Expert: Libby Bonner - 4/25/2009

Question
My son is 24, he has been diagnosed with bipolar & ADHD.  He is taking Seroquil XR 300.  He is gaining too much weight.  Is there another medicine he could try that doesn't cause weight gain?

Answer
Ask your doctor, or check bipolar sites online.  Might depend on why this med was chosen, whether it's the first used w/ him, or whether others have already been tried and failed.  [HAVE other meds been tried formerly??]

Many psychiatric meds cause unacceptable weight gain, unfortunately. I hope there is one w/ less gain that will control symptoms for your son.

Be encouraging w/ him on this:  it could be that the only one, or ones, that work for him will cause gain, in which case you need to emphasize that his symptoms are controlled, and also encourage healthy eating and excercise.

If he can become acquainted w/ other patients, he will discover they also battle this, and he will perhaps find some techniques that work OR he will at least have some buddies to complain with....