How to lose weight while taking Seroquel

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  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    I have bipolar type 1 with psychotic features.

    Seroquel/quietapine was prescribed as an adjunct to my lithium to address some mild but persistent psychotic symptoms a couple of years ago.

    I gained weight rapidly in my abdominal area which is not a place I normally store fat. Like never ever; I had the same issue with abilify/aripiprazole and risperidone and olanzapine.

    I did not get cravings. I ate the same diet and amount. Despite concerted efforts to reduce intake and increase activity I could not lose any weight.

    Once I stopped taking atypical antipsychotics and went back to lithium monotherapy I dropped about 4kg of mostly belly fat almost immediately (a month or two) with no changes to diet/activity.

    Since then I was able to slowly lose weight over the last year (up and down) and recently since addressing sub clinical hypothyroidism secondary to lithium use I have been able to lose weight in a more 'normal' pattern using traditional portion control and increased exercise.

    ...............

    I will take an antipsychotic if I am becoming manic or psychotic but not as a maintenance med due to the rapid weight gain of >13% of my body weight.

    For now, I am fairly stable on lithium alone. I respect that this is not an option for many people.

  • rosiecbolton
    rosiecbolton Posts: 85 Member
    I am feeling far less hungry on 200 than I did on 400. Still zombie eating, but hoping this will get better as I get weaned off the horrible serohell
  • rosiecbolton
    rosiecbolton Posts: 85 Member
    well I am down to 150 and the zombie eating seems to be stopping. Lost nearly a stone now.
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    When I took this medication it was the direct cause of weight gain for me. It made me incredibly hungry so I would take the medicine and go to sleep. I gained 15lbs with no change in my eating habits. A few weeks after noticing the gain I had family visiting, I did my normal routine and the next day was shocked to be told I was sleep eating. About 30 minutes after I went to sleep I got up went to the kitchen and ate several plates of food, washed dishes, and went back to bed. During this time I would not respond to anything around me, wouldn't speak or make eye contact because I was sleep walking in a way. My doctor told me that this can be a side effect of the medication and we had to change it. It's ignorant to say people are using it as an excuse because people react differently to medications.
    Werk2Eat wrote: »
    I take xanax for anxiety and to sleep. Been on it for almost 20 years. It always makes me hungry so i always eat dinner late so im not hungry before bed. (I cant sleep if im hungry). Never thought of it as a cause of weight gain. I honestly would not take that medication if it "actually" causes weight gain. It seems to me people are just trying to pass the blame onto a medication that makes you hungry as the cause of their weight gain.

  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    I went through the same except I would wash the dishes I used and clean up all evidence. I would never remember it
    rosiecbolton wrote: »
    I am bumping this thread as I have suffered 60 lbs weight gain on 400 mg of this stuff. I will be the first to admit it has improved my mental health, but obesity gets me down. I take the 400 at night and then I "zombie eat". This is when I get up in the night and start raiding cupboards in a half wake/half sleep state. Sometimes I have no recollection of even doing this, but I am faced with the evidence of empty food packets strewn on the floor when I wake up. The doc is now weaning me off this stuff and I am down to 200, while they are adding in Abilfy. Yes, it has made me stable.....but at what cost to my self-esteem and physical health?

  • TheLittleFangs
    TheLittleFangs Posts: 205 Member
    I'm on this too and I have been now for over 18 months, plus mirtazipine (actually used as an appetite activater I found out this year from an anorexic friend prescribed it for that reason), diazepam, zopiclone, pregabalin all say gaining can be a s/e. I'll be the first to hold up my hand and say I had significant gains. However over time I've got a handle on what is medication hunger and what is real... that being said the gains I had echos a previous poster it went straight to my abdomen. I've lost 28lbs in the last year, my psychiatrist persuaded me to persevere as I'd been gravely ill and I'm happy to report just this last week the fog is lifting. I can relate to the sleep eating as olanzipine... it's not easy and listening or applying common sense (I just ate 600 cals I can not be experiencing hunger) have helped but honestly my graph is so up and down but the overall trend is down. I'd not trade my sanity for aesthetics but when it impacted my health I got really stressed... but frankly it's kept me alive.

    So onward with the battles we have. Soft hugs to you all...it's really frustrating that there's so little belief out there this is real. But antipsychotics alter the liver and metabolic changes.. it's not just 'feeling hungry' our primary serotonin production happens in our gut which these types and a/depressants stimulate ... it's an uphill fight with the weight ... but worth it
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    belledechesser27 wrote: »
    hi everyone.
    i'm 17, 5'6 , currently 180 with about 30% body fat. since october i have been on 25mg seroquel 2x a day, 100mg seroquel 1x a day, after being on 20mg of abilify for 6 months (previously a schizoaffective diagnosis, now a bipolar diagnosis). when being put on said abilify i was 5'6 ,155, with maybe 18-20% body fat. i was not told to expect weight gain from the abilify, and within three months could no longer fit into my size 4/6 pants. looking back i can tell that my appetite skyrocketed. i took myself off of said abilify, and then was prescribed geodon, where i quickly went from my 170, to around 155 again. i then was hospitalized and put on the current seroquel regime. i now where a size 12 pant, the largest ever in my life. i was always a very active kid/teenager. soccer, competitive swimming and water polo. for the last year i have been juggling school and work, with a little dancing in my small amounts of free time. i know my appetite is huge, as i have never ever been one to eat much food, and now i want to eat everything in sight. we don't have much junk food in my house, so as long as i dont bring any home, i wont have it. i suffered with anorexia from 13-15 and now i feel as if i have bounced to overeating, with help im sure of the seroquel. i meal plan my lunches and dinners for nights i work, i eat all my food groups (when i binge i do go for carbs, unfortunately). i have bad knees and hips, so i running for cardio isnt a good option. i cannot get this weight to leave. i am moving within the next few months, and would really like to be in better shape when i do so. does anyone have an suggestions? ive searched and searched and everything says to simply get off the seroquel, but that is in no way an option for me. i do not have time to do cross fit 6x a week, nor the joints to run 6x a week. anything helps (even just perspective) tia!

    Speak to your treatment team or parents. This site is designed for those 18+.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    For interest sake, this is a snap shot of my weight increase when adding atypical antipsychotics to my medication regime.

    It did spike about 2kg higher than shown.

    akx849xo91bp.jpg
  • aprildawn17
    aprildawn17 Posts: 3 Member
    Cathycat123 wrote: »
    I have to comment on the Seroquel XR. Prescribed to me to help with depression / anxiety etc - along with lots of other pills. I wasn't warned I could gain weight, it just started coming on and before I knew it I was 40 pounds up. I'm not convinced that the food people are putting into their mouths is the problem. I had gastric bypass about 10 years ago and kept myself just where I wanted to be for more than 5 years. Started taking the Seroquel and maybe it's the slowing of metabolism - I can't say but I know it is not what I am eating. I do not eat pasta / rice / bread. I always eat my protein before eating anything else and next my veggies. If I really want to try something I'm ok with taking a bite and deciding it isn't worth the fat so I stop there. I've been seeing a nutritionist etc and following closely what I have been told to eat. Never more than 1200 calories a day. minimal sugar / carbs/fat. I bought a fit bit and I've been exercising but the weight will not budge. So my question to anyone out there is this. What if I were to get off of the Seroquel? Would the weight start to come off? If anyone knows please help me out here.

  • aprildawn17
    aprildawn17 Posts: 3 Member
    You are right! I work out. Only been on it a few weeks and I can't lose any and I don't eat during the day, very small dinner. I don't have the cravings and I'm still gaining. I'm only on 50 mil. It's definitely the med.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    For what it's worth, here's my experience with Seroquel. I've been taking it for more than 7 years, 200 mil at night. I've gained weight and lost weight a couple of times while taking it. In the beginning I noticed an increase in my appetite (or the little worm in my head that says "eat, eat, you'll feel better"), and I did gain. After a few months I was back to my normal over-eating patterns, and was able to lose weight when I put my mind to it. Then gained and lost a couple of more times until this time when I've lost 35 lbs over the past year, and appear to be keeping it off. At this point the Seroquel doesn't seem to be a factor in my weight management, whether because I've been taking it so long or because it just doesn't affect me that way. Obviously it's different for everyone, but this is my story :-)
  • lsyang28
    lsyang28 Posts: 1 Member
    Bumping this thread as I am battling the weight gain as well. I am bipolar (diagnosed 2 years ago) with occasional psychotic features. I was started on Seroquel 50mg XR at night which helped me sleep initially. I was admitted to a private psych hospital as I had developed an unhealthy alcohol problem. In retrospect I was self medicating and trying to control the horrible manic highs and crippling depression. I could have stopped alcohol at home physically, but my psychiatrist was worried about my bipolar going right off. I spent 4 weeks in detox and was discharged on 300mg XR, and 100mg to sleep. They also started lamotrigine, mirtazepine, olanzepine and venafalaxine. Sheesh. But I was sleeping however once I stopped the Naltrexone, I started craving sweet foods. This was probably a combination of stopping alcohol/Naltrexone and the numerous antipsychotics. I put on probably 30lb, munching chocolate and sweets.

    Six months later I developed interstitial nephritis (autoimmune) and went into renal failure. The physician tried huge does of Prednisone (100mg) and I watched in horror as I developed a moon face, hump back and a thick neck. I also developed the "Prednisone Pouch" belly. I quickly stacked on another 30lb, and this is where I am at. I might have copied with this if the Prednisone had worked but it didn't. It also sent my bipolar way off! So they stored that bit the weight didn't budge. I am now on 2 immunosupressants for transplant patients (mycophenolate and azathioprine). My renal function hovers around 50% while I am on the transplant drugs. I will be on those for life.

    During this period, I started drinking again. Wrong , wrong, wrong, but that's what happened. Didn't seem to affect my renal function and funnily enough my liver function is reasonable. My cholesterol is terrible, but my blood sugars are always fine.

    I have stopped drinking again. The weight has dropped about 10kg and has stubbornly stopped. I get SO hungry, but I have no idea which drug it is. I suspect it's the Seroquel. I stopped the mirtazepine and the olanzepine. I can't take lithium because it's cleared by the kidneys and would knock mine off altogether.

    After a lot of deliberation, research and thinking, I have bitten the bullet and am booked for a sleeve gastrectomy in 4 weeks time. I know this is a big decision. Although obviously the sleeve stops you eating very much, but the other benefit is they remove 70% of your stomach, and along with it the cells that manufacture the hunger hormone, ghrelin. They tell me that I should lose 60-70lbs in for 6 months, give or take a few lbs.

    So if you are still with me, well done! After a lot of reading, discussion with my bariatric surgeon etc, the jury is out as to whether the Seroquel alters your metabolism and that's why you gain weight, or whether it makes you ravenous and you eat more and put on weight. If it's the latter, then I shouldn't be very hungry after the sleeve. If it's the former, I am worried my metabolism will be so slow from Seroquel that the sleeve won't work.

    What are your thoughts? Anyone had the surgery while on antipsychotics?
  • dbesim
    dbesim Posts: 1 Member
    lsyang28 wrote: »
    During this period, I started drinking again. Wrong , wrong, wrong, but that's what happened. Didn't seem to affect my renal function and funnily enough my liver function is reasonable. My cholesterol is terrible, but my blood sugars are always fine.

    I have stopped drinking again. The weight has dropped about 10kg and has stubbornly stopped. I get SO hungry, but I have no idea which drug it is. I suspect it's the Seroquel. I stopped the mirtazepine and the olanzepine.

    Hi!!

    I’m bumping this thread back too!! Losing weight on Seroquel is really difficult to do and it’s extra hard because all the stuff out there about weight loss has hardly any information about how to lose weight when you’re on Seroquel!! All the dietary experts at weight-watchers never know how to handle these medications. They are fat-inducing medications and losing weight while on them is extremely hard to do (especially when the doctor won’t let you come off them!). I’ve been on Seroquel for years and the doctor won’t let me come off them, so I’ve had to take my diet into my own hands because there is practically no dietary information out there that handles weight-loss for people on these meds. Before I share some of my diet strategies I also want to point out that olanzapine is apparently more fat-inducing than Seroquel is, and with Seroquel you probably have more of a chance to lose weight (with diet and exercise.. but especially diet!) than with olanzapine.

    OK, I’d like to share with you some of my tips that work. First of all, take you meds ONCE a day BEFORE bed-time. This also ensures that you’re not drowsy in the middle of the day, and it helps enzymes work on breaking up your food throughout the day when the meds are not letting it work.

    1. If you weigh yourself at night time after taking the meds before you go to sleep. Write your weight down. Weigh yourself again in the morning before breakfast and see if there is a difference. You should be a few pounds less in the morning. This is because SLEEP actually works in helping you to lose weight. It’s the products you’re eating that make your weight shoot up massively!! Alcohol especially is a no-no. No fizzy drinks (including the ones that say zero fat!)

    2. Drink lots of caffeine. Coffee helps the diet in a big way! Herbal teas.. such as chamomile and lemon balm are excellent. Rotate cups of coffee with cups of chamomile or other herbal teas. Coffee + herbal tea together helps. Orange juice is also excellent. Make sure it is pure orange juice or fresh. Orange juice in also especially good as an energy source (if you feel hungry or need energy). Grapes is fantastic to include and raisins as well! Grapes and raisins together work really well!

    3. Eat lots of rice. A whole plateful at least once a week will work miracles. Rice absorbs all the liquid in your body.. so if you’re going to consume coffee, herbal tea and orange juice, you’re going to need rice as well! Adding rice to your diet will help the pounds drop because it absorbs all the heavy liquids in your body (but it doesn’t work so well with alcohol or fizzy drinks). Apple juice, pineapple juice or tropical fruit juices also helps (just make sure rice is in some way included once a week too). Also do not fry the rice, it has to be boiled, and don’t add sauces, it has to be plain. Sauces don’t work too well with Seroquel.

    4. Eat plain, boiled pasta (no sauce). Pasta also absorbs liquids that could help you drop pounds. Do not eat too much pasta or rice but one plate per three days is OK.

    5. Seroquel is histamine-inducing, so make sure to eat food with low histamine levels. One celery stick every day helps. Fruits, vegetables in general. Google what foods are low in histamine.

    6. Lots of fresh fish. Make sure the fish is grilled. Do not fry. If you’re going to use oil, make sure it’s olive oil or green oil, not fatty or vegetable oil. Also olives are good too!

    7. Being on Seroquel, you have to omit all fat-inducing snacks if this diet is going to work. No potato chips! Potato’s are OK too when boiled but don’t eat in excess. Boiled eggs are OK. Semi-skimmed milk is good too.

    8. Chicken is fine, you can even indulge in boiled meat, just make sure the portion isn’t too large. Remember to avoid sauces.

    9. Fast-food is a no-no. It will put back all the pounds again (so will the wrong drinks... even in just 1 day!!)

    I was on Seroquel and have had to battle with my diet. Take on all these points. If you’re successfully on a low diet of fruits and veg, you’ll find coffee and herbal teas go a long way in helping you lose the pounds.

    Don’t forget to do a couple of star jumps here and there too. Don’t forget to weigh yourself once before bedtime and again in the morning before breakfast to see if there’s any difference!! If you discover a strategy using my tips above that work for your diet while on Seroquel then don’t let go of it!

    I really hope this works for you like it did for me! Good luck.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    edited May 2018
    Hugs! Seroquel can affect different people different ways, but here's my experience. I've been taking 200mg Seroquel at night for over 8 years. Initially it did make me more hungry, but that resolved after a few months and I haven't noticed any other issues with that since. I lost about 30 lbs. about 4 years ago, regained it, and just lost 50 again and have been maintaining since Feb. I don't have any hunger issues

    You really don't have to follow a bunch of diet rules to lose the weight. Eat what satisfies you, whether it's carbs, fat, protein, fruit/veg and/or meat. Set up this app and track your calories. Get a food scale for accuracy. Eat fewer calories than you expend. The health issues you have may cause your weight to bounce around because of water issues, so look at your weight trend over several weeks to a month, and don't get discouraged.

    Make sure you share your plan with your doctor, and I would definitely go over the Seroquel question with them.. I wish you the best of luck, you've been through a lot and I really hope it gets better for you. :)

    P.S. Please, please stay away from the alcohol, you need to give your liver and kidneys every advantage possible.

    Answering your question - no, I haven't had surgery, so I can't say how your would respond to it, but I expect that the Seroquel probably won't play much into the new normal you'll have to establish as you recover.

    Crap, just realized I responded earlier in the thread. Ignore the repeats.


    edited for clarity and other stuff.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    bellaa_x0 wrote: »
    the medicine itself is not the sole cause of weight gain... if you're feeling hungrier as a side effect and then subsequently eat more, of course you're going to gain weight.

    i take lexapro and klonopin and have no issues as a direct result of the meds. weight issues are usually not directly related to taking medication. its the overeating and lack of exercise that brings on the pounds.

    This is not always true. Sometimes medication causes weight change even with no change in diet or exercise.
  • jesshooks
    jesshooks Posts: 2 Member
    Question for anyone who started taking Seroquel who qualified themselves as 'quite fit' at the time they started ....

    I just started taking Seroquel for bipolar 1 - this is on top of the Lamictal I've already been taking for about 8 years. About 2 years ago due to a dramatic change in lifestyle, I put on about 60lbs in 8 months and was consistently testing positive for diabetes type 2. So I spent the past two years getting it off again, my body became quite svelt and right now I am quite happy with my body/fitness/physical health. I'm wondering if anyone in this group began taking Seroquel while having a strong fitness routine / low bmi and what resulted. Specifically, I'm curious if any adjustments were made either to the protein/fat/carb intake and/or fitness routine (ie - changes to activity, intensity or focus area).

    I found in the past that the slightest changes to my lifestyle / food habits have dramatic results, I want to be proactive about addressing potential weight gain before I have to dedicate hours and hours of my life every day to take it back off.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.

    Best,
    Jess
  • Bcok01
    Bcok01 Posts: 1 Member
    I've been on Seroquel 150 mg in am and 150 in pm for about 6 months now and I've gained 20 lb. I'm tall so it doesn't show a lot, but I have a closet full of clothes I can't fit into. The worst thing for me has been the cravings that others have mentioned. I'm so glad to see there are people who are experiencing the same thing. When I have anything unhealthy in the house, there are times when I simply cannot control what and how much I eat. The holidays have been especially bad. I complained to my doc about the weight gain and she cut back my dosage. That sent me into a downward spiral so I went back to my regular dose. It's taken several weeks to get back to feeling okay again. I'm going to try the regular, old fashioned way of losing weight without adjusting my meds. I know it sounds weird but I'm trying to drink a huge amount of water. That seems to help me flush the excess in my body. I've used WW before to lose weight so I signed back up for that. I'm getting all the junk food out of the house. And trying to get back to the gym. I think I need to carry healthy food with me that I can gorge myself on when the cravings for food hit really hard. Thanks all! Bobbie
  • helzapoppin7
    helzapoppin7 Posts: 1 Member
    edited January 2021
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    My husbands doctor prescribed him Seroquel 25mg purely as a sleeping tablet, no mental issues. I'll have one every now and then, and it knocks me out to the point I don't even remember going to bed, and I also wake up ravenous the next day.

    How on earth do people take 300mg during the day????? I'd be asleep on the couch all day and undoubtedly would put on weight because I would not be able to put one foot in front of the other...

    Hi Christine,

    There are two different ways to take Seroquel. The tablets your husband is/ was taking is a small/ low dose PRN, taken when needed. The higher doses are Seroquel XR, the XR means it's slow release version, so these are taken every single night, at higher doses and are prolonged in effectivness, and are generally taken for long term treatment and need to be weaned off of very slowly if reducing or coming off them. People generallay may take the XR in 50- 600mg each night depending on what they are taking it for.
    Some people taking XR may also take the one your husband is taking as a PRN, when needed to get a boost of 25mg -75 of the instant release when their daily slow release XR tablets are ineffective for sleep or during times of panic and high anxiety.
    So basically, the higher doses, Seroquel XR are used daily for the long term, and do not have as an intense effect like the low dose instant release ones you have tried.
    The GP or doctor prescribing this should have explained this to your husband.

    Thanks for your comment.
  • Chlogglow
    Chlogglow Posts: 1 Member
    Honestly, I’ve been on keto for a month and noticed that when I lowered my dose to 50mg, the weight fell off at a rate of 10lb a week. Once I upped the seroquel while still on keto, the weight slowly climbed so I don’t think it’s simply calories in calories out. If you’re having trouble losing weight, you have to lower your dosage or get on something different. I know going from medication to medication is exhausting but I don’t recommend seroquel for long term. I gained 35lb in a few months and the only solution for my body to be at a healthy weight is to lower the dosage. Eventually I plan on being off this all together which probably won’t be easy.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Psychotropic drugs like Seroquel often affect the body regarding weight in a couple of ways:

    * They increase appetite.
    * They decrease activity; people often feel more lethargic or fatigued. People who fidget, fidget less. Exercise is often reduced in intensity.

    Often without the person realizing it. It’s a bad double whammy.

    Tight logging/tracking regardless of way of eating as well as an activity tracker for steps and exercise intensity can really help keep the CICO equation as balanced as possible.
  • debbieculley11
    debbieculley11 Posts: 1 Member
    I am also having trouble with weight while on Seroquel; but it's been a lot easier to manage since I started on Metformin. But my blood sugars were too high, and I believe it was from the Seroquel. I am on !,500 per day of Metformin (timed release) and it really cuts my appetite all day, until I take the Seroquel at night to go to sleep. So, I take most of my dosage at night after dinner, so I don't get so hungry. Also, I became hypothyroid on it!! My T3 levels were below range; so be sure and it get your levels checked. My doctor put me on Cytomel and I lost more weight after that. I also noticed that a low carb diet makes me lose weight while on Seroquel. Hope this helps. I take 200 mg at night. I am trying to wean myself off of it, but it's so hard to sleep! I was taking 300 mg. before that. I am bipolar.
  • heathertrue
    heathertrue Posts: 1 Member
    I love this article. So refreshing! I gained 40 pounds on a 5'4" body. This was helpful!

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