Weight Loss With Seroquel & Topomax

Medications can be life-saving for some medical conditions. Unfortunately, medications may come with a price – side effects. Side effects are medication effects that are not related to the reason the medication is prescribed. Side effects can be beneficial or problematic; in some extreme conditions, side effects can be life-threatening. Both Seroquel and Topamax have side effects related to your weight.

About Seroquel

Quetiapine -- brand name Seroquel -- is used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. It is approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder – also called manic-depressive disorder -- and for schizophrenia. Both of these conditions are serious life-long psychiatric illnesses and medications may be necessary to manage symptoms such as distorted thinking, hallucinations, delusions, manic episodes or hyperactivity. The drug is used for adults, adolescents and children, although bipolar disorder in children is fortunately rare.

Seroquel and Weight

It is unusual for patients who are taking Seroquel to lose weight; weight gain is a more common side effect. According to Drugs.com, 4 to 6 percent of patients on Seroquel gained weight, with an average gain of 7 to 11 lbs. over a period of one to two years. The most common side effects of Seroquel that might be related to weight loss are anorexia or disinterest in food, constipation, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting. If any of these side effects interfere with your ability to eat a normal diet, it is possible that you could lose weight while on Seroquel.

About Topamax

Topamax is the brand name for topirimate. According to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Topamax, as many as 30 million Americans experience migraine headaches. Topamax is a medication that was originally approved for the treatment of seizures, but it has also been found to be effective in preventing migraines in adults. Patients who took Topamax began to report weight loss, and researchers started looking at the possibility of using Topamax as a weight loss drug.

Topamax and Weight

A study reported by "Science Daily" that was presented at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting noted that when 3,300 people took Topamax for at least four months, they lost an average of almost 12 lbs. more than people on placebo. Although people on Topamax were seven times more likely than those on placebo to lose 10 percent of their body weight, they were twice as likely to stop taking the medication because of side effects such as a burning sensation, impaired taste, slower thinking or memory impairment.

Considerations and Warnings

Neither Topamax nor Seroquel is approved for use as a weight loss drug, and both have many other side effects. Seroquel can cause a potentially fatal condition called Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, and both drugs can have neurological or psychiatric effects. You should not stop these medications suddenly. If you have questions about weight loss related to either Seroquel or Topamax, consult a health care professional.