Dear All,
I was recently prescribed Seroquel last month to deal with some depression and anxiety that I was experiencing of which the Lamitcal did not address. I am already 70 pounds over weight do to eating habits, lack of exercise, and changes in my metabolism that occurred during my late 20s; up until the age of 24, I could eat whatever I wanted, in whatever quantity that I chose, and not gain any weight; I really had it good, and looked good--to boot!
In any event, when my doctor gave me the drug, I, of course, went on the internet and goggled "weight gain and Seroquel". I freaked myself out! An overwhelming number of people responded that not only had they gained weight, but that the weight gain was exercise resistant. No amount of exercise was able to reduce the weight while on the med, for some.
Last Thursday, I brought this to my pdoc's attention and she mentioned that those stories are simply untrue. I disagreed with her. People have gained weight on Seroquel. The issue which is still out for debate is whether the weight gain is due to changes in one's metabolism or increased food intake. Keep in mind though that the internet is somewhat biased. People who gained weight tend to post and talk about it online, whereas those people who did not gain weight may tend to keep silent.
Thus, it's probably impossible to know the exact percentage of those individuals who have gained weight vs. those who have not gained weight on Seroquel. My advise would be to watch what you put in your mouth. This is a hard thing to do, as Seroquel give's you the munchies, especially at night. Secondly, you need to incorporate some sort of exercise in your routine; if you already have done so, you need to step it up.
Doing those two things should thwart any weight gain issues. Of course, if you do gain weight and continue to do so while eating right and getting proper exercise, then I would tell your pdoc and consider a different medication.
But, like someone else said on the thread, you'll never know until you try it.
Good luck
