Quetiapine and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Aff...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2020

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "They don't call it the demon drug for nothing. I was prescribed 25 mg in the evening for extreme irritability and 'insomnia' off-label. I cut it in half because I'm relatively small at 115 pounds. Knocked me out like a light. Went up to 50 mg and became nauseous, saw stars, had heart palpitations, and my body felt extremely heavy. I stopped taking it immediately after. Please note that the mood-stabilizing effect only kicks in at a minimum dosage of 100 mg. Anything under that is a sedative, like Benadryl on steroids, with the added benefit of developing akinesia and metabolic syndrome. You WILL gain weight on this drug regardless of dosage. On the bright side, it'll get rid of your allergy sniffles."

• ECC...
• November 14, 2014

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "At first, it was horrible. I felt like I was dying every time I would take it before bed. I felt as if I were to fall asleep, I'd never wake up. This lasted 2 weeks, maybe a month. My body eventually adjusted to it, the voices went away, slowly but surely. I was also in a serious state of depression, and it takes some time. But now, after a little over a year of taking it, being bipolar and having countless manic and depressive episodes, Seroquel has saved my life. I've never felt like myself like I do right now in such a long time. The only downside is you have to seriously monitor your weight on this thing. The pounds just pile up if you don't watch your weight carefully."

• Lon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 29, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Been on Seroquel for 10 years along with Celexa. It's a lifesaver! Anxiety and depression are manageable. I feel normal. The only issue is the weight battle. But I would rather be overweight than thin and depressed or worse."

• Gem...
• November 10, 2014

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "Seroquel has worked wonders for me. I have been diagnosed with Bipolar 2, and after 7 months on Seroquel, I feel like a whole new person. I had been severely depressed and was self-harming before getting on Seroquel, and now I have never been so happy before! The only problem is the weight gain - I have gained about 20 pounds since I started taking this medicine. But this side effect is worth it to have my depression and anxiety gone!"

• Sea...
• October 16, 2014

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Seroquel for 7 years, after 20 years of delusional thoughts, mania, and large amounts of depression. It worked within two weeks, and I noticed that when I woke up each day, my delusional thoughts were getting easier to identify and let go of. It changed my life. Since taking Seroquel, I have been able to learn how to drive, work in permanent jobs, save money, travel overseas, socialize, have a successful relationship, and reconnect with the real me. I have also worked on my cognitive and emotional development and continue to attend counseling. I have gained 30 kgs, but this has probably come about due to the combination of Seroquel, inactivity, diet, and sleep apnea (of which I have only just been diagnosed)."

• Jod...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2019

For Insomnia "I started taking quetiapine about 5 years ago for insomnia after I stopped using methamphetamine. It helped me have a great night's sleep, gained a little weight but nothing too serious. I am on 25 mg, and I never get hungry after taking it. I am usually asleep in 30 minutes, if I do wake up in the middle of the night, it's only because I need to use the bathroom. After I go back to bed, I fall back to sleep and always wake up feeling refreshed. I did stop taking it for a while, and I had the worst night's sleep. My doctor suggested I start up again, which I did. Great little pill."

• Use...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2013

For Insomnia "25-year-old who has suffered from generalized anxiety disorder for what seems like forever. My anxiety got much worse my senior year of college, and I started having major sleep issues. I became obsessed with my fear of not sleeping, and it really took a toll on me. I was taking Klonopin at night to sleep, but that just made me out of it and feeling guilty worrying that I would become dependent on a benzo. I do not like the idea of taking medicine to sleep, but I was desperate. My psych prescribed me Seroquel 25mg at night, and the first night I slept 7 full hours after months of hardly any sleep. The Seroquel has allowed me to work on healthy lifestyle choices with the goal of eventually not needing it anymore. Minor weight gain."

• Jun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed 25 mg of quetiapine as an alternative to Valiums to treat my recent worsening anxiety, and I can honestly say that I have never felt worse in my entire life. I’ve only been on it for four days and have already experienced brain fog and really dark thoughts. I have, however, noticed that it helps ‘contain’ my anxiety, but to an extent where I feel nothing, that it’s making me more depressed. I don’t know if it’s normal to feel this way after less than a week of taking this medication? I’ve previously been on mirtazapine around a year ago, and quetiapine gives me similar effects such as weight gain, suicidal thoughts, depression, and brain fog. I’m returning to my doctor to make a note of that and will never go near this medication ever again."

• Kmt...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 2, 2015

Seroquel XR (quetiapine) for Depression "I have taken it for PTSD at night for a long time. I'm able to sleep without having horrific nightmares. There is weight gain, but that boosts me to eat healthy and exercise, which helps my depression! Klonopin to help with daytime anxiety and Seroquel before bed are the two drugs that keep me sane and able to live a normal life."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 7, 2014

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "I was off meds for a while and thought I was fine - nope! Had a manic episode. I take 100 to 150 mg of Seroquel at night. Before this, I took Geodon and lost weight, but I had uncontrollable muscle movements. I didn't want to switch, but my family was embarrassed by my non-stop hand movements. I switched to Seroquel and feel a million times better. I sleep great (used to not sleep for days). BUT, I have gained 40 lbs. I wake up the next morning and see what I ate the night before and get so irritated with myself. It makes me want to eat everything bad for me. If I don't eat, it's like an itch I can't scratch. I don't feel foggy, but well-rested...then again, I sleep till 8 or 9 am. To me, it's worth the weight gain to feel stable."

• rsf...
• August 21, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I take Seroquel 50 mg and Jovia at night for 7 months already. These meds made me happy and free from my GAD. They cost a lot, but they are worth it. I don't gain weight because I don't eat a lot of carbs and sweets. Thanks for the happiness I feel. =)"

• K19...
• February 22, 2016

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Started on 50mg Quetiapine today. Knocked me out for 4 hours, but once I came round again, there was almost instant relief from obsessive thoughts, paranoid ideation, anxiety, and the world seemed much slower. Much easier to handle. Kinda feel like there must be some kind of catch to this deal? Scared of weight gain, but I'll monitor it and let you all know how that goes. So far, I'm loving it."

• Roa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 31, 2020

For Insomnia "I've been on a 200 mg dose of quetiapine each night for a while now, and it has its ups and downs. After 30 minutes, I start to feel the effects and it usually helps me sleep for at least 4 hours each night. It can make me sleep during the day, though, so I take naps. The downside is that I gained an insane amount of weight since starting it."

• Min...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 9, 2014

For Insomnia "I have been taking this medicine for a little over two years, but I recently stopped. It is a wonderful medicine for doing what it's supposed to do: making you sleep and stopping your racing thoughts. I don't regret taking it because I badly needed it at the time. However, this medicine has horrible side effects. For me, they outweigh the benefits. I developed an intestinal problem, high blood sugar, and gained over 30 pounds that I could not lose no matter what I tried. I also feel like my mind is slower, and I can no longer retain as much information. I would not recommend taking this medication long term. There are also other negative effects that I was lucky enough not to experience."

• Baz...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 4, 2016

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Schizophrenia "I've been taking Seroquel for 17 years. I am diagnosed as schizophrenic, but for the last 10 years, I have had very few symptoms. After 6 years of being shifted from one med to another, all of which made me feel awful, put on weight, and had no effect on my condition, I was happy to be put on Seroquel purely because I felt normal. However, it still had very little effect on my symptoms. I was very reluctant to change meds again, so I stuck with it. I had my energy back, started getting out exercising, and began losing the weight I had put on. The schizophrenia was still there, but at least having a break from just sitting there with it. It took a while, but after 2-3 years, the symptoms started to decrease and kept on decreasing."

• ins...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 10, 2014

Seroquel (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "Took for bipolar. Good side effects: more or less consistently put me to sleep every night. Bad side effects: gained roughly 20 lbs 6 months in, had a difficult time getting up every day, needed more sleep than usual. It helped for a while, but it mostly made my episodes less severe, did not effectively stop or prevent them."

• eke...
• February 14, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "It worked really well for my generalized anxiety and dissociative disorder, made it manageable. But even on a low dose, it has made me pile on the pounds. I've put on 2 stone. I was on a 100 mg dose and managed to reduce to 75 mg because of the weight gain. I am trying to get off it because of the weight, but it's very hard. The withdrawal symptoms are quite strong, can't sleep at all without taking it, and they don't seem to get better with time. I tried a week with no sleep, so going to try VERY gradual withdrawal."

• Sim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2019

For Depression "I've been on Seroquel for about 5 months now, and it really changed my life. I've had many traumatic things happen in my life, and it has really helped me to deal with life. I sleep fantastically, but the weight gain has been an issue for me. If anyone has any success stories on losing weight on Seroquel, please share your experience."

• K p...
• February 8, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Seroquel has changed my life so much. The only regret I have about taking it is that I didn't take it much earlier in life. I used to be a very anxious, shy girl. Now people describe me as outgoing, life of the party. I no longer feel afraid of people and I don't have panic attacks like I used to. The only side effect I experienced was a 30-pound weight gain within a year (which is unusual on a low dose of 150mg per day). My doctor had added topamax to curb my appetite and it is working. Overall, I love Seroquel."

• JLB...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 23, 2019

For Insomnia "Quetiapine 12.5 mg puts me to sleep every night. Be careful on higher doses, as it caused me to gain a lot of weight, and it’s very well known for weight gain. 12.5 mg doesn’t give weight gain or any other side effects."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 23, 2013

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I sleep much better with Seroquel. I have anxiety and sleep like a baby. I take 25mg and find myself clear-headed, calmer, and refreshed in the morning. I read about the side effects and am concerned, although do not experience the weight gain. I watch how much I eat and may get some water retention from it but that is it. My weight has only gained a few pounds, if any. I do worry about eye problems. I had my first experience with an ocular migraine a few months ago and wondering if that is related to this medicine."

• Loo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 3, 2020

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Quetiapine gave me back my life. I haven't attempted suicide in 4 years. Great mood stabilizer. Helps with insomnia and puts you in a deep sleep. It has made me mentally stronger. The downside of it is the side effects, I've developed involuntary movements and twitching in my shoulder and weight gain."

• Sof...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 4, 2019

Seroquel XR (quetiapine) for Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar disorder type 2. I'm on Seroquel XR 150 mg for 10 years now. Before, I was on Seroquel 300 mg for more than a year. I have tried different antipsychotic medicine combinations for years, but only Seroquel works for me. Changed my life for the better. I have chronic insomnia, tried all sleeping pills, but only lasted for weeks, then I couldn't sleep anymore. But Seroquel put me to sleep, deeper sleep, and I wake up feeling better. I just need to sleep every night at the same time. Also, I gained weight, and the side effect when I feel groggy at night is I feel hungry, so I ended up eating at midnight. I know it sucks that I gained weight. I tried to stop taking it for a few days, then my depression attacked me very suddenly and my mood fluctuated. From then, I never stopped taking Seroquel and I feel better. I told my psychiatrist that Seroquel is my best friend, without it, I feel horrible. It is indeed a lifesaver."

• Car...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2018

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have found quetiapine to be immensely effective in managing my anxiety. I take a 25 mg every night before bed, so it helps me sleep (especially when I can't seem to turn my brain off!). I tried going without it for a while as I was trying to lose weight, and my doctor said the quetiapine likely contributed to my weight gain. I only lasted about 10 days without it. My anxiety was unmanageable, and I wasn't sleeping. Other than weight gain, I haven't had any adverse side effects."

• MBr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 6, 2015

For Insomnia "This drug was a life-saver. I had severe insomnia, the doctor said it was one of the hardest cases he has ever treated. I tried all the usuals and would get some sleep every couple of days. I started on this medication at 50 mg and moved up gradually to 300 mg. Within a week, I was sleeping wonderfully. It is a deep, deep sleep, and it was hard to rouse at the higher dosage. Very vivid dreams. I did not experience any hunger or weight gain. I moved back gradually to 25 mg and would sometimes only take half of that tablet. I just quit taking Seroquel totally after 8 months."