Seroquel for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Blueb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2012

"Seroquel makes me feel like I'm on a level playing field again. I don't feel like my thinking's distorted, and I don't cry uncontrollably like I have all of my life. I have gained weight, but I'm fixing to start taking Topamax to counteract that. If the Topamax doesn't work, I will still continue to take Seroquel. I rather gain weight and be able to cope with life 100% better than I did before."

• Nuitd...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 21, 2017

"Very drowsy for the first week of taking it, but once your body gets used to it, it is a great mood stabilizer. I've been on it 6 years, and it calms the edginess and irritability with bipolar. Also makes you sleep like a rock. My weight only changed when lithium was added to my meds. No significant weight gain for me. If I go a few days without it, I notice I'm on edge constantly."

• Mike...
• October 15, 2015

"Seroquel is great. Been taking it for seven years. I take 200 mg at night for bipolar. It does take time to get used to it. It does cause me to get hungry 30 minutes after taking it. Just eat a healthy snack. At first, I did gain a couple of pounds. Searching online did not help. Everyone complains about how much you need to eat. It's self-control. I make sure to exercise every day. And trust me, it's not easy. There are days I have no energy. But I tell myself I have 3 little girls and have to make sure I do not get fat and unhealthy. I have bad mood swings without it. It caused me to make it miserable for my wife, kids, and coworkers. Driving was a mission every day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 27, 2019

"Seroquel has been a life-changer for me. It has curtailed my manic episodes and kept me sane as I struggle with bipolar I with paranoid features. I recently attempted to switch to Geodon due to weight gain, but I immediately switched back to Seroquel because the benefits outweigh the risks of some mild weight gain. I take 400 mg daily: 200 mg in the morning and 200 mg in the evening. It helps me get a decent night’s sleep, which is crucial for keeping me from slipping into bipolar episodes. I give it a 9/10 because the weight gain can be a moderate annoyance."

• quiat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 16, 2024

"My dosage is 200mg XR at noon. Completely removed anxiety and feel smooth when I go to sleep. I take 300mg Seroquel, and it takes 30 minutes, and I'm knocked out for a good night's sleep. Need time to adapt to it but well worth it. Not for everyone but for me it works! Godsent medicine."

• Dirty...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2013

"I had great success at doses of 200-400 mg. Anything above that and I black out an hour after taking it. I found out later I had been writing belligerent texts, yelling at my children, and verbally abusing my wife. I'm going to ask for 300 mg since it helped my insomnia and made me content and happy the next day. All without the horrible side effects listed above. I have tried Geodon, it gave me severe tachycardia and yet made me too tired to function. A horrible inescapable feeling as the tachycardia made sleep impossible. Zyprexa just made me fat and gave me restless legs so bad I couldn't sleep. Seroquel is best by far, but have your loved ones monitor you."

• justR...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 24, 2012

"I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 1 about 8 months ago. My doctor put me on Seroquel 100 mg. I do have to take it at night due to the drowsiness it causes. It has made a dramatic change in the racing thoughts and negative self-image I felt. I've also had a marked change in my insomnia. I was misdiagnosed for a number of years and couldn't understand why the other meds didn't make a difference. I wake up feeling rested. I did have some vivid dreams when I first began taking it. I also get the munchies, but they have subsided considerably in the last month or two and have dropped almost 20 pounds. This is magical as far as I'm concerned! As well as the Seroquel, I also take 20 mg of Lexapro and 600 mg of Neurontin every night. Thanks!!"

• JLD
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2024

"I started Quetiapine approximately one week before my first semester of Finals at law school during my third year. The reason I first began Quetiapine was for mood stability purposes; I had tried many other second-gen antipsychotics with the goal of finding one that helped me to stop a single bad thought from spiraling into an all-consuming depression that would ruin my day or week. Quetiapine has been successful at doing just that. Most vividly, I recall taking the drug during a week in which I had 4 law school finals in one week and the work/studying felt insurmountable. Without making me too tired to complete the work, I remember my mindset quickly turning to “Even if the work is insurmountable, I don’t care, I’ll be fine.” The stability Quetiapine has helped me find in regard to mood has been incomparable to other drugs in the best way. I too experienced the side effect of weight gain. I believe one can avoid that by simply making an effort to be active. I recommend this drug."

• october...
• October 3, 2013

"I have been bipolar for 26 years. After my first and huge depression, I have not missed lithium, not even for a day. I have had a really good acceptance of Seroquel, but not of Seroquel XR. The difference is huge, and XR plays with your sleep patterns and more. The insatiable hunger is so, so true, as is the weight gain. I just eat less and less and less, and as a person who has had an amazing metabolism, I still am 105 lbs. After 3 children, my teen weight, I am now at 115 lbs, and I hate it. But I have no desire to stop Seroquel."

• HopeK
• August 6, 2013

"I have tried just about every medicine there is to treat bipolar disorder, and Seroquel, hands down, is the best one for me in terms of stability. However, the weight gain has been a problem. I gained 40 pounds on Seroquel. The good news is I've lost 16 pounds of that in 3 1/2 months. It's been hard work, but I am confident I can meet my goal of losing 48 more pounds over the next year."

• thesk...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 8, 2017

"I've been on this for about 8 months so far. I take 300 mg at bedtime. It helps with sleep, but I do feel a bit tired during the day. This has really reduced my mania. I used to argue with people until I was literally foaming at the mouth, but now I lose interest in arguments within 5 or 10 minutes. Twitter and news used to upset me, and I'd get amped up about stories, but that's gone away mostly. Now I can react to things that used to make me furious with a laugh or just a short discussion with someone. Seroquel's not perfect, but the weirdness and intensity I used to experience have gone. It also helps greatly with my IBS. I haven't had any weight gain, but my diet is low-fat and limited. Seroquel is much better than TCAs, by the way. Good luck!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 23, 2019

"I’ve had many problems with the wrong medications making me more unstable, including restlessness. My Seroquel dose was raised very quickly to 250 mg in the hospital, then overmedicated after. But now, after working with a doctor for a long time, my doses are between 75-125 mg and have been life-saving to calm me down and help me sleep and think clearly after having very bad insomnia caused by anxiety. Ignorant doctors call this a sleep dose, but it has many mood-stabilizing benefits for people sensitive to medications. I also take Lamictal in the morning and Gabapentin at night. Klonopin, as needed, has been life-saving."

• Anony...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 5, 2016

"Seroquel has been very helpful with sleep, and I also noticed some mood stabilization in combination with Lamictal and sometimes Klonopin. Sometimes it is overly sedating, but taking it a couple of hours before normally going to sleep is important for me so that I don't feel drowsy the next day. I did not notice any weight gain on it. My doctor started me on 50 mg, which was good for sedation, but no major difference in mood. 100 mg does make a difference in lowering my anxiety and some mood stabilization with my other medications, but sometimes she recommends me to take 200 mg to reduce mania from flaring up when it starts. Overall, this med has been useful for Bipolar 1 for me."

• Muffin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2021

"This is horrible with extremely serious side effects. I got anxiety, shaking, face twitching and stuttering like never before. I won’t ever take it again — you cannot pay me enough to get back on it!"

• 0rdin...
• September 24, 2014

"Seroquel helped my paranoia and really kept me mentally stable, but I also was tired all the time, sometimes sleeping for 15 hours a day. I also gained 30 pounds within three months of being on Seroquel. I wouldn't recommend this medicine for anyone who does not wish to rapidly gain weight."

• GRano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2018

"I have been on Seroquel XR for 2.5 years now, with doses ranging from 150mg to 250mg. Currently taking 200mg. It does work, but it works very slowly, therapeutically speaking. The anti-anxiety effects kick in, I would say, in a week or two maximum, and the sleepiness is very intense in the beginning. What I don’t like about it is that you get used to the dose very quickly, and the symptoms return, needing to either up or lower the dose. It’s not a super stable medicine. The first days of upping the dose, you do feel more stable, calmer, peaceful, but a week after, you find yourself asking for more. Now, therapeutically, it brings you back to earth, you know, but it’s not enough. In my case, the lack of motivation is a big thing for me. It was so bad my doctor thought I had attention issues and wanted me to try Adderall, and I said no because I knew it was from Seroquel. Anyway, all antipsychotics are motivation killers and make existing depression worse and trigger ADHD in my case. Good luck."

• Mymocha
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 1, 2017

"I was having extreme depression and hypomania, and they could not find the correct drug for me, and this was the miracle drug for me, it was the key. It works very well for me, and I would recommend it. I take Seroquel at night because it does make me a little sleepy."

• MCarey
• February 23, 2009

"A word to the wise: A psychiatrist prescribed a small dosage of Seroquel (at bedtime) for me (25 MG) to promote sleep. After a short period of time, I noticed an overwhelming craving for sugar—pastry, candy, milkshakes, etc. During preceding visits to my family physician, I learned that my sugar levels were rising steadily, something uncommon in my previous medical history. Eventually, this rise in blood levels developed into diabetes. Once this cause and effect was established, I ceased taking Seroquel. I no longer have an insatiable appetite for sweets."

• BPb
• January 3, 2020

"Seroquel did not feel like it was doing anything for me the first month and a half in terms of my mood because it was the only med I was on. It did help me sleep again -- but I can't say it saved me from all of the racing thoughts and rapid cycling when up. As someone with Bipolar Disorder who experiences severe depressive phases, two doses of Lithium Carbonate, Gabapentin as needed for anxiety, and Seroquel 150mg at night for sleep is what is best for me. I guess how it forces me to fall asleep and stay asleep is what in turn effects my mood to be more relaxed the next day. Who wouldn't be relaxed when they sleep 8-12 hours a night lol. Other than that effect I do not notice a big difference in my mood change like I do with other meds."

• JJJ
• February 23, 2013

"I have found Seroquel to be very helpful in my life. I was on high antidepressant medicines but gave those up. The Seroquel helps me lead a normal life by allowing me to sleep and calm down after long working hours in a high-demand job. I take 100 mg before dinner, which helps my appetite also. I would not take Seroquel during the day, as I feel it would inhibit my ability to communicate at work. From what I've read, some interpolate the effects of the medicines in differing ways, but I can honestly say it has saved me from a very dark place. Expensive but worth the cost."

• lalal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 7, 2022

"I once rated this medication highly for my initial positive experience with it. I now believe that is only because it helps me sleep. Once I got up to 200 mg, I felt like a zombie and experienced some other concerning symptoms. When I expressed my concerns I was told that this was a "baby dose" and they intended to still increase from there. I disagreed. I have weaned down to a sleeping aid dose and intend to decrease from there and get off this stuff. It's terribly addicting. When I was at 200 mg I used to experience withdrawal like symptoms if I was accidentally late to take my nightly dose, splitting headaches, shaking. I've seen some say it can be dangerous to not have an exact time each day it is taken, but this was never expressed to me by the psychiatrists who prescribed me. This is not an opiate, but there's a reason some people sell this and call it "baby heroin". If you get prescribed it for sleeping, it did help with that."

• Kimbe...
• August 8, 2013

"This medicine worked at first, but after taking it for a few (2) weeks, I developed anxiety and panic attacks. I've had panic attacks in the past but not like these. I wasn't afraid of anything specific; it was like a constant fear. Also, my heart would race so bad. I am being weaned off this and switching to Zyprexa."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2008

"I have been on Seroquel for 4 months now. I have terrible insomnia and racing thoughts because of my bipolar disorder. This drug worked wonders for me, and now I can finally sleep at night without my mind racing for hours."

• AnonA...
• September 16, 2014

"Somewhat hit or miss on mania, racing thoughts, and the like. Pretty effective as a sleep aid, though. Currently taking 300 mg as needed, as it was mainly prescribed for sleep. It is as effective as benzodiazepines in that regard, without the benzo withdrawal. It does leave me feeling gritty and nasty the next morning, though, but it's better than insomnia."

• sadnl...
• October 11, 2009

"I have been depressed most of my life. I have tried several medicines over the years, even tried not taking medicines. Racing thoughts of suicide, worthlessness, irritability, and crying spells led me back to taking medicines. I started taking Seroquel about a month ago and take 25 mg at night. It has helped me sleep, and I have not experienced any side effects yet. I have noticed feeling better during the day, not as many inappropriate thoughts as before, and hardly any crying spells. I'm looking forward to enjoying life again. Right now, I take one day at a time and can make it through the workday, mostly happily."