I will be going to see my doctor about two different things. One, I'm sure I'm bipolar. I have the up and down mood swings, delusional thought, paranoia, hopeless then so happy I feel almost high, sleepless. Anyways , I need a mood stabilizer. But, I also desperately need to lose weight. My appetite is fierce . I feel out of control . I can maintain my weight but when restricting calories to lose weight I binge because I am so unbelievably hungry. Even at 1500 calories a day. I eat whole, as close to organic as possible, I work out, I'm in a spiritual program and yet my mood swings and appetite or ( B.E.D) or not getting better. I've put over a year's worth of work on my mind body and soul and it's to much. I'm not getting better in either department. So my question is, do you know of a mood stabilizer that is also a appetite suppressant or a combo that works? I don't want to be like hey doc I need Valium and phentermine because I know those don't mix. Or do they?
Mood stabilizer + appetite suppressant???
Question posted by ninamscheerer on 12 Aug 2016
Last updated on 28 June 2017
3 Answers
I know exactly how you feel with the weight gain. I have found thst Lamictal is the best. It doesn't curb your appetite ... I don't think you will find one that does, unfortunately, but I've not experienced any weight gain with this one whereas I did with others... Such as Depakote. Good luck and know you are not alone in this. I know it is soooo frustrating!!
The mood stabilizer I am on is Trileptal and it has not been a weight gainer for me even at 1200 mg. I am also on Metformin for appetite control usually not prescribed unless your blood sugar is high. Topamax helps some people. Hope it helps I have been on these for awhile now and have been on other combinations so I know some can put on weight for most people rather quickly. Please ask questions and read about your meds.
Hi, nina! First of all, Valium is not a mood stabilizer it's a benzodiazepine sedative which is highly addictive unless you have great self-control. Your symptoms ARE classic Bipolar from the sounds of it so you'd be looking for the mood stabilizer, lithium, or one of the anticonvulsant medications like Topamax or Lamictal which have some stabilizing properties. Some actually have weight loss as a side effect.
They can be safely taken with phentermine under a doctor's close supervision. You might also find that as your condition improves your appetite will subside. Binge eating, alcohol/drug abuse, gambling, spree shopping, etc., are all forms of self-medication common in Bipolar disorder.
Feel free to post with any questions or concerns you might encounter. We're not professionals but we'd be happy to share experiences, offer advice, and lend support.
I often wonder if I treat my bipolar of it would help my B.E.D and I'm also bulimic. Only when I binge and not even then can i throw up my food if my boyfriend or kids are around . My mood swings are something I can barely stand to live with anymore . I don't get it, I do everything even meditate and I can seem to pull myself out . I feel myself going back into those thoughts yesterday and today. I've had a good two weeks and when things are good I think " maybe it was just a fluke , and I am fine and I'll never be frantic and upset like that every again " , and that's when I choose to not see a doctor and when I'm not well I make appointments I later cancel. I made a promise to see a doctor if I have another " manic" episode regardless of how I was feeling when the appointment comes. My weight is an issue, I'm 195lbs. I don't want to be 120lbs , but I'll settle for 150-160.
I'm scared my appetite will get worse on medication , making bulimia worse, I'm scared I can only treat my appetite or bipolar. I'm scared that I have to chose between my mental health and physical health. I went on phentermine before and have kept the weight off, I can maintain just can't lose . Hoping the doctor's hear me. Thank you for your answer
hi nina,
i know this comment is almost a year late to the party, but i wanted to tell you that your experience resonates with me. i just started taking Lamictal (100mg) maybe 6 weeks ago now, i have a nice mix of psychiatric illness, including bipolar II and assorted eating disorders, which most recently have been binge-eating and binge-restricting kind of things. since i started taking the lamictal, my anxiety has been unbelievably low, and i've barely binged -- i really don't have the urge to, and if i do overeat, i don't have an anxiety spiral about it, which is awesome. i'm finding it much easier to stick to a diet to lose the 10lbs or so i put on in the months before i started medication. so in case you are still vacillating on whether or not to start meds -- just wanted to share that starting on medication definitely has helped me so much with everything, including eating disorders!! best of luck to you, and much light. it can get better!!
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