I have taken regular instant release Seroquel in the past of doses ranging from 50 mg to 800 mg. It was helpful at times. I sort of forget exactly my experience with that or why I was taken off of it. That was about 10, 11, or 12 years ago. However, I have taken the extended release Seroquel XR now for about 8 years straight, which I started at maybe 150 mg and have long since taken doses between 350 to 600 mg. I'm currently on 600 mg of Seroquel XR and have been since the end of May and was at other times, too. Sometimes my dose is decreased, and then increased depending on my mood and energy situation.

I think that Seroquel XR has been more weight friendly than I remember the regular Seroquel being. Seroquel in general (especially the extended release) has not been as weight unfriendly as some other meds for me. In fact, for me, doses of 350 mg or lower of the XR were mostly weight neutral. I did gain some weight as my doses went up, but some of it could be lifestyle. I've been my current weight 17 years ago before bipolar meds.

Seroquel XR is very helpful for almost all aspects of my illness (mania, depression, mixed episodes, anxiety, sleep), though it can be a bit more sedating than I'd like at times, though the major sedation did ease over time. Patience may be required. The time of day I take it and when I go to sleep can help reduce or eliminate "Seroquel hangover" which many people can experience. I rarely have that anymore unless I forget to take it at my usual time or stay up too late. I now usually get 8 hours of sleep and wake up normally.

Seroquel XR is a significant medication in my mix. In fact, of my meds, it is the only one manipulated when I have breakthrough episodes. I have managed to avoid hospitalization all of the years I have been on my current mix.

So far in my history of taking Seroquel (of any kind), it has never given me any EPS (akathisia, dystonia, TD), nor has it given me hyperprolactinemia. I can't say that about any other antipsychotic I've taken, though akathisia on Geodon didn't start until 5 years in, and I only took perphanazine (Trilafon) for a month, so that didn't yet cause any, though some did almost immediately.