Does 25 mg of Seroquel cause weight gain? 

Does 25 mg of Seroquel cause weight gain? 

Yes, 25 mg of Seroquel can make you gain weight if you have been using this low dose for a long period of time. Seroquel can make you gain weight in a number of ways. However, the dose and the duration of your treatment can make a huge difference. 

If you’re taking a low dose of Seroquel for short-term treatment of insomnia or for any other condition, you may not experience any weight gain. However, this low dose can still make you gain some weight if you continue to take it and it may trigger bloating in some people. 

Higher doses can cause a significant increase in your body weight in a short period of time. Make sure you monitor your side effects properly and report them to your healthcare provider. It is also quite important to make sure that you’re not taking more than the prescribed dose or more frequently. 

Why does Seroquel cause weight gain? 

Seroquel, an atypical antipsychotic medication, can make you gain weight in a number of ways. These include:

• High blood glucose levels 
• Dyslipidemia
• Water retention 
• Increased appetite

High blood glucose levels 

Seroquel can spike your blood sugar levels. This can lead to weight gain or loss in some people. Experts have also observed that when Seroquel increases blood sugar levels, it may trigger some of the effects of diabetes, like increased urination and thirst, inability to manage hunger, etc. 

This can make you keep eating after small intervals and you end up consuming more calories than your body needs. This gets stored in your body as fat and can make you gain weight. Persistent high glucose levels can increase the risk of diabetes mellitus (1). 

Dyslipidemia

Dyslipidemia is a condition associated with an imbalance of fats or lipids in your blood, like cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, etc – which could be triggered by the use of Seroquel (2). 

This imbalance can make your body more susceptible to weight gain as it affects your body’s fat-burning metabolism. Too many lipids can not only affect your weight but can significantly affect your cardiac health. 

Water retention 

High doses of Seroquel are associated with water retention. When your body retains water, your water weight goes high. It does not just make you heavier on the scale, but this added pressure can also affect your heart by increasing your blood volume. 

This can be critical for a cardiac patient or someone who suffers from hypertension. Water weight begins to drop as your body loses the excess water. 

Increased appetite 

Seroquel can significantly increase your appetite and may trigger unusual food cravings. This can lead to weight gain as people keep filling their bodies up with extra calories that are not used to make energy. 

This type of weight gain can become quite significant and it can cause a number of complications (3). 

What to do if Seroquel makes you gain weight? 

There are a few things that you should do if Seroquel is making you gain weight. These include:

Talk to your doctor 

The basic thing to do is to talk to your healthcare provider. Only your doctor can determine the safety and efficacy of Seroquel in your body. If you’re taking it for insomnia, there are a number of other options available that your doctor may switch you to. 

If you’re taking it for any other condition, your doctor may either pair it with another medication to manage weight gain or switch you to another antipsychotic medication. 

Increase the intake of soluble fibres 

Soluble fibres should be an important addition to your diet to help you get rid of excess blood cholesterol (4). 

There are a number of fibre supplements, like Psyllium husk, which are known for eliminating fats from your body non-pharmacologically. They can also help you feel full and can aid your digestion. 

Cinnamon tea helps in regulating blood glucose levels 

There are a number of research studies indicating that cinnamon holds significant importance when it comes to regulating your blood sugar levels (5). 

The best way to consume it is to either make tea by boiling water with a stick or two of cinnamon or dissolve a teaspoon of cinnamon powder in warm water. 

Drink this mixture either at bedtime or in the morning on an empty stomach. This is one of the best non-pharmacological ways to reduce your excess blood glucose. 

Limit your salt intake 

It is important to limit your salt intake when you’re being treated with a high dose of Seroquel. This is because high doses can make your body more susceptible to water retention and high salt intake can enhance that effect. It can cause more water to retain in your body, which may cause further complications. 

Stick to a healthy diet 

Sticking to a healthy diet is the key to not gaining weight on Seroquel. This is because the medication increases your appetite. 

If you continue to stuff unhealthy foods in your mouth, you will begin to gain a tremendous amount of weight, which will become extremely difficult for you to lose. This is why you should make good food choices. Focus on your greens, lean protein, good fats, and lots of fruits and other vegetables. 

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