waitingforgodot Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I feel like an idiot asking this, because I'm sure it's been asked before and I just can't find the post. I just added some Seroquel IR to my Seroquel XR, and there's a lot of talk online about how IR causes more weight gain, or XR causes more weight gain, or both cause massive weight gain, or neither cause weight gain. So obviously, everyone responds differently to meds. I've been fortunate not to have gained on Seroquel XR, but some say the IR version causes more weight gain (and some say the opposite).So, now that I'm done relaying a bunch of irrelevant information...I will come to the question: For those of you who DID gain weight on Seroquel (either IR or XR), was it because the drug seemed to have some sort of effect on metabolism or because it drastically increased your appetite, so you ate more and gained weight? I'm terrified of the former but not the latter. Thank you in advance to anyone who responds to this; I'm kind of freaking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) I think it's a bit of both. There was definitely a mrtabolic piece for me because when I stopped Seroquel, I stopped calorie counting, ate whatever I wanted, and lost 15 pounds in like 3 months. Track your weight and if it's too much of a problem, stop and try something else. That's what I should have done. Edited October 21, 2015 by tryp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waitingforgodot Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 I think it's a bit of both. There was definitely a mrtabolic piece for me because when I stopped Seroquel, I stopped calorie counting, ate whatever I wanted, and lost 15 pounds in like 3 months. Track your weight and if it's too much of a problem, stop and try something else. That's what I should have done. Thanks, tracking the weight gain over a period of time makes a lot of sense. Right now, I step on the scale every day and, if I see a 1/2 lb gain (which could be due to any number of factors), I go into an "oh-my-god-this drug-will-make-me-huge" panic. I've had a pattern of discontinuing meds for this exact reason.I hope your new medication is helping. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamito Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 For me, it's totally metabolism. I eat very little yet am very overweight on Seroquel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I feel like an idiot asking this, because I'm sure it's been asked before and I just can't find the post. I just added some Seroquel IR to my Seroquel XR, and there's a lot of talk online about how IR causes more weight gain, or XR causes more weight gain, or both cause massive weight gain, or neither cause weight gain. So obviously, everyone responds differently to meds. I've been fortunate not to have gained on Seroquel XR, but some say the IR version causes more weight gain (and some say the opposite).So, now that I'm done relaying a bunch of irrelevant information...I will come to the question: For those of you who DID gain weight on Seroquel (either IR or XR), was it because the drug seemed to have some sort of effect on metabolism or because it drastically increased your appetite, so you ate more and gained weight? I'm terrified of the former but not the latter. Thank you in advance to anyone who responds to this; I'm kind of freaking out. I believe it can happen either way with drugs like seroquel and Zyprexa. They're pretty notorious for weight gain, even when people aren't eating more (but they often cause people to overeat as well). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destro Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It was hunger for me. I would even wake up in the night STARVING. because of the weight gain a am tapering off of seroquel now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaBanana Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I took XR and I gained 40lbs in 4 months. I'm pretty sure it was a metabolic thing, coz I didn't eat any different. I didn't have cravings or get super hungry or anything like that. In fact, I probably ate less because I was so sleepy and drowsy all the time. It was not a good drug for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs190 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 (edited) Hunger for me, too. Some people say that Zyprexa is more well known for weight gain due to metabolic effects, while Seroquel is more notorious for weight gain due to an increased appetite, but everyone's body is different so that claim is hard to substantiate.I can tell you that IR never makes me hungry because I fall asleep right after taking it. XR makes me hungry if I take it and stay awake too long afterwards. Moral of the story: take it at night, as close to bed time as possible, and let it carry you to sleep to avoid the food cravings. At least then you'll know that any weight gain you experience is more likely due to metabolic side effects of the medication. ETA: Zyprexa hits the Muscarinic cholinergic receptors (namely M5) hard and fast, while Seroquel is much less potent in that department; some attribute its metabolic effects to the harsh anticholinergic effects, which are postulated to cause things like dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. Edited October 23, 2015 by mjs190 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waitingforgodot Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 (edited) Wow, it sounds like you all had very different experiences, and I really appreciate everyone's input. I am so frustrated right now because the Seroquel IR really seems to be helping (and nothing else has, in spite of years of experimentation). However, I have a history of a pretty severe eating disorder, and small changes in weight are a big deal for me, to the extent that the anxiolytic effects of any drug would be negated by the terror that would result from weight gain. (I know most of you, unless you have an eating disorder yourself, will downplay this, but "terror" is not an overstatement, so please don't try to convince me that the weight gain should not matter to me if the med is working. I only say this because it's happened on forums before, and it's just not helpful.) Frankly, given Seroquel IR's weight gain profile, I never would have tried it had it not been for the fact that I have had no problem with weight gain on 800 mg of the XR version.It gives me a little bit of hope that some of you attribute the weight gain to eating more, because I am vigilant about what I eat, so this wouldn't be a problem. If it's metabolic, though, I'm pretty much f*cked. (mjs190, I appreciate your comparison of IR and XR and hope you're correct about the Zyprexa vs Seroquel issue.) Just curious...has anyone experienced symptoms on the IR version of any drug that you did not experience on the XR version, or vice versa? As I said, I've been on the highest dose of Seroquel XR for maybe two years with no weight gain. Would I be correct in guessing that the IR version should not have effects that the XR does not have? I'd appreciate an answer about any IR and XR drug, not just Seroquel. Edited October 23, 2015 by waitingforgodot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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