Seroquel and weight

I know this gets talked about a lot. My pdoc just lowered me from 400mg to 300mg. I know it is not much but I am hoping it is enough to get my metabolism kicking again. I have been having less of an appetite for months now but was still gaining weight. Really hoping this works. I have gained 100 pounds over the last 6 years from meds.

That drug piled the weight on me. And then others did too, I have metabolic syndrome now, it makes it so much harder to lose weight.

Ask your Doctor about taking Metforum it’s a medication given to people with pre diabetes. It has shown to be helpful in losing some weight for many people. I had diarrhea as a side effect which happens a lot, mine never resolved so I quit taking it.

It’s worth a shot

I take 600mg seroquel and have gained weight as well. Not a lot, thankfully. and it seems to have leveled off. I gained with each dose increase but then it stopped. Now I just hover around the same weight, I've found it more difficult to lose weight I've gained.

Hope the dose change helps you

I was on Seroquel for almost seven years. Started at a dose of 300 mg....or maybe 350 (don't exactly recall). The stuff wasn't doing anything for me except knocking me out to sleep. Two years ago I finally convinced my pdoc to drop my dose way down. I was on 75, then 50, then 25.


When I started taking Seroquel I weighed 130lbs., which was fine for me. I now weigh 250 and have high blood pressure, high (bad) cholesterol, and my blood glucose is on the higher side. Oh - and chronic pain issues due to weight gain.


So the weight gain is causing serious health problems. Two weeks ago I told my pdoc that I will not take Seroquel any more. I made that very, very clear. I have been off the stuff for 2 weeks. Fortunately, the only withdrawal I've noticed is some sleep issues. My appetite has decreased. Nevertheless, I will be very surprised if my weight drops much at all. I feel like Seroquel has been a toxin for me.

Since you've gained that amount of weight I believe you need to discuss a different med with your pdoc. I wish I would have been insistent before the health problems began.

Already on Metformin and it is not helping.

I have tried getting off Seroquel many times but it is the only one that works for me. I can’t take antidepressants they make me worse.

I went off my meds (I know, silly) for a while and I lost so much weight in that time, I was actually happy with my weight. I'd never taken Seroquel before. I then had a relapse and had to go back on medication, then my new psychiatrist put me on 450mg Seroquel, which is my current dose I have been taking for a few months. Within 3 weeks I gained back all of my weight. I've always been a stress eater, but even when I was not eating at all in those first 3 weeks, I still gained so much. As long as you and your doctor monitor it, I think you'll be okay. But yes I find it definitely puts on weight and also increases my appetite.

I've been on Seroquel XR for about 6 1/2 years and gained 20 lbs, most gained in the last two years when at 600 mg per day. Prior to that, my average daily dose was 350 mg. Then I was also on Geodon and Lithium. It is hard for me to lose weight at the 500 mg + level, but I think that at 450 mg and below, it's mostly weight neutral.

It is highly possible that some of my weight gain would have happened without medications. After all, I had reached a weight 10 lbs less than I am now about 16 years ago, before ever taking daily meds. Being overweight is common in my family. I also stress eat during some periods. I have done that throughout my life.

I have struggled with high cholesterol for some years now. I know my weight contributes to that, but probably Seroquel XR itself might, too. My blood pressure has mostly be perfect all of this time. My other test results are either just a little high, or sometimes normal, depending on my diet. Just the cholesterol is stubborn.

In the past (maybe 12 years ago), I had taken regular Seroquel at doses up to 800 mg. I found regular Seroquel to be more of a weight gainer than my Seroquel XR of 6 1/2 years. I'm not sure why. My guesses are that often I took regular Seroquel twice per day vs. once per day, like I take the XR. Also, something maybe to do with the release of the medication. "Spikes"? I tend to do better and have milder side effects on extended release medications.

I gained 60lbs on seroquel and then went off of it. To be fair I was already overweight and ended up having gastric bypass but when it came to getting stable on an antipsy I ended up going with geodon which has seemed to keep the weight at bay.

I take topamax which helps counteract weight gain by reducing your appetite.

Decreasing Seroquel definitely helped me when it comes to no longer experiencing cravings for food. Once I lowered it to 300mg, I noticed a positive change, where it became more of a weight-neutral medication for me. On much higher doses, I was hungry a lot, especially when it came to junk food. I hope you notice a change with the lower dose. Good luck.