately.
>
> Have animal studies been done re: weight gain and antipsychotics?Animal studies on this subject are difficult. Some have been done, but no conclusive evidence, that I have heard.
>
> Do the percentages vary with each drug?The weight gain is very individualized, but the percentages are much higher than the drug companies report. It seems that the better an antipsychotic is, the more potential there is for weight gain (eg Clozaril > Zyprexa > Risperdal). Slimmer people at baseline seem to gain more weight than people who are overweight. The better the atypical antipsychotic works for an individual, the more weight seems to be gained. The weight gain seems to plateau eventually (approx. at 8 mos.). Weight gain may be tied to increased leptin levels, decreased metabolism, increased carbohydrate craving, none of the above or all of the above.
>
> Can someone guide me to resources for the above questions?There are several papers by the Wirshings (Donna and Bill) out of UC Berkley. Check PubMed, Google, Metacrawler, etc. with combinations of weight gain with the different antipsychotics.
>
Many of the older atypical antipsychotics also caused weight gain, but the potential for EPS and TD overshadowed any weight gain increases.It is also easier to try to keep the weight off than try to lose it once it has been gained (diligent control of diet and vigorous exercise). The weight gain usually plateaus within a year, so this can be seen as a relatively short term problem.
The gains from these meds far outweigh (pun intended) any weight gain, for the most part. Most people do not stop the medications because of weight gain.
Hope this helps - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:32301
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000517/msgs/34385.html