Seroquel 300mg weight gain or weight loss

Options
Morning, recently started a moderate dose which will be increasing in 3 weeks. I'm hearing shock story's about massive weight gains, has anybody lost weight whilst on this drug?
Thanks

Replies

  • nikkiwasholdbrook
    nikkiwasholdbrook Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    So long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Generally, when medicines are blamed for weight gain, it's because they increase appetite, or in some cases make you less inclined to exercise (last anti-depressant I was on turned me into a slug), or both. So, be aware of your food intake, and your activity level (including non-exercise activity, just how much you move about), and you should be golden. If you find you struggle with increased appetite and staying within your calories, just post again and get some tips on various ways to deal with that :)

    I am having tendon surgery next month non weight bare. Do I need to adjust my calorie intake for this?
    Also on these mood stabilisers, I am reading every where people are gaining weight and the hunger cravings are not manageable. Skinny and unstable or over weight and stable is a lot of what I'm seeing!
    Thank you for your reply

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    My husband used to have 25mg seroquel prescribed as a sleeping tablet. I used to have one every now and then, and every time i woke up the next morning i was ready to eat the house down, so yeah they affected my appetite big time.

    A teeny tiny 25mg did this to me, i don't know how i would have handled 300mg.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Options
    I have been taking around 25mg of Seroquel to sleep for quite some time now. It has not impacted my weight, but then I am on a fairly low dose. I have lost weight whilst taking it, not because the medication made me lose but because I had no issues controlling my food intake whilst on it. I cannot speak of a 300mg dose however as that is quite high. I do know that some taking Seroquel are also prescribed another medication to help control the appetite increase.

  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    Options
    Graelwyn75 wrote: »
    I have been taking around 25mg of Seroquel to sleep for quite some time now. It has not impacted my weight, but then I am on a fairly low dose. I have lost weight whilst taking it, not because the medication made me lose but because I had no issues controlling my food intake whilst on it. I cannot speak of a 300mg dose however as that is quite high. I do know that some taking Seroquel are also prescribed another medication to help control the appetite increase.

    300mg is not actually a very high dose of seroquel/quietapine. Particular when used as a mood stabiliser or adjunct to antidepressants.

    Although often prescribed for sleep it is not actually recommended to be used as a sleep aid.

    .......

    In my personal experience I gained weight quickly on all atypical antipsychotics irrespective of dose.

    With seroquel/quietapine in particular I gained about 10% body fat, mostly abdominal which is not a place I naturally store weight, in about a month. My cholesterol levels also went through the roof. That was on a dose starting at 25mg and working up to about 100mg before I decided it wasn't for me.

    ........

    I have nursed healthy weight individuals on doses up to 800mg twice a day.

    I don't believe this type of drug affects everyone the same way.
  • nikkiwasholdbrook
    nikkiwasholdbrook Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    Guess what I'm trying to work out does this medication affect your body, thus putting weight on, or could it just cause a feeding frenzy if not regulated with will power and right choices, food wise.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Options
    Seroquel is a weird one, it is MORE sedating at a lower dose than the full therapeutic doses, hence why it used at low doses as a sleep aid. Initially it floors you but you adapt, the degree of which will vary. I gained whilst on it but I also at the time didn't care what I was eating. I started losing whilst on it and tapering off.

    There's no mechanism that causes you to gain in the absence of excess calories so as long as you monitor intake and adjust as necessary you should be fine.
  • jjtweb
    jjtweb Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    Medications can affect weight loss regardless of the deficit. I'm not sure of that one but if you find it is making things harder for you let your Doctor know. There are many medications out there that may not have as much of an impact. The medication I took for whatever reason and there was plenty of medical documentation to support it stop my weight loss. No matter what I did all I could do was maintain and that was with counting every single calorie with daily exercise. The moment I stop that medication the weight fell off. Keep an open dialogue with your Doctor if you find it's a problem.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Options
    lizery wrote: »
    Graelwyn75 wrote: »
    I have been taking around 25mg of Seroquel to sleep for quite some time now. It has not impacted my weight, but then I am on a fairly low dose. I have lost weight whilst taking it, not because the medication made me lose but because I had no issues controlling my food intake whilst on it. I cannot speak of a 300mg dose however as that is quite high. I do know that some taking Seroquel are also prescribed another medication to help control the appetite increase.

    300mg is not actually a very high dose of seroquel/quietapine. Particular when used as a mood stabiliser or adjunct to antidepressants.

    Although often prescribed for sleep it is not actually recommended to be used as a sleep aid.

    .......

    In my personal experience I gained weight quickly on all atypical antipsychotics irrespective of dose.

    With seroquel/quietapine in particular I gained about 10% body fat, mostly abdominal which is not a place I naturally store weight, in about a month. My cholesterol levels also went through the roof. That was on a dose starting at 25mg and working up to about 100mg before I decided it wasn't for me.

    ........

    I have nursed healthy weight individuals on doses up to 800mg twice a day.

    I don't believe this type of drug affects everyone the same way.


    It is high in comparison to the dose I am on. I should have made that clearer I suppose since I am aware dosage can be a great deal higher having researched it before I started taking it.

    I am also well aware it is not recommended as a sleep aid :) it is given to me to help with agitation in the evening so that I have an easier time getting to sleep.
  • jasummers76
    jasummers76 Posts: 225 Member
    Options
    I take 200mg a night and have been lossing. However, when I had a prolonged manic episode I was taking 600 mg a night for about a month and gained 20 lbs.
  • Sophsmother
    Sophsmother Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    So long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Generally, when medicines are blamed for weight gain, it's because they increase appetite, or in some cases make you less inclined to exercise (last anti-depressant I was on turned me into a slug), or both. So, be aware of your food intake, and your activity level (including non-exercise activity, just how much you move about), and you should be golden. If you find you struggle with increased appetite and staying within your calories, just post again and get some tips on various ways to deal with that :)
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    So long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Generally, when medicines are blamed for weight gain, it's because they increase appetite, or in some cases make you less inclined to exercise (last anti-depressant I was on turned me into a slug), or both. So, be aware of your food intake, and your activity level (including non-exercise activity, just how much you move about), and you should be golden. If you find you struggle with increased appetite and staying within your calories, just post again and get some tips on various ways to deal with that :)
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    So long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Generally, when medicines are blamed for weight gain, it's because they increase appetite, or in some cases make you less inclined to exercise (last anti-depressant I was on turned me into a slug), or both. So, be aware of your food intake, and your activity level (including non-exercise activity, just how much you move about), and you should be golden. If you find you struggle with increased appetite and staying within your calories, just post again and get some tips on various ways to deal with that :)

  • Natalierae886
    Natalierae886 Posts: 286 Member
    Options
    I was on these and gained rapidly, I think why I gained was because it was making me sleep around 20 hours a day and then when I woke I binged on food because I was so hungry and then it wouldn't be long until I was asleep again, awful experience but everyone is different.
  • Sophsmother
    Sophsmother Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    This is absolutely not true with Seroquel. The drug messes with your insulin and metabolism in ways that require you to eat far less in order to just maintain. I've been on it for about 7 years for sleeping as I have insomnia like you wouldn't believe. I've gained 100lbs. My doc warned me about this, but it was the last med we had tried for sleeping. I had to be hospitalized for the insomnia. So the first 3 months I was on it my doc put me on a diet of 1200 calories per day. I'm 5'10 and was 155 so I should have lost weight. At the end of 3 months, I had gained 20 lbs.

    This does not happen to everyone, but it happens to enough people to cause lawsuits, diabetes, etc. For me, it's the only class of drugs that allow me to sleep. But just be careful with Seroquel. You can be in a calorie deficit all you want but with Seroquel it won't make a difference.
  • nikkiwasholdbrook
    nikkiwasholdbrook Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    I'm really struggling to eat my calories for the day, I'm burning more then I eat, just not hungry! To worried to step on the scales!!
  • soon2beeskinny
    soon2beeskinny Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    I'm being totally honest here. I gained 80 pounds on that medication. That is the only and I mean only reason I'm fat today. I have only lost 50 of the 80 and this was 6 years ago
  • soon2beeskinny
    soon2beeskinny Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    It makes you hungry and crave sweets and junk