Can you lose weight while on Seroquel??

I everybody! My name is Alberto and I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in 2004. I've never thought about joining a forum before, and I'm hoping someone can give me some useful information. When I was first diagnosed, I weighed 150lbs. Twelve years later, I weight 220lbs and I'm only five foot seven. I'm on several medications such as, lithium, Seroquel, Celexa, Triliptal, and clonazepam. My doctor tells me out of all of these medications, the only one that would make me gain weight is the Seroquel. I asked him, "How does Seroquel make you gain weight?" He says, "The medication itself doesn't make you gain weight, it's the cravings and over eating that makes you gain weight." Is there truth to this? I am very self-conscious about my weight gain and I've tried every diet under the sun. I just can't shed it off. Is anyone else having this problem? What I want to know is this. Am I stuck being overweight for the rest of my life? Is it possible to be on Bipolar medications and lose weight? Are there any diets out there for people in my dilemma? How can I lose this weight? Thank you.

I have to disagree with your pdoc. I have heard of people gaining weight from lithium & benzodiazepines (clonazepam) as well. I'm not sure how they make you gain weight, but some people have a problem with that.

This article might give you an idea about losing weight on antipsychotics:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0HB27J20140916

You should consult a nutritionist (if possible) and if you have the time then maybe consider a personal trainer as well. I'm sure a nutritionist could help you with that. Losing weight is not easy for anyone, but I don't think it's impossible to do.

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I have been prescribed Metformin to counteract the weight gain experienced by being on Seroquel. I was gaining about 5lbs a month. Metformin is actually a diabetes medication but there has been success using it in this off label fashion. I've been on it now for 6mos and not gained any weight.

Seroquel definitely ups the food cravings causing weight gain. But there are some weight neutral medications out there i.e. Trileptal, Lamictal

It is possible to lose weight while on seroquel - it's just hard. I started seeing a registered dietitian last Aug., who taught me about portion control, and helped me develop a food plan and daily calorie target. I lost 20 lbs, then slipped up with my eating and gained some of it back, but I'm now back on my food plan and losing again.

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One of the other problems is that especially sugar effects dopamine. So it makes you feel better.

I take Seroquel, and I did gain weight in the beginning.

However, after I started a strict diet and began cardio exercise on a daily basis I started to lose weight.

Now I weigh the same weight that I did before taking Seroquel.

I wish you the best.

I'm on a small amount of Seroquel and have been able to slowly lose 30 lbs. (I don't know if my dose is high enough to affect my weight or not.) Coming through a long period of depression recently, I haven't even been able to stick with a regular exercise regimen other than trying to move more and get steps in on my fitbit. I do get really awful cravings for junk food and sometimes I give in. But I've found that if I can just try to move more often and eat less, or keep junk out of the house and eat healthy things when I'm hungry, it's still possible to lose weight.

I'm hoping to eventually get into a regular fitness regimen if I can stick with it. I remember reading a good book about bipolar (I'm sorry I don't have the title) where the author said common sense "rules" such as staying away from fried foods and trying to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, combined with regular fitness helped him stay at a healthy weight. It's encouraging to know it can be done, although for me food and fitness is often tied in with emotions so losing weight is a slow process.

In my experience, there are many psych meds that, in themselves, cause weight gain. Even though I don't overeat I have gained weight from Seroquel and other meds. I have never lost more than a a few pounds while on psych meds.

I don't honestly think you can lose weight on Seroquel. Maintain a weight maybe.

hi cira ,
yes seroquel can make you gain weight . that is why im not on it cuz my psychiatrist didn't recommend it to me cuz im trying to lose weight . so she has me on Cymbalta instead .I tried Zoloft that I gained weight like crazy .I went from 190 lbs to 238 in 2001 . I was also on Serazone and I gain weight with that medication too . I was 195 lbs when I went on Serazone back in 1995 . my old doctor and my old psychiatrist didn't know dilly squat about medications . so I stopped the Zoloft cold turkey on my own and my weight started dropping in 2009 on my own w my doctor's help . I stay away from any kind of anti depression meds and along with anti anxiety meds until now due in part of my parents passings and my job loss .


Diagnosis : Anxiety and depression
meds: Cymbalta 60 mgs at night
Vistrail 2 25 mgs daily for anxiety prn
50 mgs at night for insomnia with an additional 25 mgs=75 mgs when up past 1:00 in the morning

Seroquel does kinda give me the munchies how ever I only take it right before bed so I don't really have a chance to eat a lot... when I do feel the need for a snack after Seroquel
I just make sure it's a healthy one . Healthy nutrition and exercise should help with weight control.

Some affect how carbs are processed. Some meds really interfer and disturb the metabolism of carbs. While the fat and protein you eat will be almost treated the same as without the meat, every piece of bread, every potato, every spoonful of rice etc will basically be converted to fat and not be used as energy.

I have been able to lose weight on Seroquel. It can be harder, but possible. The only reliable way I have found for me to lose weight is to count calories. At 5'3" and anywhere between 125 and 170lbs I will lose weight if I consume 1200 calories. If I exercise I can have 1400 calories and lose weight if I drop below 1000 for a day or below 1200 for several days I will gain weight because my body will go into starvation mode and try to turn everything into fat. So if I'm eating healthy low calorie foods I can eat a lot, high calorie foods very little. Of course your body will function better if you have a balanced diet within the calorie restraints.