I've recently been put on 300mg Seroquel XR which I take once at night to compliment long term use of Seroxat for anxiety. The Seroquel seems to be working really well for the anxiety but my weight has increased rapidly. Since I started on the Seroquel only a few weeks ago I have put on about 8lbs. I'm a bit of a weight control freak so for me this is a disaster. Does anyone have any experience of this? How can someone control weight gain while taking Seroquel?
Seroquel XR weight gain?
Question posted by toffeeman92 on 31 Aug 2010
Last updated on 12 March 2022
20 Answers Page 2
I have been taking a very small dose(100mg) of seroquel,but I still gained weight. I was 185lbs. and now and 223lbs. I tried everything like walking about a mile or two daily,biking,etc. I didn't eat any sugars since I am diabetic. The drug has to be a contributing factor to gaining weight. I have went back to Trilafon now and I will see how long it takes me to get back to the 185 I used to be. I was staying at a mental health facility for almost 2yrs. and everyone there gained weight off of seroquel. I eat very healthy as well,avoiding fried foods and even diet cokes. Hope I am wrong.
To give some background, I have tried at least a dozen of the new antipsychotics. All of them have caused either impotence (some worse than others) or weight gain. All of them caused impotence except Invega, my first drug, which caused me to gain 80 pounds in eight months, and my current drug, Seroquel XR, of which I take 400 mg, which has caused me to go from 200 pounds (skinny) to 290 pounds. I eat very little, a habit I grew accustomed to when I was on Abilify, which caused all drives, including hunger, to almost disappear. Anyway, I eat very little; I have even eaten less; yet I always gained weight until I approached 290 pounds. I now have a regimen of serious weight lifting and have gained much muscle--my health in general has improved. But I do not lose weight. The drug affects the brain in a way that causes weight gain--perhaps not in everyone, but definitely me.
Another thing I have not found among others who take Seroquel XR is my experience with caffeine. Caffeine has ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT ON ME. None. I can drink one cup or three pots; it doesn't matter, no effect. I do experience a slight sedative effect when I take my nightly dose of Seroquel, but it does not make me sleep an obnoxious part of the day away--which Abilify did--it made me sleep 11 or 12 hours a day, when I wasn't busy being completely zombified. Abilify also made it absolutely impossible for me to get an erection. I got down to 170 or 180 pounds on Abilify as well, which for me is bone and skin.
Perhaps some day they'll stop making schizophrenics choose between being fat or impotent to partake in their pharmaceutical miracle cures.
All else aside, Seroquel XR has been the most effective drug at fighting my paranoia and the other psychoses that go along with it; even my OCD has disappeared, which I had previously considered a life-long condition without any hope of help.
i appreciate this column immensely - i have been on lithium for 18 years and recently went off it and am now on Seroquel XR 400 at night for sleep and bipolar - Last summer before the Seroquel i was 124-125 - i am now in two months 136 lbs. i am a recovered bulimic for almost 35 years and work out (swim/walk/bike etc) and the weight just stays on..i eat so incredibly healthy that i cannot believe that i am still at this weight - i have decided to go back on the lithium and find another sleep medication because, like the zyprexa, i am at a weight that i cannot stand and is making me more and more crazy - i am considering homeopathy and herbs for sleep -
I would not recommend seroquel XR to any one. There are other medications that do the same thing and do not have the horrible weight side effect. I took seroquel for 2 years. I'm naturally 5'8 135 pounds. I gained so much weight on that medication when I finally stopped taking it after 2 years. I weighed 215 pounds. I've not taken the medication in years. When I finally got off the medication it was a like a miracle in less then 3 months I was 135 again. I was always hungry on the med. I had horrible side effects to that medication. If you are taking seroquel you will gain weight. 8lbs in one week then from there it gets worse. I was actually working out at a gym 2 days a week and I would just at 215 lbs. For me being over weigh was uncomfortable. Taking seroquel for that 2 years was the worst 2 years of my life.
I used to take Seroquel XR 400mg. Before I was about 5'6" 160lbs. The Seroquel with Depakote shot up my blood pressure and cholesterol. At the peak I was about 240lbs within a year. After off it I haven't been able to get back down to 160. I am 185lbs right now and trying to get the rest off. This drug is so bad I feel that the doctors prescribing it don't realize that this drug could have killed me with my blood pressure and cholesterol along with a huge weight gain. I think what also happens is that you will be sleeping a lot which is why people gain so much weight from it until about a month or two months in of a routine.
What medication did yo switch to? Having the exact same prob as you!
The same exact thing happened to me, 8lbs in a week, and I have a small frame, I was irate lol. I had to decrease my dose, exercise more, and eat healthy. Good luck :)
And did the weight come off?
Sure did. Not as easy as it went on, but it did come off relatively quickly :)
Thks, How do you find the Seroquel? How does it help you?
I was prescribed Seroquel a few years ago when I went into the ER for the 3rd or 4th time b/c I hadn't slept in days, and I was a wreck because of it. The psychiatrist on call put me on it only b/c I had been there so often to get a shot of Ativan so I could get a few hours sleep. I ended up on 800 mg for a year or so, and now I'm down to 25mg as needed.
I also take seroquel same dose as you and have taken up to 900mgs.
You are not putting on the weight by taking the pill, a side effect of this medication which is very common is increased appetite, so that is why you are 8 Ibs above your actual weight.
Tips :
When you get this incredible desire to eat, have an apple or 2, eat healthy things low in fat and calories, but mainly the fat.
Drink plenty of water, avoid sodium (salt), eat veggetables, etc... hypocaloric diet, low in carbs high on protein with salads, etc
If you are able to , exercise at least 3 to 4 days a week, join a gym, or jog, run, ride a bike, you must have a physical activity.
I am 42 male, I take 4 meds which side effects are increased appetite, my weight is in proportion to my height, I train 5 days a week, hypocaloric diet, and I am very fit ( I am not bragging only sharing).
So there are ways to control your weight, of course you will gain weight if you do not exercise and eat healthy, I eat 5 to 6 times in a day, and have not put on an ounce.
Take care.
Thanks maso4169. I am exercising more and changed my diet as from today so hopefully the weight I have put on will fall off quickly. As a matter of interest how long are you on Seroquel and how has it helped you?
I have been on seroquel for 5 years, and it changed my life completely for the better.
I do wish it does the same to you.
Take care... remmember a good heart healthy diet plus execersie, and you will be back on your normal weight, and fitter... trut me , we all have this weight issue when it comes to meds!
Thanks. That's really great to hear that you are taking Seroquel so long and it's still working. Does the dose need to be increased as the months go by or does the same dose now have the same effect in say 3 years time? I'm interested because I've had crippling anxiety for a good while now and Seroquel has made it go away so I'm just hoping it stays away while I'm on the Seroquel.
Well you are probably on this low dose to see how your organism reacts to the med, but as time goes by doses do increase, one is for better results and the other one is because one builds up tolerance to the drug. you are on a trial basis, and probably will be for several months, so do´nt worry.
Now I am on 300mg p.m., been on this dose for 2 years now.
Take care.
I am so so sick of hearing this. Until 34 I was never over 8 stone 4 lb. I am now, on seroquel for bipolar 1, nearly double that weight. It has NOTHING TO DO WITH how much you eat. The pharmacists talk superficially about interference with appetite and the satiety hormone because either the real explanation is too complicated or inescapable or they don't really know. I eat nothing compared to what I was able to eat before I was on seroquel. My appetite has in no way increased, if anything it has lessened because my body/mind have slowed down so much with the drug. I eat no more than a third of what I used to eat, way below RDA and I am nearly twice as heavy. At 34 I was told it would put weight on me, but did not believe it and was 7 stone and ill anyway so actually rather hoped it would. I actually had just taken up work in a charity shop and so was walking about far more and eating/snacking far less. I STILL put on a stone in 2 weeks and just did not know what had hit me.
At 9 stone I had bought my first full-time tracksuit and stopped going out for social reasons. I repeat, I was eating less and excercising more and I still put on weight which it is impossible to lose - I can eat literally nothing, just have sugarless liquids and milk and coffee for a week, and nothing changes; I lose nothing. Sometimes even gain. Pharmacy companies are now admitting the problem and trying to work on drugs tailored to a different chemical to dopamine in the brain, glycene. This is their way of admitting that on eg seroquel, olanzapine etc, there is nothing that can be humanly done or advised to counteract weight gain. It has zilch to do with appetite/satiety.
I gained a significant amount of weight with Seroquel -30lb.s! At 45, I'd never had a weight problem in my life. With exercising and healthy eating, I lost the weight. Just be careful to consume enough good fats like olive oil and butter on your vegetables to help your body absorb nutrients and fight the constipation that is also a side effect of Seroquel. And make sure you are eating enough if exercising so your body won't go into starvation mode hence slowing down your metabolism even further making it more difficult to lose weight. These are challenges I faced before losing 16lb.s, and it is my mission to help others avoid them!
im on 300mgxr seroquil along with 45mg of mirap(mirtazapine) yes after taking them u feel hungry but i drink water sometimes eat a bit of fruit but you still gain weight ofter times id take them and for 3 weeks i wudnt eat and i still gain weight the tablets affect everyone differently i do 50mins on a treadmill and 20 on an exercise machiene eat healthy drink water and im still gaining weight and its all on my stomach my arms and legs are skinny
But seriously. How do I control my hunger. I workout just about every day for a pretty long time and eat healthy most of the day. However it’s caused me to sleepwalk to the kitchen several times every night and eat up everything. Having a hard time with that. I’ve already tried, not keeping unhealthy/easy to eat foods in my apartment, eating a high protein snack before bedtime, working out to compensate for the extra calories, yet where here’s a will there’s a way. Gained about 10 lbs since I’ve ataryed it maybe 2 months ago. Maybe 15 lbs by now. Been trying not to weigh myself for a minute since I know it’s a bit higher. It’s a considerable amount of weight since I am short, 5’1” To be exact, and pretty small in stature. It’s noticable and like the original poster, I am OCD about my weight to the point where it is unhealthy. Also, it works great for me my life has changed in obvious amazing ways at 75 mg, which I am sure is not a super high dosage so I don’t exactly want to stop taking it. Thoughts?
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seroquel, seroquel xr, weight loss (obesity/overweight), anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, weight
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