Here is a question about the antipsychotic Seroquel and weight gain.
Hi Julie,
I have been on Seroquel for over 5 years now. I have Bipolar with psychosis. I am tired of the weight gain fight.
Seroquel has been very affective in controlling the psychosis which I have frequently. Is there anything that can replace the Seroquel in controlling the psychosis without the weight gain?
Stinker
Hi There Stinker,
Here is a short answer to your question:
Maybe.
Everyone responds differently to antipsychotics. Most gain wait on them,but some don’t. It’s very,very well documented for example that Zyprexa has an average 20 lb weight gain. Seroquel,Risperdal,and the other atypical antipsychotics are known for weight gain around the stomach. This leads to a complication called Metabolic Syndrome- I wrote quite a great article on this last year for www.healthyplace.com if you want to read more about it. Just type in Julie Fast and Metabolic Syndrome and it will come up.
When the atypical antipsychotic Abilify came out,it was touted as an antipsychotic that didn’t cause weight gain. I have now heard from people that it definitely can. But,overall it’s considered to have the least weight gain,so talk to your doctor about it. The problem is that it’s not simply a replacement for Seroquel. They work differently. I can say that Abilify is not known to cause the amount of weight gain that comes with Seroquel,Risperdal and Zyprexa,but the research is ongoing. On the other hand,I know people on Zyprexa who have gained no weight- and then there are those who gain up to a certain point and then it stops
I am unable to take antipsychotics because the weight gain and hunger are so intense and the weight gain is so immediate,I can’t stay on them. I also have a lot of other side effects that compound things.
.
It’s not a complicated question- what is complicated is whether the bipolar is more serious than the weight gain and its consequences. I wish I could take bipolar anti psychotics- it would be nice to have some relief for my chattering brain.
My coauthor Dr. John Preston wrote a great book called The Medical Treatment of Bipolar Disorder- it’s on my www.bipolarhappens.com site. It answers most medication questions and can go into this with a lot more depth than I can here.
I suggest you read all you can and then talk with your doctor- Ask about options in terms of staying well and losing weight. It’s a balancing act. I wish it were only about eating less and exercising more. That helps 100%,but it doesn’t necessarily help anti psychotic weight gain.
Readers,have you been able to balance the weight gain with the benefits of the drugs- or have you found a drug that definitely had less weight gain? Please write and let us know.
Thanks for your question,
Julie
PS:There is a category list to the right that has a medications section- it has a lot of info on the antipsychotics and bipolar disorder.
Related posts: A Reply from Stinker and the question on Bipolar Antipsychotics and Weight Gain | Bipolar Disorder Medications:What is Zyprexa? (Olanzapine) | A medications and weight gain newsletter is coming soon! |
I take Seroquel and I have put on 10 pounds in 3 years. I think this is because I seem to have no will power when it comes to food. I tell myself to watch and only eat what I plan. I always seem to find food in mouth though. It takes an extraordinary effort to be aware of my eating. Prior to taking Seroquel,this wasn’t a problem. I am a diabetic so I really need to watch my eating. Seroquel is known to cause high blood sugar but it is the best drug for me. I also take Lithium and Lamictal. When I was just taking those two,I didn’t have the eating control problem. But it wasn’t enough for my bad depression and mixed states. To control my eating urges,I try to not have food (other than my planned lunch) near at hand,so I have time to talk myself out of eating unplanned food. This is what I do at work. At home,I have my wife to help me keep control. By the way,if you find something for chattering brain,I would like to know about it.
Hey Julie!
I know that weight gain story with Seroquel as I have been on it since 2002 and the weight gain has been significant,probably about 100 pounds. I have also been on a bevy of other meds that could have contributed. I am now pre-diabetic as a result. We have decreased my Seroquel to 200mg per day with PRN option,as opposed to 800mg per day with 300mg PRN option. I get incredibly hypersexual with my hypomania and it is very difficult to control. Since my hospitalization last January my meds have shifted greatly. I am now on Geodon,Celexa,Seroquel,Abilify and Lamictal. The combination slong with no longer working outside the home seems to have calmed the mania but it is still there. On a scale of 1-10 with 5 being neutral I run at a 7 on a regular basis. I just pretty much live there. I have found something that has helped me lose weight however. It is a program called Take Shape for Life and you buy meals from them and get a coach. My coach is great –she is very aware of my various medical and mental conditions and reminds me to check in with my doctors on dosages as I lose weight. I have been told that the weight loss will not impact my psychotropic med dosage but it’s great to have a coach that is so aware and understanding. I have lost 31 pounds since the 4th of July on this program so I am ecstatic. I have tried many things and this is the first to really work for me. It is an investment but for me it is so worth it.
- Melissa -
I have taken Seroquil for five years now and in the very first year i put on eighty pounds,but seroquil was the first medication that i have taken in thirty years that made a significant improvement with my rapid cycling bi-polar. I also take lamitol and tegretol. I took charge and joined an exercise program called curves that met my personal physical fitness. I also loosley followed the curves fitness diet plan. i also have suffered from an incredible increase in appetite,but taking a cup of low fat yogurt for a mid morning snack and a cup of low fat cottage chesse mid afternoon was enough to curb my appetite to get me through to my next meal. Of course the trick is to have some kind of protien for snacks to take you through,within a year i lost my eighty pounds and i still induldged in treat a couple of times a week to not feel deprived. i will never be my hundred and twenty pounds again but have been able to maintain one hundred and sixty and a good bmi. so thats what worked for me it wasn’t this strict diet that couldn’t be maintained for life and allowed you to enjoy yourself maybe this will help someone else. I am rapid cycling as well.
I was on Depakote for a while and I packed on about 25 pounds in no time because I could not stop eating. I don’t know if it was because I was actually hungry or because it hurt my stomach and my brain interpreted that as hunger. All I know is that I ate non-stop. I’m on Lamictal now and it is definitely helping with my appetite. The down side is that I have bad skin for the first time in my life,but it seems to be leveling off. There’s no such thing as a free lunch,I guess.
I eat on a regular schedule now and don’t snack between meals and that’s helping my weight,too.
I take Seroquel to sleep,but only at night so I’m asleep while it’s working and can’t eat. I have never slept like a normal person before –I would literally go days without sleeping at all. Racing thoughts were the bane of my life but no more. Even if Seroquel makes me carry some extra weight,it is worth it to me. I’d rather be plump and happy than skinny and miserable.
Sleep is a beautiful thing. I think that has helped keep my moods stable more than the meds have.
The other great thing about Seroquel (for me) is that it really helps when I’m manic. I just take a little extra and it levels me out. I know lots of people have side effects from it but I’ve been taking it for months and so far,so good.