Seroquel (Quetiapine) Posts

[insanity]

I have been on seroquel now for a couple of months. I was put on it for it's sleep effects, because I suffer from insomnia along with being bipolar and an addict, i'm watched really close (like tylonal pm and nyquel are big NO-NO'S) I'm also on tegretol, I can look up what they are, I read the info that came with the meds. But of course first hand experiances are the best.

I find myself sleeping great, although it seems like I need to take a higher dose to really "Knock me out". I'm only taking a mere 50mgs a night, I uped myself to 75, I see my doc Thursday, I hope he don't see this as a problem. I do get tired at night now, which I never ever did before. I don't have that groggy feeling in the morning anymore, like I used to when I started this. I think if I have an anxiety attack during the day I should take one, but it makes me too groggy. I tried. I can't see how anyone functions on this during the day. ha ha. But, as for the depression, I think it's making me too Blah, like I'm not feeling any omph. maybe it's good like it's taking the manic part of the bi-polar away, but I seem to be depressed more then I ever was. I seem to feel anxious, and have that doomed feeling. my thoughts sometinmes still race. But i have alot of things going on in my personal life which of course causes this. I should mention, I just got out of a drug rehab for addiction, which, I'm sure the reality of being clean is a big let down. (life is so much easier when your numb on drugs, well so it appears) anyway blah blah blah, anyone else have experiances with serequel, or take that along with anything else?

Edited March 17, 2017 by Natasha1

[inner chaos]

seroquel used to make me groggy and sleepy when i was taking it at first (100mgs at bed time) but then that feeling wore off.  i did not have a lasting effect from it during the day.  maybe the drug is just not suited to you if you have been taking it for a while and you are still feeling this way?

If you are a recoving addict who is used to living the "high life" maybe you are just adjusting to life in a normal way of feeling as well.  just a thought.  how tired are you?

these are all things to talk over with your doc.  i have been on other anti psychotics and they all made me much more tired than the seroquel did , but its an individual experience for each of us.

50 mgs is a really low dose of seroquel i think.  and you probably should not fiddle with your med dosages too much without consulting with your docs.  :;):

anti psychotics do tend to have that effect of making us, or especially me feel flat so i do know what you are talking about in that reguard.  although seroquel was one of the better ones for leaving me with "feelings". it varies though for each of us though. as does it reguarding dosages.

is this the first anti psychotic that you have been on?

I hope that your docs can get you sorted out and feeling better.

best of luck to you!  :)

[insanity]

No i've been on a huge number of antdepressants and mood stablizers. I was put on the tegretol, But the Dr. added the seroquel only from my insomnia. Because of the sleeping effects it has.  I love it. I'm not tired during the day. I only said I can't imagine taking it during the day. I just wondered what others experiances with it were. It's helping me sleep. I feel fine in the morning, But I seem to be feeling a lot of anxitey and depression. Like I wonder if I should be put back on an antidepressant along with the others. It's just not a med mentioned alot.

[inner chaos]

sorry i was posting at like 2 am.  iwas really tired and  mis read your post!

i think a fair number of people are on it andd once they get re registered you will get some more replies.

you might need an AD if you still are not feeling good.  Talk to your docs and see what they think.  what ad's have worked best for you in the past?

[Vaportrail]

I've been on Seroquel for some time now.

[cat]

I took 25mgs seroquel with prozac for about a year.I didnt have any problems with it and slept great.I weaned off of both at the same time and that was a BIG mistake.that was terrible!I always took the seroquel right before bed.good luck. :)

                                                          Take care,

                                                                     cat

[ajax]

I have a relative who was recently taking Seroquel, and was making him have some adverse results. They changed his to something else.  The description I looked up was similar to Zyprexa, which I am just now taking.... although neither of us has schitzophrenia.  I understand it has other uses, but I'm feeling mighty unmotivated and slight trouble concentrating. I wonder if one of the others would have the same effect.

 ajax

[insanity]

Oh my goodness, I went to the p-doc today, he increased my serequel from 25/50 mgs of it a night, to 100mgs a night, and 25 in the morning, along with the tegretol I was taking already and wellbutrin. I didn't say anything to him, because I was in shock, but I don't think I'm going to take the 25 mgs in the morning. Wellbutrin is in noway going to keep me awake after taking the serequel. ha ha.  

I'm quite happy with the increase at night though. I love to finally after fighting insomnia my whole life, to know I'm going to have a good nights sleep.

[Trinity64]

Insanity,

I was prescribed seroquel 3 weeks ago to help with my sleep, or lack there of! I have also been diagnosed as bipolar.  My pdoc gave me a range of 25mg-100mg per night.  The first night I took 50mg as suggested by my pdoc but backed it down to 25mg after the first two nights because I felt hungover the next morning and slept 9 hours.  In the last week I once again upped it to 50mg because I would only sleep about 2-3 hours on 25mg. I think I may be building a tolerance to it.

I don't know if I would want to take this medication during the day either.  I take klonopin a couple of times during the day to ease my aggitation and anxiety.

[inner chaos]

one of the old members at the old df board, posted in a seroquel thread that seroquel is supposed to be dosed twice a day because it has a really short half life, so maybe that is why he is double dosing you now? i dont know if this info is accurate or not or where this other member got his info at all. i just read that in the other post and thought i would pass it along to you.

maybe you will get used to it and build up a tolerance to it in the mornings?

but if you cant take it and if it makes you tired than just tell your pdoc that!

I am really glad he upped your pm dose though. that is great that you can finally sleep better at night! :)

[JayDee]

I took it for 3 weeks and was a walking zombie. It also made me nauseous.

[Ocracoker16]

Insanity, I am Bipolar as well and have been taking Seroquel for 4 years.  I am now up to 600 mgs a day.  I take 150 mg in the am and at 4 pm.  I take 300 at night.  When I first started it I was just using it for sleep.   A doc at the hospital decided to add some in the morning and I thought he was crazy because I just fell asleep.  Eventually, I got used to it and we would up it again then.   You build up a tolerance, but you have to endure some sleepiness along the way.  Seroquel can help with mania, mood stabilization, and agitation.  Taking it twice a day is necessary for achieving this effect.  Let us know what you decide to do.

Katie :cool1:

[insanity]

See I guess I'm approaching this whole taking serequel for  depression for the bipolar the wrong way. I'm actually thinking of it as a sleep aid.  

My mania has seemed to mostly disappear. At times I get really aggitated, but I don't have that manic feeling anymore. so I guess the tegretol and the serequel are working towards that. I just feel "down" like lack of enthusiasm, kinda depressed, alot of "doomed" thoughts, and things like that. I told my dr. this, and alot has to do with the meds working on the mania part, which I guess I miss, and a lot has to do with coming off of being on drugs for along time, and missing that "high" feeling and dealing with normal emotions which I haven't felt for years. it's normal for someone in recovery to be depressed alot I guess, that's where the wellbutrin comes in. So I think what I'm going to do, is continue to only take the serequel at night, let the wellbutrin do it's thing, and if the mania starts to come back in, I'll try the serequel during the day.

Thanks for all the advice and info.

[HerbalMaxx]

Seroquel is my main med. I was prescribed it due to psychoitic episodes. I find it works better than any other anti-psychotic I've tried. It also helps my sleep. I'm also taking imipramine for pain (I'm a chronic pain sufferer), which also helps me sleep.

I think without seroquel I would be in the hospital much more often.

Max

[insanity]

You know it's such a relief to hear a medication getting such a good review, (especially when I'm taking it) You hear so much about the downsides of meds, it's get so discouraging.

[lizard]

I have treatment-resistant recurring depression, anxiety, chronic pain <hi, Max> and sleep problems.

My pdoc just started me on Seroquel last week, mostly to help with sleep (sleep quality affects most mood disorders) and anxiety. I've never had a psychotic episode, but my pdoc has had some success with Seroquel at a low dose for a few patients who didn't respond well to ADs for depression and anxiety.

I'm very sensitive to medications - I started the Seroquel at 6.25 mg (1/4 of a 25 mg. pill) at bedtime, and it knocked me out

[OTACON]

I use to take Seroquel at nite and it knocked me out but over time the sleepiness effect gradually wore off.

[bDaisy]

Hello,

I was on paxil a few years ago and gained 30 pounds. Once I went off it and kept working out regulary I lost the weight and got back in shape.

[insanity]

Isn't it a shame that we will refuse to try a new medication because we hear it may make us gain weight? That's always bugged me. First off I always say try for yourself, don't refuse any med because of someone elses side effects. There have been medications I have taken in the past that just made me gain, just from taking them. Seroquel with me has had me gain a few pounds in the beginning. First off Seroquel gives me the munchies, god I just want to eat the sofa after taking it. This has subsided some, and I'm not giving in to the food cravings. I noticed my ankles swell a bit in the beginning, I take a water pill every now and then and that fixes that. But the good I've gotten from the seroquel outweighs that couple of pounds I've gained, I'm taking 2 or 3 pounds. I love my seroquel.

OH MY GOD! How do you not get sleepy on this stuff? I'm told to take a 100 mgs at night , I can't take more then 50mgs if that. and they have me taking 25 in the morning. NOPE! won't even go there. I'd be a walking zombie, or actually I wouldn't be able to walk, ha ha.

[Penny64]

I LOVE my seroquel. It has been a lifesaver!!!!! I take 100mgs in the am and 200mgs in the pm. When I first started I couldn't take more than 12.5 mgs at night. It does not make me tired at all now and it has helped my anxiety immensely. No weight gain from this med but from others yes.

Good luck,

Lynnie

[insanity]

Oh my gosh! I can't believe you take 100 mgs and still function! ha ha!

I was told to take 100 mgs at night and 25 in the am, But even after all this time I still can't take more the 50mgs at night. It seems like I'm building no tolerance to this. which I guess is good.

[pufnstuf]

wow!!!! i feel like a freak!

[Penny64]

I actually take a total of 300mgs between am and pm. The last up of 50mgs in the am I never even noticed. My anxiety is so much better now that I don't take klonopin at all anymore!!! It helps control my mania too!

I'm only on 3 meds total: Seroquel, 2400mgs neurontin and 40mgs lexapro.  

[Guest I am Cat]

When I took Seroquel I could never take more than 25 mg. at a time.  Once, the doctor wanted me to take 200 mg because I was MAJOR manic and hadn't slept in more than a week... against my better judgement, I took it and I felt I had been given a horse tranquilizer!  I swear, I fell DEAD ASLEEP and then, in the morning, although I was awake... i couldn't move my muscles, couldn't move a limb!  I could open my eyes, but could not move!  It was terrifying!  All the time I was on the lower dose, I had Tardive Dyskinsesia-type symptoms of facial tics, that were involuntary and totally distracting.  

I know that Seroquel is an awesome drug for some, but for me... it just did NOT work and, in fact, worked TOO well, in some instances!  It's just WAY too strong a drug for me.  I refuse to take it any more.  And, because of the TD type symptoms, my pdoc wouldn't rx it anyway.  

Please, don't let MY experience taint anyone else's try, but for me, it's too much.

My friend, a male, took it in large amounts... 300 and 400 mg daily and gained substantial weight with it (I think 30 to 40 pounds in 6 months or so), but LOVED the mood stabilizing properties and sleepfulness that he got from it.  He swore by it.  I just don't like that sleepiness, that loss of control you get.  Each to his own I guess.

&  ,

Cat

[BSF]

My doctor suggests maybe adding seroquel to my lexapro. I am not diagnosed as manic, but he says that this may help give my lex a boost. I used to be on prozac(alone)which worked well for years (till it didn't work anymore) and started lex about 3 mos. ago (its helped a liitle but not enough). I'm just concerned that seroquel will make me feel doped up.