Is It Possible to Have Rapid Weight Loss After Stopping Seroquel?

By - Minahil Laraib Asif

Schizophrenia is one of the most prevalent mood disorders many people face nowadays. It is a severe mental health condition that must be treated with antipsychotic medications such as Seroquel.

However, one common challenge for people suffering from mood disorders is often weight gain due to their medications. 

Recent studies have revealed that discontinuation or dose reduction of certain anti-anxiety drugs can help combat their induced weight gain effect. Somehow, losing weight while still on these drugs can be notoriously tricky.

This is where your query of whether it is possible to have rapid weight loss after stopping Seroquel comes on target.

So, will you lose weight after stopping Seroquel, or is it just deceitful? Read on to know further!

What Is Seroquel? Why Is It Used?

Seroquel is an antipsychotic drug that belongs to a chemical class, the dibenzothiazepine derivatives of the second generation, with the generic name of Quetiapine Fumarate.

It is a prescription medicine used to treat panic or mood disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. It helps control psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and mania.

Some Antipsychotic Drugs:

Some other antipsychotic drugs to treat schizophrenia or other bipolar diseases include:

Side Effects of Seroquel:

The side effects of an antipsychotic drug can be dangerous. The newer antipsychotic drugs are known to cause significant weight gain as a horrible side effect by altering the body’s metabolism.

 However, Quetiapine (Seroquel) is a psychotropic drug with many adverse side effects such as;

Although, all side effects are a matter of concern. But for now, our primary focus will be dealing with that weight gain sector while on Seroquel.

Let’s dive into the debate!

Why Does Seroquel Cause Weight Gain?

Antipsychotics have been shown to increase glucose and lipid levels in the blood, which can lead to the brain’s distorted appetite signals. It tends to increase the appetite. These effects may not be desirable and tend to cause obesity due to the imbalance between calorie consumption and calorie intake since the brain desires more foods like donuts or fast foods.

Since Seroquel is an antipsychotic drug, it causes significant weight gain leading to several physical and mental health issues. It can lead to moderate weight gain with long-term Quetiapine monotherapy. However, you can overcome it in several ways.

How to Counter the Weight Gain on Seroquel?

By following these, you can overcome the weight gain when on Seroquel.

However, studies have suggested that some people might experience weight loss after getting off the medication. But can you have rapid weight loss after stopping Seroquel? Let’s see the facts behind it!

How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight After Stopping Antipsychotics?

Antipsychotics are known to cause significant weight gain in patients with schizophrenia. However, this weight can be shed off to some extent.

Losing weight after antipsychotics depends upon the nature of the drug, its dosage, and the degree of weight gain caused by it.

Let’s have a look at different psychotropic drugs and the degree of weight gain that they cause;

Can You Have Rapid Weight Loss After Stopping Seroquel?

Losing weight after antipsychotics is natural. Second-generation antipsychotics cause weight loss through various mechanisms, including negative energy balance and directly affecting neuroendocrine signaling or neurotransmitters.

However, dosage reduction or discontinuation of these drugs may cause significant weight loss.

So, will you lose weight after stopping Seroquel?

Obviously yes! Many people experience losing weight after stopping Seroquel. However, some studies revealed that getting off this drug will lead to gradual weight loss as it isn’t easy enough!

How Long to Lose Weight After Stopping Seroquel?

Since you might lose weight after getting off Seroquel, a query arises; How long after stopping Seroquel, will I lose weight?

Well, it depends entirely on the period and quantity of dosage—the longer and stronger the dose, the more chance of getting weight loss soon after stopping it.

Usually, you start losing weight once you get off the medication. It’s good as long as it’s slow and steady, but rapid weight loss after stopping Seroquel might not be a good sign!

Coming Off Quetiapine 25mg:

If you suddenly come off Seroquel, you can witness some withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, it is better and safer to get off it gradually.

Coming off Quetiapine 25mg slowly will also help you lose the weight you’ve gained as a side effect. You should never come off any antipsychotic drug abruptly, but reducing your dosage over months or weeks and slowly getting off it will prevent you from any unwanted adverse effects.

Why Can’t I Lose Weight After Stopping Seroquel?

Sometimes, stopping medicines won’t help you in aiding the induced weight gain. This is because the weight loss depends upon the drug, its dosage, and the individual.

Some people’s internal metabolisms aren’t designed that way. Therefore, they can’t lose their induced weight gain after stopping the medication. However, a controlled diet and regular exercise can help eliminate those extra pounds!

I am Losing Weight on Seroquel: Why?

Weight gain is a significantly substantial side effect of Seroquel. But it is the opposite concerning weight loss.

Nevertheless, losing weight while on Seroquel is occasional. It is a sporadic case. However, it was discovered that people who gained weight on other antipsychotics when shifted to Seroquel suffered rapid weight loss on it and even after stopping it.

Final Verdict

Therefore, till now, the answer to your query, will I lose weight after stopping Seroquel, would have been quite eminent.

Seroquel (or Quetiapine) is a psychotropic medication for patients having schizophrenia in people of age over 13 years. It also acts as an antidepressant to treat various depressive disorders like mania symptoms, bipolar diseases, etc.

Since it is an antipsychotic drug, it also has some adverse effects on its patients like weight gain, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomachache, drowsiness, etc., among which weight gain is the most prevalent and held under significant debate.

However, the weight gain caused by antipsychotics is reversible and can be reversed to some degree. It can be countered by following specific precautionary measures and having a proper diet and exercise schedule.

Know that weight loss after stopping the medication is usual and happens to almost every other patient on long-term doses of this drug.

However, this weight loss is usually gradual. If you ever experience a rapid weight loss after stopping Seroquel, consult your doctor as it might be due to other drug adversity!

FAQs

Will I lose weight when I stop Seroquel?

Being an antipsychotic drug, you might gain weight while taking Seroquel.

Once you stop taking Seroquel, you will ultimately start to shed those extra pounds you gained as its side effects. However, studies have revealed that a person who stops taking Seroquel won’t be able to get on the baseline of their weight.

To some extent, the person will remain obese.

Is Seroquel weight gain permanent?

Weight gain is proved to be a significant side effect of Seroquel intake. Although it can be reversed often either by discontinuation or dosage reduction, it is still unavoidable.

It can be considered as weight gain permanent at times because most people couldn’t get to their actual weights after stopping Seroquel. Thus, they remain obese to some extent.

Somehow, stopping Seroquel might lead to gradual weight loss as well.

Does Seroquel slow down your metabolism?

Seroquel doesn’t have any direct effect on the body’s metabolism. It alters the body’s metabolism by increasing blood glucose and cholesterol levels. It increases the appetite, which means it indirectly fastens the metabolic rate.

Somehow, there’s no accurate report on Seroquel’s adverse effects on the body’s metabolism!

Do you lose weight after stopping antipsychotics?

Yes! A person might experience gradual weight loss after stopping antipsychotics. This weight loss depends upon the nature of the medication and the prescribed dosage.

It is believed that if a drug has been taken for a long time, it is more likely to cause weight loss after its stoppage.

However, the induced weight gain from antipsychotics can be somewhat reversible!