[Mallai]

I'm now 3 weeks off tramadol and still struggling with the insomnia issue..I've been taking .5 mg of klonopin and 10 mg Ambien every night for 2 months to sleep..It works but really want to get away from it..My Pdoc prescribed Seroquel 50 mgs XR 3 for sleeping and heavy anger/irratability issues..it's been really bad, the anger issues..I tried it last night for the 1st time w/o the klon/ambien..I woke up at least 4 times, vivid dreams but not nightmares, and general zombie-like symptoms..strange..Anybody have good experiences with Seroquel longer term?..I hope I'm not switching one drug for another and really fearful taking this drug again..Thanks.

[newyorkgal]

Seroquel is actual as psychtropic drug used to treat schizxophrenia. It is also perscribed off label for insomnia and mood disorders. About 2 years ago, I was also having some crying/anger issues and sleep issues. I had been taking klonopin but reading here about the addiction problems and horrible w/d from benzos, I wanted to quit them so switched to 50 mgs. seroquel. One thing is they made me sleep like a baby. For a few days I had that awful zombie feeling but it passed. I would NEVER take one in the day and only right before bedtime. The issues that had me angry/crying got better, so I got better and don't take it anymore but it did help me with sleep really well.

[Mallai]

Originally Posted by newyorkgal

Seroquel is actual as psychtropic drug used to treat schizxophrenia. It is also perscribed off label for insomnia and mood disorders. About 2 years ago, I was also having some crying/anger issues and sleep issues. I had been taking klonopin but reading here about the addiction problems and horrible w/d from benzos, I wanted to quit them so switched to 50 mgs. seroquel. One thing is they made me sleep like a baby. For a few days I had that awful zombie feeling but it passed. I would NEVER take one in the day and only right before bedtime. The issues that had me angry/crying got better, so I got better and don't take it anymore but it did help me with sleep really well.

Thanks for the reply..Did you have any withdrawal problems when you stopped the seroquel?..It seems I'm just switching one bad drug for another..Unfortunately, I'm going through some W/D symptoms coming off the benzo's..I'm so sick of this.

[pharmstud(ent)]

Originally Posted by Mallai

Thanks for the reply..Did you have any withdrawal problems when you stopped the seroquel?..It seems I'm just switching one bad drug for another..Unfortunately, I'm going through some W/D symptoms coming off the benzo's..I'm so sick of this.

The post that was made by Newyorkgal was pretty accurate. One thing I wanted to add was Seroquel XR is not a quick acting agent like a benzo (klonopin, etc.) so do not expect to sleep like a baby the first night, especially if you cold turkey stopped taking benzos and having withdrawal effects from that. I would give it a few weeks actually. I hope that does help and it can for many, I have seen it happen. Good luck!

[newyorkgal]

Dear Pharmstudent,
I see the difference. I was on seroquel NOT XR and therefore, it hit hard and i did sleep like a baby. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms but I wasn't on it very long term. I truthfully don't believe they are addictive but DON'T take my word. Research before you start or maybe student knows better than me. All I know is doc started me on 50 mg. and said when used to treat bi-polar or schizophrenia the dose would be much much higher.

[melinda7.5]

Originally Posted by newyorkgal

Dear Pharmstudent,
I see the difference. I was on seroquel NOT XR and therefore, it hit hard and i did sleep like a baby. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms but I wasn't on it very long term. I truthfully don't believe they are addictive but DON'T take my word. Research before you start or maybe student knows better than me. All I know is doc started me on 50 mg. and said when used to treat bi-polar or schizophrenia the dose would be much much higher.

Hi Bev
I have taken seroquel also from time to time and have had no problems with it.
no w/d, but like you I didn't take it for a long time and it does help you sleep.
just my take on it
Melinda

[newyorkgal]

I agree 100% mel.... In the beginning I would wake up feeling real goofy in the morning. That was the only bad thing about it. Other than that, it is a great sleep aid and after a few days, the goofy feeling went away. If we were schizo's we'd be taking like 500 not 50 I think.

[pharmstud(ent)]

Originally Posted by newyorkgal

Dear Pharmstudent,
I see the difference. I was on seroquel NOT XR and therefore, it hit hard and i did sleep like a baby. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms but I wasn't on it very long term. I truthfully don't believe they are addictive but DON'T take my word. Research before you start or maybe student knows better than me. All I know is doc started me on 50 mg. and said when used to treat bi-polar or schizophrenia the dose would be much much higher.

I just wanted to clarify, I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. I was not differentiating between regular seroquel and seroquel XR. One is the extended release form of the other (obviously) so it is slowly released over a period of time to have a more evenly distributed plasma concentration curve (flatter) than an immediate release form which would look more like a hill a graph where you get a peak and then drops off. Her symptoms I was thinking more had to do with withdrawal symptoms from her benzo, although I do not know the time frame or if the benzo was titrated down like it should have been. Benzos start working immediately when you take them, seroquel and drugs similar to this do not necessarily start working instantly, it takes a little bit of time. Nonetheless, I think she should start feeling better and sleeping better in the next few weeks. Give it some time.

[maxidrom11]

I've been on seroquel (Quetiapine) for 7 Years , the first 2 years was good for me , few side effects except 'Anti-pychotic enduced Sexual Dysfuction'(very
low sex drive because of the medication) anti pyschotics are well know to do this, After seven years
of this med i am fed up with it, i have gain weight also . It is important to know if you are thinking of stopping the meds it can be very dangerous if you have been on it for a long time, most anti pychotics if stopped quickly can cause 'supersensitive' brain cells,
An expert in the effects of psychiatric drug treatments has stated in an upcoming scientific paper that withdrawal from psychiatric drugs can trigger psychotic reactions completely unrelated to any problem the person using the drug may have originally had. in the paper, psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff presents evidence supporting the view that “problems that occur after withdrawal of psychiatric drugs may often be related to the process of withdrawal of that medication, rather than the natural course of the underlying condition.”

So if you dare to ween your self of it do it very very gradually , about 50mg every 6-7 Months .
I currently on 300 mg a day for Schizophia