Abilify (Aripiprazole) is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is commonly used to treat severe mental conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Despite the fact that this has been one of the most useful medicines in recent years, some research has shown that its effectiveness seems to be moderate
In fact, many people end up stopping treatment because of the drug’s failure to treat their symptoms or tolerance issues
Like all antipsychotics, Abilify can cause serious health problems such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, high blood sugar, and an increased risk of death
In addition, even among people who are using the drug successfully to manage symptoms, side effects such as weight gain can be very discouraging
There is a lot of conflicting information about whether Abilify actually causes weight gain
Some doctors explain that this drug is “weight neutral” and cannot affect your body weight, while others may indicate that you will gain weight throughout the course of treatment
Although compared to other atypical antipsychotics, Abilify tends to cause less “weight gain,” which does not mean that the drug should be considered weight-neutral for everyone
The truth is that many people end up gaining weight during their treatment with this drug
It Can Cause Weight Gain
There are many ways in which this drug can make you gain weight
Understand that what causes you to gain weight from this drug may be different for each person
One person may notice an increase in appetite and start eating more, while another may believe that their metabolism has slowed down
In some cases, the combination of these factors can cause weight gain
Increased appetite: Some people who take Abilify notice that it makes them have a greater appetite than they did before taking it
If you’re constantly hungry and find yourself eating any food in sight, it’s probably drug related
Blood sugar spikes: This drug has been observed to affect blood-glucose or blood sugar levels
If the blood sugar level is not stable, their instability can cause an increase in some people
It is best to keep blood sugar in check throughout treatment and be aware that Abilify may be contributing to glucose spikes
Many people taking antipsychotics find that they develop cravings for unhealthy foods such as refined carbohydrates and sugar (eg candy) during treatment
Cravings as a side effect of Abilify is something that can lead to weight gain
If your fat has increased significantly during treatment and your weight has gone up, it may be a side effect of Abilify
Going out to eat: Assuming this drug helps with your mood, you may start to feel more comfortable in public and/or even start hanging out with friends again
Also, if you start going to get “fast food,” it should be obvious why you are gaining weight
Disrupting homeostatic hormone levels with antipsychotic drugs can cause weight gain in some cases
Any drug that affects the hormones your body produces can cause weight gain
Motivation deficit: Although medication can affect everyone differently in terms of motivation, some people find that their motivation level decreases significantly during treatment
Some people end up being very lazy because the drug has an uncontrollable effect on their physiology
Slow metabolism: If you eat the same foods/portions and get the same amount of exercise during treatment as you did before taking Abilify, but you still gain weight, it may be due to a slow metabolism
Drugs like Abilify have a tendency to slow down your metabolism, causing you to gain weight even if your diet and exercise habits have not changed
Improved taste: People who were severely depressed before taking Abilify may find that food tastes better during treatment
The improved taste can cause you to eat larger portions, more calories, and inevitable weight gain
Note: The difficulty of doing these things varies from person to person
There are many other factors that can affect the amount of weight you gain on Abilify
There are many other factors that can affect the amount of weight you gain on Abilify
It is important to consider the dosage of the medicine you are taking, the lifestyle of the person, the time you were treated, as well as if you are taking other medicines
Most people who take Abilify for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder end up taking between 10 mg and 15 mg each day, but the dose can be increased up to 30 mg
In general, you tend to gain weight when you increase the dose
This is because at higher doses, the drug has more influence on your natural physiology
Other bodily functions such as the body’s ability to store fat, as well as important hormone levels that help prevent weight gain, are significantly altered
At low doses, one does not gain much weight because the drug has little effect on your physiology
In some cases, it is necessary to take personal responsibility for the extra weight you gain during treatment
If you have been working too much, not getting enough sleep, eating unhealthy food, or not exercising much, all these things can cause you to gain weight
There are also other factors such as: age, baseline metabolism, and genetics that can affect if you gain weight while taking this drug
To get a better understanding of how your genetics may be reacting to medicine (causing weight gain), you can look at a test called “GeneSight” This type of test examines certain genetic biomarkers and predicts whether you will do well vs
Some people notice weight gain in a short period of time (ie six weeks), while others notice significant weight gain over a longer period of time (ie years)
In any case, it is believed that the longer you have been treated with these drugs, the more weight you may have gained
Short term: The shorter the time you have been taking the drug, the less likely you will be to gain weight
It should be noted that some people experience a large spike in weight during the initial stages of treatment, without any significant weight gain over the long term
Some experience an initial spike in weight, followed by a gradual increase in weight over a long period of time
Long-term: Those who have been taking Abilify for a long time may have gained a different type of weight compared to those who have only taken it for a short time
Long-term treatment often results in severe drug-induced physiological alterations
It should be noted that if a person is treated for a long time, he may develop tolerance
This often results in increased dosage, which is known to promote further weight gain
Source: http://wwwncbinlmnihgov/pmc/articles/PMC3000187/
There are studies that show that some medications can cause weight gain while on Abilify
If you are on multiple medications, it is important to review them with your doctor to determine which one may be the main cause of your weight gain
Also understand that if you are taking a stimulant medication such as Adderall or a non-serotonergic antidepressant, you may still have side effects while taking Abilify
Those who continue to be neutral are usually on medication to stimulate the central nervous system, which helps to balance the metabolic decline resulting from the use of antipsychotics
There is no predicting how much weight you will gain from taking Abilify
Since there is a huge difference in each person, you should first take the medicine for a while and then check if you gain weight
Some people reported that they gained an average of 5 lbs
per year of treatment, while some people gained 40 lbs
In some cases, people end up not gaining weight
Although the average weight gain of adults taking Abilify is unknown, experienced doctors know that on average, patients may gain about 10% of their pre-medicated weight due to the drug
starting treatment, you may end up gaining at least 20 lbs
Despite the fact that the majority of people who take Abilify will gain weight, it does not mean that everyone will gain noticeable weight
Some people can remain overweight (and in rare cases lose weight)
Those who maintain a healthy weight are usually able to maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and/or are taking the weight loss medication Abilify
It is also important to point out that for people who need antipsychotics, this is considered one of the most “weight neutral” options
Almost all antipsychotics can cause some type of weight gain, but Abilify is recommended to cause less weight gain than most others
Some people may lose weight if they switch to Abilify from another antipsychotic (eg, Zyprexa) known to cause significant weight gain
Throughout your treatment, it is important to do a price analysis of this drug
Then check how well the drug is working to treat or manage your condition
If Abilify is working well to treat your condition, but you experience some side effects, it may be a good idea to continue treatment
On the other hand, if you gain weight and the drug is not working well, you should talk to your doctor
In general, if a medication is not working to treat your condition and/or the side effects are affecting your health, you may want to consider a change in medication or Abilify withdrawal
For those who have taken Abilify, make sure to share if you experience weight gain
Was it based on the idea that you will gain at least 10% body weight during the treatment?
If you have gained weight, be sure to report the weight you gained, whether you noticed weight gain when your dose increased, and how long you have been taking Abilify
Also be sure to note any other factors that may have caused you to gain weight throughout your treatment
Source: http://wwwncbinlmnihgov/pubmed/23469329