... around 110lbs now I've gained a conciderable amount of weight. I am a vegetarian I don't do dairy. I do not eat anymore then I ever did. I eat out of necessity I do not over stuff myself. They had me actually writing down my calorie intake daily along with my weight and I wasn't eating more then 1500 cal on a good day. I am stuck at a certain weight which for me isn't healthy and there's the issue of type II Diabetes. Anyone have this problem or any advice. I know I should excersize more
Has anyone using Seroquel experienced a weight gain issue? I started @
Question posted by Mom2Emily10 on 17 Sep 2010
Last updated on 12 April 2024 (4 weeks ago) by zombiestate
52 Answers Page 2
I was placed on this after a severe hoax through FB back in 2010. This medication not only gave me severe nightmares that I could NOT wake up from even when family attempted, but the weight gain hit fast. I went from a size 10 to a 16 within a 2 week period and it didn't even increase my appetite. I continued to have sleep issues and didn't respond well to the med, but I gave it a try and the days my body finally collapsed and did sleep is when I experienced the nightmares. All the way around in the medical field Seroquel is NOT for just anybody, although it does have benefits for others. In many cases it isn't worth it in the long run because of other medical problems that can arise as a result. As far as exercise, that's another thing I do 3-4 days a week 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. at a time.
You would "think" that would help a person sleep, but it doesn't do anything for me other than help the figure and making me feel glad that I got my exercise for that week out of the way as I do believe exercise has many benefits. The insomnia apparently seems to be something that medical professionals don't have a good enough grip on and using people as guinea pigs. I'm tired of having been that route for so long.
yes about 20lbs overthe last year,dont have the motivation to do anything about it
i use seroquel befor i gain alot of weight on it
I most certainly gained a considerable amount of weight when I started Seroquel. 60 pounds in 3 1/2 months! I found that staying active really helped. Good luck!
Seroquel has been the worst of them all as far as being a weight gainer and very quickly, too. But it is an excellent antipsychotic and I do well taking this med. Some important things that I do and suggest for you is definitely watch the diet but mainly control the eating. Exercise it's not in my vocabulary but staying active is!
Yes, unfortunately I did gain weight while on Seroquel. I was on it a few years ago for about six months. I stopped taking it, and started Wellbutrin. I lost the weight . I recently added the new drug Viibryd. I have gained several pounds already, even though weight gain is not a side effect. That is the reason I wanted to try it. Seems like they all cause weight gain. We'll see!
I think that pretty much ALL of the anti-depressants, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics have this effect, even though doctors will argue with you that it isn't related to the drugs; when you just know that your body has changed in terms of metabolism. It is just an unfortunate fact about these drugs.
I consume depakote and abilify for bipolar I, and I must say that the difference between abilify and zyprexa (which I used to take) is radical. With a long walk each day, calorie counting, and weighing myself on a daily basis, my weight is stabilized. Although that sort of weight scrutiny seems obsessive, I see that if you notice the scales moving upward one day, you can immediately nip it in the bud before the weight gets out of control. I have weighed 117lbs for over a year, and that's fine with me. It doen't seem fair that people consuming such drugs have to battle this issue, but we are all in the same boat, and what can be done if you need to take these meds.
I put on 25 pounds since using Seroquel for sleep (300 mg.). In 6 months! It may knock me out for up to 3 hours, but then I'm awake. And more depressed than ever because I am overweight for the first time in my life. And exercise and diet don't make me lose the weight. I'm convinced it screws with your metabolism and overall body chemistry. And it's so frustrating when your doc says it doesn't have these side effects! I think he actually thinks I eat fast food every day and never exercise. I feel like I'm being "difficult" because I keep trying to get him to believe me about the Seroquel and weight gain connection!!
It makes everyone gain weight, I had to be strictly vegan and raw vegetarian with juicing and stuff to control it but now I'm getting off the Seroquel and my appetite isn't as bad as it use to be. I always felt hungry! If you wanna stay on that med for insomnia I would switch to the extended release. It knocked me out for 10 to 12 hours! I hate that medicine but it did help me rest over the last year. Now I am trying some other things under my neuros care cause she thought it was a bit strange to take such a high dose of an antipsychotic to SLEEP! My issues ended up being restless limb and anxiety, cause I went without sleep for so long I needed something to calm my mind. Last night I slept from 11pm to 5am and when its REAL sleep (not drugged) it feel MUCH better. :)
I am bipolar also. I am on Seroquel and have lost 18 pounds in 4 weeks and still losing. What I did was to cut out all wheat products (bread, biscuits, crackers, cookies) etc anything that contains any wheat. I also do not eat any processed foods, like even if it is made out of rice or oats or something I do not eat it if it is processed. I only eat whole foods like vegetables, potatoes, brown rice, corn, fruits, popcorn. As a personal choice, I do not eat meat or dairy products because I do not like cruelty to animals, but you can still lose weight if you eat it and give up wheat and processed foods.
I think that if you tke seroquel before bed there is less of a chance that you will gain weight. I've been on it for 3 years and haven't gained any. I attributed that to the fact I was taking it at night and avoiding the daytime munchies good luck
I've been on seroquel for 3 years. Never had a weight gain problem with it. I take mine right before bed which means that if I get the munchies i'll be sleeping. Is there anyway you could take your right before bed as seroquel is known to cause the daytime munchies?
I would have to agree with the majority of posts... yes... Seroquel is not weight neutral. I've been battling the excess poundage and it seems that nothing makes a difference. I've been on a variety of anti-depressent/anti-psychotics and ironically, the weight gain is depressing in and of itself. Maybe 10 or 20 lbs would not be so hard to handle, but it seems that we're typically talking around a 50 lbs weight gain for most people. Personally, it's been around 70 lbs. Talk about a kick in the self-esteem. And in addition to the expense of medication/appts, etc, you wind up with the expense of a new wardrobe (actually more than1, as you continue to gain weight). My sister has repeatedly refused medications that cause weight gain. While I do not agree that that has always been in her best interest, in a way I can understand it. I get fed up with being overweight and everything else that goes along with.
And yes, I do engage in daily exercise, eat healthy and engage in all the requisite behavior that should result in a much smaller physique.
At first I thought I was crazy because I was gaining weight every week and nothing had changed except they uped my Seroquel from taking 200mg to 800mg and immediatly I saw the change , I went back to my doc and told him i didn't want to take this anymore because it is making me fat , he really didn't want me to change instead gave me another pill to try and offset this . Well I went down to taking only 200mg on my own and was put on Adderall and I have noticed a huge difference and it hasn't effected my mood , I probably will totally stop taking it at all . This is the only Drug that I have taken that has resulted in such a huge weight gain in a short amount of time .
YES !! This happens to alot of people when they first start taking this med. I went from 110 to 160 pounds!!! I thought I was depressed befor !!! Man, I felt like a cow.
Hello mom2emily10! I really sympathise with you! I gained weight on Zoloft and cannot get it off! I have been on it over 5 years now and it has really helped with my depression and anxiety. That is why I am afraid to change to another medication. After working as a psychiatric nurse for 16 years I saw my patients gain weight on several psychiatric drugs. We all are in the same boat, but of course feeling normal is our goal. I have read the comments by other members and they all sound very helpful. In fact, I am going to talk to my doctor tommorow about Topamax. I started this weight gain years ago and I had never weighed over 130 lbs in my life. I have gone up to 215! I do eat healthy and exercise, but not enough. I have osteoarthritis and bursitis so I also cannot do alot of weight bearing exercises. So now I have discovered that swimming is the best exercise for me.
They have swimming classes in most gyms and I have met some women with MS in my class. You can eventually do the exercises on your own in the pool. I just need to get back to the gym to swim at least 3-4 days a week. I have only been going 1-2 days because of the heat here. I do not have AC in my vehickle and the gym is 45 minutes from my home. I know that sounds like excuses but I cannot tolerate the heat. ( medications+ hormonal changes.) Well I hope with all the comments fron everyone that you will be able to find the right answer. Drugs.com members are just the best! Sweetie Pie
My sister has been on Zoloft for years and gained a bunch of weight. She didn't really eat healthy or exercise but now shes switching to Celexa and said it seems to help and shes losing weight! So shes happier!
Related topics
seroquel, depression, bipolar disorder, weight loss (obesity/overweight), post traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, weight
Further information
- Seroquel uses and safety info
- Seroquel prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Seroquel (detailed)
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