Guest guest Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 These are interesting issues: I totally get your wanting alone time which is something you value from your meetings. If you do feel that a Weight Watchers program would be of value to him, how about taking him to a different meeting which you aren't part of? The other issue, i.e. medication weight gain is a huge one for me and for my family. No one in my family takes Abilify, but we take different antidepressants for OCD. My daughter has been blessed with no weight gain from Anafranil, but I gain a HUGE amount when on it. It is such a frustrating situation because when I am on a good dose of Anafranil, I am a totally different person: I feel happy and many of my OCD fears and thus avoidances and rituals just fade away. Those that don't are much easier to contend with. I have decided that at 54, I can no longer risk that huge weight gain so I am trying to find another med that might help without causing the huge weight problem. I haven't been successful so far because the new on that both my son and I have tried has not helped us at all. If anything, we both feel worse. We are meeting with the psychiatrist on Thurs., to see what our next medication should be. The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. All that being said, it is clear that no matter the weight gain, both my son and I are going to need a medication to help us with our OCD and resulting depression. We are just going to have to find the one that will cause it the least. Re: OCD Medications Our son, now 13, also has gained a significant amount of weight with Abilify. He is also on Fluoxetine, Gabapentin and Guanfacine so I wasn't sure if the weight gain was due to a combination of the meds or just Abilify. I'm thinking the Abilify is the big factor here! At his last physical a few weeks ago, he was at 199, which was up 50 pounds since his physical the year before, but the thing that gets me is the doctors don't seem concerned about his weight. You can't tell me that it's healthy to be that heavy. My son does not like his weight and wants to lose, but he can't seem to get a grip on his eating. I, myself, have recently lost 36 pounds on Weight Watchers and while he could probably come to the meetings with me, there are 2 reasons I don't want him to....1. deep down I know he won't follow what they recommend and it would be a waste of money at $39.95 a month (I was hoping him just hearing what other people say would help) and 2. selfishly, this is MY time. I don't get much time to myself where others in my family can't " include " themselves! I'm asking for a 1/2 hour weekly meeting to myself. Do I feel guilty feeling this way...yes, BUT, I am pushing past the guilt and going. If my son is having an " off " day and I feel there will be issues while I am gone (with his sister), I will have him come along with me. It does bother me when he's there because I feel I can't really speak up and say things like I normally would because he is the reason I stress eat and I don't want him to feel bad hearing me say things about it! My question along these lines is has anyone had a child successfully lose weight while still on Abilify or is it something beyond their control type thing? Debbie > > > > Are there any new medications that do not cause weight gain? > > My daughter has autism as well as OCD and very limited verbal skills. > > She was on Abilify and it did help to decrease her behaviors but her appetite was non stop and the weight gain was immediate and she kept gaining the entire time she was on it, I finally had to pull her off of it for fear she was going to suffer physically as a result. > > She has also tried other meds including fluvoxomine. > > We finally 9 months ago pulled her off of all meds and have tried to keep her anxiety down and avoid triggers but OCD is again consuming a huge portion of her day and making it hard for her to learn. > > > > I hate the thought of putting her back on medications as she can not tell me if she is suffering side effects but at the same time I am desperate to not let the OCD swallow her entire day. > > > > Any input would be greatly appreciated. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 These are interesting issues: I totally get your wanting alone time which is something you value from your meetings. If you do feel that a Weight Watchers program would be of value to him, how about taking him to a different meeting which you aren't part of? The other issue, i.e. medication weight gain is a huge one for me and for my family. No one in my family takes Abilify, but we take different antidepressants for OCD. My daughter has been blessed with no weight gain from Anafranil, but I gain a HUGE amount when on it. It is such a frustrating situation because when I am on a good dose of Anafranil, I am a totally different person: I feel happy and many of my OCD fears and thus avoidances and rituals just fade away. Those that don't are much easier to contend with. I have decided that at 54, I can no longer risk that huge weight gain so I am trying to find another med that might help without causing the huge weight problem. I haven't been successful so far because the new on that both my son and I have tried has not helped us at all. If anything, we both feel worse. We are meeting with the psychiatrist on Thurs., to see what our next medication should be. The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. All that being said, it is clear that no matter the weight gain, both my son and I are going to need a medication to help us with our OCD and resulting depression. We are just going to have to find the one that will cause it the least. Re: OCD Medications Our son, now 13, also has gained a significant amount of weight with Abilify. He is also on Fluoxetine, Gabapentin and Guanfacine so I wasn't sure if the weight gain was due to a combination of the meds or just Abilify. I'm thinking the Abilify is the big factor here! At his last physical a few weeks ago, he was at 199, which was up 50 pounds since his physical the year before, but the thing that gets me is the doctors don't seem concerned about his weight. You can't tell me that it's healthy to be that heavy. My son does not like his weight and wants to lose, but he can't seem to get a grip on his eating. I, myself, have recently lost 36 pounds on Weight Watchers and while he could probably come to the meetings with me, there are 2 reasons I don't want him to....1. deep down I know he won't follow what they recommend and it would be a waste of money at $39.95 a month (I was hoping him just hearing what other people say would help) and 2. selfishly, this is MY time. I don't get much time to myself where others in my family can't " include " themselves! I'm asking for a 1/2 hour weekly meeting to myself. Do I feel guilty feeling this way...yes, BUT, I am pushing past the guilt and going. If my son is having an " off " day and I feel there will be issues while I am gone (with his sister), I will have him come along with me. It does bother me when he's there because I feel I can't really speak up and say things like I normally would because he is the reason I stress eat and I don't want him to feel bad hearing me say things about it! My question along these lines is has anyone had a child successfully lose weight while still on Abilify or is it something beyond their control type thing? Debbie > > > > Are there any new medications that do not cause weight gain? > > My daughter has autism as well as OCD and very limited verbal skills. > > She was on Abilify and it did help to decrease her behaviors but her appetite was non stop and the weight gain was immediate and she kept gaining the entire time she was on it, I finally had to pull her off of it for fear she was going to suffer physically as a result. > > She has also tried other meds including fluvoxomine. > > We finally 9 months ago pulled her off of all meds and have tried to keep her anxiety down and avoid triggers but OCD is again consuming a huge portion of her day and making it hard for her to learn. > > > > I hate the thought of putting her back on medications as she can not tell me if she is suffering side effects but at the same time I am desperate to not let the OCD swallow her entire day. > > > > Any input would be greatly appreciated. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Sometimes metformin (oral medication for Type 2 diabetes) is used to curb weight gain in people who gain too much on the 2nd-generation anti-psychotic meds. From what I've read about it, it doesn't make a person lose weight, but it can help slow down weight gain. I asked my son's psychiatrist about it last year and he wanted to wait and see. The med my son is on makes a person too hungry. But that med has been a miracle drug for him and I don't want him to lose any of that benefit. It sounds a lot like your situation with Anafranil. I don't know if metformin can be used with Anafranil, but you could look into it, if you haven't already. > These are interesting issues: I totally get your wanting alone time which is something you value from your meetings. If you do feel that a Weight Watchers program would be of value to him, how about taking him to a different meeting which you aren't part of? The other issue, i.e. medication weight gain is a huge one for me and for my family. No one in my family takes Abilify, but we take different antidepressants for OCD. My daughter has been blessed with no weight gain from Anafranil, but I gain a HUGE amount when on it. It is such a frustrating situation because when I am on a good dose of Anafranil, I am a totally different person: I feel happy and many of my OCD fears and thus avoidances and rituals just fade away. Those that don't are much easier to contend with. I have decided that at 54, I can no longer risk that huge weight gain so I am trying to find another med that might help without causing the huge weight problem. I haven't been successful so far because the new on that both my son and I have tried has not helped us at all. If anything, we both feel worse. We are meeting with the psychiatrist on Thurs., to see what our next medication should be. > > The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. > > All that being said, it is clear that no matter the weight gain, both my son and I are going to need a medication to help us with our OCD and resulting depression. We are just going to have to find the one that will cause it the least. > > Re: OCD Medications > > Our son, now 13, also has gained a significant amount of weight with Abilify. He is also on Fluoxetine, Gabapentin and Guanfacine so I wasn't sure if the weight gain was due to a combination of the meds or just Abilify. I'm thinking the Abilify is the big factor here! At his last physical a few weeks ago, he was at 199, which was up 50 pounds since his physical the year before, but the thing that gets me is the doctors don't seem concerned about his weight. You can't tell me that it's healthy to be that heavy. My son does not like his weight and wants to lose, but he can't seem to get a grip on his eating. I, myself, have recently lost 36 pounds on Weight Watchers and while he could probably come to the meetings with me, there are 2 reasons I don't want him to....1. deep down I know he won't follow what they recommend and it would be a waste of money at $39.95 a month (I was hoping him just hearing what other people say would help) and 2. selfishly, this is MY time. I don't get much time to myself where others in my family can't " include " themselves! I'm asking for a 1/2 hour weekly meeting to myself. Do I feel guilty feeling this way...yes, BUT, I am pushing past the guilt and going. If my son is having an " off " day and I feel there will be issues while I am gone (with his sister), I will have him come along with me. It does bother me when he's there because I feel I can't really speak up and say things like I normally would because he is the reason I stress eat and I don't want him to feel bad hearing me say things about it! > > My question along these lines is has anyone had a child successfully lose weight while still on Abilify or is it something beyond their control type thing? > > Debbie > > > > > > > > Are there any new medications that do not cause weight gain? > > > My daughter has autism as well as OCD and very limited verbal skills. > > > She was on Abilify and it did help to decrease her behaviors but her appetite was non stop and the weight gain was immediate and she kept gaining the entire time she was on it, I finally had to pull her off of it for fear she was going to suffer physically as a result. > > > She has also tried other meds including fluvoxomine. > > > We finally 9 months ago pulled her off of all meds and have tried to keep her anxiety down and avoid triggers but OCD is again consuming a huge portion of her day and making it hard for her to learn. > > > > > > I hate the thought of putting her back on medications as she can not tell me if she is suffering side effects but at the same time I am desperate to not let the OCD swallow her entire day. > > > > > > Any input would be greatly appreciated. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Sometimes metformin (oral medication for Type 2 diabetes) is used to curb weight gain in people who gain too much on the 2nd-generation anti-psychotic meds. From what I've read about it, it doesn't make a person lose weight, but it can help slow down weight gain. I asked my son's psychiatrist about it last year and he wanted to wait and see. The med my son is on makes a person too hungry. But that med has been a miracle drug for him and I don't want him to lose any of that benefit. It sounds a lot like your situation with Anafranil. I don't know if metformin can be used with Anafranil, but you could look into it, if you haven't already. > These are interesting issues: I totally get your wanting alone time which is something you value from your meetings. If you do feel that a Weight Watchers program would be of value to him, how about taking him to a different meeting which you aren't part of? The other issue, i.e. medication weight gain is a huge one for me and for my family. No one in my family takes Abilify, but we take different antidepressants for OCD. My daughter has been blessed with no weight gain from Anafranil, but I gain a HUGE amount when on it. It is such a frustrating situation because when I am on a good dose of Anafranil, I am a totally different person: I feel happy and many of my OCD fears and thus avoidances and rituals just fade away. Those that don't are much easier to contend with. I have decided that at 54, I can no longer risk that huge weight gain so I am trying to find another med that might help without causing the huge weight problem. I haven't been successful so far because the new on that both my son and I have tried has not helped us at all. If anything, we both feel worse. We are meeting with the psychiatrist on Thurs., to see what our next medication should be. > > The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. > > All that being said, it is clear that no matter the weight gain, both my son and I are going to need a medication to help us with our OCD and resulting depression. We are just going to have to find the one that will cause it the least. > > Re: OCD Medications > > Our son, now 13, also has gained a significant amount of weight with Abilify. He is also on Fluoxetine, Gabapentin and Guanfacine so I wasn't sure if the weight gain was due to a combination of the meds or just Abilify. I'm thinking the Abilify is the big factor here! At his last physical a few weeks ago, he was at 199, which was up 50 pounds since his physical the year before, but the thing that gets me is the doctors don't seem concerned about his weight. You can't tell me that it's healthy to be that heavy. My son does not like his weight and wants to lose, but he can't seem to get a grip on his eating. I, myself, have recently lost 36 pounds on Weight Watchers and while he could probably come to the meetings with me, there are 2 reasons I don't want him to....1. deep down I know he won't follow what they recommend and it would be a waste of money at $39.95 a month (I was hoping him just hearing what other people say would help) and 2. selfishly, this is MY time. I don't get much time to myself where others in my family can't " include " themselves! I'm asking for a 1/2 hour weekly meeting to myself. Do I feel guilty feeling this way...yes, BUT, I am pushing past the guilt and going. If my son is having an " off " day and I feel there will be issues while I am gone (with his sister), I will have him come along with me. It does bother me when he's there because I feel I can't really speak up and say things like I normally would because he is the reason I stress eat and I don't want him to feel bad hearing me say things about it! > > My question along these lines is has anyone had a child successfully lose weight while still on Abilify or is it something beyond their control type thing? > > Debbie > > > > > > > > Are there any new medications that do not cause weight gain? > > > My daughter has autism as well as OCD and very limited verbal skills. > > > She was on Abilify and it did help to decrease her behaviors but her appetite was non stop and the weight gain was immediate and she kept gaining the entire time she was on it, I finally had to pull her off of it for fear she was going to suffer physically as a result. > > > She has also tried other meds including fluvoxomine. > > > We finally 9 months ago pulled her off of all meds and have tried to keep her anxiety down and avoid triggers but OCD is again consuming a huge portion of her day and making it hard for her to learn. > > > > > > I hate the thought of putting her back on medications as she can not tell me if she is suffering side effects but at the same time I am desperate to not let the OCD swallow her entire day. > > > > > > Any input would be greatly appreciated. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Jordana, that does sound so frustrating. What's weird is that everyone knows pregnancy hormones and even PMS bring on the most random eating binges and cravings -- so why not meds??? Have you tried increasing protein or using protein shakes, higher density foods that you would feel stuffed on without the sugar in the carbs? I was wondering too how you've done with ERP that addresses your OCD or is it always just kind of out there, beyond reach? Rhonda Re: Re: OCD Medications The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 I'm not sure what you mean about " just kind of out there, beyond reach, " but basically I have been through intensive ERP when I was in my 20's and even some during my 30's. It helped a lot once I went on Anafranil, and it gave me my life back. On the other hand, I do get worse when I go off of the medication, but I never have gotten sick again to the degree to where I was before the first round of ERP. The same holds true for my son. Re: Re: OCD Medications Jordana, that does sound so frustrating. What's weird is that everyone knows pregnancy hormones and even PMS bring on the most random eating binges and cravings -- so why not meds??? Have you tried increasing protein or using protein shakes, higher density foods that you would feel stuffed on without the sugar in the carbs? I was wondering too how you've done with ERP that addresses your OCD or is it always just kind of out there, beyond reach? Rhonda Re: Re: OCD Medications The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 I'm not sure what you mean about " just kind of out there, beyond reach, " but basically I have been through intensive ERP when I was in my 20's and even some during my 30's. It helped a lot once I went on Anafranil, and it gave me my life back. On the other hand, I do get worse when I go off of the medication, but I never have gotten sick again to the degree to where I was before the first round of ERP. The same holds true for my son. Re: Re: OCD Medications Jordana, that does sound so frustrating. What's weird is that everyone knows pregnancy hormones and even PMS bring on the most random eating binges and cravings -- so why not meds??? Have you tried increasing protein or using protein shakes, higher density foods that you would feel stuffed on without the sugar in the carbs? I was wondering too how you've done with ERP that addresses your OCD or is it always just kind of out there, beyond reach? Rhonda Re: Re: OCD Medications The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 I'm not sure what you mean about " just kind of out there, beyond reach, " but basically I have been through intensive ERP when I was in my 20's and even some during my 30's. It helped a lot once I went on Anafranil, and it gave me my life back. On the other hand, I do get worse when I go off of the medication, but I never have gotten sick again to the degree to where I was before the first round of ERP. The same holds true for my son. Re: Re: OCD Medications Jordana, that does sound so frustrating. What's weird is that everyone knows pregnancy hormones and even PMS bring on the most random eating binges and cravings -- so why not meds??? Have you tried increasing protein or using protein shakes, higher density foods that you would feel stuffed on without the sugar in the carbs? I was wondering too how you've done with ERP that addresses your OCD or is it always just kind of out there, beyond reach? Rhonda Re: Re: OCD Medications The thing that is so unfair about the weight gain (and what about OCD is fair, anyway?!) is that those who haven't had a medication induced weight gain usually are hugely judgmental of those of us who have this problem. They see us constantly eating and eating all the wrong foods, and they think: Hey, it's his/her fault/ Why doesn't he/she use some control?! Well, I find that my appetite becomes insatiable and I crave carbs and salty things all the time when I am on the med that helps me the most. It is so clearly a chemical reaction because I stop having that appetite as soon as the medication leaves my body after I go off of it. Just today I spoke with a friend who has two boys who are autistic, and she was saying that her son had a food obsession and she described the kind of bingeing that some people experience when on such meds, and yet, she gave me all different reasons why it isn't being caused by his medications. None of these made sense to me because the behavior she described of his with regard to food, sounds just like how I feel when on certain medications. She just can't imagine this. Unless you have actually experienced it, it is just plain hard to imagine the chemical changes in appetite that medications can cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Thanks for your suggestion. I am actually on Metformin for my type two diabetes. My son and I will be seeing his psychiatrist tomorrow and we will have to decide what medication to switch to because the one we just tried has made both of us more depressed and have more OCD symptoms. Re: OCD Medications > > Our son, now 13, also has gained a significant amount of weight with Abilify. He is also on Fluoxetine, Gabapentin and Guanfacine so I wasn't sure if the weight gain was due to a combination of the meds or just Abilify. I'm thinking the Abilify is the big factor here! At his last physical a few weeks ago, he was at 199, which was up 50 pounds since his physical the year before, but the thing that gets me is the doctors don't seem concerned about his weight. You can't tell me that it's healthy to be that heavy. My son does not like his weight and wants to lose, but he can't seem to get a grip on his eating. I, myself, have recently lost 36 pounds on Weight Watchers and while he could probably come to the meetings with me, there are 2 reasons I don't want him to....1. deep down I know he won't follow what they recommend and it would be a waste of money at $39.95 a month (I was hoping him just hearing what other people say would help) and 2. selfishly, this is MY time. I don't get much time to myself where others in my family can't " include " themselves! I'm asking for a 1/2 hour weekly meeting to myself. Do I feel guilty feeling this way...yes, BUT, I am pushing past the guilt and going. If my son is having an " off " day and I feel there will be issues while I am gone (with his sister), I will have him come along with me. It does bother me when he's there because I feel I can't really speak up and say things like I normally would because he is the reason I stress eat and I don't want him to feel bad hearing me say things about it! > > My question along these lines is has anyone had a child successfully lose weight while still on Abilify or is it something beyond their control type thing? > > Debbie > > > > > > > > Are there any new medications that do not cause weight gain? > > > My daughter has autism as well as OCD and very limited verbal skills. > > > She was on Abilify and it did help to decrease her behaviors but her appetite was non stop and the weight gain was immediate and she kept gaining the entire time she was on it, I finally had to pull her off of it for fear she was going to suffer physically as a result. > > > She has also tried other meds including fluvoxomine. > > > We finally 9 months ago pulled her off of all meds and have tried to keep her anxiety down and avoid triggers but OCD is again consuming a huge portion of her day and making it hard for her to learn. > > > > > > I hate the thought of putting her back on medications as she can not tell me if she is suffering side effects but at the same time I am desperate to not let the OCD swallow her entire day. > > > > > > Any input would be greatly appreciated. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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