Waking up after sleeping with Seroquel

I take half of 25mg of Seroquel each night. When it 'hits me' I'm out and sleep through the night for 10 HOURS! Why so long? If I try to wake up earlier, the symptoms that I have are: swolleness around my eyes, cannot focus my eyes to read, light hurts my eyes, dizziness and trouble walking or standing up, my brain/thoughts seem to be racing, and I have a feeling of starving for food immediately, and I have a headache and stiffness in my neck and back. What I have discovered through trial and error is to get up, go to the bathroom, take two extra strength excedrine with a drink of water, run cold water on a washcloth and go lay back down with the washcloth on my eyes for 20 minutes while my body stops being in pain, my eyes stop swelling, and my mind comes to some clearity, and then I try to get up again and eat something and start reading my E-mail and checking my voicemail which is how I start my work day. I was unable to function in the normal people's working routine so I'm a stay at home worker. I'm new to this forum. I feel like I'm alone because I don't have a support group or people around me who understand bipolar. I don't have a doc anymore because I can't afford to. I get my Seroquel from AstraZenca program for people without insurance and the prescription came from the health dept. nurse practioner. I've just found this site, and thought I might also find some help here. Thanks! I feel like my symptoms in the morning and the number of hours I'm sleeping are not right.

Oh yes; seroquel.. you have really nothing to be quite worried about. But then again, I am NOT a doctor, or I'm not your nurse practitioner, but I will tell you my personal experience with it.

First off, I understand the whole sleeping for 10 hours thing. Thats why I am glad they told me to take it during the night time. At first they told me to take it in the evening around "dinner" time, but then they said well, the side affect of this medecine is that it will make you really tired at FIRST. Keyword, at first. They told me this side effect should wear off a little after awhile. The extreme tiredness, the grogginess your feeling in the morning, the foggy, blah feeling. I know exactly how you feel! I remember the first night I took it, I was out like that. Then the next morning, I got up and I sat at my computer desk, and I was literally slouched down in my desk chair, sedated feeling. Not wanting to go on the computer, just sit there and stare at the wall. Thats how "blah" it made me feel in the morning. But this went away after about 6 days for me. But, I myself did sleep for 11 hours the first 2 weeks I'd say, then it got shorter and shorter, to the point where I could actually get outta bed and not be sedated in the morning, or groggy feeling.

I hope this med works out for you, for me it did nothing for my depression. I was having auditory hallucinations though, and it did stop those. But, other than that, it didnt work for my depression or anxiety whatsoever. Who knows, it could be the one thing that works for you!

Private message me if you have anymore questions about my experience!

Good luck!

I was prescribed Seroquel for sleep. It works! However, I did have the morning "hangover" from taking it. I felt like I was dumb as rock for about the first hour or two after waking. Eating was also a big thing. I did receive it free through the AstraZenica patient assistance program (before that I got samples from my pdoc). I guess I don't know why you are taking it, your diagnosis so I don't know what else to say. I asked for a different drug due to the diebetes risk and side effects.

Hi Half&Half, I take 800 mg a night and it does not give me a hang over or make it hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. Actually, it is easier for me to get out of bed because I get good sleep when I take it. For a few hours after I take it, I have some side effects from it, but they are gone by Morning.

I used to take Seroquel and yes, it does knock you out pretty well. The grogginess doesn't sound too unusual nor does the long hours for sleeping. The side-effects should wear off within a few weeks. Note the word: should. Not everyone is the same but what you described doesn't sound unusual.

I've found that the lower the dose of the Seroquel the groggier I was. You do get used of the side effects within a few weeks.

If the seroquil helps you, I think sleeping 10 hours a night might be the price you have to pay.

It made me sleep that much too.

I don't think it is unusal, you just have to decide if it is worth the price.

For me, I could handle that price. I didn't like it, but I could handle it.

But I took SSRIs and they made me gain weight. I coun't handle that price so I stopped.

Seroquel just wipes me out in the morning and sometimes all day. The sedating effects have not gone away for me. I'm still tapering off what was a high dose (600mg) and am now down to less than 1/2 a 25mg tablet, but I can't just stop altogether yet because otherwise I wont sleep.

Hi, I'm new and registered partly to research drugs pdoc giving 81 yr old mom for major depression, AD. 1/2 25 mg tab makes her sleep 14-18 hrs and has same symptoms as you upon awakening. I try to cut to 1/2 every other night and the hallucinations return, people visiting mostly, who are not there. I DON'T think your symptoms are right either. There's got to be something better. You are not alone and I encourage/aplaud your interest in searching alternative sources for mental/emotional/medical education. I have very little faith in most Dr.s The majority want to push you thru their system regardless of any insight you may have to offer on your healing... I research tons of websites on alot of medical issues but Seroquel is a big ???? best wishes,
sandy

Just an FYI to all folks taking Seroquel....that high blood sugar thing is no joke. I had taken it for like 4 nights in a row and then tested on my friends blood sugar meter thing, and it was 151. I test at random because I am somewhat of a hypochondriac and the last thing I need is to become diabetic! My blood sugar had never been over like 90 w/o taking the seroquel. I am not taking it anymore, I would rather just not sleep or find a different drug (sucks because the seroquel works really good for sleep). I would say if you take it on a daily basis to buy a diabetic testing meter and keep track.

Gaahh .. I started taking Seroquel a little over a month ago .. She started me at 150mg then up to 200mg then 300mg to 400mg... I upped it to 800mg and I threw up alot .. Reduced it to between 400mg - 600mg and it helps with my mood .. BUT I feel stiff and tired ALL DAY!!!!!!!! HELP!

Thank you for this message! I am a disabled veteran due to bipolar,ptsd and anxiety. I've had a hard time finding the right meds to balance me out I was given that for sleeping and they said it will level you out and I feel even a bit more anxiety. Odd right. I keep waking up and numb esp in like fingers or toes and in a week I've gained about 10 pounds. I feel very alone as well because I have no support group. I go to the VA so you can imagine lol. They seem to think everyone comes in for Xanax and I told them I can't take that meds seem to react stronger for me then most people. So I keep telling them there has to be something besides that and I got I think it's called gabapentin and hydroxozine. So because of my condition I don't work so I'm lucky because I seem to take hours to start feeling good and when the side effects go away I feel great but takes so long. Okay so I just wanted to say every word you said I relate to. I hope it starts to get better