Quetiapine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• App...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2019

"I was placed on 400 mg of Seroquel instant release for psychotic depression. It helped a lot with hallucinations, delusions, negative thoughts, and more. It normalized me. It let me sleep. Its sedation was definitely strong. However, it made me into a zombie with all of the brain fog. My grades in school were awful because I could hardly even think. I was always sleepy and passing out. I would often sleep for 20+ hours sometimes. The sedation is not reliable at all because I am not always sleepy after taking it. It works extremely well, but it is not a good drug to take if you are a student or work a lot. It is far too sedating. I have not had any other bad side effects from it aside from stiffness. I have not gained any weight on it."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2018

"I have Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Asperger's. I was prescribed this medication due to severe and sustained intrusive thoughts that related to violence against myself and others that sadly became a reality. After only a week or two on Seroquel, the thoughts have diminished greatly, my anxiety is lower, and I can now focus very well in school. I take this with 50 mg Zoloft and face no issues. I am starting to feel like my life is starting to get back to normal. The first few days, it is very hard to wake up, but that passes quickly. I would recommend taking it at least 3 or 4 hours before you go to bed so it does not hit you as hard in the morning."

• Mon...
• February 6, 2023

"I have been taking 50 mg of this medication at night, and I find it's the only medication that helps me sleep. I was previously taking Advil PM every night and still woke up. It has reduced my anxiety and depression and improved my mood. I feel happy for the first time in my life."

• Lor...
• February 4, 2015

"I started taking 25 mg and now I'm on 150 mg nightly with the option of going up to 300 mg if needed. Although I have not been on it long enough to comment on weight gain, it has been fantastic for my mind and mood. I get a good night's sleep, and although I can still be a bit groggy in the morning, this passes during the day. Best tablet for me in a long time."

• Swe...
• October 5, 2017

"I've been taking quetiapine for two years now. I have gained 28 lb!! Which sickens me and is now starting to lower my mood. I am also taking other medication for depression and anxiety. It definitely helps with sleep, although if I miss a dose, I don't sleep at all! I'm desperate to lose the weight, but have heard this is almost impossible to do while still taking it? Has anyone been able to lose weight?"

• Wre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2016

Quetiapine "I have suffered from major depression since early adolescence and have been exposed to over two dozen different antidepressants in the last 30 years. Expensive, ineffective, grossly negative side effects to skin and chronic fatigue daily. Trying another high-cost drug, a desperate last resort. Each dirty little pill failed, with an accumulated cost of more than $15,000 to the patient asking for help. Negligent dispensation of Seroquel XR also resulted in a near-fatal car wreck for the patient. Aside from losing my car and job, I was privileged to gain 40 pounds... and counting. Chronic insomnia kills drivers, truckers, pilots, and boat captains every day. Drug companies need to try a lot harder to promote healing rather than just bankroll profits."

• Auz...
• April 5, 2019

"I was prescribed this medication for depression and GAD, and when I decided to stop it, the withdrawal was not easy. I tried to stop taking it cold turkey, and I got an upset stomach and headaches, like a bad case of the flu. I cut my pills in half (25 mg daily) for a week, and that solved my issues. The medication does help with depression, GAD, and sleeping."

• Mad...
• January 25, 2019

"My doctor prescribed this to me after my depression and anxiety started getting worse, and I found myself actually getting very angry and combative (which is odd because I never used to be an angry person). I've taken this for a few months, and I can honestly say this was the worst medication I've taken for my depression/anxiety. There were way more negatives than positives for this medication for me. First off, my face broke out in acne, which isn't normal for me. Secondly, it increases your appetite majorly, which may not be a problem to some, but I have a binge eating disorder, so that clearly isn't very good, and I just instantly started gaining weight. And the worst one of them all was it made me WAY more angry and mad. Someone could just look at me, and I was ready to tear them apart. Instead of trying to calm me down, it was like I was always ready to blow up at someone. The only good thing that came out of it was I found I could fall into a deep sleep pretty quickly."

• Gin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2020

"A few days ago, I started on Quetiapine. I have to reduce my Mirtazapine dose from 45 mg to 30 mg for 7 days and also take 25 mg of the Quetiapine AM + PM. After 7 days, increase Quetiapine to 50 mg AM + PM. Last night, the third time taking the Quetiapine, I took my meds earlier because the night before, I had restless legs. So, after taking the medication last night, I was crying, lying on the floor. I felt like there were things running around inside my body. I needed to get out of my skin. I was agitated and pacing, wanting these horrendous feelings to stop. I sat down, stood up, I wanted to lie there and then. I didn't know what to do. Just over 2 hours later, it suddenly stopped, and I felt okay. I don't know how I'm going to get through it again tonight. Apart from that, I slept well and feel more relaxed. My mouth is like sandpaper and tastes metallic, but it's a small price to pay for feeling better. I'm dreading tonight and how I'm going to get through the trauma again."

• Sco...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 24, 2016

"I am a 29-year-old female. I was put on this drug, 150 mg, for a year, and within that year, I have put on 4 stone, and my cholesterol is really high. I am fed up with the weight gain and feeling tired all the time. My psychiatrist is eventually taking me off this and wants to try venlafaxine. I don't know if that will help with my depression, but I will give it a go. I also take 45 mg mirtazapine at night, which also helps me sleep. I feel like I have no motivation to do anything. I also have started to cut out foods to help me lose weight. I feel like all I do is sleep and feel in a fog with twitches and no energy."

• REH...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 17, 2019

"I was put on Seroquel when I was 13 for depression. Stopped having periods but was told by my mom that other people in the family have had that and not to worry. Starting in high school, I began having issues with falling asleep in the mornings during school. While in college, I began to sleep even more often. I used to drink a little (2-3 drinks) after I turned 21, and perhaps this might have exacerbated the problem. I am now 29, have gotten off of this medication, but still fall asleep randomly. I have even started falling asleep when driving. Do not take this medication for depression. Do not start your patients on this medication before trying something more mild. I’m afraid that I will never be alright again from this med."

• jch...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 10, 2016

"Quetiapine has improved my mood swings and suicidal thoughts. It also does wonders for my anxiety. At first, taking this medication (50 mg 2x daily), I felt very groggy; it helped my insomnia a lot - and still does. So despite that side effect, I believe this drug works very well. I was told I was slurring my speech by others within the first couple of days of taking this - it did turn me into a bit of a zombie! This, however, passed and now, in conjunction with Mirtazapine, Pregabalin, and Diazepam, I feel better than I have in a long time."

• pet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2024

"This medication made me realize how good life actually is when you’re not depressed. All my life, I felt bitter, sad, angry… but not anymore. 300 mg of quetiapine completely changed my life. I am finally able to enjoy everyday things, I am no longer anhedonic, I am motivated to keep going and live my life. After countless combinations and trial and error, I found the perfect basket of medications that work and help each other. My other meds are: mirtazapine 45 mg, sertraline 100 mg."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2015

"This medicine has been an excellent tranquilizer. It seems to stop whatever negative thoughts I'm having and flattens my mood. It has a half-life of only 6-8 hours! I would recommend it for sleep and episodes of severe mental illness, be it MDD, PTSD, etc. Note: as a drug to be on all day, this should not be first line. It causes a lot of drowsiness and feelings of being drugged. Being on it a short time, through sleep or a bad episode, can dramatically improve your day."

• 80s...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 20, 2015

"I went from 50-300 mg in two weeks. I gained ten pounds and was constantly tired all the time. I usually stay between the same weight to a pound up or down. I took the extended-release tablets (XR). As soon as I took the medicine, within an hour, I became very tired to the point where I would start to mumble and fall asleep. This medicine made me feel like I was out of it all the time. Not to mention, I fainted a couple of times, and I've never fainted in my life. I think I was on too high of a level for my body. I'm not trying to scare anyone with my review, I'm just sharing my experience with the medicine. I know everyone's body is different. This medicine made me sleep 24/7 and relaxed me."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 9, 2016

Quetiapine "1200 mg XR per day worked and stopped my mental process enough to pave the road to recovery. I developed arthritis in both hands and the most savage addiction ever known to man I was now facing. I have now stopped completely, and all the words and reviews can never prepare you for such an experience. I took the cold turkey approach and 3 months of violent withdrawals I have stayed clear. I would recommend other treatments before this as a last resort. It saved my life, but at what cost? I still have mental health issues and arthritis, but I quickly get on with my day when I realize I could be back taking them."

• Lil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2021

"I took this years ago. I don't remember the dose, but it was enough to destroy my life. I was told to take it at night after dinner. I did that, and in 30 minutes it felt like I hadn't eaten all day, and I ate a lot before taking it. I would then eat again because I was so relaxed. I tripled my weight, my doctor's solution was to monitor my glucose!! Unbelievable! I was always a thin girl. The fat caused me even greater depression, which didn't seem to worry the doctor. I wanted to warn others, as I was too depressed and uninformed about weight gain and meds. If you are gaining weight, especially a lot, it is not working. Maybe a lower dose would be the answer, as it did quiet the mind."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2021

"I have been struggling with my depression and, in particular, not sleeping well (I wasn't exactly an insomniac, but it did take hours for me to fall asleep, and when I did, I hardly ever reached REM or deep sleep, so I would always wake up exhausted no matter how much I slept) and have been struggling with antidepressants. Taking this alongside my antidepressant immediately from night 1 was a big improvement. Since I am already on another antidepressant, I use it at night only so I can have a good sleep. I couldn't take it during the day, it made me too drowsy. I'm only taking 25 mg for now, I plan to stick to it since I read your body becomes over-reliant on it. I'd hope to eventually come off it and not need it to sleep. The only downside is that it makes me hungry, so I have to resist getting up at night to snack. But overall, it's working for me."

• Mhi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 27, 2017

"Ache on the entire body. Painful constipation, cataracts, low blood pressure. Very weak and painful arthritis. More depressed and no enthusiasm at all but sleeping. Doctor has stopped this drug for me now 3 months ago. Only continue with arthritis and cataracts."

• Fre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2020

"Had Q x3 in 6 mo, 1st ok until hives, facial & joint swell at 4 wks. Stopped Q, tried other antipsy in 2 mo, Q sensitized me to others, no luck. March restarted Q as desperate, 2nd reaction face swelled, body hives. NOW, had a breakdown, psych wouldn't give me anything new, got ref to senior psych, unmed for 2 mo. He convinced me to take both Q & lamotrigine (also sensitive to) thru desperation agreed, called them a cure to severe dep & mood dis. Started at 25 mg for a wk, 50 mg after, NO improvement on mood, previous good results in days on this dose, I'm WORSE, angry, low, anxious, in bed crying. Foggy head, can't do any tasks, no convos. Weight gain even though I can't eat, so bloated I look preg. Hives needed steroids, feet were swollen, couldn't walk, water retention on thighs, acid reflux x4 a day, presc antihis. because of Q too, don't help at all. 3 days ago, he took away only lamo & told wait a week! I can't live this way, stop today."

• Cck...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 18, 2019

Quetiapine "While on Seroquel XR, my habits, escape mechanisms related to BPD were improved. These related to gambling, alcoholism, and reckless behavior. The side effects in my case were severe and included increased appetite, weight gain, tachycardia, and feeling like a zombie. I found myself questioning why I needed this drug?"

• wcf...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2018

"Quetiapine is supposed to have antidepressant effects, but personally, I take bupropion, clonazepam, and lamotrigine for that and use quetiapine for sleep primarily. But just a note to those who find this drug aggravates their RLS (and likely so does Benadryl, as they function the same at low doses) - try adding 300 - 600 mg of gabapentin. It should stop the RLS altogether and is likely safer than an NSAID for pain (check with your doctor, of course). It also gives me heartburn, and a 150 or 300 mg generic ranitidine (Zantac) takes care of that."

• Rus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2021

"This medication gave me a condition called bradycardia, where it made my heart rate drop very low. I had to completely stop taking it, or I could have died. If you are an older adult, please be careful with this medication, use some other one, and be safe."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2018

"Was put on this drug to help with anxiety and sleep. Let's just say I've had 3 weeks of pure real hardship. My BP went through the roof to the point my head felt like it was going to explode. I experienced palpitations, of which I'm not sure were from BP or an increase in my anxiety. I've heard this drug works for a lot, unfortunately, I wasn't one of those. I was on a low dose of 25 mg in the AM and 50 mg in the PM. Good luck to anyone trying it, but I'll not be going that route again. Other side effects were nausea and agitation."

• Gho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2017

"A friend gave me Quetiapine to help me sleep and for depression. I've also had it prescribed, and bought it without prescriptions. Never had withdrawal symptoms even if I quit cold turkey. I take one 300 mg before bed, without this drug, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all due to chronic nerve pain for the past 30 years. I don't mind the dreams, but I have indigestion. Hopefully my body will adjust so it won't be too bad. I don't think it's affecting my weight-I have a great metabolism, thankfully, and a built-in reminder not to eat too much. My asthma acts up if I start to gain any extra weight. For now, I'm taking it on my own, but a new doctor will probably prescribe it because of my extreme insomnia and MDD. So far, so good, it works well for me."