Seroquel

Hi I've just been prescribed this, what do other peole think about it?, and what side effects did you have?

We only use Seroquel as an emergency sleep med, when we haven't slept for days, but we do find we have vivid dreaming (not always pleasant) and the next day we feel really flat

We have a bipolar friend who uses 4 a day, & it does seem to help him.

We think reactions to meds are quite idiosyncratic.

I had that a bit ago, first Seroquel sounded so great and I knew it would be more than wonderful but after trying it Seroquel was awful. However they do different things to different people so I wish you the best. You will get real sleepy almost like anaesthesia after about 20 -30 minutes after your dose.

Yeah, Seroquel will definitely knock your butt off...you will be very tired, but it is very effective at treatment, as well. Final call is up to you, however.
Best of luck...

Same here. At first I thought it was wonderful but i couldn't function on it. It can trigger diabetes. I was border line and now seem to be worse. Couldn't wait to get off it.

I was prescribed Seroquel as a sleep aid a year ago...I got horrible, horrible nightmares from it. pdoc kept increasing dosage until he said I would get deep enough sleep to not have the nightmares.

Well, that worked, but then as someone here once referred to it...I had "the stupids" for the rest of the day...would just lie in bed with my eyes open but couldn't make my body move to get out of bed then when I did, very hung over.

It can be a good sleep med...but for me it's been a real mixed bag.

Yeah I've had similar experiences on Seroquel to the others. I totally agree on the anaesthetising effect and "the stupids"! But on the other hand, I have no problems getting to sleep!

My problem is finding a dose that keeps me asleep til waking up time and then doesn't leave me stupid all day. The problem is that if I take a higher dose (allowing a longer sleep), I need to take it earlier in the evening to let it wear off by the time I'm at uni. But that means that an hour after taking it I get the knock out and have to go to bed *right now*.

I have tried splitting the dose to allow my body to reach steady state and that does help with avoiding getting knocked out but there are still low level stupids there. Having said that, I don't know that I have given it enough time with that sort of regimen and am thinking of trying it again. If you're using it for schizophrenia or bipolar, it would probably be with a twice daily dosing regimen (the half life is about 7 hours so twice daily is recommended) and I imagine that you'd get used to the side effects better than with once daily dosing.

In its favour, as soon as I switched from Zyprexa, I started losing the Zyprexa weight. And I do feel good when I'm on it. My psychiatrist was happy for me to take a Stilnox (normal sleeping tablet) on the nights when I get home too late for Seroquel to wear off by the next morning.

Only use as sleep aide, cple of days w/o sleep.. or extreme agitation/hallucinations..then take to rest..cant work with it though...only use when I am desperate..hate it to be honest..

Eva

I'm with you, Evangelista...

There have only been two meds since in my 15 year history of psych meds that I have detested...and one of them is seroquel.

I am on seroquel. I was having horrible nightmares & flashbacks from the trauma I went through while my Mother was dying of cancer. The only thing that would let me sleep without all the horrible nightmares was seroquel. I was taking 600mg & would just sleep until it wore off. I wasn't able to function anyway, so it didn't matter how long it took me to get through that dose. Since then, I still have problems with nightmares & can't sleep without taking the seroquel for fear of the dreams. I have cut down the dose, unless I am desparate for sleep.

I know I took a larger dose again & got a phone call. I didn't even remember getting the phone call nor the appointment I had made. It really knocks me out, but that is what I need. I take a much lower dose to handle my anxiety attacks & it calms me down without knocking me out.

It is good, but you definitely need to know what dose to take if you have to function within 24 hours of taking it.

Debbie

My mom was on Seroquel for a few months- maybe even closer to a year and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, she's now been off of it for a year and we sort of have an ongoing joke 'are you diabetic today?' because some days tests would say she is, others it wouldnt, she now isnt as it was med-induced its a quirky thing to deal with that is for sure- she also put on weight with it, and now is back down to her normal healthy weight. just a thought or two

We still get very vivid nightmares on seroquel

on the other hand, if we don't sleep for more than 3 days, that is really bad too we shake & have hallucinations

but then the day after we be all blah !!!!

Yes I do remember those days, Depression and feelings of no hope also seems to take part when taking Seroquel.

I was on Seroquel for several years. It was great at keeping my thoughts organized. But I am also diabetic and I found that the Seroquel was keeping my blood sugars to elevated. I am now on Trilaphon ..... it is ok but no like the Seroquel.

I have been on seroquel for about 2 years now. It is my savior. If I don't take it, I don't sleep. The only thing is, it's a funny drug and I have to constantly play around with what dose to take. I usually have to start out taking 200mg near bed and wait an hour or so to see how I react to it. Then after an hour, I take a little more if needed. I suffer from mania more than depression but have found that the drug not only helps me sleep but helps me control my moods. There is new evidence that suggests that seroquel works as a mood stabilizer along with other mood stabilizing drugs. I have gained about 15 pounds but I take other meds too and I think it's because they've caused me to "slow down" a bit. I speak very highly of this drug but I have heard that everyone reacts to it differently.

~crazymusiclvr@aol.com

I am happy to hear all of you are doing so great or once did on it. I have two friends who are both almost happily ever after with Seroquel. Sadly it did not work for me. I hope you all are on medications or getting treatment or care or support or something.

I was prescribed Seroquel for bipolar depression about a month ago, and have found it to be very effective. It also helps me sleep, so I don't have to take Trazadone anymore. I can do some SERIOUS sleeping on it....10, 12 16 hours, no problem. Interestingly, I do not feel real drugged out, however.

So, at this point I would have to rate it a positive experience so far.

DJ

Seroquel didn't work for me, either. Aggrivated my depression. Glad to hear the positive results others are getting, though!

I am currently taking Seroquel 400 at night to sleep. I take 150 mg morning and 150 mg in the afternoon. I find that I am very awake when I do wake up. I do take naps one in morni ng and sometimes One in the after noon.

i was just prescribed 300mg of seroquel each evening for depression (think my doc is suspecting bipolar). his first go was with symbyax, but i gained 7 lbs in 2 weeks...so we've switched. so far, (in 2 doses) I have been severly dizzy and basically felt like crap and hung over...but I know it took the whole first week to get used to symbyax and I felt AMAZING! as the doc put it, best I had felt in my entire life. not sure how I'll do on seroquel, but willing to give it a fair try.

Or maybe Schizoaffective or maybe Bipolar Mania Hallie.

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Sarah116 said:
Or maybe Schizoaffective or maybe Bipolar Mania Hallie.

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huh? i'm lost....sorry, i'm really sleepy. what do you mean?

yeah, i totally agree with zorah, they couldnt have said it better

Hallie, from your post it sounded a lot like Bipolar mania. Just a suggestion.

Seroquel is awful. Makes you feel looped out of your tree and stoned.