Seroquel And Weight Gain (Page 4)

Is anyone else experiencing weight gain from seroquel? I still work out the same as always, and eat the same way, but I have gained over 20 pounds since i started seroquel 2 months ago. I dont want to stop taking it becasue i finally found a drug that helps, but this is an unacceptable side effect to me, anyone have any tips for dealing with this?

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yes I started taking seraquil back in september of 2012 and gained 63 pounds, it helped me in sooo many ways being on that drug but i just recently got off of it and was put on TOPAMAX---I Am BIPOLAR.

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I have been taking seraquil for about 5 months or so now 400 mg and I have gained 63 pounds with diet, excersice, etc it doesnt help to do any of that im sorry--- i know the drug helps because it helped me in so many ways with my bipolar but i had to get off of it and now im on topamax which i started a week ago and have lost 8 pounds on it--- one side affect to it is weight loss thats why im on it now and its great also....

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I have a theory regarding the dosage level of Seroquel taken and weight gain. I was taking 200 mg or less at night for four years and never gained weight, but when I doubled it to 400 mg I started to gain weight in a few months. I wasn't eating or exercising any more or less, and b/c I also have Crohn's disease it's always been extremely difficult for me to gain weight. I know the Seroquel changes your metabolism and puts you at greater risk for diabetes, thus it affects the insulin or sugar levels in the body. My theory then is perhaps there is a level in which your body will tolerate additional insulin caused by the med, but then if you exceed that level your body has too much of it and you gain weight. It's the only thing that makes since for me b/c I was on it for 4 years at 200 mg or below and my weight remained at 105 Ibs, but when I went over that level on a regular basis, my weight ballooned to 120-125 Ibs in less than a year and for the first time in my life. So perhaps it would help to lower the dosage level and then add in another med that doesn't cause weight gain to counter the lowered dose?

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i got off the sarequel and got on topamax and ive lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks.

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Hi there
I have been taking Seroquel but in tr cheaper version in Australia for a week now, and I actually have my zest for life given back to me, I want to eat healthier and exercise, whereas I was already binging and sleeping on the
couch all day. I only have 25mg though and the other drug I'm on Pristiq actually dampens my appetite. I already have to be careful with refined carbs and sugars as it is so I hope with eliminating those, I won't gain weight. I think I'm actually better off, for now, on Seroquel.

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Thank you for saying that 25 mg of seroquel made you gain weight! I have been on many different dosages, 800mg at night, 600, 400, 200, 100. I have gained 40 lbs, developed diabetes, tachycardia and worsened depression. Unbeknown to my pdoc, i weaned myself off "Serokill". Yes, it helped with sleep and non stop thoughts but, I BECAME FAT!! Craved carbs and sweets. I excersize now and diet, lost 25 lbs BUT now some symptoms are back... Hard time sleeping which led to overactive thought process. So, i brokedown and took a 25 mg Seroquel, yes I slept well but started to wonder if Just taking 25 mgs would cause weight gain. Now, thanks to you, my question was answered! Goodbye 25mg, no thanks, no more unwanted weight!! I will take 50 mg of Benadryl tonight, thats is all a low dose of Seroquel is anyway, same as Benadryl, Seroquel at 25 mg is nothing but an antihistamine. Thank you for sharing. P.S, I have been on Abilify, Geodon, Respiridol, Zyprexa, Abilifyand they all suck!! All cause weight gain, and most cause diabetes. Hope I, in turn have helped someone else get off this evil drug!!! Lorraine

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I have been taking Seroquel XR 400 for about 3 years. I was always skinny and never had a problem with weight or swelling. I have gained 90 pounds and I experience extreme swelling in hands legs feet and ankles. I have been training to do triathlons for a while now and eating a 1200 to 1500 calorie diet. Nothing helps it only seems to get worse. My doc told me yesterday that taking this med there is no way I will lose weight. So we have made the decision to go off of it by increasing another one of my meds. This is my only chance to drop weight.

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I have been taking Seroquel for nine years. I started with 25 mg and went up to 300 mg. I gained nearly 40 pounds over six years, but then reduced my dosage to 100 mg of the extended release version and lost 30 pounds in a couple months with zero exercise. Seroquel made me painfully hungry, all the time, and I craved sugar nonstop. I am finally back to my original weight, but that is because I started taking Concerta for A.D.D. Unfortunately, Seroquel is my lifeline for treating bipolar disorder. I cannot sleep, at all, without it. Lack of sleep caused severe mood swings and it wasn't until I could treat the insomnia that my mood leveled out. I found that the extended release helped in many ways, one being that I was significantly less sedated in the morning. It takes longer to fall asleep, but I don't feel like I am in a coma and unable to function in the middle of the night. The weight gain was horrible, but I was going crazy before I took Seroquel.

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I weighed this morning, and I’ve lost almost two pounds in less than a week! It is not easy to lose weight on an antipsychotic, but I am slowly succeeding. So far I've lost 15 pounds in about three and a half months while taking Seroquel 300 mg and Klonopin 1 mg three times a day.

So, you might be wondering how I did it. I’d have to say I did it by education and trial and error. These are some of the things I did:

Created accountability. I started a blog that has made me accountable for my actions. If I give up on my plan, I will be very disappointed in myself. Writing every day to my readers encourages me to keep on a straight path. But that’s only one type of accountability.

Ate early in the day. I started eating breakfast, trying to front load my food intake to earlier in the day, and having my supper before 5:30 pm if possible. Your life schedule might be different than mine–just try eating within an hour of waking and having your last meal 4-5 hours before you go to bed.

Drank coffee to kill cravings. Not giving in to evening and night food cravings was quite the challenge, but I found that drinking a cup of fresh-brewed coffee with a little cream and sweetener dampened my appetite and made sticking to my plan easier.

Cut carbs. I cut out sugar and refined flour. I made my food choices by examining the content of what I was eating. I tried to get some protein in every meal and snack I had, and I chose foods that were not high in carbohydrates. I also tried to eat foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, like nuts and berries, chicken and salad, grilled steak and mixed vegetables.

Cut calories. I kept a food diary and jotted down what I ate, how much I ate, and how many calories I’d consumed in order to keep my intake at 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. You can google your food and how much of it you ate, and it will tell you how many calories you had.

Exercised vigorously. I upped my exercise routine to include stairclimbing with walking for cardio. I also added more weight machines to my regimen and raised the amount of weight I was using for each one.

Relied on support. I leaned on my friends, family, and my psychologist and psychiatrist. I shared my frustrations and small victories with them. It is important that you have social support, too.

Changed negative thinking. There were times when I felt really bad about myself, that I had let my weight get out of hand. But I consciously stopped those negative thoughts through positive self-talk, distractions, and healthy behavior like playing with my son or playing music. It’s like this — stay busy, and don’t be your own worst enemy.

Stopped weighing myself every day. I went from daily weighing to weekly weighing, and I found it to be a much more encouraging experience.

Had a “cheat” meal. Once a week I let myself eat a meal of whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted. I don’t want to feel like I can never eat food for fun again. And let me tell you, I enjoyed every bite of those cheat meals!

These were the most important things I did to lose this weight. I hope this is helpful to you.

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I was taking 400 mg for 5 months and gained 63 pounds I couldn't do anything to get the weight off so now I take only 50 mgs of Seroquel just to ease the withdrawl and my doc put me on Topamax 100 mgs 2 times daily ive lost 30 pounds in 3 months with out changing diet or exercising because I have stomach problems and a broken foot etc. so im ok now.

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I have been on 50mg of seroquel for about 3 months now. It is the ONLY medication that has helped me sleep. I normally weigh 110lbs, I currently weigh 135lbs and am not doing well emotionally. I have also been taking celexa for 11 months for depression. The weight gain is making me more depressed. HELP! Any advise is welcome!!!!

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I started taking seroquel one year ago. I quit drinking and couldn't seep. I never ate sweets and always have eaten a proper diet. I have gained 30 pounds ... Always hungry and craving sweets and carbs... Can't sleep without it. Please someone give me a way to sleep and get off this medication. I have been on celexa for 3 years with no side effects but doesn't help the sleeplessness.

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Unfortuneately?...Almost All psych meds cause weight...I did take one that I liked and
I didn't gain weight..It was celexa

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I have to tell you that I know exactly how you feel.....I've been on so many meds over the course of many years trying to treat the chronic insominia that I have battled for years on end which totally screws up my quality of life.....I recently went thru SO many huge life changes over the last 3 years that I wanted to trow in the towel; had to close my business after 18 years due to the economy, forced into early retirement, seek disability for a chronic health problem, the death of a 30 year marriage that I didn't see coming, moving to a new town where I hardly knew a soul and the death of my dear Mom from breast cancer, so it has been a difficult road that has been really tough. Now I finally feel like I'm getting my life in order EXCEPT for the chronic condition of insomnia which I refer to as hell....I was on Trazadone, something else (dang, what was it) that eludes me now plus ambien at night....it was working like a champ until I had a nerve block in my hip for another issue (I have IC a chronic bladder problem which without this implant near my bk right hip that sends pulses to the bladder to make things work ok, which it is, but my back constantly hurts because of the placement)...Anyway, after the nerve block (a steroid of some sort) ALL my meds stopped working and my taste buds shut down, that all happened the first week in JUne....I can't make my Doctor understand that I really do go as many as 7 or more nights without sleep, he doesn't want to up the Trzodone, so he puts me on Seroquel, at a low dose of 50mg/nite which I had taken b4 years ago at a low dose that I knew wouldn't work.....so I decided to see what would work for me, well it's 100mg of Seroquel, two (2) 1mg alprazolam (Xanax) and one (1) ambien.....it works, but in the last week I can pretty much see myself gaining weight (I'm 5'7', 125 lbs and that is my ideal weight), I'm mortified.....not to mention I'm in NY visiting my daughter, away from home in AR...so I call the dr. and he wants me to try Vistaril (Hydroxyzine, 22.5mg)....does anyone know about that med. I'm almost certain I have taken it before. I should also mention that I can take 5mg of Xanax and get a good nap....so I'm think I'm gonna try that do 4 1mg Xanax and 1 Ambien for the next nite or 2 to see if that will work for me.....I'm desperate, as I know many of us are when we are seeking sleep. I'm nervous about taking a new drug when I am away from home......I should also mention that I constantly research, read and seek reviews from others trying to figure all this out...

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I have been taking Seroquel for several months now, 300mg at night. I had the same issue my weight started going up I gained 6 kilograms a month. I decided this was unacceptable to allow to continue as I am very careful about eating healthy, and am normally an active person. I found that in order to lose weight on this drug, you need to be exercising heavily (45 minutes to an hour a day) and regularly. I also started taking a non stimulant weight loss supplement which is helping . I agree this drug does help what it is prescribed for but it is a pain because of the constant battle dealing with the side effects.

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I have been on Seroquel mixed up with some other drugs, for 2 years now. I have gained over 90 pds. which is so hard to take, but the drug is the best I have ever had..I actually feel quite normal, and even being mentally disabled, It has helped so much!
I am trying to continue my education.

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I just started 25mg of seroquel at night and it has been a god send. I was experiencing such anxiety I was ready to go to the hospital. I take it with lithium 900 mg at night and .50 mg zanex. My sleep is improved but it doesn't knock me out and after 3 nights Im actually eating less. down to one meal a day. I'm wondering if since I am so calm after only 25 mg that at 400 mg I would stop exercising due to lack of energy and weight would come on. I wonder if it is the dosage that affects the weight gain.

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Yeah I have gained about 10 pds, I take one 300 mg a day, well actually I break it up into 3 doses because it always makes my nose so stoped up I can't breath...

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visteril is a stong antihistamine. No side effects and I find it to be about as strong as 75 mg of benedryl. If you are used to xanex and drugs like that to sleep you'll have to take both. It didn't work for me by itself.

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Me ! My doctor is checking me for edema because my feet and ankles are HUGE! My weight gain has also been huge! Gaining about 60 pounds. I am livid as to why my psychiatrist would think Seroquel would be a good choice when he knows that for me to be gaining weight, that is a no no!!

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