Seroquel And Weight Gain (Page 6) (Top voted first)

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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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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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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I have been on the 12.5 seroquel for about a month now and no weight gain. I did loose five pounds because i cut out sugar totally and my appetite is as always.
I really think that the dosage has to do with this drug. Since i am bi-polar and tend to have problems with sleep and anxiety attacks and mania a anti-depressant is out of the question. I am on 900 mg of lithium to control the mood swings but it is a low dose and to save my kidneys and liver in the future my doc suggested a little seroquel to help the lithium work. It is and since I haven't gained a pound so far I am hoping for the best.
It seems we are all just different when it comes to this drug.
Be well

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I have been on seroquel for over two years. I started with 300 mg and it worked wonders for me. But within six months I had gained 40 lbs even with regular exercise and not changing my pretty healthy diet. I talked to my doctor and she really encouraged me to minimize carbs and focus on portion sizes.

If I'm not strictly dieting, I'm gaining weight. My weight can never just stay the same. Its very frustrating. But after really cutting my portions and carbs, I've lost about 20 lbs.

Out of all the diets I've tried, low carb seems to be the ticket. My doc recommended south beach diet, stating that many patients on seroquel do well on it. Good luck!

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I get that..I think I must snore like a bull moose! My nose gets so stopped up..and nothing helps! My husband has started to sleep upstairs! Not only that..I went from a size 10 to a size 18 in less than a year. I am on disabiltiy, and seroquel is awesome for me in that respect, I have actually gone back to college (mostly online) and have an Associates degree now I have started to plateau and am losing a bit at a time..it's the only drug that has really worked for me..I am so hooked on this drug, one day without and I have HUGE issues..(600mg a day) Any ideas on another good mix would be great, but actually, I take Pristiq, Wellbrutrin, The Seroquel,and a small dose of Respridol, and Campral. I am 44 and wish I was in better health.

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that is a HIGH dosage on lithium....omg....

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visteril does not work for everybody...Benadryl makes me wide awake....

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i cannot imagine you taking adderall and seraqual from the same Dr...adderall is the reason I'm on seraqual.

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I also gained alot of weight on it. 85 pounds in 4 months for me i was on 400 mlgs now i take only 50 mlgs because its very hard to get off of plus my psychiatrist Put me on Topamax and I've lost 70 pounds in 4 months. Plus it still helps.

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I have gained weight while on Seroquel. After I take it I feel like I'm starving. I lowered my dose and went on a diet.

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900mg of lithium is NOT a low dose....

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I don't have the option to lower my dose we have tried but my biggest weight gain was eating habits I am starving on the meds but I been fighting the feelings, walking and giving up soda and I have lost 30 lbs in 2 months

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It's been such a relief for me to find these forums about Seroquel - I felt so alone in dealing with all the side effects!

I was put straight onto 150mg which the psychiatrist warned me may make me put on weight, but assured me that it would only happen if I didn't watch my eating. I don't think this has been the case as I've read many forums that say it makes you put on weight no matter what you eat due to the histamine blocker effect.

Either way I was nervous as I've suffered from bulimia most of my 28 years. I found that I gained about 15lbs over my 3 years on this dose, in part due to bingeing once the hunger sets in and then being too tired to vomit...

But it's been a lot worse since I dropped. I've been coming off it for about 5 months, dropping 25mg a go, and I recently stabilised at 50mg for a while. The weight has PILED on. I've read that different doses can affect weight gain differently so I'm hoping that now I'm almost off I'll lose the weight again (on 25 currently but seeing the GP about cutting entirely this week).

Has anyone else experienced weight gain on a lower dose? I'm eating really carefully for the first time ever so I really think it must be the meds. So angry that I was ever put on these in thr first place... don't even get me started on the insomnia

K.

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So are you taking a water pill to help with the fluid retention? Has it helped?

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I've been on seroquel xr since 2010 and I've easily gained 60 pounds. I've recently asked my doctor to change my meds, but she won't because it works for my mental illness. I've been told that I need to go on a low carb diet and exercise. I've asked the nutritionalist if that's really going to help since seroquel xr is the reason I'm gaining weight. No one can answer that question. I've read all the comments here and it sounds like it increases a lot of people's appetites. I have to say it doesn't do that for me. I don't overeat and I'm committed to eating healthy now. I just feel bad because I'm obese and am pre diabetic. My friends and family get mad at me because they think I'm not taking care of myself. It's frustrating. Anyway, that's my vent.

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I was started on 150 mg of seroquel in 2010. After six months, I was bumped up to 300 mgs. I gained a whopping 40 lbs in 8 months! I followed a low carb diet, as recommended by my doc, and lost a measly 5 lbs in 4 months with vigorous exercise 4-5 times a week. I then decided (on my own, against the recommendation of my doc to start taking half the dose (150mg). After a month on the lower dose, I had dropped 15 lbs (and was feeling fine despite the lower dose) but have since plateaued with the weight loss. It's so frustrating. Wish I could completely get off it, but it truly has been a miracle drug for me. =\ NOTHING else has worked as well for my bipolar and insomnia as seroquel. Before seroquel, I was on 7 meds for my bipolar and sleep...and was STILL miserable. Now, I only have to take the seroquel. Guess I'll just be chubby =\ lol

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I as well have gained weight almost 40 pounds...I am ony way to titration off it..I started at 250mg and found it worked incredible but than the weight gain started. I'm now at 1 week left of 25 mgs hopefully things get better for us all

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