My Response to Elsevier's article on "Combating Weight Gain Caused by Antipsychotic Treatments"

Combating weight gain caused by antipsychotic treatments
by Elsevier

Many antipsychotic drugs cause weight gain, often massive weight gain, and Elsevier's article is about research evaluating the effect of another drug, modafinil, on olanzapine-associated weight gain in normal volunteer subjects.

It's alarming how ill-informed 'prescribers' are about the adverse effects of the powerful drugs they inflict on their patients.

All prescription drugs that result in weight gain do so because they cause the person taking them to develop some fluid retention. The extra fluid that accumulates in the patient's body contains sodium ions and the water associated with the sodium, in other words it is salt water. - The person has become slightly sensitive to salt.

The longer the medication is taken and the higher the dose, the greater the salt sensitivity. In a person who is not sensitive to salt, any excess salt intake above the biological minimum of salt that the body requires - about 1.3g per day - the excess salt and the water associated with it is excreted in the urine. In salt-sensitive individuals. some of the excess salt intake is retained in the body, along with the water that always accompanies it, thus causing fluid retention and weight gain (and also, incidentally, damaging the kidneys to some extent).

The way to reduce or to prevent the weight gain associated with antipsychotic drugs (and many other drugs too, including many prescribed steroids and antidepressants) is to avoid eating salt and salty food. - It is as simple - and as difficult! - as that. - So much food that we eat these days has had salt added by manufacturers that it is difficult to achieve a low salt intake; it is, however, well worth the effort.

Lose weight by eating less salt! - Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
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