... 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
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
52 Answers Page 4
toffeeman92
22 Sep 2010
I'm on Seroquel XR 300mg at night for a couple of months now. My weight was 12 stone when I started and went to 12 stone 12lbs. So I've definitely gained weight on Seroquel. I just lost about 3lbs by watching what I eat more and I'm going to start more exercise so I hope I'll shed the rest soon. In summary I think Seroquel can put on weight but with a change in diet and exercise it will come off as quickly as it went on. I hope so anyway!!!
manicbaby123
22 Sep 2010
hi, its manicbaby123 again, just wanted to say i'm sorry for giving you such a long answer that didn't seem to help.I read everyone's answers and they seem to have some ideas. I was only trying to help, like I said I'm new to the site, guess I got a little long-winded. I do hope you feel better and I guess I'm on a pretty small dose of Serquoel ? you said you take 800 mg? I take 150mg. Do you take for Bipolar, if I may ask? and does it work for you besides the weight gain? Thank you for your time, I'll try and get better at this :) feeling stupid in texas :{
jody333
4 Jan 2011
Dear manicbaby123;
I liked your answer! I have began taking Seroquil at night and I get a severe case of the munchies! I can control my eating during the day, but when I get ready to go to bed, I just eat and eat! No wonder I've gained weight! Any advice?
jody333
freddygirl0326
21 July 2011
Dear jody333
I know I have the same problem I don't really eat alot during the day, unless I am bored, but for the most part I am always hungry at bedtime or I would say more like the munchies... I don't want a lot to eat just something to munch on... and just a little side note I have a bad habit of taking my meds for the night and I fall alsleep with what ever I was munching on, lol lol anyway I take serequil 100 mg per day but I also take Temazepam 30mg to help me sleep... so as a result of the munchies at bedtime I have put on a good 10-15 pounds, any suggestions I do walk every night but I don't seem to be loosing anything..Thank you
p.s. mind you with this heat... I think I am sweating of 10-15 pounds... lol
manicbaby123
22 Sep 2010
Hi, I'm brand new here, but thought I'd give it a shot, as I'm not brand new to psychiatric meds or weight issues! lol !!(I lost 142lbs from 2005 to 2007, just by changing the way I ate, and some thyroid issues.) I am currently on Seroquel XR 150 mg. I've been on it since Aug.5th so about a month and a half. I was a little bigger than you, 121lbs, and before being on the Serqeol, Abilifly made me gain like 15lbs. I'm still trying to lose!! Anyway, I have not gained any weight with Seroqel, I noticed I get a little hungry at night. I wanted to tell you what helps me is that I am also on Topamax 200mg twice a day. That helps with hunger. Would your doctor maybe prescribe a small dose of Topamax for you? I don't know what other meds you are on, but I just thought I'd share that with you. I'm also on Prozac 60mg.
and my doctor says that helps with appetite, but I don't know, this 15-20lbs I gained sure is hard to get off!!! I aplogize if I rambled on & on and didn't answer your question at all. Like I said I'm new to this. ;0 thanks, good luck ps. you mentioned Diabetes type 2, when I was very overweight I was diagnosed with insulin resistance, which is like "pre-diabetes", and graves disease (hyperthyroidism) and metabolic syndrome. Seeing an Endocrinolgist that specializes in those things saved my life. You mentioned you were concerned about Diabetes types 2 but you didn't mention how "much" weight you had gained, or did I miss it? I wouldn't be concerned unless it's over 25lbs. I am 5'3" and I was very overweight. I'm small framed, so about 120 to 125 is perfect for me. from you saying you weighed 110lbs, I'm guessing you are small framed also. Anyway, if you have any of those issues or you just can't lose the weight, see an Endocrinolgist, they will do all kinds of urine and blood work and find out exactly what is wrong with you, but it sounds like it may just be the Serqeol, okay, so I totally flunked answering my first question!! :( I just rambled on and on and gave too much info and went way off the topic!;0 Oh Well, had to start somewhere, Sorry! only wanted to help!! thanks, from manicbaby123 in tx
bacterial
20 Sep 2010
Hi Mom2Emily10, I haven't taken Seroquel, but have looked it up on the internet and it says that there can be up to 23% weight gain with this medication, so its not all that uncommon. But given a large weight gain that you mention, the advice given was that you should report this to your health care provider. Have you mentioned this to your doctor? He may have some advice for you about this. Best wishes bacterial.
zombiestate
4 Feb 2012
Seroquel has a whole ton of side effects attached to it that often aren't listed in the print out you receive from the Pharmacy which is where you will need to find a reputable site or even the FDA to check side effects that can ultimately be detrimental to ones health if proper precautions aren't taken at the appropriate time. My Dr. tried me on it for a couple of weeks and when I went back in and he saw what I looked like from the first visit to the next visit in 2 weeks, he immediately removed me from it. It can always lead to other physical ailments at some point if you continue to use it.
Inactive
17 Sep 2010
You definetely need to speak to your doctor, there is something not right, if you say your eating patterns have not changed and you are a vegeterian, and we all know one of this medication´s side effect is weight gain, due to increased appettite.
I take seroquel too and quite a few more (common side e. weight gain, all of them). I am 42 and suffer from BPD, and fortunately have never gained any weight, but I do work out 5 days a week, I am not a vegeterian and have a hypocaloric diet more protein than carbs.
How is your carb intake , do you eat refined or nonrefined carbs, and at what time is your last carb intake?
First I suggest you speak to your doctor.
Working out, for me is a must , I have always been into some type of sport, it helps the mind, body and soul.
Specially for these conditions, once one exercises, ones body releases endorphins which makes one feel great, plus one gets fit.
Have a good weekend.
Mom2Emily10
18 Sep 2010
I do admit I should excersize more but I have to be careful with the M.S. if I over do it which I usually do I ay dearly. Once I get started I'm afraid to stop because I never know when I will be able to do it again. I have started walking now that the weather has change that is aother issue the summer I am basically confined to the house. Th humidity does terrible things to my M.S.
Inactive
18 Sep 2010
I know what you mean my mother also suffers from MS, so do not over do it, one step at a time... ok.
My very warm regards and have a great weekend, but do talk to you doctor.
Christie00
25 Sep 2011
The heat worsens my M.S. symptoms as well. So I have been doing 20 minutes on elliptical manual setting, daily usually. Its in the air conditioning and I make sure I have a water bottle handy. I sure like working out at home more than the gym, we also have a pool but its getting a bit chilly in Fl for that. Lol. But I think getting off Seroquel is a big step in the right direction for me. Picture that. They think you are depressed cause of your 'so called physical symptoms' and now I im in the process of getting off Seroqel and on Neurotin. Thank God for MRIs! LOL!
Inactive
17 Sep 2010
Weight gain on antidepressants is common, but I wonder if it wouldn't be wise to check your thyroid as well. My doctor said the average weight gain from meds should really not be over 20 pounds, and if it is you should start looking for other factors.
Hope this helps!
Mom2Emily10
17 Sep 2010
Yes, I forgot to mention I have had my thyriod cheked and it is fine. 20lbs HA I wish-lol It got worse each time they would raise my dose of seroquel. 20lbs I could handle *SIGH
Mom2Emily10
17 Sep 2010
They also tell me 800mg is the highest dose allowed I have lost weigh now I'm just stuck.
Inactive
17 Sep 2010
Hi, you are new to this site I would like to welcome you.
I have been on seroquel for many years, ( I suffer from BPD) it is not an anti-depressant, it is a second generation atipycal antipsychotic to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (bpd).- The second generation meaning is of the newer classes of antipsychotics. One is less likely to experience the side effects than the older or "traditional ones" like haldol, serenace, etc---
Have a nice weekend.-
sweetie pie
17 Sep 2010
I also gained weight on Zoloft. I am a light eater and I exercise. I have asked other people and some said they gained some weight. I am on a high dose (200mg) so maybe that effects my weight gain. I do not want to go off of Zoloft because it has really helped me. I tried once to go off of it and I was a wreck. I guess we just have to accept the weight gain rather than suffer from Depression/Anxiety. We do need to look at other things like aging, change in diet, lack of exercise and other medications that you may take that could also cause weight gain. My doctor knows about my weight gain but he just tells me to watch my diet an d exercise. I hope this feedback helps you some. We are all in the same boat. At least we can get support from Drugs.com. Sweetie Pie
fblackwell
15 Feb 2011
Thanks for that. In 2009 I got very sick. I kept getting weaker and weaker. I had to pull myself up the stairs to the bedrooms. My hair was falling out. What was there was course and really ugly! I couldn't do anything with it. My skin was awful. On my legs it was like reptiles - dry and flaky. My hand were so dry that i could not keep enough lotion on them. But the worst part was my memory. I don't really know how long I was like this but I do remember being admitted to the hospital. At this point I was psychotic. I remember very little about that hospital stay. I do remember the endicrinologist talking with me and trying to find out if I had ever had any thyroid problems before. One day I cried and wanted to go home. The doctor let me go, but he was not happy about it. I was still psychotic and of course my poor husband didn't know or understand. I do have to take medication for my thyroid every day for the rest of my life.
I hope that if I get in that shape again that someone will get me to a doctor or hospital. (But they didn't know any better. They thought it was just my bipolar disorder.)
fblackwell
Inactive
16 Feb 2011
fdblackwell - sure sounds like you were having problems with your thyroid, or at least an endocrinological problem, with the hair and skin symptoms. Are you sure your BPD? Have you followed up with an endocrinologist since you were discharged from the hospital. Sounds like being psychotic was secondary to the endocrine problems. Just IMO -
zombiestate
4 Feb 2012
It's "always" a good idea to check the Thyroid as anything else that may be associated with your condition. I say "go for it" personally. Good luck!
questing
17 Sep 2010
The same thing has happen to me, on all antidepressants Weight gain seems to be a common problem with medication. I am going to my local health food store, for homepathic help.
sweetie pie
18 May 2011
Hello questing! I sympathize with you. I gained 50 lbs while being on Zoloft throughout the years! That is depressing enough! I was considering asking my doctor to switch my Zoloft to another SSRI but after doing alittle research, I have come to the conclusion that most antideppresents have weight gain as a possible side effect. I decided not to try a different medication because the Zoloft is working so well for me. I will just have to live with the weight gain. It is also important that we follow a proper diet and stay active. I hope that my comment has been helpful in some way. I wish you the best, Let us know how you are doing. Sweetie Pie
questing
10 July 2011
Stopped all the other stuff, and finally found the right medication.I am doing much better with Wellbutrin, just had to adjust the dosage and we added Liberex , with a side occasional small dose of diazapam. I still have the spasms, but not as hard. I am also seeing a therapist, who has suggested I try Sam-e, But my doctor said it was not enough for PTSD. I also go to a gym, I can't do the hard work, but just a litttle at a time has produced a slow weight loss . Plus a careful diet. It is a lot of very hard work, but I want to continue living.It's important to get into the best possible frame of mind and decide to fight to be the best person that you can be. And I do remember to count my blessings. Not hold on to the bad stuff. My thinking is much clearer after getting off of those heavy drugs.And the right therapist is a blessing. P.T.S.D. can get better , given time.
Chiquita43
13 Sep 2011
Same exact thing with me! I've never had weight issues until the God awful Seroquel. I put on over 30 lbs. within 6 months and I was eating way less than 1500 calories a day. Even lowering the dose hasn't helped. I'm so pissed at my doctor and so frustrated. And of course I'm depressed even more! Good luck!
bpatter
25 Dec 2011
this is a resounding Yes! I have been on serequel for over a year and I gained weight like crazy. I persevered and pushed myself to exercise by walking. I have been eating a bit healthier diet as well. Slowly, the weight became manageable. I think your body does get used to the dose and after a while it stabilizes. Good luck.
stephanas
4 Feb 2012
I am a patient and did work as a psychiatric nurse the majority of my career before becoming disabled. I have never seen anyone on seroquel not gain a ton of weight. Many people I have talked to on Seroquel liked it, helped them sleep, they were knocked on their butt and drooling by bedtime. There are many antipsychotics and off-label medicines out there to try, many are more "weight neutral". I wish you the best of luck as I continue to battle 80+ lbs of weight gain on medicines, that I lose when I am off medicines. As i found a new doctor and was put on medicines this summer going forward, I have already gained back 35lb since July, so I'm pretty disheartened. I wish the best to you and anyone else reading this in the same boat. Steph
Inactive
22 April 2013
I am so afraid of weight gain with this stuff that I just make myself exercise. also it's the usual aggravating same old story--cut out sweets, bread and fried foods. The weight gain side effect is due to the drug slowing down your metabolism, so there's not much else one can do but burn off some energy and the usual dieting. Also, I am motivated because I had bariatric surgery (due to health problems because of my weight) and I don't want to have gone through that and lose the benefits I gained as a result. I lost 129 pounds, but it's not the pounds it's being healthier i.e., no more chronic bronchitis, aching knees, sleep apnea, pre-diabetic, shortness of breath, etc.
Please don't take this as an endorsement of surgery as a solution, I still have to watch what I eat. Also, there other side effects such as GI problems, taking vitamins and other supplements for the rest of my life.( ... to do it again? I may have tried harder to do it the easy way-- diet and exercise!
dandylion67
29 Dec 2019
My brother law is on Seroquel to treat his Schizophrenia. He keeps on putting on weight which has caused other heath concerns. I’m surprised Doctors prescribe it to treat insomnia. It has nasty sight effects.
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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