I’ve been on Invega for about 3 and a half years now and I gained about 50lbs. I don’t eat that much food. So I’m thinking that the weight gain happened because Invega changed my blood sugar levels. I’ve been going down on the dose and am wondering if anyone has gained weight from the medications but then lost it by changing their diet or taking some other supplement or medication like Metformin? What do you guys recommend?
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Metformin will work for a bit and then nothing. Most of the “diet supplements” range from useless to dangerous. You’re going to have to eat fewer calories and burn more through exercise. Not really any shortcuts to be had here.
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Agreed. I stopped eating breakfast, a few weeks ago. Then I started having salad for lunch, with a low calorie dressing. And then we cut out the potatoes that we often had as a side, for dinner (usually made-from-scratch mashed potatoes or made-from-scratch french fries).
With all of those changes, I am hoping to lose some weight. Haven’t been weighed recently. I hope to see some results, eventually.
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I’m working on changing my diet to remove sugars and carbs which apparently turn into sugar, but I really believe that if my blood sugar is high which the last time it was checked was at 100. Invega is reported to increase blood sugar so I believe that if I reverse the effect by taking something that lowers my blood sugar my weight will return to normal. I also am making steps to start working out. I was skinny before invega and had a six pack. I could always eat anything and never get bigger.
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Well. Yes, I did.
I quit the AP. Recently got very depressed and anxious after being triggered. And stopped eating. Lost more than 10kg very quickly. Back to normal weight. Still not eating very much. Not sure if that is a route you want to follow after though. 
Eating very healthily helped a bit too. Just whole foods. No junkfood, no sugar, no additives, nothing weird, little carbs. Just plain veggies and meat and fish and nuts and all. Tried keto for a bit too. That made me lose as well.
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lol thats awesome for you. I stopped the AP for 5 months and was doing fine until I started going manic again. I had waaay to much energy, was walking EVERYWHERE and started to black out and then I’d wake up in the hospital. It was awful. I believed I was going to Hogwarts, packed my bag walked out the door and then all of a sudden I was in the hospital psych ward and had been there for days. I don’t even know how I got there or what happened. I also was speaking in an english accent for a while and had a different personality until the meds kicked in. It was a weird time.
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I lost all my extra weight on generic prolixin…fluphenazine…only by diet…took about four years…I used to weigh 355 at my highest and now I weigh 189.
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thats awesome! What is Prolixin Fluphenazine? do you still take a AP as well?
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I lost 5 stone twice in 23 years on zyprexa, put it all back on
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Well, it wasn’t ALL bad when I was having a different personality tho. I made a lot more friends LOL.
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Uhoh, that sounds like a weird experience. You literally thought you were going to Hogwarts?
You know. That helps me. I had a real bad week. I’m still on the fence, believing some of the weird thoughts to be true. It always helps me to read other people’s delusions that are obviously not real to me (as mine are to others)…it helps me, somehow, know mine “possibly” are not real either.
As for the losing weight: I’d always try the diet-route over the med-route. There’s also some herbs that suppress appetite, but you need to read about them real carefully and preferably ask a good herbalist. I know a few, but am a bit careful to recommend openly on a forum.
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That’s awesome! What diet do you follow? Like what don’t you eat anymore?
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I have a lot to say on this topic I gained 100 lb by taking clozapine and lost 75 lb by switching to Abilify
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You might want to consider switching medications with a psychiatrist
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Wow! That’s awesome! I’m scheduled to talk to him tomorrow, so I’ll be sure to discuss it with him. Thanks!
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generic prolixin = fluphenazine…it’s a first generation ap…some are scared of those but I no longer have a possibility of getting tardive anymore so I’m happy.
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I am on Invega and I gained weight and then was same weight for a year and more since I started on Invega about 4 years now. My problem was that I was inactive for most of the time. That I have changed. I am also counting calories.
I dont blame Invega. I am on lower dose of 100 mg every 28 days. At least it is better than Zyprexa for me.
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It’s not safe to stop ap without doctors supervision
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It was not safe to continue it. I had deep vein trombosis because of the AP (it was already a year ago). I was in a ward. My doc did not want to test for and treat it. Escaping and quitting the AP made the DVT go away. After a while another professional finally forced my doc to look at my leg. He went pale, and highly nervous, and said he was happy I was still alive (by ignoring his advice). Situations aren’t always the same.
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In the last couple of months I’ve managed to lose about 10 pounds. I have done this by trying to replace meals with an organic vegan meal replacement protein drink. I am trying to replace two meals but so far I have been replacing only one meal most days because I’m hungry.
This is sustainable and eventually I will the weight I’m wanting to lose. I’m in control by choosing one or two meals depending on my resolve, appetite, of how fast I lose.
For me several low calorie meals (or meal replacements) are the best way to lose weight. The frequent meals stimulate my metabolism and the low calories allow me to slowly lose weight.
This is the drink I get from Amazon. It’s usually around $2 per meal which is great for my budget.
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