Does Seroquel cause weight gain?
Key Points
- Seroquel (quetiapine) is used to treat mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder manic episodes, and bipolar disorder depressive episodes. It belongs to a group of medications known as atypical antipsychotics.
- Weight gain is a common side effect of Seroquel in both children and adults. In clinical studies, up to 23% of people taking Seroquel gained 7% or more of their body weight.
- You and your doctor should check your weight regularly while you’re taking Seroquel, and talk about ways to maintain a healthy weight.
What is Seroquel?
Seroquel (quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic that may be used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder manic episodes, bipolar disorder depressive episodes, and depression. It’s available as an immediate-release and extended-release tablet (Seroquel XR).
Does Seroquel cause weight gain?
While not everyone who takes Seroquel will experience weight gain, it is a common side effect. Weight gain was observed in clinical trials of Seroquel in both adults and children across all conditions.
Adults
Clinical trials of Seroquel in adults lasted between 3 and 12 weeks. The following percentages of adults gained 7% or more of their starting body weight during treatment with Seroquel:
- Schizophrenia: 23%
- Bipolar mania: up to 21%
- Bipolar depression: 8%
Patients who took a placebo (an inactive treatment) in these studies also gained some weight, but not as much as those taking Seroquel.
Children
In studies of children and teens taking Seroquel for schizophrenia and bipolar mania, more people taking Seroquel gained weight compared to those taking a placebo. The following percentages of children and teens gained 7% of more of their starting body weight while taking Seroquel:
- Schizophrenia: 21%
- Bipolar mania: 12%
For schizophrenia, the clinical trial was 6 weeks long. In children and teens with bipolar mania, the trial was conducted over 3 weeks.
How much weight does Seroquel make you gain?
In short-term (3-6 weeks) clinical trials of children taking Seroquel, those with schizophrenia gained an average of 2 kg. This was compared to -0.4 kg in the placebo group. Children with bipolar mania gained 1.7 kg compared to 0.4 kg of weight gain in those taking a placebo.
In a longer study, children who took Seroquel for up to 26 weeks gained an average of 4.4 kg. Researchers compared the weight gain in these patients to the weight that is normally expected to be gained as children grow. They found that children taking Seroquel gained more weight than what is considered normal.
Another study looking at 352 patients taking Seroquel for schizophrenia over 52 weeks found that people taking the medication gained an average of 2.5 kg. Researchers concluded that most weight gain occurred within the first 12 weeks of treatment.
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Why does Seroquel cause weight gain?
It isn’t fully clear why Seroquel causes weight gain. One possible reason is that the medication can increase your appetite, which can lead to consuming more calories. This can cause weight gain. Some researchers believe these changes in hunger are made by the way Seroquel interacts with certain proteins in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin, and histamine receptors.
In addition to making you feel more hungry, Seroquel also changes the way your body processes sugar and stores fat.
Some studies have found a link between higher doses and more weight gain in the short term. However, other studies haven’t found an association between the dose of Seroquel and weight gain.
How to avoid weight gain on Seroquel
Your doctor will monitor your or your child’s weight during treatment with Seroquel. Too much weight gain can increase your risk for medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy weight.
There are some things you can do to help prevent gaining weight while taking Seroquel. Some examples include:
- Choose healthy, low-calorie snacks that don’t contain large amounts of sugar and fat
- Be mindful of portion sizes
- Aim for 30 minutes of exercise every day
- Build muscles through strength training to help boost your metabolism
- Limit how much you eat after dinner
- Avoid or limit alcohol
- Reduce stress to prevent “stress-eating”
For best results, introduce changes to your diet and lifestyle gradually. If you have tried to avoid gaining weight and still need help, talk to your doctor. They can recommend other things to try or prescribe a weight loss medication if needed.
References
Brecher, M., et. al. (2000). The long-term effect of quetiapine (Seroquel TM ) monotherapy on weight in patients with schizophrenia. In: International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24926579/
Brecher, M., et. al. (2007). Quetiapine and long-term weight change: a comprehensive data review of patients with schizophrenia. In: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17474816/
Bazo-Alvarez, J. C., et. al. (2020). Effects of long-term antipsychotics treatment on body weight: A population-based cohort study. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6947810/
Carli, M., et. al. (2021). Atypical Antipsychotics and Metabolic Syndrome: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Differences. In: Pharmaceuticals (Basel). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8001502/
Seroquel - quetiapine tablet [package insert]. Updated Jan 2022. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. Available from: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=0584dda8-bc3c-48fe-1a90-79608f78e8a0&audience=professional
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Drug information
- Seroquel Information for Consumers
- Seroquel prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Seroquel (detailed)
- Seroquel user reviews (698)
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