[99fairies]

Seroquel or Zyprexa?

I know you're on a lot of meds right now, including Seroquel and Zyprexa.

Are you planning to continue taking them?

But to answer your question: I've heard more "weight" complaints with Zyprexa than with Seroquel, but obviously weight gain depends on the person. For example, some don't gain on Zyprexa but gain on Seroquel, and vice versa. Seroquel is obviously still known for weight gain, though. I didn't gain weight on it, however.

I agree with everything bluebicycle wrote. I've heard plenty of people say they gained little or no weight from either, and plenty who have, even extreme amounts. I think people should be open to trying these medications, if recommended by their psychiatrists. I hear many accounts of both being very effective for bipolar disorder. Both have been for me.

I only took Zyprexa for a few months maybe 11 years ago. I did gain some weight from it fairly quickly, but the psychiatrist and I both agreed it made a huge difference in my moods, quickly. It, unfortunately, also gave me akathisia. For those reasons, we moved on to other options.

Seroquel has also been effective for me. I found regular Seroquel less weight friendly for me than Seroquel XR (extended release). For the most part, Seroquel XR has been weight neutral for me at doses of around 450 or 500 mg or less. Higher doses do seem to increase my appetite to various degrees. Both Seroquels required time to adjust to the sedation. That wait can seem too long for some people. Perhaps some don't have excess sedation. Nowadays, Seroquel XR helps me sleep, but no longer over sedates me. The time I take it and the time I fall asleep helps.

[99fairies]

Yes I'm on both. I just wanted to know which one was causing the weight gain.

[Sunflower123]

I gained significant weight on Zyprexa. Not so much on Seroquel.

[Faltering]

Zyprexa caused quick weight gain for me. I think Seroquel was weight neutral.

[Moose72]

I went from 117 to 180. Even 190 at one point.

[99fairies]

I went from 200 to 120 once I was put on weight neutral drugs. Now the pounds are starting to build up again from all my meds.

[*Laurie*]

Seroquel has nearly ruined my life. I was a ballet dancer, even at 40 (110lbs.) I have more than doubled my weight on the poison called "Seroquel". I am weaning off the garbage; if I had no withdrawal I would through it in the garbage with a shriek of HOORAY! this very morning.

[TheSeaCat]

I gained 25 pounds on Zyprexa in the matter of two weeks; and best of all the person I saw was not at all surprised. I’m like take me off this garbage I don’t want to be a whale. She’s like well your sleeping finally and your coworkers say you are much more pleasant to be around. I’ll send another refill into the pharmacy and see you again in five weeks. I left her office huffing and puffing. I was confounded!

Seroquel on the other hand does make me hungry and has probably made me gain a little bit it’s honestly nothing compaired to what happened with the Zyprexa.

Everyone is going to react differently to medications and this is only my experience on these two medications. I really hope you’re different.

[~Christina]

Zyprexa by far I gained 14 or so lbs the first 3 weeks.. the constant feeling of hunger was terrible for this person with ED

[Blueberrybook]

Seroquel has been weight neutral for me. I have lost weight too, but I do exercise a lot. Seroquel XL wasn’t good for me. I was exhausted. I just wanted to sleep all day. No energy to exercise.

Haven’t been on Zyprexa.

[Victoria'smom]

Seroquil made me jerk my head to the left. I gained a lot of weight on zyprexa (30 lbs) but it's really the only AP that helps. so I'm on 5-10 mg. I'm suppose to be on 5 mg. I've taken up to 20 mg.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by Blueberrybook

Seroquel has been weight neutral for me. I have lost weight too, but I do exercise a lot. Seroquel XL wasn’t good for me. I was exhausted. I just wanted to sleep all day. No energy to exercise.

Haven’t been on Zyprexa.

You do exercise a lot. How is your eating...appetite? Do you feel hungry and just closely watch how much you eat, or do you just not feel very hungry? I mean, with regard to the Seroquel.

[annielovesbacon]

I have no experience with zyprexa but my pdoc told me seroquel is basically a 50/50 chance of if you will have the weight gain side effect or not. I am on 400mg of seroquel and luckily I have not had an increased appetite or weight gain. My pdoc did tell me that if I did have a weight gain problem on seroquel, there are medicines he could prescribe to help curb the appetite.

[Blueberrybook]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

You do exercise a lot. How is your eating...appetite? Do you feel hungry and just closely watch how much you eat, or do you just not feel very hungry? I mean, with regard to the Seroquel.

Normal appetite most days. Some days, little appetite, but I think it’s sometimes hormonal. May be from being mixed too. Sometimes, I get brief surges of hypomania, which probably includes the running. Depending on how hypomanic, it causes me to put other priorities above food and not even feel hungry until whatever I am obsessed with gets done.

I didn’t notice a difference on Seroquel though I was exhausted on the extended release and hungrier, I think. I definitely had zero energy to exercise. All I wanted to do was sleep. It was like turning off a switch when I got on the regular release.

I don’t count calories or watch my foods. I eat a lot of healthy foods but usually do have things like chocolate or cookies or ice cream. I just don’t go crazy with it. I do eat meat, but I buy the leaner cuts, sometimes sub turkey for beef, drink skim milk, eat the fat free Greek yogurt. But I did away with the bad foods list, eat normal fat cheeses (fat free cheese other than cottage cheese is gross to me, but I ate it when me ED leaned into restriction). I snack on veggies and fruit a lot, though usually I will have a banana most days. Now, I eat what I enjoy, but I don’t go crazy with sweets either, at least not most days.

[Mountaindewed]

I was never on zyprexa but I have read that it is one of the worst when it comes to weight gain. I was on seroquel but I can’t remember when I went off it. I was very sick at the time and I was only 13 and 14. I had no say in what I was taking and I was gaining a lot from everything. Doctors and nurses didn’t take my weight gain concerns seriously at all. I was being put on meds and taken off them weeks later without them being given a chance. So I either went from 118-130 on Seroquel or 130-160 on it. But I can’t remember.

[BipolaRNurse]

I don't have any experience with Seroquel, but the first time I went on Zyprexa I gained 25 lbs. in six weeks. That was on top of already being over 300 lbs. at the time. The last time I was put on it, it was for good, and I managed to LOSE 100 lbs. over the course of a year. My appetite was very poor because I'd lost my husband and wasn't eating. I had a bit of an increased appetite when my dose was adjusted upwards this summer, and I did put about 20 lbs. back on, but it's leveled off.

[piano97]

seroquel by far.

[Cornucopia]

I’ve lost weight on Seroquel. But I have been exercising and eating healthy. Seroquel made me able to do that, it is easier to stick to things for me now.
I did have some other issues in the beginning, like restless legs, dry mouth and really tired. Now I just feel balanced and stable.

I do take omega-fat acid every day, workout strength three times a week and walk atleast 5-10 km every day.

I do have to stay away from certain foods, I eat less carbs and more protein and fat. That makes sure I don’t crave carbs even more, and I don’t feel bloated anymore.

I kinda like this new version of me. Of course, sometimes I miss the mania, but I think this version is more healthy overall.