Quetiapine & Eating + Weight Gain

[Watercolours]

I’ve been taking Quetiapine for 6 weeks now and since it was increased to 75mg a day I can’t stop eating! I’ve gained around 8lbs in the past couple of weeks!

I use to have a binge eating problem and am overweight but have lost a large amount of weight through healthily eating and had also lost the urge to eat certain foods, but it seems since I started on the Quetiapine, I am craving all kinds of sweet things, I seem to be wanting to eat nonstop.

Anyone else experienced this, I know this drugs can gain weight...

 

[emski]

This same thing happened with me with olanzapine, but I have to say since starting quetiapine it hasn't had that effect on me. Everybody reacts differently though don't they. Definitely bring it up with your psych.

When I was on depakote, mirtazapine and olanzapine, my psych saw a little weight gain as a fair trade off for the drugs helping in other areas. Only they didn't help - still took 12 months, a further admission and 3 STONE for him to see they weren't the right ones.

I hope your psych takes you seriously about the effect quetiapine is having on you. Good luck

 

[NrLondonGuy]

I was on qutiapine XL 700MG. DON't want to scare anyone but other then weight gain (always eating greasy fatty food) it made me really suicidal and really anxious. Anyway those symptoms went when I came off it. Its rare to have that affect - it sadates most poeple so don't worry if its hleping you. I am now just taking lorazepam and anxiety is still driving me nuts so wil try something new soon until I have finnished OCD therpay. (DOn't want to be going nuts during therpay). Since I stopped quetapine my appetite has really dropped which is great and together with going to gym am loosing loads of weight now. : )

 

[skyblue]

Quetiapine has really helped me with my depression side of Bipolar and Anxiety. But, I'm struggling to lose weight, despite mostly eating healthy foods and going to the gym everyday for an hour.

I have got a fairly big appetite, (I don't know if this is the Quetiapine or not though).

I'm going to stick with it for the time being, because I know I'll feel so unwell without taking it.

But let us know how you get on, if things change for you.

 

[Jo1760]

I have been taking Quetiapine since Nov. I certianly knew i had put weight on, but i couldn't work out if it was that, the AD or the factor that i am massively unmotivated and have been for quite some time.

I do think medication plays a pretty big part in me eating at odd times and very much the wrong foods also.

 

[Watercolours]

Thanks everyone for your replies! A little more infomation from today's appointment and what was talked about with my psych!

This same thing happened with me with olanzapine, but I have to say since starting quetiapine it hasn't had that effect on me. Everybody reacts differently though don't they. Definitely bring it up with your psych.

We talked about other meds, olanzapine is out because that is one of the worst for weight gain and I have a weight problem! I've lost weight and so I'm always worried about putting back on what I've lost yet I still have a lot of weight to lose, but gaining the lbs I have since starting Quetiapine really bothered me... anyway my psych never forces me to take anything I don’t want. The thing with other drugs they may not have the same positive effects as the Quetiapine, it was given to me for my insomnia and has improved my mood and helped with the anxiety as well. I am sleeping so much better at night on it, so there are more pros and cons.

I’m reducing the dose to 50 mg to take just at night for the sleep and mood, in the hope any urge to eat will obviously not be noticed if I am asleep! Well that’s the plan!!! If I skip the morning dose then I am hoping I’ll lost the craving to dive to the canteen at the morning break in college for that urgent much needed bacon butty I’ve been having.

Quetiapine also effects diabetes and I’m diabetic (type 2) so it’s possible it’s having an effect on my blood sugar, but the downside is I don’t test my BS, because the NHS no longer provide testing sticks to us even though I take medication!!! (go figure!!!) so I have no idea what state my blood sugar is in... in fact just writing this sounds so crazy!!! How can the NHS get away with not providing BS testing sticks!!! The majority of what I’ve been craving has been sweet things...

So I’m reeling it in and I’m going to try and take control over what I eat whilst I continue on the 50mg dose of Quetiapine and we’ll see what happens!

I guess you’ll see me on the weight loss board!

 

[emski]

That's crazy that you're diabetic and cannot test your own blood sugar! How ridiculous!

I hope it goes ok with the 50mg quetipaine at night. I only take quetiapine at night 100mg (told today to double it) about 30 mins before I go to bed - does the job for sleep and I don't get any urges to eat that wake me up, so I hope you'll be ok with it

 

[skyblue]

I'm currently taking 300mg. I wonder if it'll make any difference if I were to take 200mg. I may ask my doc when I next see him.

Watercolours; You're our guinea pig I hope it works well for you. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Watercolours]

That's crazy that you're diabetic and cannot test your own blood sugar! How ridiculous!

I hope it goes ok with the 50mg quetipaine at night. I only take quetiapine at night 100mg (told today to double it) about 30 mins before I go to bed - does the job for sleep and I don't get any urges to eat that wake me up, so I hope you'll be ok with it

I know the not testing my BS is mad, I went from testing it for over four years three times a day to zero times... thankfully it was controlled, but who knows now and until I get my annual HbA1C I won't know what state it's in!

Keep us informed how your new dose goes...

I think I'll ban myself from carry money to college... that way I can't buy anything! Then I'll put a sign around my neck "Do not feed or lend money to this person' lol

I'm currently taking 300mg. I wonder if it'll make any difference if I were to take 200mg. I may ask my doc when I next see him.

Watercolours; You're our guinea pig I hope it works well for you. Let us know how you get on.

I'll keep you informed!

 

[Misha]

I've definiately experienced the 'appetite effect'. I've been on 400mg of Quetiapine XL for almost a month and I cannot stop eating! I was less than 9 stone before and sometimes would have one meal a day or nothing at all. Now I just crave food, even when I've eaten I feel the desire to eat something else. I've lready put on weight, which I gladly expected as a side-effect, but now I'm trying to think of a way to maintain a healthy weight without ballooning in size!

 

[NrLondonGuy]

Hi Misha

yeh these drugs are awful for weight gain and worse when some MH professionals just don't undertsand hwo important it is to look good. (specially when it feels you havn't got that much else going for you at that time in life). Without stating teh obvious but do try and exerice then that will counteract the weight gain and at leats control it/minimise it. Better to be 2 stone overwieght after a year then 5!!!!!I put 4.5 stone on olazapine then lost a stone while still on it just cos I cycled and dieted while on it (hard though when always hungry) but you can be on these drugs and find ways to reists teh eating and curve the weight gain. Just try not to eat everytime hungry and try and live with teh hunger. hard though as not natural feeling. I remeber on seroquel XL eating a gient sized pizza cos I jusy could stop eating and stuffed teh whole thing in my mouth and threw up involuntarily cos my pysicval body coudl not take it (was enough for 4 poeple) even though my mind was still hungry. The drugs were syaing eat eat eat.

 

[jeff-j]

Hi

I,ve been on quetipine for nearly two years now,i'm on 300mg am and 900mg pm,so quite high doses.Yes my weight has increased,but it is possible to lose alot of the weight,it's just getting motivated that is my problem.My freind who is also on quetipine,similar dosage to me has lost 3 stone in less than 8 months.The drug has changed my life,it's improved my sleep,my mood and almost all aspects of my mental health.Sometimes you have to way up the pros and cons,good mental health,which improves you quality of life and weight gain,or not being well.

 

[skyblue]

I,ve been on quetipine for nearly two years now,i'm on 300mg am and 900mg pm,so quite high doses.Yes my weight has increased,but it is possible to lose alot of the weight,it's just getting motivated that is my problem.My freind who is also on quetipine,similar dosage to me has lost 3 stone in less than 8 months.The drug has changed my life,it's improved my sleep,my mood and almost all aspects of my mental health.Sometimes you have to way up the pros and cons,good mental health,which improves you quality of life and weight gain,or not being well.

Hi Jeff,

Yes I do agree with you, motivation is the key. I have since been losing weight, though I must be extremely careful with my diet and workout down the gym almost everyday !

It's hard going, but it's working . At least I should be fit by the time i've lost this 3 stone. Infact, I'm now so into it, I want to eventually work in the Fitness Industry.

So all in all, it's actually done me a huge favour and has helped change my life around.

 

[Faerie Sarie]

Opposite effects...

I've been on various doses of Quetiapine since February. I'm currently taking a 400mg XL dose at night, along with a mood stabiliser. I must admit that I've been more than made aware that quetiapine is likely to make me hungry and put weight on rapidly.

However, since I've been on a higher dose of both Quetiapine and Lamotrigene I've completely lost my appetite. I've dropped a lot of weight in 3 weeks, and at the moment have not eaten anything in 4 days. I seem to just be living on fruit juice and coffee at the moment.

This however does worry me because I also know that diabetes is a risk of the meds.

I'm just wondering really if anyone has heard anything similar to this?