[mom232012]

My reaction to Seoquel XR has been horrid. I do want to deter anyone else from taking this, but just want to tell you about my own personal experience.
I am Bipolar 2, and have ADHD, which I cannot take drugs for due to manic issues.
I was on Wellbutrin, Lamictal, and Paxil, for a long time. While on these, I was: productive, happy, active in my life, busy with our three boys, ages: 17, 15 , and 11. I am also married, 20 years. I was exercising, socializing, and able to cope very well with my hypomanic symptoms and depression.
I then had a week-long bout of insomnia in Sept, 12', and my psychiatrist took me off of the Wellbutrin. She put me on Seroqul XR. My dosage started at 25 mg. This knocked me completely. I couldn't wake up in the mornings. I got up around 2 PM and even then, it was a struggle. I was told to take the meds 12 hours from when I would arise the next day. I took it around 6:30 PM hoping I could get up at 6:30 AM. Never happened. Sometimes I didnt sleep at night, so I'd lie awake with restless legs, which my psych. warned me about. Hoping that I would sleep, she then took me up to 50 mg and then finally to 100 mg. I have lost my life. I'm an absolute ZOMBIE. I live in the suburbs of Chicago and HAD ( I just started with a different psychiatrist) a top-notch psychiatrist who would not hear me when I told her this drug erased my life. I am lethargic, slurring my words a bit, my memory is shot, can not look for a job, as I could in no way hold a job down. Since I don't sleep at night, I instead sleep all day. I have no drive to do anything but sit and cry and yell at my family. I know these can be symptoms of mania, but since I started the Seroquel XR, my life is no longer my own. I have started with a new psych, who is slowly taking me down and off this horrendous drug. I still feel this way, but am hopeful that I will once again feel like a human being.

[BlueInanna]

omgosh you poor thing, this is a horrible situation. I don't understand why pdoc didn't get you a sleep medicine for the insomnia or increase the Lamictal? My pdoc tried to take me off welbutrin when dx changed from depression with add to bpII with add. Also tried to take away the adderall, which I barely take anymore. But I sort of insisted what meds I needed, so she agreed to write me for those meds if I would take a mood stabilizer. I really hope the new pdoc helps you! You need some relief lady!

And welcome to pc.

[Anika.]

Welcome to PC!

That is pretty much the same experience I have with antipsychotics like seroquel. Absolute nightmare. A zombie, just a shell of a once human being. I am really sorry you also had to go through that.

I think you will be ok once you fully get off it. It took me quite a while to stop being a zombie and get any cognitive function back, normal speech, and so on, but it did all come back slowly. I know how you feel, I was on three antipsychotics at once, my pdoc deemed it necessary. But it was one of the worst experiences in my life or non life, I could barely even walk let alone think of something simple like which muscles to use to hold a glass and drink. So I can totally understand. Just keep going down and hopefully when you are off of it you will hopefully really start to feel better.

These experiences themselves with meds gone wrong can feel quite traumatizing. That is for sure.

[hamster-bamster]

I had horrible akathisia on high doses of Seroquel. But it is a rare side effect, most people do OK.