[cashart10]

I've never taken it but I'm about to start today. Starting on 100 MG and increasing to 400 MG by Thurs. Will the sedation be permanent like Zyprexa or will it decrease or wear? How about weight gain? Is it an issue? Is it significant? Is there anything I should know about this drug?

[Gabyunbound]

For me, the sedation has decreased over time. I pretty much passed out after taking my initial dose of 50mg, and now can tolerate 100mg, though it is very sedating (just not as much as the initial 50mg).

I crave sugary foods, which I've read is common, and have gained weight on it. So it takes a good deal of effort to avoid the carbs and/or sugar you might be craving. A pdoc told me that metabolically, it might make you gain weight no matter what you eat, but I have really found that if I eat right, I don't gain weight (or, if anything, lose it).

I would only take it at night because of the sedation. After a manic episode, I took it day and night for a while, and it really affected my job performance.

All of that said, I have found it to be very effective in both staving off hypo/mania and bringing me down fast when hypo/manic; it can work pretty fast. Two pdocs have also told me that it helps with depression as well.

I wish you the best of luck with it. As one of my pdoc's put it, "It's a very effective, but obnoxious medication" the obnoxious part being the sedation. But as I say, I think taking it at night can help with that and the intensity of the sedation can lessen over time as you get used to it. Also, if you have trouble sleeping, it can help with that as well.

[xRavenx]

The sedation also decreased with time for me as well. 25-50 mg was very sedating for me. It acts like an antihistamine at low doses. I felt like I had a hangover the next day. 100 mg was also very sedating and made me tired during the day. Once I hit 200 mg, I noticed I didn't feel as tired the next day. I noticed no matter what the dose is, the key is not to take Seroquel too late if you have to wake up early in the morning. When I started doing that, I noticed less sedation during the day.

I never noticed weight gain with Seroquel. Also, there hasn't been any change in my eating patterns since being on Seroquel either.

[jtassar93]

I'm on 200mg and feel sleepy after like 3 hours. When I first started it I wasn't sleepy at all. For me it doesn't make me hungry so I've had no weight gain.

[PenguinExMachina]

So, I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Seroquel.
I took mine in the evening to help with the sedation, which stuck around for awhile, but that part was no big deal.
What got me was the weight gain. I gained a lot of weight. At first, it just sort of hit me. Majority of it was carbs, but I craved everything and anything on top of that. No matter what I did, or ate, I gained. I saw a nutritionist, I ate right, and tried to exercise more, but I saw little results. Actually I saw no results. Even after stopping the drug. So that was unfortunate.
It was very effective, but it took me years to undo the damage it did to me, weight-wise.

[cashart10]

Thank you all for your input. I am praying I will not be effected by weight gain and I have a strict diet but if it's anything like zyprexa, I'll gain anyway. I was/am in the acute stage if mania so I am up to 400 MG after only four days. It was sedating at first and I seemed to be calmer except in the afternoon but today it hasn't been sedating at all (though I did sleep last night) and I have now detailed my car and house again, my husband advised me that if I spend another cent he'll cut up my cards, and I'm dancing around my kitchen like an ignorant fool chanting the same words over and again. I left my pdoc another msg letting her know I have not indeed came back down. We will see.

Antipsychotics are different for everyone: For me, Seroquel did induce weight gain, but I took my dose at night, and it guaranteed a precious and consistent full night of sleep, however haunted by endlessly repeating weird dreams, so important to maintaining equilibrium. Weight gain and weird dreams suck, but mania is the greater evil.

[Unrigged64072835]

I was sleepy and had a bad appetite on Seroquel. I did gain some weight. I wish I could stay on it because my mood was fine.

[raspberrytorte]

I gained weight, craved sugar, constantly wanted to eat an entire buffet, tired and grouchy, completely washed away my personality, didn't help with psychosis. I was on 300mg.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I'm on 450mgs and have never gotten the cravings or gained weight. Though I do watch what I eat very closely. High protein, low sugar, high fiber, vitamins, the whole shebang.

[BipolarMama31]

Haven't gained weight.

Dosage has fluctuated over the years.

During first IP i was on 800mg!
Then lowered it to 25mg.
But as I become unstable it has increased back to 300mg.

If I get paranoid during the day, I take 50mg and it works quickly to help mellow me out and clear my mind.

It's my 'super drug'

Has kept me from hospitals many many times.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

How are you doing Cash?

[Upsidedownandinside]

I'm on upping
Can't sleep without it.
He tried 300 at night 300 in morning but I was a zombie...
I don't like the fact its a antipsychotic but I can finally sleep now

My son is on it for bipolar. I think he gained 25 lb within first 2 months. I doesn't seem to make him sleepy. He is an up all nighter like me.