The very drugs millions of Canadians are taking to get through their day can cause dramatic weight gain, doctors are warning.
Psychiatric drug-related weight gain "is a huge problem," says Dr. David Lau, chair of the diabetes and endocrine research group at the University of Calgary and president of Obesity Canada.
"You can see patients gaining 10, 20, 30, 40 pounds," Lau says.
Not everyone taking antidepressants, mood stabilizers or newer generation antipsychotics will gain weight, he stressed. What's more, he said new antipsychotics, so-called "atypical antipsychotics" have been "tremendous in terms of bringing back the functionality of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression."
But Harvard University psychologist Paula Caplan warns of a vicious cycle, where patients who experience weight gain after taking psychotropic drugs are reluctant to discontinue their use.
"If they gain weight, they think 'I can avoid fast foods, or I can take smaller portion sizes or I can exercise more.' But to think, 'go off my medication that I believe is responsible for my being able to function, is too scary.'"
READ MORE@ VANCOUVER SUN
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
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