lexapro depakote slowed metabolism

Hello. I am bipolar and am on lexapro/ depakote. Meds are ok (as they can be?), well, let’s say they help… However there is a bad side of them - lexapro/ depakote seriously slowed my metabolism, for example in one year I have gained 25 pounds… I was just simply hungry, and trust me this weight gain doesn’t feel good, not for my mental nor my physical health… I feel like my depressive stage is focused on the weight I gained in the past year. So, is this normal that lexapro/ depakote cause slowed metabolism and as a consequence weight gain?

Hello. You have a very “normal” problem for a bipolar patient on meds. Slowed metabolism is a usual cause of lexapro/ depakote and other, for example Celexa medications. This is a two sided story… if you are on meds, you shell gain weight, if you are off meds, you shall loose it, but other bipolar problem shall occur. Then again, there is another way… you could control your eating and of course exercise… I know it is easier said than done.
Some bipolar medications are more likely to cause weight gain, also these medications have some other implications. For example, did you know that Depakote has bee implicated in causing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is a variation on metabolic syndrome, Zyprexa has been implicated in causing diabetes, which is basically a severe version of metabolic syndrome etc. I my opinion, bipolar medications provide much greater health risk then they actually help.

I have had so much trouble with weight gain over the past three to four years. I was put on lexapro for PPD which helped me more than I can say. But I haven't been able to get off of it for more than a couple weeks at a time. I had my thyroid removed and it really put my body into a spin. I gain 100 pounds after that. I lost 70, and have gain back 20. I can't control it. I hate to be told to exercise more, or eat better. I am a vegetarian, and eat well for the most part. I am an active person, though I don't exercise regularly because of arthritis. After my thryroid was removed I was diagnosed with Bi-polar 2, anxiety and agoraphobia. I was on seroquil, which helped alot at the time, but cause a lot of weight gain. It was better than feeling like I did before it. I have been off seroquel for a couple years now, and am doing well but still battling the weight. It is so hard for me too because I was so thin all my life. One of those girls that could eat anything, had two kids and still was about 125 and 5'6 those days are long gone and I don't believe I will ever see them again. I would settle for just a "normal" comfortable size. Is there any help for people like us out there?[/b][/list]