[jbug]

Well we have added yet another med to my cocktail. Seroquel...my doc asked me if getting rid of the voices would help me out and I'm like duh! So he put me on Seroquel in addition to Prozac,Effexor XR and Risperdal. So that makes 2 anti-psychotics and 2 antidepressants..makes for one unhappy bug.

Anyway to my question does it stay so sedating the Seroquel I'm sleeping 13-15 hours a night since I started taking it.

Janniebug

[h0kie]

Depends on the person. Some people don't get drowsy from the Seroquel at all. When hubby first started it, 30-60 minutes later he was out. At the end, he could put it off almost 2 hours. He crashed for about 8 hours normally. Sometimes longer but usually not shorter. Good luck!

[cocoa]

Hi Janniebug

I was on seroquel for a little over a year. I always slept a lot. It was like a sleeping pill for me. I enjoyed the great night sleep but it was the side effects which made me stop.

There not the most calmen side effects but I always get the worst ones. After a year of seroquel my hair started to fall out. Slow at first and than more and faster. Toward the end I was lossing hair all day and when I took a bath or shower I was getting handfulls. I was literly going bald.

I've now been of it for 3 months now. The hair loss has finally stopped. Thank god for that because I would have gone bald. The rash on my face was unbarable as well.

Its all really to bad because seroquel worked wonders for my bipolar.

Good Luck
Jacqui

[cat_eye]

Yeah, it made me really sleepy too. Maybe your pdoc could lower the dose for you, and then you can see what happens?

[jbug]

I met with my pdoc today to gauge how its going. Well that one night where I slept forever has gone by the wayside now and I'm not sleeping at all. I have way too much energy for one person to have, decreased appetite because I'm just way to busy to eat and the funny thing is I never do anything I just don't stop to think and eat...my mind is doing the indy 500 and omg my libido has charged up something awful so I was to the point on Wednesday I went over to this guys house just to see if we could do it...he wasn't home so I was kind of sad but that's also something that I think about 24/7. My pdoc told me that if I was like this next week when I go to see him that he might do some adjusting because he says I can't live like this.

Janniebug

[SS8282]

((((((((jannie))))))))))))) you'll be pretty sleepy for a while, at least until the side effects decreases. I take seroquel too. For me, it's my sleeping pill although I do have a hypnotic just to help me sleep.

Hang in there. Take care.

My brother takes it and all he does is sleep all day long and all night long.

[BamaSurvivor]

Some people tolerate seroquel better than others, it's all about the body and how it takes the dosage. When I first started taking it, they put me on a 100mg and I did nothing but sleep, and would wake up feeling horrible. But within a month that had wore off and I went to no sleeping again, so she increased it to 200mg, which did the same thing as the 100mg did to start with, but I continued to sleep with it and that never wore off, I just felt even worse waking up. We've finally got me back to 100mg and for some reason it's worked the whole time this time how it should... I sleep between 7-9 hours and wake up feeling refreshed usually.

Sometimes peoples' bodies can't handle a high dosage of certain medications but a low amount doesn't fully activate in the body, which is where some of the same 'family' medications come in. You mix low dosages of 2-4 different medications that are in the same family and you've got a solid dosage going... Get what I mean? The way bodies adapt and take in things are very interesting, huh? lol

[Kathyanita]

on 200 mg it puts me to sleep fast but I only ever sleep for 3 hours at a time- a series of naps. I hear the max dose is 800.

[jbug]

Thanks for all your replies. I take the max dose 800mg. My pdoc had told me that there were studies done where they threw a lot of the med at the person and quickly brought them up on the dose and they got better. I can say my voices are quieting down some but late at night when I'm wide awake they talk so much its all I can do to keep from crying out. I think tonight I'm going to try going to sleep with my walkman on and see if the music will drown them out.

Janniebug

[BamaSurvivor]

Good idea, Jannie!

[Dolfin]

I've been on 100mg for a week now, and i'm out in 15-30 min, but wake up feeling full-on drunk for about 3-4 hours. Pdoc & fam doc both said this will fade.........

Dolfin

[T_MD]

Bug - the not sleeping and increased libido sound like it might be the beginning of a manic episode, do you think that's what might be going on? Your pdoc may want to tweak your meds soon (the usual thing is to drop the antidepressants and add or increase a mood stabilizer). It's better of course to talk to your doc before changing anything on your own since he knows you best. The max doseage of Seroquel is also commonly accepted to be higher than the 800mg the FDA approves. It is common to use up to 1200mg a day.

Incidentally I have tried a few of the antipsychotics I prescribe. Seroquel didn't affect me (I think I only tried 100mg). Risperdal made me so sedated I couldn't think for 24 hours (good thing I tried this on the weekend). Geodon which is not supposed to be associated with much sedation also knocked me out - though none of my patients say it has made them sleepy. I want to try Abilify next. I think I was the only psychiatrist in my class willing to do this, but if I'm going to prescribe them so often it is helpful to have some first-hand experience with the side effects. Sorry to hear you're having a rough time.

[jbug]

-I had to call my pdoc today as my eyes are really blurry...he said it was probablly the deroquel and I am bump down to 600 until I see him Thursday. Thanks ffor all your responses.

Janniebug

[wisewoman]

Jannie, interesting stuff here. My daughter is back on now but staqrting very slow again at only 1/2 of a 25 mg tab at about 4:00 daily. She has been less sedated in the daytime now and will bump it up in a week. She is on it as it helps her obsessional thinking, ocd. She had a sudden weight gain and went off but she has decided to do it again and just work out more. Hair falling out? Oh my! Does anyone know if that's higher doses only. Guess I will look it up. She has really thick hair so I wouldn't have to worry for a year or so, he he. Good luck Jannie. I want to know how this continues to work for you.

[JayL]

LOL, I love the name of that topic!