Abilify And Weight Gain: Will It Make You Fat?

By Hilton Deanda


Abilify can cause some people to gain weight. A small weight gain while taking Abilify is not unusual but some people gain large amounts of weight rapidly. Being overweight can cause a number of health issues, particularly if someone stays overweight for years. The more body fat a person carries, the less efficiently their body metabolizes energy. Abilify can complicate this process even more.

How much weight someone might gain while taking Abilify is impossible to predict. Some people actually report they have lost weight while taking Abilify. However, this is probably a small percentage.

A study recorded children patients taking medications in the same class as Abilify gained about one pound per week. After eleven weeks the average weight gain was nearly ten pounds and two inches around the waist.

The more someone is overweight, the greater chance they have for developing diabetes and other diseases, such as heart disease and hypertension. These risks increase dramatically if someone is twenty pounds or more over weight. If you are required to be on Abilify but gain weight from it, ask your health care professional what she can prescribe to boost your metabolism and energy. In many cases this will prevent weight gain.

Some people have complained about how difficult it is to lose the weight they gained while taking Abilify. Others claim they cannot lose the weight at all. The reason Abilify causes weight gain is probably because Abilify makes the tissues of the body resistant to insulin much like diabetes does.

When the tissues resist insulin, the body cannot easily absorb excess sugar from the blood stream. This means residual sugar is floating throughout the body. Excess sugar can harm organs, particularly the brain and heart. To prevent organ damage, the liver absorbs the excess sugar.

The liver cleans the excess sugar out of the blood by converting it to fat and storing it on the belly. If this process continues it will eventually lead to a pre-diabetes condition in the body and ultimately full blown Type II diabetes. Be sure to keep your doctor informed of any weight gain you might experience. Monitoring blood sugar with a simple drugstore glucometer would be helpful too.

A healthy diet, regular physical activity, and a reasonable mood management strategy will not only minimize weight gain, it will also elevate your mood. Proper sleep, daily exposure to sunshine and social support will further help you manage depression as well as give you energy to enjoy life. The more you can use natural means to address depression and mood disorders the less medication will be needed.




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