Diabetes and Psych Meds

[Angie]

Is anyone else out there frustrated with this combo, or have any good advice?

My psych meds (quetipine, mirtazapine, and probably vraylar) make me hungry and in specific I crave sugar.

So that makes me gain weight steadily and I am at my 5 foot 4 all time high of $!#$!$#@@# (not doing numbers in respect of my friends with problems in that regard), but its in the morbidly obese range.

I take glimiperide and I suppose I need to try Ozempic again (these are for diabetes).

My last A1c wasn't great and I dread the next because of the weight gain and sugar I've consumed.

What do I do? If I stop the medications I go completely off the rails so thats not an option. If I can tolerate the Ozempic again, that helps with the cravings.

Do you have any ideas?

 

[Pebble mouse]

Yeah, I struggle with this too. The drug that does it for me is clozapine. I lost around 20kg a while back, by sticking to a very strict diet but put 10kg back on. I'm in the overweight range for my BMI. Not much I can say or recommend. I will however be trying intermittent fasting and see how I go with that - in particular, 4 days of regular food, then 3 days of fasting (diet shakes and water only). It will be interesting to see how it goes

Maybe you could try something similar?? The diet shakes you can use are Optifast etc.

Good luck!

 

[FlamingoWrangler]

Hi @Angie

I gained weight on meds too. I am not diabetic, but I have a family history. It’s probably in the near future.

Its A battle for sure.

Things that have helped me.
try to see if there is a pattern & length of time.
if you notice you get a craving 1/2 hour after taking med XYZ, then take the med a 1/2 before you know you’ll be busy.
It depends on timing, but can help.

Helpful distractions. Doing something with hands-art, read, wash dishes, etc.
you even do a negative feedback thing- get a craving- clean the toilet, litter box, something you dislike. As goofy as it sounds - it works.🤣
you could even do Aroma therapy- diffuser or candle. a non food scent.

Many of the sugar free candies will give you diarrhea if you eat too many! Carbs are about the same, but…. 🤣

In the evening I always want sweets. ALWAYS.
what really helped me the most- making teas. mostly herbal, fruity, sweet. It takes a bit of time. Use my hands and really enjoy a couple cups.
In the warm seasons, I make myself a frozen treat/shake. Basically frozen fruit & milk. Sometimes a spoon of yogurt. I like the shake really thick or i will drink it too fast. I make milk ice cubes For it too.

Recently, I‘ve made a hot cereal treat-. Oatmeal with an apple. Sometimes just microwave an apple, sprinkle with cinnamon & a sweetener (oj is good).
you could be fancy and make a small oatmeal crumble on top.

idk if that helps, but I hope you can find something that works for you!

Oh, just remembered- when I have to have something sweet, look up “mug recipes” I have made a single serve brownie in a teacup in the microwave. Because on days like that—I have been known to eat 1/2 the pan by sunrise. 😳🤣

 

[Angie]

thanks @Pebble mouse and @FlamingoWrangler

good suggestions!

 

[WhereTheRiverGoes]

Had basically the same issue. I’m on insulin and have a bad heart, so I have to watch my sugar intake very carefully and really can’t afford to be too overweight. I couldn’t control the cravings my anti-psychotic (rexulti) was giving me, so I had to stop taking it. It’s made my mental health symptoms a bit harder to deal with, but you can’t get better if you’re dead, and my weight and blood sugar levels are much lower now, so…

 

[KM76710]

No advice from me on the medications but there are ways that depending on the person can help some with the weight. One I would suggest would be checking out sugarcane and/or sugarcane juice as a replacement for refined and processed sugar which is less healthy. There has been a bit of research over the years and more recently on the plants and the benefits.

 

[Livelife]

If you use white sugar for any reason there is also another substitute that has the texture and look of white sugar...it's called Monkfruit Sweetener and has no aftertaste like stevia can. It eats and cooks like regular sugar. Contains Erythritol and monk fruit extract. And it comes in bulk package and individual packet sizes.
0 calories, keto approved, 0 glycemic
When I get a sweet craving I like it mixed with cinnamon sprinkled on 1/2 piece of toast or an apple.

 

[Angie]

If you use white sugar for any reason there is also another substitute that has the texture and look of white sugar...it's called Monkfruit Sweetener and has no aftertaste like stevia can. It eats and cooks like regular sugar. Contains Erythritol and monk fruit extract. And it comes in bulk package and individual packet sizes.
0 calories, keto approved, 0 glycemic
When I get a sweet craving I like it mixed with cinnamon sprinkled on 1/2 piece of toast or an apple.

Thanks I'll look for that. Stevia is nasty.

 

[Flying Fox]

Oof, they can be a very nasty combination. I have been in the same boat. I am a Type 1 diabetic and had to switch from Mirtazapine to Duloxetine after about a month of taking it because of the weight gain and constant cravings.

You might want to ask your doctor about taking Duloxetine instead of Mirtazapine. Duloxetine helps with anxiety and doesn't have the same cravings side effect (at least for me).

Greek yogurt is a really good protein-filled snack because it is both filling delicious. Same with fruit. Having a bowl of peas or baby carrots on hand works too. I find that it's all too easy to eat automatically and as a distraction, like eating popcorn at the movie theatre.

One trick I use when eating is to leave a little bit of food left on my plate until it's time to clean up. That way I don't feel as if my plate is empty and that I need to add some more food or servings to it.

Drinking tea and more liquid helps a lot too. Tea helps with the appetite, I believe.

For sweeteners I use Splenda. Tastes much better than Stevia. Bran flakes are my cereal of choice. With Splenda a bowl of it is pretty nice; at the same time it lasts significantly longer than other cereals such as cornflakes or cheerios.

Chocolate milk, icescream, nutella, oreo cookies are way too much of a temptation to leave in the house xD.