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Australian Prescriber Vol. 34 No. 4 2011

Antipsychotic medicines and weight gain

Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat people with illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Although the drugs help to control the symptoms, they can cause side effects.

People taking these medicines often put on weight and are at higher risk of having diabetes and heart disease than the general population. They are also more likely to develop high blood pressure and have problems with their cholesterol levels. Because of this, regular check-ups with a doctor are important. The doctor will check for weight gain and measure blood pressure. They may also do blood tests for diabetes and cholesterol.

If you are taking antipsychotic medicines, there are things you can do to help prevent the weight gain. This includes eating a balanced diet and may involve cutting out fast foods and swapping full sugar fizzy drinks for diet drinks. A dietician will be able to give you advice about this. Exercising regularly can also help.