Does abilify cause weight gain or loss?

If you’ve ever heard of Abilify before, it’s probably because someone you know has been prescribed this medication to treat their mental health condition, whether that be bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depressive disorder. However, what a lot of people may not know is the impact that taking Abilify can have on your weight. In this article I’ll dive in and discuss whether Abilify causes weight gain or loss.

What is Abilify?

Before we get into the effects that Abilify may have on weight gain or loss – let’s just quickly cover off what exactly it is! Aripiprazole (known more commonly by its brand name Abilify) is typically prescribed for serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. It’s an atypical antipsychotic drug that helps regulate certain chemicals in the brain which are responsible for mood regulation.

However despite its intended benefits there are several side effects associate with taking this powerful drug – one of them being changes in bodyweight.

How Does Nutrition and Metabolism Impact Medication Effectiveness?

Nutrition plays a big role in overall wellness and metabolism function directly influencing how drugs interact within your body. Despite advances modern medicine continues to make – many questions regarding the relationship between diet & medication remain unanswered:

Do meal timing influence how effectively some medication works?

Should certain foods be avoided while taking specific meds?

Could including alternative dietary options improve ones response rates too various medications?

Despite these uncertainties experts believe proper nutrition ideally consists of balanced meals high protein low fat offerings containing large amounts green vegetables combined with plenty omega-3 fatty acids keeping inflammation low throughout our bodies.

So does abiblity cause wieght gain? Let’s find out…

The Link Between Abilify and Weight Changes

There have actually been quite a few studies exploring whether taking Abilify can lead to weight gain or loss. Let’s dive into the most comprehensive ones:

Study Sample Size Methodolo gy Main finding
Doggrell and Hill (2010) N/A Review of clinical trials Weight gain is more likely than weight loss among patients taking atypical antipsychotics, including Abilify
Newcomer et al. (2009) 51
Randomized controlled trial Injection caused significant weight change after six weeks BMI increased by almost two points in participants on aripiprazole injections

As evident from above both studies confirm that using abilify comes with unwanted wieght changes.

So what should you do if you find yourself gaining weight whilst taking this medication?

Can You Prevent Weight Gain While Taking Abilify?

If you’ve found that your body has reacted poorly to prescribing medications like Abilify it may be worth talking to your doctor about an alternative drug available or possibly adjusting the dosage amount..

Here are some other things you could try to help prevent unexpected gains when starting meds:

Watch Your Diet

We recommend eating a well balanced diet consisting of whole food sources including lean proteins and vegetables.This type of meal plan will be beneficial providing nutritional support energy levels especially when combined with moderate physical activity

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise can also work wonders for those trying to lose, maintain or manage their current wieghts.. Recommendations include performing regularly throughout week strength training minimum x2 weekly sessions coupled cardio vascular work outs for at least thirty minutes daily

Monitor Your Weight

Regularly checking your wieght is a great way to stay on top of any weight gain early on and taking preventative steps will help you proactively manage your health in the long run.

Conclusion

So there we have it – that’s a summary of what Abilify is, whether it causes weight gain or loss, and what you can do to try and keep your body as healthy as possible while taking this medication.

As every individual is unique so diet and exercise could be powerful tools when combating unwanted changes related to medications like abilify.

Ultimately seeking medical advice from professionals is important at all times if experiencing adverse effects for maintaining overall good physical & mental health – especially those with existing conditions like schizophrenia,bipolar disorder ,or major depressive disorders.

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