| Key to ratings for seroquel: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
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| 1 | bi-polar/ aniexty.insomnia | Hard to wake up in morning, gained about 45lbs, spaced out ETC | My doc put me on this took 600mg nightly before bedtime, took for about 3 1/2 years um stopped on my own he said no not good thing to stop by yourself....he said I would have bad side effects blah blah blah I stopped myself took ocntrol yes I did have side effects / withdrawls from not takeing it HOWEVER I am now back down to a normal wieght lost all the weight I gained and sleep just fine also. I am not saying for everyone it will be this easy but PLEASE DONT GET ME WRONG IT TOOK A GOOD MONTH FOR ME TO BE BACK TO "NORMAL , MYSELF " It took awhile for it to get out of my system and WOW what a diff/I feel great and look great I control my mood swings ...HECK MAYBE HE THOUGHT I WAS SOMETHING I WASNT ... I JUST KNOW NOW THAT I STOPPED TAKING IT I AM BETTER INSIDE AND OUT | F | 32 | 3 years | 11/13/2009 | 4 | Insomnia/Racing Thoughts/OCD | I take this because my mind cannot stop the chatter at night. I have taken 100 mg one hour before bed and it has worked well for four years without having to increase the dose. I do take Restoril 30 mg when needed, which is rare and usually due to occasional back pain. The sedation wears off by the time I wake up. | F | 45 | 4 years | 11/11/2009 | 4 | BPD (bi polar) | Crazy dreams, I wake up groggy, however the feeling passes with a few cups of coffee. Besides that all side effects are good ones so far. I feel happy able to play with my kids, laugh and work with a clear mind. Used to want to drink alchol every day most often apon first waking up in the morning, now I couldn't be bothered to. | Will update as I continue taking this medication,so far it has been a wonder.. | F | 25 | 2 months | 11/8/2009 | 2 | schizoaffective disorder | surprised to learn on this site and from experience that it is addictive - like i didn't take my usual 100 mg last night and i couldn't sleep at all, although the body and mind was needing to - but the more i take it, the less sedative effect it has - meaning, it takes longer for it to knock me out, and i don't sleep for the 12-14 hours anymore that it got me doing when i first started taking it - the psychiatrist told me that it was not at all addictive, no dependency - but it hasn't panned out that way, and it looks from this site like that's the general experience - in any case, sleeping wasn't a focus of my issues before at all, it's only become so with taking this drug | have been taking 100 mg of seroquel at night with 80 mg of lovan/fluoxetine in the morning, for almost 2 years. apparently this cocktail is a neat fix for schizoaffective stuff, but i haven't seen anyone else on this site stating that they've been prescribed this mix. anyway, i have to agree with others that, at first, it seemed like the way to go. i'd had lovan before; it was an invitation to apathy, while it did clear the mind and let some work get going; the seroquel seemed to add some eagerness and some loss of worry to the mix; actually found myself going to the local markets. but that spirit's long gone. dread, angst, is only stronger day by day. like others have noted here, i've also started drinking heavily - not a drop for at least a year before going on this cocktail; now going for the vino-destructo like it was fruit juice - to blank out the ambient dread, the obsessive angst; to feel something more than desperation. there is no gift-of-life with these "happy-beans" - they just make us care some less that we've hit dead-end and that the fact is that this is it - or sleep or munch our way through it - somehow have to find another way of being self-effective (but then again, as if one hasn't tried all the scripts) - after much juggling, i reject the implicit idea, on this site, that "this or that drug is this or that bad" - we're all just going along in our little row-boat | M | 43 | 2 years | 11/1/2009 | 5 | Bipolar Manic Insomnia | Had to take naps in the afternoon. Eliminated day time sleepiness by reducing dosage from 300 mg. to 200 mg. per night. | Highly recommend this for bipolar usage. Never felt more alive and productive, like I am 25 not 55 years old. I get between eight and ten hours of sleep every night and wake up feeling great and jump out of bed and hit the ground running. | F | 55 | 1 years | 10/30/2009 | 5 | bipolar disorder - rapid cycling | nasal congestion every night at bedtime, hair loss, weight gain | I can not believe how many people are taking this for insomnia! It has been the one medication that has been effective for the longest time (have been on more meds over the past 16 years than I can remember - most work for a short while then become ineffective). However, it is extremely powerful and I only take it as a last resort before lithium. To see people taking this for sleeplessness seems like using a sledge hammer to swat a fly - no wonder they are unhappy with the side effects. | F | 39 | 6 years | 10/24/2009 | 4 | Bi-polar disorder | Slight weight gain, taken in conjunction with lithium. Intense grogginess and some unknown feelings of dread upon awakening. This passes as I arise and move about. I usually sleep at least 12 hours a night. Have been trying to awaken earlier, between 9&10AM by taking the drug at 7PM. Have some excessive muscle movements, and difficulty swallowing at night, which my doctor tells me could be a pre-cursor to Tardive Dyskenesia. I fear that, but am not ready to experiment with any of the newer classes of drugs for this disorder. I have Hyper-lipidemia have decided to take Niaspan (RX Niacin)in liew of statins. Not presently diagnosed with Diabetes, thankfully. | I am a 62 year old female who has suffered with the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder for 40 years. I have a very strong family history of this disorder. The initial manifestation was about 4 months after the birth of my first child. It was in 1970 and was treated as Post Partum Depression. After moving about the country for the first 8 years of the onset of this disorder, I was formally diagnosed as having Bipolar Disorder. I was originally treated with major tranqualizors and was started on lithium in combo with antipsychotics and deseryl. In 2005 I moved to another state and my new doctor and I experimented with most of the usual antipsychotic drugs, all with disheartening side effects. About two years ago I was put on Seroquel and have taken as much as 600 mg in combo with smaller doses of lithium. I have recently decreased the dose of Seroquel to 450 mg and 300 mg of lithium. This combination seems to be working well for me and I am grateful for living in a time when these meds are so helpful. Hopefully, one day there will be a cure. | F | 62 | 2 years | 10/23/2009 | 5 | cyclthymia, ptsd, borderling | Dry mouth, calming, no weight gain | PLEASE WHEN YOU POST FOR THIS DRUG OR ANY OTHER DRUG INCLUDE THE DOSAGE, HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN USING THIS DOSAGE, ANY OTHER DRUGS WHICH MIGHT INTERACT AND GIVE IT ONE MONTH BEFORE CALLING IT OR ANY OTHER DRUG "THE DRUG FROM HELL, SATAN, ETC". Also it might help to list other drugs you have tried. There are people like me who have found Seroquel to be an answer to a prayer and after many years of suffering, battling demons and thoughts of suicide Seroquel has helped us. I started at 12.5 for 2 weeks, 50 mg. for two weeks, and now have found the perfect dose of 100mg. at bedtime and I sleep like a baby. Thank you. | F | 55 | 2 months | 10/19/2009 | 5 | Sleep Disorder Mood Swings | Mild Weight gain, drowse during the day. | This medication has been a life saver, I used it to detox from Klonopin and Xanax after 20 years of use. Seroquel also has worked great for my sleep disorder allowing me quality sleep for the first time in years. | M | 43 | 3 years | 10/19/2009 | 5 | bipolar II | No side effects that were bothersome except maybe a little lethargic the next day. This could be handled with one cup of coffee in the morning. This medication has been a blessing from the good Lord. Almost all symptoms gone at 300mg. At first I refused to take this medication because of many posts that I read on here and other places on the web. Then my symptoms got so bad and I knew I had to do something. None of the things that people wrote about on here happened to me. None of them! I am just going to put my trust in the Lord and I hope that other people who are in the same boat that I am in, people who are in need of help, but live in fear of the side effects of the medications, will go ahead and get help. | F | 42 | 2 years | 10/16/2009 | 1 | Bipolar/insomnia | 50 weight gain | I had been on it since May 2002. Decided to wean off because I started having alot of side effects. I was having problems with my sight, now my sight is back to normal. Developed galstones, had my galbladder removed. Because of the weight gain, I now need two knee replacements. Since I was on Seroquel for over 6 years, it took over 4 months to wean off, and 5 visits to the ER because of withdrawls. I started out at 25mg...and somehow ended up taking 600mg, because 25mg wasn't enough anymore, so then it was 50mg, then 100mg....etc. It is a very addictive drug, though they didn't say anything back in 2002....shame on these drug companies. | F | 53 | 6.5 years | 10/8/2009 | 4 | Bi-polar | constantly lethargic, sleeping upto 12 hours a day | Has helped my mania tremendously. Just not sure how to stop sleeping so much. | F | 27 | 2 months | 10/5/2009 | 3 | depression/OCD/insomnia/anxiety | extreme tiredness, depersonalization, feeling really not like myself, extreme hunger, feelings of being detached from some of my previous worries, not caring or being as empathetic | helped me sleep, but way too much. kind of just dulls my perceptions and ability to think so much that i can just sleep and sit somewhere and not really care about anything at all. which is sometimes a nice thing if you are a really anxious worried person...helps for sleep, and maybe helped with the depression a a little bit for some weird reason, which i didn't expect | M | 18 | 3 days | 10/5/2009 | 1 | recurrent depression | took 50 mg before going to sleep, slept for about 30 hours, no kidding, just went out of bed for going to the toilet, but was so tired, I just had to go to bed and sleep... | F | 33 | 2 days | 9/30/2009 | 4 | Anxiety/depr./borderline dissociati | Unfortunately, after about a year and a half of nearly miraculous help, I will need to stop this med because of uncontrollable weight gain, and concerns about diabetes, unless I can find a way to counteract the side effect. I understand that it changes the way the body metabolizes glucose. Diet change and exercise have not helped. | After several years of uncontrollable anxiety and borderline dissociative episodes ( I felt like I was being possessed by a child-like part of myself, completely debilitating anxiety), and trying several different meds, having to detox off of addiction to benzos, which didnt completely cure me. then I was offered Seroquel, and I have felt better than I ever have in entire life. Have suffered low grade and sometimes more severe depression since a teen. This problem is genetic, at least 4 generations now. Unfortunately, it appears that the side effects are seriously dangerous to my health, with the possiblity of diabetes. I hope that I can find some alternative that works as well. I still recommend this medicine to anyone suffering severe uncontrollable anxiety and depression. It works different than other anti-depressants. Since I know how it works in the brain (what neurochemicals it affects) I can now go about finding a similar non-pharamceutical solution. | F | 48 | 1.5 years | 9/26/2009 | 3 | bipolar | Dry mouth, tired a.k.a zombie-like,higher sex drive although I am almost unable to ejaculate which is very frustrating, gain in appetite... | M | 22 | 3 months | 9/26/2009 | 4 | Severe depression/Anxiety/insomnia | Drowsiness. Increased my appetite ten fold - always "starving". | Best help for the insomnia I have ever had. Helps slightly with the anxiety - probably because of the drowsiness making me less aware - did not help the depression - must constantly fight an overwhelming urge to eat - all the time - or will blow up like a balloon. | M | 49 | 7 months | 9/24/2009 | 3 | heroin withdrawal | blessed sleep, unconsciousness during withdrawals. | I've cold turkey detoxed off heroin and oxycodone many times. This time I had a large heroin IV habit. I was prescribed soroquel 25 mg. twice a day for relief from withdrawal effects. It allowed me to sleep for most of the first three days (the worst of the withdrawals). The only problem is, luckily I had family attending me 24/7 because I was so out of it, I vomited while lying on my back and unconscious. I would have choked to death without their help. Not to mention falling while trying to make it to bathroom. | M | 55 | 15 days | 9/23/2009 | 1 | manic depression PTSD | cannot remember dreams too drowsy to fuction in everyday life | I promise to make this as short as possible and this will be the first time telling this story completely!!! In the year of 1999 I felt my world was falling apart there were things going on in my life that just shouldnt have been happening. (needless to say it wasnt drugs...not on my part any way.) I had two wonderful children both girls and was doing my best to support them and all the while behind my back my husband (now ex) was doing crack and the money situation was tight. I was told things were getting paid when they werent. So forth and so on... Basically I ended up having what was medically known as a nervous breakdown when I cut my arms with a razor blade from my wrist to my wrist to my elbows... I do not know where the razor came from... I do not know why I did it... I dont remember doing it at all... I only remember having a feeling of "waking up" and wondering where my children were and wondering where all the blood came from and why everyone was cut up??? I had no clue that I had done it myself!!! Do you have any idea how scary that was for me. And just to make this clear it has never happened again... Anyway I was taken to the hospital but I was not locked up. (BY THE GRACE OF GOD) I cant think of no other reason why I wasnt. The E.R. DR. Prescibed me Zoloft and told me it was mandatory to see and Psychologist or Psychiatrist within 10 days. So I started seeing a local clinic in my hometown... I went to the appointment and tried t | F | 35 | 3 years | 9/15/2009 | 3 | Schizophrenia | Drowsiness, Sexual side effects, Weight gain, Dystonia, Memory problems, Chronic Constipation | This medicine helped a lot for the paranoia and the delusions and completely stopped any hallucinations I once had but the side effects got to a point where I had to switch medications. This medicine works great for some people; I'm not one of those people. | M | 18 | 7 months | 9/13/2009 | 1 | Depression, anxiety | Sleeplessness and EXTREME anxiety | I was put on Seroquel after a death in my family. I had been on Paxil for years and I absolutely loved that drug, but it started to give me anxiety attacks and I weened off. I tried a whole mess of medications afterwards, but Seroquel is the one that caused me the most dissatisfaction. I was up all night for days.. my heart was racing and my anxiety was 10x what it usually is. It is amazing for me to read that so many people got sleepy with this medication because it has the opposite effect on me. I guess it is true that brain chemistry and the drugs it responds varies drastically. | F | 14 days | 9/12/2009 | 1 | Bipolar Disorder (Manic) | This medication made me feel like I was black out binge drinking every night and I'd just pass out an hour after taking it. I'd wake up completely confused. Can't remember anything. Thank you seroquel for turning me elderly well before my age. Fucked up my speech, have no memory,no thought process, and really slow at responding in conversations. Hair loss and slight weight gain. Addictive. DO NOT TAKE UNLESS YOU WANT AN IQ OF 3!!! | F | 20 | 3 years | 9/12/2009 | 4 | Anxiety/Bipolar/Insomnia | weight LOSS, vivid nightmares, extreme grogginess in the morning for the first 2 weeks where i had to stay in bed most of the day, now it's just grogginess in the AM that goes away after coffee and time, the worst side effect has definately been the nightmares. | I see so many bad comments about seroquel, which I understand..it is a very strong drug and you should not be on it unless you have a serious problem. I feel like many of these comments are made by people who probably didn't need the drug. It has changed my life. I'm surviving and prior to Seroquel i was near the end. | F | 22 | 6 months | 9/11/2009 | 4 | Bipolar II, Acute Anxiety, Insomnia | Deep sleep (Yay!), Moods (depression/hypomania) stabilized dramatically, INCREASED Libido, Increased Intensity of Orgasm(s). A little of my Hx: I'm a 26 y/o female, 5'2", 105 lbs. I've been seen/treated by many Psychiatrists and counselors since the age of 16 for Major Depressive Disorder, Acute Anxiety Disorder, and Chronic Insomnia. Over the years, I've taken every Antidepressant available (and combos of them), minus MAOI's - SSRI's all made the anxiety/insomnia worse and reduced my libido to 'nonexistent'; SNRI's worked for a while, then stopped being effective; Tricyclics made me sleep, but WAY too much - 18+ hrs q day; Atypical antidepressants just did NOT work for me. | I finally got tired of "ping-ponging" from depression w/ suicidal ideation to 3-4 day episodes where I'd clean incessantly, not sleep, etc for those 72-96 hrs, and then crash back into the depression. I'm an RN, and several MD's I work with all highly recommended the same psychiatrist who's new to the area. I went into the first appt with a healthy skepticism - no one had ever helped me before, so why would this doctor be any different? WRONG! He was very thorough, thoughtful, and attentive. He Dx'ed me with Bipolar II (NOT Major Depressive Disorder) and agreed with the Acute Anxiety Disorder Dx. He rx'ed Seroquel 25mg HS (at bedtime), increased to 50mg HS week two IF NEEDED and Depakote ER 1000mg (and to continue Klonopin 1mg TID that I've been on since 1999). I've noticed a HUGE difference! I can sleep at night, my moods are stable, I feel better than I can ever remember feeling in my whole life! It's restored my sanity, my life, my marriage, my career, helps me enjoy my family, my 2-yr old daughter... I could go on and on! No weight gain or increased appetite, no hyperglycemia/diabetes, no increased cholesterol/triglycerides, etc. As I've researched Seroquel in the capacity of patient/RN, I've noticed that the VAST majority of patients who've had severe negative side effects from Seroquel are/were put on a grossly HIGH dosage, most not even titrated to that dose to see if a lower dose was adequate. I'm proof that, when given to the correct patient, wit | F | 26 | 3 months | 9/9/2009 | 1 | bi-polar..anxiety.sleeping, manic | Gained ALOT of wieght I was 114 now 148lbs.made it very hard to WAKE UP in MORNING..FEELING OUT OF IT TILL I HAVE HAD AT LEAST2 CUPS OF COFFEE.At night made me eat in my sleep | I am now going to try to stop taking Seroquel...cold turkey ! Hope nothing happens ..please tell me if anyone has had any side effects from when they stopped taking it !!!!! I have been on it for 3 years at 300mgs nightly. | F | 31 | 3 years | 9/8/2009 | 2 | Bipolar 2 manic depression suicidal | I hate it.. but it calms me down quickly. I will either fall asleep quickly and for a long period of time. Or I will stay awake in an insomnia state. lost and not knopwing what to do or go. The worst thing aboput Seroquel and me. I have an anger problem that I have had all my life. If I fall asleep in an angry mood, I will not deep sleep but will be in a blacked out state and either walk, drive, however possible, get to what the reason i am mad and commence to do what I went there for. And when I would awaken, I was in the hospital cuffed to the bed. And I can say that I have woken up that way many times in the past 5 years.. | I think it is one of thje worst things that could be prescribed to me | M | 45 | 5 years | 9/7/2009 | 4 | Bipolar Mania, Anxiety, Insomnia | * Twitching of hands involuntarily (not too often); forgetfulness of basic things; mild weight gain; heart palpitations at night - occurred 1 hour consistently after taking medication | Overall, this medicine has worked wonders to help my anxiety/mania - I used to panic at the slightest thing, now it takes a very strong trigger to do it. It helps tremendously in the 'staying asleep' aspect, however, going to sleep is a bit of a nighmare because my heart feels like an electric shock 1 hour after taking medication. Only last about 5 - 10 minutes. | F | 30 | 2.5 years | 9/5/2009 | 3 | severe depression | weight gain (alot) vivid nightmares that caused severe distress sleepy during the day | I hate it. The dreams are enough to drive me crazy and the weight gain hasn't helped at all with getting over my depression and it is seriously hard to study and pass exams if you constantly want to sleep! | F | 16 | 3 months | 9/1/2009 | 1 | Depression, bipolar | Tremors, loss of voluntary muscle control, night sweats, anxiety, extreme terror, inability to control thoughts. | I strongly suggest avoiding this medication! I am still having frightening flashbacks to times when I was on the drug (which was more than a year ago). | M | 26 | 3 months | 9/1/2009 | 5 | post traumatic stress & anxiety | Craving for sugar resulting in 14lb weight gain and after a year of taking it, my cholesterol has been found to be high. | Seroquel was my saviour during a very difficult time. It gave me a break from my constant anxiety aswell as a break from my overactive mind. It helped me to keep calm like no other medication has. I would recommend it for temporary use but not long term. I did feel like a zombie but would rather that than suicidal. I came off gradually because of the weight gain and high cholesterol. Had a rash initially and itching all over aswell as a few sleepless nights but 2 months down the line, I'm not doing too bad although I haven't lost a pound in weight even though I have halved my calories. Can't help but wonder if Seroquel has changed my metabolism permanently. | F | 41 | 365 days | 8/31/2009 | 5 | PTSD, Borderline, Depression | NONE. None. none. no weight gain, nothing. | Please do not read all these negative things. You people are hopeless with your whining. I have tried EVERYTHING, suicide seemed like the only option until one month ago when my therapist suggested we try Seroquel. I was willing to take snake venom. I was desparate. I am A NEW PERSON. I have stuggled since an adolesent with depression, anxiety, and suffered from an abusive situation as a child resulting in PTSD. I have no side effects except I sleep like a baby again. I take 25 mg. 30 mins. before bedtime. I have a thyroid disorder (cancer) and take 112 mcg. of Levoxyl, 2 mg. Xanax still though I am weaning, and sometimes Ultram for pain from Lupus. Stop complaining and stop this madness, Seroquel is a wonderful drug and it gave me back my life. People read all this stuff the really insane people write and get scared as I did and now I can tell you TAKE IT. Your spouse will be happy, your children will love you but more importantly you will LOVE YOURSELF. | F | 55 | 30 days | 8/29/2009 | 2 | Anxiety Attacks, Obsessive Thinking | Increased panic attacks to the point of 911 calls because I felt as if I was dying, Increased OCD, Total Change in my "normal" personality, no motivation what-so-ever, Lack of Energy, Lack of excitement, times with lack of all emotion, burts of anger, confusion, constant battles with my mind and mental stability, decreased vision, No short term memory, weird head sensations, dizziness, feeling of detatchment from body, could go on forever | Long time seroquel user. In the beginning for me the side effects were minimal and typical. Always tired and sleepy, which was good and bad because it was slowing the activity in my mind. But also bad because it wasnt really living life. Over the years I have concluded within myself that the best way is education over medication, Learn about it, Try to control it and if you cant alone use natural remedys. Live with and love yourself. You are who you are. Some of the toughest battles are worth the fight in the end you can be surprised. Im slowly going off of this drug at my own pace. The Hardest road is often the best road traveled. Seroquel is barbaric like almost any drug of its kind. of course there is more hype over it because it has been around longer so more people are able to comment and sue the company because it has got around more over the years then the newer drugs. Just say no to ALL drugs... Educate yourself. | M | 27 | 7 years | 8/28/2009 | 2 | insomnia, depression, irritability | Tried sample of Seroquel XR 50mg, yesterday. Per Dr's instructions, 12 hours prior to your waking hour tomorrow. Within 3 hours I became too drowsy to remain awake. I woke after 9 hours sleep and felt like a zombie. Couldn't function at work, couldn't concentrate and my memory was failing me, called off sick. At home I took a 90 minute nap, and was out cold. I've been extremely drowsy all day. My mental faculties are slowly returning. I still feel groggy with slow motor functions, 24 hours after trying it once. | I don't like it. A year ago, this would've helped, when I was in a bad state. Seems like, this would enable patients to get over a bad hump. Even then I wouldn't recommend taking this as a long-term med, unless your condition is extreme. The after-effects of this drug remind me of a really bad "acid hangover". Yuchh. As someone once said, "You are so mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence". | F | 53 | 1 days | 8/28/2009 | 4 | Sleep Disorder, swing mood, depress | It passes now one year taking 200mg seroquel. I feal emotional stable now but my weights rises up to 17kg in just 6 months. I sleep deep eatch night 12 to 14 hours. My colesterol LDL rises to mutch more 20% than the limit. Some times headakes and slow movements. I can´t sleep one night without seroquel. Im depending on it, its addicted. Memory loss with person names and recent life episods. My cocentration or focus is limited now, can´t read more than 3 pages in a book per day. Can´t watch a entire movie on cinema or TV. Can´t listen to peaple talks with full atention , its dispersss. Some times fiel strong and fast heart palpitations. | Im 36, I change from risperidona to seroquel afther a 8 months stop treatment, just working at full time. I was very stress during last 2 months and when I decided to repeat treatment first day I take Seroquel this time, doctor advice for less side effects. I take the pill 300mg and afther 1 minute I drop down dead, with a very very fast heart beat, rise to 300 bpm. I call a ambulance emediatly to a friend near by. Then 3 minutes left my head was burning so hot, then I start not fealing my limbs, can´t move nothing at all in my body, not eaven a finger. Central nervs mal function or disconnected. Seeams I was dying. In my yeas I sow flashing lights strong. I feel I was dying. Later on some Ice on my head and some food keeps me alive for some 30 minuts before ambulance comes. I vigorate afther 1hour, I could walk again but with tremours in all my body. Still taking seroquel from then one year now with good results, but first take was shoking, as somebody have talk the same before in this rates... | M | 36 | 12 months | 8/25/2009 | 1 | started out for sleep | weight gain, galbladder problems, joint problems | I started taking it right after it was released in March of 2003. Was having trouble sleeping, somehow I ended up taking 600mg at night. I have been weaning off for over 2 months now. I was hoping after I got down to 50mg that I could stop completely. But now I am taking 12.50mg. It's like the Beast has ahold of me, and just doesn't want to let go. I hope that in 2 weeks I can be free of it. I don't recommend anyone getting started on this drug. I am Bipolar1 with a very rapid cycling. So far, so good with this. I am really suffering with insomnia. | F | 53 | 6.5 years | 8/21/2009 | 1 | Sleep Aid | Cardiomypathy-weakening of heart muscle, Cataracts, Extreme Sleepiness, Weight Gain | Please do not take this drug. Or at least do some research on it-please see all lawsuits filed- and follow your health very closely while on it. I had no idea of the side effects was prescribed it for years for sleeplessness before I finally had to stop because of heart problems it had caused. Seroqel also caused cataracts for me which I had in both eyes while taking this drug-had to have cararact surgery to correct it. It also caused a weakening of my heart called cardiomyopathy. My heart functioning went down to 20% on this drug and my pulse ran around 102 beats per minute while on this drug. I could have died if not for a caring doctor who noticed my ekg was way out of wack and asked me why was I taking seroquel???? My heart doctor was going to put me on a pacemaker, but after going off seroquel and taking my heart meds, my heart is gradually getting back to normal with heart functiong now at 40% and pulse rate down in the normal range of around 60 beats per minute. Use with extreme caution or better yet not at all!!!! | F | 55 | 5 years | 8/19/2009 | 1 | Insomnia, PTSD, DID | Horrific nightmares, extreme panic, flashbacks increased in severity and length, wake up drenched in sweat, body would suddenly jerk, zombie feeling, no sex drive, intense weight gain then lost appetite completely, severe depression, tingling and numbness | These drug terrifies me now. I stopped taking it a week ago and my mind is clearer already. My doctor said it would help me sleep and instead I ended up in a world where I didn't know what was real or not. Then started drinking heavily to deal with the nightmares and anxiety, would rather pass out then be in any state to dream. Now I am not taking anything except Lexapro, no over the counter, no alcohol. I was in hell when I was on that drug and wanted to die. Learning how to sleep in a more natural way. Lacked desire to do anything. Would have these hideous experiences while only taking 50mg. I am so glad I found this website because it let me know that I am not alone in my reactions, I am not losing my mind. After reading this website, I took one 50gm dose and nothing else and that night, horrific panic attack, hallucinations both visual and aural, intense fear when I finally feel asleep a nightmare in which I thought I wold scream forever and woke drenched in sweat. | F | 49 | 9 months | 8/18/2009 | 5 | bipolar 2/ bpd/ insomnia | weight gain and mild increased appetite | I am 22 years old was recently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bipolar 2. After going through a variety of meds, my doc finally modified my med plan perfectly for amazing results. He says my plan is unusual because he has not come across another patient with the same med plan as mines; I take 75mg 3 times daily and 200mg at night. The only side effects I have experienced is weight gain and hunger, which is not a big deal to me because of the rewards and excercise and self control helps with those side effects. I have been taking seroquel for almost a year and have been following that dosage plan for about 4 months and have been getting great results. I can truly say I feel better than I have ever felt before in my life and I have been depressed for 18 years. Seroquel has saved and improved my life for the better. I feel less depressed and more stable than ever. My quality of life has improved greatly, I am able to complete and set goals and actually follow through. I do not feel empty no more, I feel full of motivation and confidence. I am doing so well, actually I think that right now I am peaking in performance with my studies because my concentration and focus is finally restored. I will be completing my bachelors in psychology in a year and will continue my studies on to get a phd. Without seroquel this would have been delayed or not even possible because it has also helped me overcome social anxiety when it comes to school. I believe seroquel is a wond | M | 22 | 11 months | 8/17/2009 | 5 | sleep | managable hunger | I have started this drug because I couldn't sleep(wondering thoughts)Dreaming but remember everything I dreamt and not sound sleep.I take 50mg. Life saver I am diabetic and was depressed after a baby I have no trouble. My kids are Pdd/adhd and autistic disorder. It helped with night terrors, The kids getting up every two hours or 5am. My house was dissrupted before they started 25mg. My oldest takes 50mg at night then 25mg during the day and I have a changed kid he had aggression irritable mood swings crying at little things a mess. he also takes focalin xr during the day with this. They have hunger before bed but nothing another serving of supper can't cure. Also helped them bulk up alittle with there diagnosis they where a little under weight. Key is not alot of junk. we follow the diabetic diet. I wanted my oldest to take risperdal for the aggression during the day but insurance wouldn't allow it double medicated I thought seraquel would make him groggy like bedtime but it don't he is out on cloud nine without the med he is centered with it. Usually takes an hr to work. | F | 34 | 3 years | 8/14/2009 | 1 | axiety | headaches, nausea, sleeping problems, menstral changes, bladder irrability, muscle spasams, lost of strength and skin rash and skin peeing. | I actually experinced the most after being off of it for several months not really when i got on it besides nausea. I never gained wait like many others but have the sweet cravings. Iv been checked and they cannot find any other medical cause for my problems. | F | 20 | 10 years | 8/14/2009 | 1 | YES | SIDE EFFECT: Loss of coordination. Description: Loss of coordination means one cannot operate an automobile. Loss of coordination means one cannot SAFELY operate motorized machinery. | SIDE EFFECT: Unsteady ambulation[walking] | M | 75 | 35 days | 8/9/2009 | 1 | "psychotic" disorder | EXTREME ANXIETY (felt like I was going to die). TERRIFYING HALLUCINATIONS. SEVERE DEPRESSION. Yes. Really. These were all SIDE EFFECTS from this "antipsychotic". What the HELL!?! | I have trouble explaining the AGONIZING side effects I had from Seroquel. Was prescribed this for some supposed "psychotic" disorder. After taking my first dose (at night) I felt like I was going to die because of a highly abnormal heart beat. Then I ended up on TERRIFYING "BAD TRIP" easily surpassing my WORST experiences on ACID. I couldn't understand why this was happening to me, so I STUPIDLY decided to continue taking it for some days. I got the same kind of reaction every night. The psychiatrist then prescribed me some sleeping pills so I could fall asleep before I would get this dreaded reaction. Took Seroquel nightly for about half a year together with sleeping pills. Sometimes I tried not taking the sleeping pills just to see what happened. Sure enough I ended up on the same kind of BAD TRIP. This is supposed to HELP people with psychotic disorders?!? WHAT A F#CKING JOKE!!!!!! | M | 34 | 6 months | 8/7/2009 | 1 | Bipolar w/anxiety - rapid cycling | Nightmares and restless hallucinogenic states almost every night, uncomfortably dry eyes, mouth and throat, headaches twice (or more) daily, extreme numbness and pains in outer extremities (feet, legs , hands and arms), Rapid weight gain - I could go on with my list of side effects but these were enough to make stop taking Seroquel. | Seroquel XR 50mg once daily for 90 days did not produce any results and the side effects I experienced were horrendous. TALK to your Doctor. | M | 44 | 88 days | 8/7/2009 | 4 | bi-polar | Sleepiness is a big factor but i enjoy sleep and it doesn't get in the way too much. There is a slight increase in my appetite but I can easily control my hunger. The pill doesn't make you gain weight it's all about how you respond to your appetite. I am pretty satisfied with how it controlls my mood swings. I don't have my lows nearly as much as I used to. | I would reccomend at least trying this medication. I almost didn't when i was reading posts on this website but i'm glad I did. Medication reacts differently to each and every person. If you have a problem with bi-polar the pros may greatly outway the cons. Good luck to everyone struggling. I know that this disorder is a bitch =) | F | 20 | 1 months | 8/6/2009 | 4 | BPD II | Grogginess, especially in the mornings, when taking the first dose or when increasing dosage. Usually subisded a lot on second day and even lessened as I increased the dose. "Electric" feeling in my mouth. Anxiety attacks late in the day for first 5 days (subsided after that). Crying jags for the first 5 days. Suicidal ideation days 3-5 with strong thoughts of it around day 4 and 5. | I was very, very afraid of this medicine. Everything I read, not published by the maker or someone associated with the maker, seemed to be negative. There are certainly some concerning side effects, but I was bound and determined to try to make it through the adjustment period of this medicine. I have had lots of bad experiences with SSRI type AD's and expected the worst with Seroquel. In fact, I started not to take the first dose because of all the negative publicity and feedback. I kept wanting to stop during the first 5 days, but didn't. I am really glad I didn't. I made it to the target dose of 300 mg per day and am almost side effect free. I still get the electric feeling in my mouth, get dry mouth, and am sometimes sleepy, but I am finally starting to see some relief from my depression, which I have NEVER experienced in my 42 years of life. This stuff is actually working and I am only a week in. Because optimal results are not seen until 2-6 weeks out, I am excited about what's to come. I may actually start to feel better. Bottom line, try this medicine if your pdoc thinks it might work for you. Don't be scared by the hype. Be cautious, but remember that these are new generation drugs that have less side effects than the older ones did. Watch your health and be vigilant, but don't let someone else's bad experience keep you from trying something that might help you free yourself from the bonds of depression. | M | 42 | 9 days | 8/6/2009 | 4 | Bipolar | Anyone who has had restless leg issues with seroquel have your doctor prescribe a low dose of requip and it will knock it right out. It is due to the dopamine blockade to which it is the weakest binding compared to others in its clas. This is actually not commom w/ seroquel but requip will get rid of it! | F | 42 | 8/4/2009 | 2 | sleep | Slow mental activity and a zombie like feeling. I do not reccomend. This medication has adverse side effects. I rwegret taking it in the first place and now I cannot sleep at all without a sleep aid. This medication causes tremors and slows mental activity and causes loss of motivation. | Do not take this drug! It will mess you up. Natural is the way to go. See an accupuncturer. | F | 45 | 1 years | 8/4/2009 | 1 | Bipolar I | Extreme hunger, spent LOTS of time sleeping. I've had type 1 diabetes for over 26 years, Seroquel caused me severe insulin resistance so I had to take very, very large amounts of insulin. | When I took Seroquel I'd have a period of good calm and then I'd become extremely angry. I'd get a dose increase and the same process would occur again. I ended up taking 800mg in the morning and 800mg at night. My diabetes was so screwed up. I ate cookies, candy, ice cream, cake, doughnuts, and just about every high fat high sugar food out there in HUGE amounts. I was compelled to eat huge meals/snacks and then eat again an hour later. I ended up at 256lbs then enough was enough. I now weigh 145lbs after quitting Seroquel. Seroquel is a tremendously horrible drug. Please be careful - the great sleep is deceptively delicious, but the other effects are horrible. | M | 38 | 8 years | 8/2/2009 | 5 | BPD/DDNOS | Drowsiness. Extreme drowsiness. Some weight gain. | Seroquel helps me a great deal. My moods have stabilized, I have far fewer hallucinations, I sleep well every night. I do know that I need to go straight to bed after taking it. If I eat ANYTHING after it kicks in, I cannot stop eating until I fall asleep. But that's easy to avoid... | F | 38 | 7 years | 7/28/2009 | 3 | Bipolar Disorder | Loss of appetite, loss of libido, nightmares, excessive weight loss. | I took Seroquel for about 8 months along with Effexor for 6 months & added Wellbutrin the last 2 months. I quit my medication "cold-turkey" without talking with my doctor because I felt like a "Robot Zombie". I would recommend you really research any medications you may take. I had horrible, severe dreams & nightmares. The dreams felt very real & often put me in a state-of-mind when I awoke that nothing was real. I also during my 8 months, experienced "visual disturbances". I lost 30lbs at the most & had no appetite. Being petite, I looked sickly skinny. On the brighter side, I did feel that I was a "better" person on medication as my mood swings have ruined friendships & relationships. Currently, I am not on any medication but will be seeking the advise of a therapist soon. I just don't want to feel like a robot or zombie anymore. It wasn't very pleasant. Another side-effect that I did not see posted, for those of you who paint, write, draw or are otherwise considered creative, while on medication...I could NOT for the life of me write, draw or paint. It "went away"....I have not taken any type of anti-depressant or anti-psychotic since...it's been 3 years since I stopped taking anything & I am JUST getting back was I lost. ;( Hope this helps. Thank you. | F | 25 | 8 months | 7/28/2009 | 3 | Bipolar/antidepressant/skitzo | more depression, drowsiness, dry mouth, loss of appetite | I was put on it for my Bipolar, schizophrenia, depression and my anxiety, but it hasn't seem to help..I'm on 200mg and have been on it for over a month..it just makes me sleep better...:/ | F | 19 | 35 days | 7/26/2009 | 4 | Depression, Bi Polar | When I first started taking Seroquel I was exhausted....like I had been given a tranquilizer which is why it's advised to take at night before bed. After about four days the sleepiness went away...I have noticed sweating a bit more than usual and definite constipation...I occasionally notice dry mouth and nasal congestion but that is minimal | This drug I have to say has really helped me more than any has...I have dreams more than I've ever had before and a definite decrease in my sex drive but I could give a crap if it improves the quality of my life.....I am concerned about reported side effects such as diabetes, high tryglicerides, and high cholesterol. I prob. need to see my doctor and have blood work done... | M | 35 | 2 months | 7/25/2009 | 5 | Mood Disorder and Sleeping Problems | This drug puts me to sleep right away. I dont think the FDA gave this antipsychotic much thought when trying to gain its approval, they just pushed it along like most drugs. The drugs Zyprexa and Seroquel are notorius for weight gain, more for Zyprexa. This drugs where approved in the late 90's when the U.S. economy was very healthy, and the drug companies needed another drug to uphold there revenues. So the FDA would just push these drugs through the approval decision like there nothing. SEROQUEL AND ZYPREXA ARE NICKNAMED THE FATBOY DRUGS BY THE PATIENCE WHO ARE PRESCRIBED THEM. The doctors around the world deny that these drugs give you side effects such as weight gain or akathisia. | There are three new antipsychotics currently under review by the FDA. The drugs are Invega Sustenna (paliperidone palmitate)long acting injection. New approved Fanapt (iloperidone). Saphris (asenapine). These drugs all where proven not to be as effective then Seroquel XR, but had a lower chances of side effects like weight gain. There is now data stating if these drugs give you akathisia like Riperdal or Geodon. | M | 30 | 6 months | 7/18/2009 | 5 | Extreme Depression | Tired in the morning, weight gain, headaches | I have been on a lot of different meds since I was 18 for depression and none of them seemed to really help. I was put on Seroquel about a yr ago and I noticed I was sleepy all the time. I felt I could never get enough sleep. I also gained about 20 lbs. I had really bad sugar and carb cravings. I recently went off of it about 3 wks ago and havent slept over 3 hrs a night since. I feel horrible and cannot stop thinking about suicide. I havent been able to function or go to work. The only good thing is I did lose 10 lbs right away and my appetite is nothing now. I definately realize now how much the drug has helped me and am going to get back on it right away. The benefits for me far out weight the negatives. The weight gains sucks but so wouldnt killing myself so I guess I will take the weight gain. | F | 30 | 1 years | 7/16/2009 | 1 | Bipolar, depression, anger issues | depression, anxiety, stupor, violent thoughts, EXTREME UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE, suicidal/homicidal thoughts, schizophrenia, paranoia, psychosis, EXTREME PHYSICAL AGGRESSION | The incompetent, uncaring, miserable fool, Dr. Bassam Awwa, MD, of New London, CT prescribed me on these pills a few weeks before I turned 16. When I was on these pills, I was EXTREMELY violent, for absolutely no reason at all. One time, I had a bad day at school, and I kicked down the front door out of rage. When my father got mad at me for it, I shoved him. Little did I know that was only the beginning of it for me. My mother and I got into an argument that lasted several days, and then I eventually snapped in a rage and assaulted her. I know I was a horribly violent, pathetic, psychopathic individual. I also know that the pills did this to me. But then, a couple of weeks later, something happened that REALLY made me see how horrible these drugs are. I got into a fight with Dad about something stupid, and before I knew it, I pushed him down the stairs, and I fell with him, and then I stomped on him, and then somewhere along the line, I realized that these pills were doing this to me. I realized that I needed to get off these horrible drugs before I REALLY ended up killing somebody and/or going to prison for the rest of my life. All of this happened over the span of a little over two months, from March 2004 to May 2004. Today, I look back and can't believe I ever trusted any of my former psychiatrists. I never thought that I would be capable of such horrible things, and I probably wouldn't be, if not for horrible drugs like Seroquel and various other drugs I have endured thr | M | 21 | 2.5 months | 7/16/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II | increased appetite, some weight gain, sweating | I take 100mg at night and an additional 25mg+ prn. It helps me sleep. It controls my agitation. It is the only intervention for obsessive, tormenting, repetitive thoughts that has worked. It is an absolute life saver in that regard. The postitive effects far outweigh any side effects. I have no doubt that this drug has kept me out of hospital for the last three and a half years post-ECT. | F | 40 | 4 years | 7/14/2009 | 3 | Bipolar NOS sleep | Hair loss EXTREME BINGE EATING that progressively got worse | Last night I took just 25mg for sleep and within 30 minutes the INSANE urge to eat consumed me and I fought sleep for about 30 minutes to continue eating mindlessly. I hadn't taken Seroquel in months so I was hoping it wouldn't have this effect with just 1 dose. I have taken it off & on over an 11 year period because it is the only sleep med that has worked for me. | F | 44 | 4 years | 7/14/2009 | 1 | Some psychotic disorder | Orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia making me feel that I'm about TO DIE. Sleep paralysis causing severe distress and mental confusion. Extreme dysphoria. | I thought antipsychotics were supposed to help people with psychotic disorders, but Seroquel apparently does the f*cking opposite. Not even on illicit drugs have I experienced anything remotely as agonizing as this. Thanks, AstraZeneca. | M | 34 | 6 months | 7/14/2009 | 2 | Bipolar/ schitzoaffective | Dry mouth, constipation, confusion, restless leg | I was given this med too help control my mania and to help me sleep. This is not at all what happened for me. I have a relatively high dose 6oomg @ night and it still doesn't keep me sleeping. And then there are the leg tremors. I will spend 2+ hours at times with leg movements I feel I can not control. So far the side effects have outwieghed the benefits for me. | F | 31 | 5 months | 7/13/2009 | 3 | ocd, anxiety, sleep | HAIR LOSS; sleepiness; groggy in the morning; some palpitation; extremely vivid dreams | it helps with OCD, but you can't miss a dose. | F | 35 | 3 months | 7/11/2009 | 3 | OCD | severe hair loss, some heart ache, palpitation | works for ocd very well | F | 32 | 3 months | 7/11/2009 | 1 | Bi-Polar, BP Disorder | I went from a size 8 to a 16 in less than 6 months. My hair comes out in handsful. I am on 500 mg at night. Have been for almost 3 years. I cannot sleep without it. I still wake up every hour or so for at least 20 to 30 minutes. | I work 12 hours a day on my feet moving constantly. When I did this before seroquel I could eat what I wanted and stay in good shape. This drug has just about shut my metabolism down. My mouth is so dry that if I can't drink immediately, my throat starts shutting off. My lips stick to my teeth. This is a nightmare. | F | 43 | 2.5 years | 7/8/2009 | 1 | sleep | This is an extremely dangerous drug (look at all the lawsuit ads on TV now) approved only for people with serious mental illness. Do not take this for a minor sleep problem. It's unreal, but there are scumbag doctors out there, sell-outs to the pharmaceutical companies, who prescribe this for minor insomnia. | DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A SLEEP AID. ANY DOCTOR WHO GIVES YOU THIS AS A SLEEP AID IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. That is how Michael Jackson most likely ending up dying, getting addicted to sedatives, using them for sleep aids...and his body just couldn't handle it over time...when any responsible doctor would help the patient sleep through natural ways. | F | 31 | 7/3/2009 | 1 | Schizo Affective | After being off of ANY medication for a solid 4 years I decided there must be a medication that works and doesn't kill me with side effects. My Psychiatrist insisted I try Seroquel. I started with 100mg and I slept amazingly! Then he bumped me up to 200mg and I am a complete ZOMBIE! I just woke up from sleeping a solid 14 hours had 2 energy drinks and I am tired a mere 4 hours later! I have had a solid headache for the past 3 days and I have NO appetite at all. I practically have to force myself to eat and only being on it for a month and a half I have LOST 10 pounds. I don't see my psychiatrist for 2 months but I am going to ween myself off this stuff. I can't deal with sleeping for 14 hours and STILL being tired, the constant headaches, no appetite, no sexual appetite, I am nothing basically. The dreams I have on this stuff are horrible. It's like I am back to all the places I've been in my past and there's no way to wake up. My partner has repeatedly tried to wake me up, and he says | Avoid it at all costs. If your psychiatrist tells you to try it look up all the side effects and know what you are getting yourself in to! If you smoke be prepared to smoke 2-3 packs while you are awake... It has made me crave nicotine like nothing else. | M | 21 | 1.5 months | 6/27/2009 | 4 | Mood swings, insomnia. | Severe exhaustion, difficulty waking, grogginess, irritability, increased hunger. | I was placed on Seroquel first, and experienced severe hunger and also exhaustion and difficulty waking, etc. Then I was placed on ADHD medication, Strattera, which causes a severe loss of appetite, so that fixed the hunger also. | F | 22 | 3 months | 6/25/2009 | 3 | bipolar and insomnia | extreme groginess in the morning, sleep walking (acording to my boyfriend), exhausted while awake, and feeling impared while driving in the morning | I've been on seroquel for several years and I've started to realize that my sleep issues are probably do to it. It takes a couple hours for me to hear my alarm clock or a phone ringing right by my head. My boyfriend has noticed me thrashing in my sleep and getting up walking around several times in the middle of the night. When driving after waking up I don't feel in control of my truck. In high school I would have to slap myself on the way to sdchool so I didn't fall asleep while driving. On days that I can sleep in I will sleep 12 -16 hours and wake up, still feeling exhausted during the day. Seroquel has helped wiht moods but I'm not sure if the side effects are worth the reward | F | 19 | 4 years | 6/21/2009 | 1 | Massive weight gain, heart palpitations, chest pain, out of it feeling nonstop, killed sex drive. | M | 6/21/2009 | 4 | bipolar mixed episode | Initially the side effects were well received. Felt a little drunk after taking initial dosage. Could sleep like I never sleep before in mu life. Food cravings do kick in and are difficut to control. I've gained 25 lbs in 6 months along with unplesant bloating. | Seroquel help me recover quickly from a bipolar mixed state. Allong with severe PMDD. For the firt time in my life I felt anxiety free anc not all mixed up. I am concerned about continuing Seroquel | F | 42 | 9 months | 6/17/2009 | 1 | Major depression, weight gain | F | 36 | 6/17/2009 | 1 | Insomnia | Suicidal depression, increased appetite, lethargy, dry, red eyes | M | 24 | 6/15/2009 | 4 | Insomnia, OCD, Claustrophobia | Dry Mouth,bit tired, not many side effects since use only 25Mg-50MG | This drug helped me alot for insomnia which Neurontin and any SSRI didnt do for me. In addition, it helps my mood which paxil and lexapro failed to do. I haven't noticed the weight issue as some have, maybe because i take low dosage and also take Neurontin. My doc says it increased blood sugar, so ideal to limit sugar intake while taking this drug. I think this drug is good alternative than the addictive Benzos as Xanax and Ativan. I feel confident taking this drug to make me fall asleep in long flight trip soon. Yes this drug can help alot. | M | 33 | 2 months | 6/13/2009 | 1 | sleep | Suicidal ideation, extreme fatigue, became depressed, and gained more than 50lbs. | How is a drug like this even on the market? Losing 50lbs is going to be really hard. I wish I had never taken it. | 6/7/2009 | 2 | Bipolar Disorder/Anxiety | Severe weight gain, severe cognitive ... what's the word? Impairment. No sex drive. No drive at all. Sleep much more. Exhausted when awake. | Helps greatly with anxiety and BPD. The best med I've been on for these issues. Too bad the side effects are so ... uh ... yes - severe. I cannot remember people's names, events, things that were so clear in my mind several months ago. I've been off work for a while - how will I get back to work and function on this med? Talk about being "disabled." I have zero energy. No motivation. It's all I can do to wash the dishes once a day. Cleaning the house? Sorry, can't be bothered. I can't believe how much weight I've gained - about 20 lbs in two months. I'm on weight watchers but I can't stick to it. I used to go to the gym regularly, but I have no energy nor desire now. I also read here about younger people developing cataracts and now I'm frightened. Meds. Always somethin'. BPD is a real bear. | F | 45 | 2 months | 6/6/2009 | 1 | bi-polar | My mom is taking this. Way way too much for her. But she was going fine on abilidy. But medicaid or medicare would not take care of it. SOOOOOOOooo her comes seraquil. Awful stuff | my mom has changed meds since moving to another state. new doc. new meds. i hate it. | 6/5/2009 | 1 | insomnia | suicidal, memory difficulties. | F | 6/5/2009 | 4 | Bipolar, Anxiety, Insomnia | Only take 25mgs at night AS NEEDED (in other words, my shrink doesn't want me to take it all the time) and I sleep. My only side effect has been to have my thoughts calmed, getting me off to sleep quickly and easily, for an 8 to 10 hour stretch. | I've never slept much at night in my life due to my Asperger's, anxiety, Bipolar, and a few others. They all caused such extreme insomnia, I thought I was lucky to get a total of 4 hours sleep in any given 24 hour period, and that I was doomed to that for the rest of my life. I currently take Lithium, Welbutrin, and Ativan (also as needed), and between them all, including the Seroquel, I'm a balanced, capable, functional person. I feel like I could return to nursing if I wanted to now. | F | 30 | 12 times | 6/3/2009 | 1 | sleep | Weight gain, AM hangover, sugar/carb craving | I was 105 in 2007 (thanks to topamax I was taking for another condition) and could eat anything I wanted). I was prescribed low doses of Seroquel in hospital, which didn't work. My idiot shrink bumped me up to 400mg per night about six months ago and decided to throw in 200mg of Seroquel XR for a better mood three month later. Before I knew it I had gained 20 pounds, which even the Topamax couldn't stop. Now I can't eat anything without gaining 5 pounds per day, and I'm not kidding about that. I'm due for my annual physical and I'm curious to see what my blood sugar/triglycerides/cholesterol/thyroid function is. I also crave milk at night. I'd crave soda if I had any. Oh, and recently my eyes are f****ing up on me. I am 45 also and don't need cataracts. I stopped taking all of that poison cold turkey and started taking over the counter sleep aids, since my ass doctor refuses to prescribe benzos. I'm not going to tell him I stopped the Seroquel because he thinks it's the do-all-be-all drug that will help everyone. I would like to know, though, how the hell long it'll take me to lose these damn 20 pounds. | F | 45 | 2 years | 6/2/2009 | 1 | anxiety and stress | suicidal, weight gain, nightmares, felt like a pin cushion, and a general memory loss. Hard time focusing on anything and including who i was. also lack of energy. No sex drive.Why?????? | Doctor told me she prescribed it as a substitute for xanax. If the govt won't cover it for veterans how was passed by FDA. | M | 56 | 9 days | 6/2/2009 | 1 | Couldn't sleep | Suicidal thoughts...I could not stop thinking about killing myself...Depression. Extreme fatigue. | My doctor gave me this as a sleep aid. I had no idea a drug could make you want to kill yourself. If someone told me, I wouldn't even believe them. But that's what happened with me. I am really lucky I didn't. I see other comments saying they were prescribed this FOR depression. I find that odd: this drug actually MADE me depressed. I would be very hesitant about using this drug. I would never let anyone in my family take it. I can't believe something like this is FDA approved. | F | 26 | 6/2/2009 | 1 | no good reason | It has no known mechanism of action, except that it is a 'dirty drug', binding to over a dozen different receptor subtypes in the brain. I experienced 'rhabdomyolysis', a common (look in the clinical literature) and horrifying side effect (skeletal muscle paralysis). The clinical trials show no significant effect on mania or depression. I would avoid this drug at all costs. | M | 54 | 180 days | 6/1/2009 | 2 | depression, ocd, ptsd, crying spell | no motivation, hopelessness. These symtoms intensified with seroquel. My doctor says to double the dose. I want to stop it completely. Zombie -like on 50 mgs. | M | 53 | 3 weeks | 5/27/2009 | 3 | bipolar 1 and anxiety w/ insomnia | weight gain (22 lbs in 4 months)dry eye/mouth, constipation, hair loss, muscle and joint pain, elevated blood sugar, MUNCHIES. Feeling like one of the undead, trouble with my memory, stuttering, tremors in legs, and temperature control issues. | After being on it for a little more than a year for mood stabilization and insomnia it dawned on me that there may be side effects other than the liver function studies the docs do every 6 months. I had been having all the above things going on and my general care primary doc was referring me to a rheumatologist for possible fibromyalgia when a-ha it is the stupid pills. Started weaning down and wonder of wonders, they are easing their grip!!! I use over the counter diphenihydromine sleep aids and Ativan to help with the withdrawl and smoke like a fiend for now. Smoking is temporary so no lectures and it does help and I don't drink or do illegal drugs so hold your horses. I had a brain tumor and many of the side effects mimicked lingering problems from the surgery to remove that and I thought the temp control thing was from hysterectomy. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, should be foresight if you are not psychic. Gotta laugh and stuff or you'll never stop crying! | F | 39 | 1.5 years | 5/26/2009 | 4 | severe generalized anxiety | the first week I was a zombie but after about a couple weeks, that tapered off and I was fully functioning. weight gain but not much if you work out a little - | I feel like this drug is for me, a miracle. I was taking 6mg of Xanax/day but my thoughts would not stop racing and I felt like I never wanted to leave the house. After a few weeks on this, I was sleeping normal, acting normal. All I can say is that this drug works for me. It's only a little difficult to say how much because I also take 8mg of Klonopin and Effexor XR. I took Paxil once and robbed a grocery store and went to jail. I'm not a robber and it was like the whole thing was an out of body experience. Until I was sitting in a jail cell wondering what the hell happened. Nobody would believe me but I knew it was the Paxil, I just don't go rob stuff, it was crazy. The seroquel noticably leveled me out and works for me. But I swear, the only thing that relieves my most severe depression is marijuana and if that were legal, I think it would be the only drug I would need. | M | 35 | 3 years | 5/24/2009 | 4 | bi-polap 1 | I'm prescribed to take this med at night. This med has helped me GREATLY when it comes to sleeping. I don't mind the vivid dreams, I'm just glad I can sleep with almost no wake-ups in the night. One thing I did notice was that if I take my full dose at once, I get a feeling similar to restless leg, or more accurately, for me, restless shoulder, which doesn't happen if I take 1/2 dose, then the other 1/2 in an hour or so. The major problem I've had is WEIGHT GAIN...35lbs in 2 years. It seems that after I take my dose, I get strong feelings of hunger, so I end up eating late, which is likely part of the reason weight gain is a problem for some. It's a major case of "munchies". Why this med seems to cause "the munchies" I don't know, I just know that it's real. Unfortunately this sometimes leads me to fall asleep before I can get my teeth brushed. Which isn't doing my teeth any favors. | F | 39 | 2 years | 5/24/2009 | 1 | 5/23/2009 | 1 | 5/22/2009 | 3 | Bipolar 1 | Vivid dreams, Very sleepy, Difficulty holding concentration or thinking complex thoughts, Very calm - nothing could disturb me, Don't always notice people when they walk into the room, Difficulty completing simple tasks. | Seroquel definitely works to control your thoughts and feelings. 50mg Seroquel, 200mg Sertraline and 4mg Klonopin is my regime. Seroquel added to my Sertraline and Klonopin made a big difference. Noticed immediate stabilization that I had never experience before. The ability to relax for the first time in a long time. The problem with these drugs is that they do work but they take away your personality and motivation. I still fight this at times and stop or reduce meds. Probably not the right thing to do but I think it is like drowning. No emotions, inability to experience psychical or emotional love. Just composing this paragraph is taking forever and I need to keep reading back. My guess is the P docs prescribe Seroquel because in makes their patients compliant. I used to fight taking antidepressants constantly and they would not seem to last or be effective. With Seroquel I have taken the same AD for almost two years. Bottom line I think Seroquel takes away some of your free will and the doctors know that. Concerned about long term effects. Last time I went off it noticed I was not motivated and seemed more of a zombie person. I think Seroquel makes permanent changes in your brain. | M | 57 | 2 years | 5/18/2009 | 1 | Recreational | DRY mouth, very very tired. I felt like I wanted to go run a marathon and sleep forever at the same time. It was like my body was fighting itself. | Not fun. Don't take. Seems to me it's probably dangerous. | F | 22 | 1 days | 5/15/2009 | 2 | insomnia | Lethargic, twitching of legs, arms, sleep eating,have gained about 40 lbs in 4-5 months | This was great when I couldn't sleep. Unfortunately I can''t sleep without it. I get up and wander at night, and I apparently eat quite a lot. Last week I woke up with an ice cream come melyed on my chest, this week I nearly broke my nose when I walked into a wall. The twitching drives me nuts. | F | 54 | 6 months | 5/13/2009 | 1 | depression, chest pain, profuse sweating, felt like a zomby | 5/13/2009 | 1 | Dr. said | Severe depression, thoughts of suicide | F | 5/9/2009 | 1 | Anxiety, Depression, Bi-Polar | Get off this medicine!!! I took it for 10 days and it made me feel completely lethargic, lightheaded, dizzy, short-term memory loss, and completely tired. I felt like a complete zombie. I could not concentrate, could not walk straight, I could not even function as a normal human being. I had constant pain in my arms and fingers. Violent mood swings where I was happy one second and crying the next. I have absolutely no sex drive. Tunnel vision. And although it might not be related, I got a urinary tract infection right after starting the med, even though very few men get UTI's. This is the worst drug I have ever taken in my life and I do not know how it was ever approved by the FDA. | M | 22 | 10 days | 5/6/2009 | 2 | Insomnia | Tachycardia, Tolerance, Occassional Nightmares, Zombie-like feeling, change in body chemestry. I am also fatigued all the time due to getting less and less sleep. I am never get that good drowsy feeling...just fatigue. | I have been on this drug for almost a year now. My psyche prescribed it to wean me off of Temazepan which caused me to "crash" after I had built up an incredible tolerance for due to overmedication by my family doctor. I originally took 250mg but successfully weaned down to 150mg within two months. However, efforts to go below 150mg have been largely a failure. In fact, after relatively good sleep in January-March (averaging about 125mg) I have been experiencing some of my worst sleep since crashing in June, 2008. I cannot sleep without taking this drug. I have not had natural sleep in over 15 months now. Even when I am taking the drug, I no longer feel drowsy and it is taking longer for me to get to sleep. Worst of all, I have been slowly been inching up the dosage past 150mg again just to get even minimal sleep. I do not want to go above 150mg again because of the zombie-like affect it has on me (which is bad enough below 150mg) I only average about five hours sleep even with taking the drug. It has been almost three months since I have had a night of 7 hours of sleep or more. My worst fear is that the longer I take this expensive drug, the harder it will be to ever get natural sleep again. Cleary, taking this drug is clearly not sustainable. Anyone with advice on an inexpensive, relatively safe drug that helped them get off Seroquel? | M | 44 | 11 months | 5/4/2009 | 2 | bipolar | knocks you out completely, totally destroyed my sex drive, gained some weight initially but leveled out, very sedating, short term memory loss, fuzziness, confusion, trouble concentrating/focusing | i take 125 at night plus lithium, topamax and lamictal, but when i have manic spikes take up to 300/day, have taken some during the day and this was the worst. basically, it does fix the mania, but only because i'm a drooling idiot or asleep. i cannot function at all taking this during the day. i would stop taking this right away except it seems to be the only thing between me and the edge. really hate this. | F | 23 | 2 years | 5/4/2009 | 1 | Bi Polar 2 | I took this medication on a Friday night and proceeded to sleep for 12.5 hours solid. I woke up for 2 hours, and ate everything in sight. I then was so exhausted and dopey that I took a 5 hour nap. I woke up, feeling like my limbs were encased in concrete. I couldn't walk straight or talk clearly. | I only took this medication one night at 50mg. I will never take it again. | F | 21 | 1 days | 5/3/2009 | 1 | for sleeping | i just took it for one night.... I was in the hospital for diabetes and a blood infection and had not slept good for months... they gave me 100 mgs around 9:00 pm and then another 50 mgs around two ol clock in the morning | when i given the 100 mgs i went to sleep and slept for about four and a half hours then they gave me 50 more mgs and i felt extrememly wierd!!! I felt like i caould do any thing i wanted and i would have no consquences. i felt like a super hero or something. I had a pic line in my arm and still had a blood infection but i decide that i was going home at about two thirty that morning. So, i stole my moms keys out of her purse un-hooked my iv and left the hospital... Just to make the story shorter i just tell youu what the outcome was i ended up having a head on collision and totaled the car. I had to be cut out of the car and when i woke up i couldn'tmove. I was rushed to Baptist hospital and the feeling came back into my body. I was then put back into the hospital and i was never given that medication again. | F | 21 | 1 days | 4/30/2009 | 5 | Bipolar/Anxiety/depression | Groggy for the first couple of hours in the morning, tons of energy in the afternoon (thats good!)Usually knocks me out 20mins after taking it at bedtime. Also taking Ativan when needed for anxiety attacks. | I have been on Seroquel for 3 weeks, this medicine has been a life saver for me! I started out on just 25 mg a night before bed, then moved up to 50 mg's. I have actually LOST weight, 5 lbs so far (I put on 15 when my depressive episode returned). For so long I thought Dr's just didnt understand what I was going through, they continued to try me on different anti depressants, all of which made me more anxious and freaked out, to the point I wanted to hurt myself and others! Finally with my Therapist and new Dr, came to my Bipolar diagnosis. Seroquel has helped me want to be productive and actually LEAVE my house again, it has mellowed out my severe mood swings, its helped with my anxiety attacks, but we are still working on that. Im not saying its for everyone, but for a person like me who kept getting the typical depression diagnosis over and over again, I cant say enough good things!!! | F | 33 | 3 weeks | 4/28/2009 | 4 | Major depression (debilitating) | Initially placed on 600 mg. I gained 50 lbs in 3 months but the gain was mostly water (edema). I was swelled up. After reducing the dose to 100 mg. I dropped 35 lbs in one month and now am 10 lbs. lighter than when I started. I have some nasal congestion and (infrequent) restless legs (but exercise helps a lot with that) and am foggy for the first 3 hours in the morning. I also take 180 mg. Cymbalta. | Those of you who are experiencing drastic weight gain should consider the possibility that it's mostly fluid retention (edema) and talk to your doctor about reducing your dosage. At 100 mg. I am getting about 75% of the benefits I was getting at 600 mg. but without the weight gain. | M | 46 | 5 years | 4/26/2009 | 1 | bi-polar/depression | At 100mg Restless legs and some body twitches. Can not sleep, It will make me drowsy but just as i fall asleep I will suddenly wake up wide awake. The insomnia is making me suicidal. Also I have developed cataracts at age42 and think it is causing sun sensitivity and poor body temperature control in the heat. In addition after reading some of these post my joint and neck pain might be from this drug | Initially it was great and really did help with my depression but after 6months these side effects are killing me. | M | 41 | 6 months | 4/24/2009 | 4 | BP,Rage,Depression,Bizarre thoughts | A bit sleepy during the first month. Now taking 50mg morning, 50mg night. Started with 25, and went up from there until I felt good. Also take 300mg 5-HTP, 900mg St.John's Wort, 20mg Lithium Orotate. Seems to be a great, side-effect free cocktail. | Great sleep, great dreams, much calmer and happier. Still enjoy life, but not worried about freaking out. Have been taking all the other things for about 2 years, but still needed something to "take the edge off" and Seroquel seems to be the answer. | F | 47 | 2 months | 4/22/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
