Bipolar Medications That Do Not Cause Weight Gain

Bipolar medications are used to treat individuals with a diagnosis of a bipolar disorder and are notorious for their side effect of weight gain. Since significant weight gain can bring on its own gamut of issues, finding a bipolar medication that does not cause weight gain is both critical and challenging. The challenge is due to a few reasons: One is that not everyone is the same. Weight gain for one might be none for someone else. The second is finding something that is still effective for the primary purpose of taking the medication. What is easiest is looking at medications that have a lower risk of causing weight gain rather than the traditional and proven medications that do cause weight gain.

Zydis

Zydis is an antipsychotic used to treat mental disorders and is also referred to as olanzapine, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is thought, though not proven yet, that since Zydis is orally disintegrating it causes lower amounts of weight gain. According to a study published online in August 2010 in the "International Journal of Clinical Practice" patients who took the orally disintegrating tablet form had slower rates of weight gain than those who took the conventional form, known as Zyprexa, in which you swallow. Further research on this matter is ongoing.

Geodon

Geodon is another bipolar medication used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia and mixed bipolar mood disorders. Research has shown that Geodon has a smaller amount of weight gain than Zyprexa. One study published online in the September 2010 issue of the journal "Behavioral Brain Research" compared Geodon and Zyprexa in relation to weight gain. This study found that after six weeks of treatment with Zyprexa, rats gained significant amounts of weight, whereas rats treated with Geodon saw no weight gain.

Abilify

Abilify is used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or can be used as an adjunctive therapy. A study published in November 2004 in "Pediatric Drugs" investigated the effects on weight from use of atypical and typical antipsychotics in children and adolescents. The study showed that Abilify was of low risk for weight gain effects for this age group.

References

• National Cancer Institute: Dictionary of Cancer Terms
• "The International Journal of Clinical Practice"; An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Associated With Weight Change in a 16-Week Trial of Oral vs. Orally Disintegrating Olanzapine: the PLATYPUS Study. J. Karagianis, et al.; August 2, 2010.
• "Behavioural Brain Research"; Two Models for Weight Gain and Hyperphagia as Side Effects of Atypical Antipsychotics in Male Rats: Validation with Olanzapine and Ziprasidone; Katsuya Harada, et al.; September 3, 2010.
• "Pediatric Drugs"; Weight Gain Associated with Atypical Antipsychotic Use in Children and Adolescents: Prevalence, Clinical Relevance, and Management; Stigler KA, et al.; November 1, 2004.