Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2020

Quetiapine "Seroquel is terrible. I felt completely disassociated. I knew words were coming out of my mouth but sometimes had no clue what I was saying. I was only on it for a few months, but I called my Dr. in a panic when I’d realized the weight I’d gained. I lost 100 lbs in my 20s and have been able to keep it off give or take 10 lbs. I’m now 40 years old, and I instantly put on belly/waist weight, a place where I have NEVER gained before. I know my body well, and this was pretty extreme. I went up a pant size in 2 months. I told my Dr., and he said it makes you crave carbs, but I KNOW it’s more than that. What type of meds makes you gain weight in a specific area? After losing the 10-15 lbs, I am stuck with saggy skin after 3 months! It’s not worth it. It created a whole new set of permanent problems like saggy skin and my confidence with undressing around my husband. Horrible!"

• Rom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2012

Quetiapine "After later years of my adolescence and early adulthood, I was finally diagnosed (bipolar) and prescribed Seroquel along with lithium. Not only did I finally feel a sense of peace within myself, but I found that I no longer engaged in the reckless activity that I seemed to have no control over. This behavior, which caused so much grief and upset, nearly caused the breakdown between my family and nearly destroyed myself. It does not get rid of my depression completely, but they are not as bad, and I find I can cope, whereas in the past, I couldn't. I find that it's best to take it before bed as it makes me very drowsy, which I find a good thing because, in the past, I found it very difficult to sleep. Hope this helps."

• Bab...
• October 13, 2009

Quetiapine "I am 53 years old and was put on this drug just over a year ago. I was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder 13 years ago. I knew something was wrong with me when I was 17, but bipolar was not really known back then. This drug is by far the best thing I have ever taken. Don't worry about the weight gain, after a year, it will go away. It is a small price to pay for sanity. Everyone will get the munchies from this. I eat grapes at night, they do the trick. Have some in a bowl by your bedside, this will help keep the weight gain down. Stay away from ice cream and eat yogurt with preserves in it, or just fruit when you get the munchies 1 hour after taking it. I also take temazepam at night, 100mg."

• kel...
• September 16, 2013

Quetiapine "It worked well for sleep, but I could not remember eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I woke up with it all over my pillow and cheeks, weird. I felt hungover in the morning. Also, I was taking Geodon and Effexor. I don't take anything now. It's been 3 years. I'm doing good."

• din...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2019

Quetiapine "I suddenly became manic and would have been hospitalized if it weren't for this drug. They started me at a baby dose, but with my emotions on fire, they quickly upped the dose to 100 mg. I'm 58 years old, and following this crisis, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II. I'm still agitated and angry during the day and having terrifying dreams due to PTSD. Everything that was buried inside me is now coming to the surface through therapy. They just raised the Seroquel to 300 mg. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep. I've lost 5 lbs, when I gave up Trazodone and they put me on Abilify, my appetite was cut in half. I also take Lamotrigine 200 mg and Elavil 20 mg for migraines and fibromyalgia. To me, Seroquel is a wonder drug. Good luck!"

• Ale...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 16, 2020

"I have been taking Seroquel since 2014 for unwanted, intrusive, negative thoughts during episodes of bipolar 2 depression. At 500-600 mg per day, the drug works great. The only time I have problems is when I attempt to lower the dose below 500 mg per day. I sleep very well with Seroquel, and it has given me my life back. Negative thoughts still happen, but they are given proper perspective with no obsession. I have not gained weight or noticed any other side effects. Seroquel has been a game changer for me."

• Mac...
• January 8, 2014

Quetiapine "I take Seroquel for bipolar. I had side effects when first taking it, such as couldn't wake in the morning and sluggishness. It took me a couple of months to get used to it. Now I take it at about 10:30 pm, asleep within 20 minutes, and up at about 8:30 am, well rested. It has been great for my mania, which can last weeks at a time. I feel so normal again. I take 100 mg a night with 600 mg of Tegretol, you just have to give it time to do its thing, the side effects go away. I have no weight gain at all on Tegretol, it's the opposite, I'm losing weight."

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

Quetiapine "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."

• Blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2023

Quetiapine "This happened a really long time ago, in September 2008, when I was 14. I was recently diagnosed with bipolar and was always angry and crying, so I got prescribed this, but I only took it a few days because I fell down the stairs! Anyway, I had this intense, restless, cold feeling in both my legs, couldn’t stop moving, I couldn’t keep my eyes open, I gained 45 lbs, and I had no personality. My psychiatrist took me off when she found out what happened to me."

• roy...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 21, 2014

Quetiapine "Seroquel XR has changed my life! I tried regular Seroquel, and it's like having your head in a bucket. The XL version feels like a completely different medicine. I take 100 mg at night. I wake up refreshed, happy, eager to start my day, I also take Lamictal 300 mg in the morning. No side effects from either medicine. I have been on both for about 7 years. I have been depressed once in that time, and it was situational."

• Jax...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2016

Quetiapine "I was on this med in 2010 for a year. The dose went from 25 mg up to 400 mg. The first few weeks were very difficult. It knocked me out cold and I had such a blocked nose I could hardly breathe. I toughed it out and my depression lifted. I stopped taking it because of a really bad blocked nose. I have just had a major depressive episode (2015) with insomnia. I was prescribed 100 mg. It worked within 24 hours. I was able to sleep for 9 hours and feel refreshed and energized. The depression and anxiety have improved dramatically. This time I'll stay on Seroquel."

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

Quetiapine "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."

• o_o...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2024

Quetiapine "I wanted to share my experience with this med because it has given me hope that recovery is possible. Before Seroquel, I was in and out of inpatient every 6 months for over 3 years, crippling SH problems, ED issues, MDD, severe verbal anger outbursts, and had max dosed a few different antidepressants and antipsychotics that never really did anything for me mentally (except causing weight gain, which contributed to my ED heavily). At my last inpatient stay, I was prescribed 200 mg Seroquel ER along with Prozac 40 mg after maxing out my Abilify (30 mg) and my Lexapro (20 mg) during the same stay. And within the following weeks (accompanied by group and individual therapy), I had made a visible change. Now, 5 months later, it feels like I have a lot of myself again, and I’m not cured, if that’s ever possible, but I don’t hate being alive. I don’t wake up wishing I hadn’t. It has only been a short amount of time, but it’s been helpful."

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

Quetiapine "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."

• Hay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2016

Quetiapine "This medication has been a real lifesaver. I had struggled with heavy depression interspersed with hypomania for a few years before I was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder, for which I was prescribed this. The initial 50 mg did nothing except be an overrated sleep pill, but the boost to 300 mg for bipolar depression helped begin to mellow me out, and a few weeks later I was starting to experience a life free of devastating mood swings. I've read horror stories online, but I experienced nothing of the sort (actually *lost* weight in the past few months). It's a shame there are risks with long-term use, I would happily take this forever otherwise - these past few months have been nice, happy, and productive for me thanks to this."

• Mik...
• October 15, 2015

Quetiapine "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."

• KTS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2018

Quetiapine "Within 2 months, at a dose of 300 mg, it completely changed my life. I have been on many meds and combinations for 20 years, but this (along with much soul-searching, personal responsibility, facing truth, therapy, and DBT skills) has stabilized my bipolar I and almost cured my borderline personality disorder. I had resigned myself to a difficult and tragic life before this happened. I was inspired to move to a single med because I was a longtime user of lithium, SSRI, Lamictal combo and wanted to try for a baby. This ended up giving me new life - my own."

• Anonymous
• May 3, 2010

Quetiapine "At 41, I simply couldn't take the depression, the mania, the ADD, or the severe anxiety attacks anymore. I finally went to the doctor, and she put me on Seroquel XR, starting at 50 mg for 4 days, then 100 mg for 4 days, and now the maintenance dosage of 150 mg. It has honestly changed my life and saved my marriage. My brain seems to function normally now. My nearly constant suicidal thoughts are gone, and I can concentrate on tasks for more than 15 seconds at a time. I would rather have a healthy appetite than feel nauseous, so that side effect only boosts my moods. The only thing I don't like is my dreams are vivid, but not in a nightmare sort of way. I've begun dreaming in color, which is also new. I can certainly live with that..."

• Sli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 8, 2020

Quetiapine "Finally was able to get back on Quetiapine after adding fiber pills to my diet, and I am loving sleep. Spent my whole life not sleeping well or at all lately (was up for almost a week straight last year). Quetiapine IR was a surefire way of knocking me out within an hour and staying asleep well into the morning. Pretty groggy, though, and had to keep increasing my dose. My Pdoc recently sent the XR version into the pharmacy instead, and it is rather different. I don’t get knocked out right away, which means I can create a better sleep hygiene routine. If I am more relaxed, I don’t need to be put to sleep but gradually work my way into it. It does take a minute to fully wake up, but I have to say I feel my overall mood remains pretty stable for most of the rest of the day."

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

Quetiapine "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!!"

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

Quetiapine "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."

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

Quetiapine "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."

• sad...
• October 11, 2009

Quetiapine "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."

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

Quetiapine "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."

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

Quetiapine "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!"