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seroquel and weight gain


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Does everyone get weight gain? I gained 15 kgs but i'm not sure if it's the seroquel or if i just gained the weight because of... (food, movement?)

I just can't get it off though. I'm concentrating on surviving through the insomnia anyway. I just was curious if it gets better once your off ap's. It would be nice to know that i don't have to throw out all my clothes

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It probably is the seroquel, many of those types of drugs are bad for weight gain. You can probably keep your weight to a reasonable amount by keeping carbs low, as the drugs increase weight by messing with the insulin/blood sugar system, and carbs exacerbate any problem with that system. I did that successfully for many years with amitryptiline.
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Hey, in my experience, it is the antipsychotic that is causing weight gain - absolutely.

 

I was on risperdal for 4.5 years, and I gained 35 extra pounds.  I was stupidly hungry on it, couldn't really feel full on it, etc.

 

Now, that I'm off of it, I have lost the weight and look good in my old clothes again, and I'm not needlessly hungry all the time.

 

It was very difficult to get off of, but not nearly as tough as the benzodiazepines.

 

I'm 9 months off of risperdal now, and so glad I'm off of it.  Risperdal made me very dumb, without me knowing it.  I have come to learn that antipsychotic drugs are quite bad for human brains.  Not trying to worry anyone, but I believe it is important to research these drugs.  While I was on risperdal, I never thought to look into it, and trusted my doctor, which turned out to be a big mistake.

 

Another big thing, is that I had a gloomy, "unfun" type of attitude/ perspective on risperdal as well. 

 

I believe if I had stayed on risperdal, and increased my dose as my doctor wanted me to do, that I would probably have been dead in less than 5 years.

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yes i can relate to everything, i used to be smart but i'm really dumb right now can't think of words and yes omg the hunger sometimes it's like i haven't eaten in years and you give me a plate. Good to know it gets better once you're off!
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Hi Corsair12,

 

Congrats on your taper!

 

I gained a lot of weight. Took Seroquel for 14 yrs. My biggest dose was 200 mg "for sleep" at night during 3 mos of my first benzo WD. I was unable to sleep without Ambien and some other APs anyway.

 

Then took between 25 mg (very rarely) and 12,5 mg until August 2015.

 

Was trying to taper 10% a month since that August, cause I ate like a pig and was very lethargic. I have ED, which at present got into remission thanks to Prozac.

 

Couldn't fall asleep on Seroquel without stuffing myself with food. Ate incredible amounts of sweets. Half-conscious. Food was falling everywhere on the floor. I didn't mind. I only wanted to fall asleep. Think I may get diabetes at some point in my life, due to the amounts of sweets I consumed.

 

At some point in Fall 2015 I started feeling so good on smaller doses of Seroquel that I sped up my taper.

 

Got off of Seroquel in Feb. 2016, totally psychotic (I don't have neither BP nor schizophrenia) and ended up in a psych ward for 8 days' observation and Ambien detox. I started to pop benzos like candies previously (couldn't sleep) and had suicidal ideation.

 

If you want to taper Seroquel, it's only possible by 5-10% each month and you should firstly discuss a substitute with your pdoc. If you've got any of the conditions like BP or schizophrenia, you can only substitute with an AP.

 

If not, there are other non-addictive sleep aids you could try. Most would give you appetite, however. Maybe smaller than Seroquel. But according to my experience, only phenergan/Trazodone does not give appetite. Phenergan is structurally similar to hydroxyzine.

 

Take care,

Estee

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I'm going 1 mg every 1.5 months right now. i plan on coming off it easter 2018. We'll see how that goes. I'm not planning on substituting it as it already was a substitute (if you watch my history in my signature) It's rough, i am lucky i have a great pdoc that is prescribing me the dosages. I actually took both phenergan and trazodone at one point .Just really would like this hell to be over but patience oh my god the patience that it requires .
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  • 2 weeks later...
I took 50mg (for anxiety) for a year and am trying to taper off right now.  I gained 9 lbs, which might not sound like much but my body shape changed and most of my clothes look bad on me now. :(  I also didn't like how it just killed my interests and passion.  I wasted lots of time doing nothing, because nothing interested me.  I started taper last month and have now dropped it to 25mg.  My anxiety seemed manageable and sleep about the same as well.  I'm going to cut it to 12.5mg next week and be done with it next month.  I know I'll have slightly worse sleep and feel depressed for a few days.  I get that response when I cut any medication.  I want my passion and my smart brain back.  Oh and lose the weight.  I was at my ideal weight before this gain.
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been off seroquel for a week now.  I had a few symptoms but most were manageable.  A bit of nausea, itching, diarrhea.  The most annoying symptom is feeling down and gloomy.  Not so bad the first couple days, but rather bothering me right now.  I hope it has peaked and will just improve.  Might be another week based on my experience.

 

My sleep has been OK, slept a little less but still enough to function.  Lost a little bit of weight.  I think I need to watch what I eat more carefully to really lose weight.

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Every antipsychotic I ever tried caused me to gain weight. Every time I quit taking one I would lose weight. Except this last time; I quit seroquel during benzo withdrawal and I haven't been able to lose weight. My body has become completely foreign to me. I'm not sure if it's the seroquel or the benzos or both. I wish you the best. You are not alone.
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