[Tkb1966]

I'm noticing a lot of people say they are taking seroquel for sleep. My pdoc rx seroquel. I have GAD and depression right now. I never get a solid nights sleep. Usually get about 4 hours. But I don't want to take seroquel for sleep only. I can try melatonin or something. If it helps my depression and anxiety and has the added benefit of helping with sleep then okay. Do you get benefits from it other than sleep?

[wildflowerchild25]

When I took seroquel (briefly) it pulled me out of a deep, dark depression in about four days. It's the only med besides emsam that has ever worked for my depression. Unfortunately I found it far too sedating. I would be falling asleep while driving to work and "out of it" until about 11am, which as a teacher means my day is half over. So unfortunately I cannot take it. But it did help.

[Tkb1966]

Originally Posted by wildflowerchild25

When I took seroquel (briefly) it pulled me out of a deep, dark depression in about four days. It's the only med besides emsam that has ever worked for my depression. Unfortunately I found it far too sedating. I would be falling asleep while driving to work and "out of it" until about 11am, which as a teacher means my day is half over. So unfortunately I cannot take it. But it did help.

That's good to know, thanks for your reply. My rx for seroquel has been sitting at the drug store for a week while I decide if I'm going to take it.
My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and they prescribed seroquel because he wasn't sleeping. He died soon after he started taking it. The warnings say "can cause death in elderly with dementia" so why they gave it to him I don't know but I'm convinced that's what killed him. Because I'm paranoid that has me worried about taking it. Not that I'm elderly and have dementia, but still.

[xRavenx]

For sleep across the board, Seroquel is really good overall for me. Every now and then, I'd experience mixed mania and stop sleeping, but the only reason for that, is because I should have been on a higher dose at the time.

200 mg and lower did not have enough anti-manic or antidepressant properties, although it would sometimes help a bit with anxiety due to its sedating properties. 600+ mg worked as an anti-manic (for bringing me down from acute episodes) and helped treat mixed episodes with other meds, but caused side effects. The benefits do outweigh the risks at times, temporarily. 300-400 mg is a good maintenance range for me for help with insomnia, anxiety, depression with the help of other meds. It's my goal to stay off of high dose Seroquel, since it caused side effects. Good luck.

[Guiness187055]

Gave me diabetes evil drug for me.

[lost_lover]

Seroquel is very sedating, knocked me out to a level I was not able to function. Everyone reacts different but it is pretty across the board the Seroquel is one of the most sedating mood stabilizers commonly prescribed. I would not take it just for sleep, that is not what is it meant for, it is a heavy duty mood stabilizer that affects your body in many ways. Around me (I live in the rehab capital of the country) it was on the news for a while with doctors all getting sued for prescribing Seroquel as a sleep aid for people who do not need it as a mood stabilizer. I don't know if it was just big news here or if it everywhere. Guess there are still doctors out there prescribing it just for sleep though.

I know the hypnotics that most people take for sleep do not work the same way with someone who is bipolar, they are very ineffective. Talk to your doctor about what is keeping you up. For me, it is usually anxiety so if I treat the anxiety at night I am able to get to sleep.

[Tkb1966]

Anxiety definitely is to blame for most of it. Right now it's 2:15am and I haven't gone to sleep yet. Anxiety has a lot to do with that. I don't respond to anything so far for anxiety. (Klonopin, Adivan, Xanax, buspar which my new pdoc prescribed for me which I haven't taken because I took it before and it didn't work) maybe more, I can't remember. I really don't think I'll take the seroquel. The funny thing is I found in my past journals that I've taken it before but because my memory is so screwed up I can't remember why I got off it. But why take it again? Obviously it didn't work or I didn't like the side effects. Wish I wrote more details about meds in my journals. Pdoc is not going to be happy with me that I'm rejecting everything she prescribed.

Seroquel had the opposite effect on me. I could not sleep at all and it made me hypomanic. It's now listed as a drug allergy for me so I don't get prescribed it again.

[Sunflower123]

It helped my depression but was so sedating for me at the right level to help with the depression that I slept through the entire second day of a new job. Imagine trying to explain that to your new boss.

[UpDownAround]

My pdoc might have to prescribe it because my insurance company doesn't want to pay for saphris but they will if I can't tolerate seroquil. I doubt I can...

[Tkb1966]

Originally Posted by marylandmomma

Seroquel had the opposite effect on me. I could not sleep at all and it made me hypomanic. It's now listed as a drug allergy for me so I don't get prescribed it again.

Some medications do the opposite for me also. If you don't mind me asking, why are you tapering off lamictal? I take lamictal also for 10 years now and was just curious.

[Tkb1966]

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

My pdoc might have to prescribe it because my insurance company doesn't want to pay for saphris but they will if I can't tolerate seroquil. I doubt I can...

I took saphris and liked it but my insurance wouldnt pay for it either. Was taking dr samples for years until they no longer got samples.

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by Tkb1966

I took saphris and liked it but my insurance wouldnt pay for it either. Was taking dr samples for years until they no longer got samples.

Even if they pay, I will still have to pay a fair amount. I am on a low dose; only 2.5 mg a night. Usual does is 10 mg a day and it could be written that way so that paying my portion of a monthly supply would be for 4 months.

[UpDownAround]

BTW, when I said I doubt I can tolerate seroquil, I mean it is likely to knock me out but make me spacey all the next day based on my reaction to similar drugs.

Originally Posted by Tkb1966

Some medications do the opposite for me also. If you don't mind me asking, why are you tapering off lamictal? I take lamictal also for 10 years now and was just curious.

I'm no longer coming off lamictal. I was told to by the pdoc in PHP but it hasn't been good. My regular pdoc has increased it to 100mg.

[CherryGlazer]

Everyone's different.

That said, seroquel makes me think clearly. My thoughts start following a cohesive narrative. I stop experiencing sensory integration issues, memory problems, and other forms of cognitive impairement. It protects me from suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation.

Seroquel also prevents hypomanic episodes. It does more to prevent mania, than depression, so I am also taking Lamictal in addition to help with the depression.

But seroquel is sometimes said to act a bit like an antidepressant. I still get mild depression, but the severe's are gone and I no longer experience atypical depressive symptoms.

I find I am alot less anxious on seroquel as well.

It is extremely sedating initially, so majority of my dose is XR. But it has provided me with long-term benefits that outweigh this.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Originally Posted by Tkb1966

I'm noticing a lot of people say they are taking seroquel for sleep. My pdoc rx seroquel. I have GAD and depression right now. I never get a solid nights sleep. Usually get about 4 hours. But I don't want to take seroquel for sleep only. I can try melatonin or something. If it helps my depression and anxiety and has the added benefit of helping with sleep then okay. Do you get benefits from it other than sleep?

I started low dose seroquel for insomnia when I was first dx'ed. That was 12 years ago. And eventually you get used to that dose and have to up but I got up to 600mg after IP stays once a year. For such a long time I was so mixed or manic that 600mg didn't put me out most nights. Seroquel is also supposed to help with depression and a lot of pdocs use it as a stabilizer. From what I've studied, anything under 400mg is used for sleep and it's therapeutic from 400 and up. I'll probably get crap for saying that but it's what I've read from multiple sources.

[Mehraban]

Originally Posted by Tkb1966

I'm noticing a lot of people say they are taking seroquel for sleep. My pdoc rx seroquel. I have GAD and depression right now. I never get a solid nights sleep. Usually get about 4 hours. But I don't want to take seroquel for sleep only. I can try melatonin or something. If it helps my depression and anxiety and has the added benefit of helping with sleep then okay. Do you get benefits from it other than sleep?

I used to take Seroquel 200 mg every night it was a great help. I was hospitalized for psychosis when I was 16 and have never been in a psychiatric hospital again. My mom said after you started the Seroquel you woke up and start realizing the world around you. I could see that it enhanced my concentration , even memory and helped with my academic success. FDA considered Seroquel to be a great medication for bipolar. If you want my idea based on experience, If you have bipolar type one and it works for you I highly recommend continuing taking it, and I highly recommend seeing a therapist at the same time. Discussing your symptoms and how you feel after taking it will helps them to recommend the right dosage. But I no longer take it. After taking it long term I started having Parkinson like tremors Seroqul is unlikely to cause these symptom specially in lower dosage.But after my doctor stopped, gradually the symptoms stopped.

[bioChE]

I take Seroquel for sleep about two nights a week. It's a baby dose of 25mg, nowhere near a therapeutic dose. But if my mind won't shut off, melatonin does nothing, and I'm staring at the ceiling too long, it's time to take the Seroquel. It does the trick, every time. I don't like the hangover in the AM, but with such a small dose it wears off in a few hours.

I wouldn't rule out Seroquel as a sleep aid. My psychiatrist doesn't love the idea of two APs (nor does my insurance company), but he's OK with my occasional use of it.