Epilepsy information

Hi,

I wonder if anyone else is suffering with weight gain-- and if you know of anyhting you can take to counter act this.
I am currently on Tegretol 600mg a day, and am due to see my Neurologist this Thu and have to mention my hideous wieght gain.
I am sure I have read somewhere a tablet they can give you to help- but can't remember- I think this time I might be changing my medication to Keppra as I am still not stabilised-- but this weight gain is getting me down-- I have gained at least a stone and a half since starting medication in Sept-- and am not going to carry on like this-- so if anyone can name any medication that can help or they know that I can ask for I would really appreciate this.
Thanks
Nik

Being started on Anti EPilepsy Drugs (AEDs) come with unwelcome but somewhat inevitable tiredness/lethargy as a side effect.

This usually slows us down phsyically meaning we need to compensate for getting less exercise by eating less - in the vast majority of cases when we gain weight after starting whichever AED it is simply a case of cutting back the calorie intake as our phsyical actitvities levels drop.

I say simply, but of course cutting back on portion size and/or cutting out the snacks isn't that easy, but it can be done with a good bit of determination.

I am no expert but I can't say I have ever heard of a diet pill the Drs can give us - the only things like that I have heard of have simply been sham products sold by dodgy salesman preying on our worries about our weight.

Worth mentioning to your Dr just in case there is something, but don't hold your breath just in case.

Regarding reducing portion sizes - do try drinking a pint of water just before each meal to help your tummy feel full on less food and if you feel peckish later on have another glass then.


Dave xxx

I'ev been on various AED's most of my life and have terrible trouble keeping my weight stable, I have a huge appetite (don't think that's anything to do with the E or meds though) but find that even with a reasonable amount of exercise and careful eating, I have to more or less diet all the time or I put weight on and was VERY oerweight at one time. I think the AED's give me a very slow metabolism, I don't burn up calories as well as those not on them but I did get overweight by overeating in the first place too. That was my own fault.

It's a sad fact, but I have accepted it. I can't eat the way 'normal' ppl can, I have to be very careful and to actually lose weight I virtually have to starve, even with exercise. So I've taken up other activities and got used to refusing food now and not eating out much cos finding low calorie food in hte kind of places I can afford to eat at is virtually impossible.

I know it's not easy though and not everyone has the problem, but I do.

I take carbamazepine 1200mg and 3000mg keppra, and I'm having the opposite problem as you, I have to overeat to keep a healthy weight, I actually eat when I'm not even hungry because I'll lose weight if I don't. I think it's the Keppra that causes weight loss, good luck.

I have been on Tegretol and Keppra for years and I don't put on weight but I am not a fan of large portion meals although I do like cakes and chocolate.That wasn't much help to you really! Hope you find an answer.

I agree, when my daughter was put on Epilim, we were warned to watch her weight. I would say the drugs only cause people to gain weight, because they increase appetite and obviously the more calories they take in, the more they will gain weight!

We're all so different and our bodies all work so differently, it's very hard to tell. I've read teh labels of some drugs (and some are AED's) where the side effects can be wight loss OR weight gain, depends on the way your individual body works, your lifestyle, what you eat and lots of other factors.We're not machines, not all the same so it's very hard to say, but I think there are 2 factors involved with my weight problem, one is a huge appetite and I'm a comfort/boredom eater, and also have a slow metababolism, probably naurally have one and the AED's seem to add to that that problem, If I'd got a naturally fast one I'd probably find they did the opposite to me

Sorry Nik, I wish there was something I could say to make it better for you. I understand though as a stone and a half is an awful lot of weight to gain in this time. How long have you been on Epilepsy medication/had Epilepsy? I would be rather careful in trying to add a weight loss medication though. Unfortunately all medications have side effects and can effect people differently. I was on Tegretol for a while and I didn't gain any weight on it really and actually lost weight. I've been on a lot of different drugs though and some made me lose weight dramatically - especially Zonisamide but its other side effects were terrible - especially what it did to my mind and speech(which still isn't brilliant at times). Epilim Chrono makes me eat more or want to eat more and made me gain some weight(not that much though). Good Luck.

Will

Wow yes Epilim piles on the pounds, I went on that when I was 16 and was on it for about 2 years and I lost so much weight when I came off it. I have never eaten in the same way since it's as though my brain stops me from eating large portions. Keppra is almost the same for me anyway, it can cause some people to lose a lot of weight but not me. I am coming off it soon and hopefully I can get back to the size I was before I started taking it. The joke is both of my past neurologists claim there are no weight issues caused by Keppra which is totally untrue as all they have to do is search engine it and they will find threads like this. So coming off the drug and upping the exercise as my appetite was never increased so I can show my neurologist who is a lovely chap but the one before him made me feel like I was a whale that the medication was hindering me losing weight.

Hey I'm on lamotrigine and tegretol. Since being on thaws I've gained weight and dont really have much umph to do anything, I'm struggling with most things to be honest and I've got real bad hair loss too. I was going to post a topic about weight gain myself. I'm going to start to diet now for a while let's see how I do I'll keep you guys updated on if it works !

Well I'm very overweight and it's not the amount of food I eat as my portion would be childsize (no I'm not exagerating ),
I have a small bowl of bran or porridge made with water for breakfast. Lunch is meat & a small salad followed by a low fat yoghurt. Dinner is say a peice of breaded plaice and 5 (yes I'm being truthful ) oven chips as a treat.
I drink pints of water and about 3 cups of tea a day.

Can't eat bread as it gives me tummy pains.

I would love to lose weight but the only solution I can see is to completely stop eating and drink only water (not a good idea )

If anyone can give me a way to lose weight then please contact me.

Dewi

I think it's not you, it's your metabolism. Personally my metabolism is too high and I have to overeat to maintain a normal weight. For losing weight they say "move more and eat less" is the way to do it. I think most of us can't drive because of seizures, the moving more should be easy, eating less can be hard and when a thyroid or metabolism are part of it, it makes it even harder, good luck.

I suffer from agoraphobia (a fear of being outside alone) and also have balance problems so walking is difficult. Have recently employed a p.a. who comes 3 times a week and we go for a walk. Need a rollator (or as I call it a 'posh zimmer') but can now walk for 30 minutes.
Am also having therapy and doing 'exposure therapy'. It'll take some time to regain my confidence but I'm determined to return to the independent woman that I was 6 years ago.
Hopefully the more I can get out the better it will be for my weight.
Got myself a wii which is great but because of the balance problems can't do the exercises.
I'll be ok some time soon (I'm a determined b****r )

Dewi

I think it's a lot to do with your metabolism too. Mine is very slow, can tell cos I put on weight so easily but I could eat for Britain if I let myself. I don't do loads of exercise but do walk the dog for about an hour or 2 most days and do gardening (weather permitting).

I've noticed in the leaflets that come with many AEDs that the side effects can be weight gair OR weight loss, so it depends on the person.