seroquel/weight gain

[Nine]

I will love your forever if you read or comment if you've ever been in a similar situation. Even just sympathy would mean a lot

I gained a huge amount of weight on both risperdol and fanapt and both times it was disastrous for my mental health & impossible and I had to stop them anyway because my entire life became calorie cravings and the amount of calories I was eating was outrageous and unhealthy.

I'm back to my old weight (healthy bmi)... I DON'T want to go through this again.

Abilify gave me akathisia and geodon made me pass out.

My mania has already made me almost completely nonfunctional and everyone wants me to try it. I don't know what to do. And the sun is basically assaulting me with so much more light each day. The sungods made my life hell with the worst episode I've ever had last summer.

Has anyone ever been in this situation and not gained weight? does anyone know how to deal with it? can anyone sympathize even? please?

I imagine it spelled like syrup-quil, a cross between sticky sugary fattening syrup and nightquil to make me tired.

[Cbear]

I'm on quite a high dose of seroquel and unfortunately it made me put on a lot of weight. Though I think some of the weight was caused by olanzapine. Unfortunately the seroquel makes you really hungry so having healthy snacks on hand is a good way to help the cravings. Otherwise I'm not sure but I sympathise (a LOT!) and feel free to message me. Clare

[Ballerina123]

Quietapine does make me a little bit more hungry than usual on the higher doses but I found that if I get enough sleep and have healthy snacks(like fruit) when I'm hungry I do ok. Also keeping up your fulids is good. Quietapine can make you really thirsty and that can be mistake for hunger.

I have not gained any weigh on quietapine by doing the above.

Hope it works out for you x

[Voldemort]

I think it depends on the dose you're on as well. I was started on 25mg twice a day and it's now 125mg twice a day, though it did go up to 150mg twice a day. I've had no weight gain on it, nor an increased appetite. It's actually the increased appetite that causes the weight gain, so if you keep an eye on what you're eating you can avoid weight gain and the increased appetite should lessen. I'm making assumptions here, but I think it may just be an initial side effect that will go away and the reason that people continue to gain weight is because they've made their bodies accostumed to eating more, so the hinger stays. Just a theory though!

[inblack]

Personally I was on seroquel and didn't gain any weight. I actually managed to lose some on it (although gained it all back later on another med). However I was pretty heavy to begin with. But it didn't make me extra hungry or anything like that.

Discuss options with your doctor. There might be something you can take to combat the weight gain as well. Doesn't hurt to ask anyway :) Good luck

[HopeRises]

It makes me eat more for sure..I know this cause I gained a lot of weight, then my quetiapine got cut down and my appetite decreased but, now i'm back at a higher dose, I eat when i'm not hungry..BUT I'm learning not too.

Seroquel alone isn't going to make you gain weight, if you eat correctly, it won't make you gain.

[Buttercup.]

I actually gained quite a bit of weight when I first went on Seroquel (years ago, I'm not on it anymore). The weight gain for me was very temporary though (I do have an ED as well, but it still shows that a change in diet can prevent the weight gain). I guess, just be very conscious of your eating habits if you notice yourself putting on too much weight.

Try not to worry about it! If the benefits didn't outweigh the side effects, the doctor wouldn't want to try it with you.

[Nine]

Does anyone know about it being used as needed? I've heard some people take it for a week when they feel an episode coming on and then stop.

I know I felt increased appetite on risperdol and fanapt, but I wasn't able to help it. I counted calories like crazy on fanapt, and since it was summer I was mostly at home where we don't buy much sugar or carbs. I ate below the recommended number per day and well below my normal intake and still gained weight because my self control would falter and I would eat a lot, like once every four days. I was miserable the entire time because I felt like I was starving and I gained weight very quickly anyway. So I have no faith in diet control.

[Buttercup.]

I did have a friend in EDU who had it as a PRN AND a scheduled med. & diet control is possible, you just need to overcome the increased appetite from the Seroquel. Some meds just cause weight gain because of a change in metabolism as a side effect, but I'm pretty positive that Seroquel just has a increased appetite.

Maybe instead of eating 'a lot' when you have the urge to give in you can make the extra intake be salads (veg or fruit) or make yourself a fruit or a green smoothie?

[roiben]

I can empathise here, I put on weight with certain medicines and doses and have completly stopped at least one as a result.

It is worth discussing with your prescriber, and maybe asking to see a Dietician who can advise on ways to prevent the weight gain, and controll any increase in appetite it may cause.

I will also point out something my psych said to me once: No medicine is perfect, and it is all about finding the right balance for you, between what works for your mental health and any possible side effects.

Most recently, I stopped taking mirtazapine as it made me put on 3st. without an imporovement in my mh. Had it made things improve, maybe the 3st would have been worth it.

Just a thought.

Be gentle with yourself.

Roiben x

[overcome.]

I suppose everybody goes different ways when they're down. I tend to not really eat a whole lot when I'm down rather than eat loads. I just lose my appetite completely. I'm not taking Seroquel atm, but I was told by my psych that the area of the brain it effects controls sleep and eating. From this hence the increased sleep/sedation.

I did have an increased appetite when on the medication and could eat ridiculous amounts of food. Saying that I didn't really gain much bad weight. I was into weight training so I could eat plenty of 'good' food to gain clean (muscle) weight. I was really aware of the weight gain possibilities though, although that didn't take away the cravings, I made sure I ate well and exercised. They say it causes weight gain but in reality the medication just causes an increase in appetite (although people say these medications can mess with your metabolism).

Abilify also gave me akathisia to the extreme, so I couldn't really sit and eat any meals or sleep.

Can I ask also, when talking about the sun/weather, what do you mean? Do you find the weather has affect on your mood and behaviours?

[Ballerina123]

I said that I found seroquel ok and lost weight however I have just gone from 300mg to 400mg and for some reason I now feel very hungry all the time.
I gues it has a lot to do with dosage as well.