Seroquel and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2009

For Insomnia "I am 49-year-old female with a lifetime of insomnia. I had been taking Ambien for sleep for over a decade for my insomnia but had been waking up during the night, cooking, cleaning, drawing, etc., so my doctor suggested I try 50 mg of Seroquel instead. I've been taking it for two weeks now, and I am sleeping and waking alert (YES!) and not semi-foggy...you all know that feeling, right? An added benefit is I am less anxious throughout the day."

• Jak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 17, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Have been on many meds that were inappropriately used for my anxiety and instability, including high-dose Depakote and tricyclic antidepressants, making me more unstable with unbearable antipsychotic overloads. Eventually, a sedative dose of Seroquel around 125-150 mg worked very well for calming down anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and allowing me to sleep. It is ridiculous that some of the doctors who aggressively medicate aren't cautious because the right dose of helpful medication can be life-saving, while a bad approach can cause instability that caused serious problems in my life. Then, unfortunately, psychiatrists often blame your condition over their inappropriate treatment, so it's important to be aware of what's going on with you."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 1, 2014

For Schizophrenia "Seroquel - Out of Risperdal, Zyprexa, Trilafon, Abilify, Haldol, and Geodon, Seroquel is by far the best one. At lower doses, it is good for anxiety. You don't feel like a zombie on it. Obviously, it helps you sleep, but at lower doses you won't be sleepy or if you just take it at bedtime. Abilify and Haldol turned me into a complete zombie, it was terrible. Risperdal had sexual side effects and, of course, the breast growth issue, but I would say Risperdal is the second best one behind Seroquel. Haldol and Abilify help paranoia big time, but they also exacerbate anxiety, definitely stay away from those. Geodon and Zyprexa are worse than those medicines. Geodon made me disoriented, helpless, and still very paranoid. Zyprexa is probably the second worst."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2012

For Depression "I have been suffering from severe anxiety and depression after developing panic attacks. I have always suffered from generalized anxiety but have not had panic attacks for over 12 years. I haven't taken any medication during that time. I was driving home one evening, and out of nowhere, a severe panic attack hit me and left me immobilized on a bridge where I just froze. Fatigue, anxiousness, guilt, and dread. While I am receiving help from a counselor and my GP, I have been taking Zoloft 100mg in the morning and 50mg of Seroquel. Seroquel has helped me considerably. I take Seroquel at 6 pm, which usually helps me fall asleep by 9:30 pm and wake around 7 am. This reduces the hangover effect. I am feeling better since taking Seroquel."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2012

For Depression "I have been suffering from severe anxiety and depression after developing panic attacks. I have always suffered from generalized anxiety but have not had panic attacks for over 12 years. I haven't taken any medication during that time. I was driving home one evening, and out of nowhere, a severe panic attack hit me and left me immobilized on a bridge where I just froze. Fatigue, anxiousness, guilt, and dread. While I am receiving help from a counselor and my GP, I have been taking Zoloft 100mg in the morning and 50mg of Seroquel. Seroquel has helped me considerably. I take Seroquel at 6 pm, which usually helps me fall asleep by 9:30 pm and wake around 7 am. This reduces the hangover effect. I am feeling better since taking Seroquel."

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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!"

• Ano...
• November 11, 2010

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I am 4 weeks into taking 25 mg of Seroquel, and I noticed the difference almost straight away. I can think so much better because my anxiety is reduced enough for me to think in straight lines again. I am nowhere near as paranoid and a bit less dissociative too, which is all really good. I was also prescribed Cymbalta for depression but have just ditched that because I was too fearless and suicidal on it. While Seroquel is not touching my depression, I noticed that after taking it, I felt that I gained a degree of self-control back, which helped me to start to use basic life skills that I have learned, which help me to deal with some of the BPD approaches to life's problems. Seriously, I find Seroquel, even at the low dose, to be excellent."

• Jak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 16, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Seroquel has been life-saving for me after being on the wrong medications that made me more unstable, so I ended up being in hospitals for years. Now, at 125-150 mg of Seroquel, I’m able to get rest and have reduced agitation and anxiety, and am finally stable. I have also been put on higher doses, which felt uncomfortable, but the right dose has been life-saving."

• Kim...
• August 8, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• zai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 6, 2014

For Schizophrenia "I've been on Seroquel since being diagnosed (now 18 months). Started taking 50 mg but now I'm on 100 mg. I've got to the point on this medication that the side effects are too much. Constantly tired. Feel very vague. My memory is terrible. I'm starting to forget about things I've already done. Still very paranoid. Also, I'm still having panic attacks. So for me, it's time to move on and try something new (Olanzapine)."

• OnT...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 28, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "Where do I even start? Been fighting my crazy mood and bipolar disorder since I was an adolescent. Was prescribed this years back, and slowly I saw my life start to tangle up. Mood problems got worse, could not feel much remorse or feelings, just dampened emotions that got harder to control. I strongly believe this medicine harmed my mental health during one of the times the brain develops significantly. Been off for exactly a year and still recovering. Finally, I can sleep through the night after about 10 months, but still dealing and slowly on the way back from a miserable journey of anxiety, insomnia, and instability. Mood should arguably be stabilized, not muted and worsened by this medication. Be safe."

• In ...
• July 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Female, 22 years old. I was given Seroquel for what was thought to be psychotic depression. I was given 50 mg to take at night. The first night I took the med, it absolutely knocked me out, but before I actually fell asleep, I felt super anxious and had shock-like sensations through my body. It made me actually want to fight the medication because I did not like the way it made me feel. So the next night I went down to 25 mg, side effects weren’t as bad, but I still felt very anxious. Then, the next morning when I woke up, I noticed I felt super angry. My first thought as soon as I opened my eyes was that I just felt so angry, and I’m not usually an angry person. I also drooled on myself so badly that my shirt was soaked the next morning. I didn’t feel well rested, I tossed and turned and remembered doing things in the middle of the night that I knew weren’t dreams (all of these happened both nights I took the Seroquel regardless of reducing the dose)."

• jes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 4, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Overall, this medication saved my life. Very helpful for getting a good night's sleep. Before Seroquel, I was diagnosed but unmedicated and having violent/manic outbursts and insomnia that made work, school, and relationships almost impossible. I started on 100 mg but was still having psychotic and manic episodes where I thought people were out to get me and getting obsessive over people, ideas, new hobbies, and impulsive spending and other actions. I am now on 300 mg/day and feeling mostly stable with small upwellings of anxiety and mania, but considering a switch to another antipsychotic as I have gained almost 50 pounds on this medication. IMPORTANT: You do not need to pay $100s to see a psychiatrist if you have a general practitioner. Any medical doctor can diagnose you and write an Rx. Please don't suffer while waiting to be seen by a psych!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 27, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was prescribed 800 Seroquel for my therapeutic dosage. Many years later, I decided with my pdoc to try 600. I felt more balanced, more centered, and attuned-with the same effectiveness of the med. Later, while in a combination of other meds, I took the courage to play around with 300/400 mg of XR, and, to my surprise, I still got a precise dosage-no racing thoughts, sound sleep, no anxiety, much attenuated paranoia, and an awesome antidepressant effect with half of the original 800."

• Jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was put on this med years ago and taken off. I asked him why I stopped taking it because of weight gain, I don't feel that was the only reason. I have had problems with anxiety and depression for a long time, but it got extremely worse. The anxiety was so bad that I couldn't eat, gave me worse flashbacks from my PTSD, which was caused by trauma throughout my life (domestic abuse and rape). I got headaches, eye pain, palpitations, my hypothyroidism was all off, stomach pain, worse depression to the point I lost weight, which I am already thin. I could go on, but the Dr didn't take into consideration that I suffer from epilepsy, got vertigo, seizures increased. I ended up yesterday in a crisis center because I couldn't stop crying and had racing thoughts, which I forgot to mention. And the flashbacks of my life were one after another. Just was not a good choice of medication for me, especially with physical issues."

• sag...
• April 5, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar one about a year ago and originally took Abilify until I realized it gave me severe anxiety. My doctor changed me to Seroquel, which I take before bed. It did take a while to adjust to how sedating it was, but it relieved me of my insomnia. However, I have been gaining weight steadily since beginning Seroquel, with an insatiable urge to eat about an hour after I take my medication. No matter what I do to lose weight - 15 pounds gained since Seroquel - I cannot lose the weight. I love the fact that it seems to work well with my body and cures my insomnia, but there's got to be something better for me that doesn't cause me to gain so much weight."

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

For Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed 200-700 mg for bipolar with psychotic features. At 200-400 mg, I slept well and woke up happy and felt content. Some symptoms remained, thus the increase to 700 mg. At that level, I had nightly blackouts where I would write belligerent texts to loved ones at night and have no memory of it. I was horrified to learn of it later. I've tried Geodon and Zyprexa with bad results like drooling, somnolence, and tachycardia. Next doctor visit, I will ask to be put on 300 Seroquel. I had good results at that level and wish to return to that. Looking forward to it. I'm not on any antipsychotic currently, and I feel anxious."

• Liz...
• April 8, 2016

For Schizophrenia "I complained to a friend of insomnia, mainly stress-related. She offered a Seroquel on the promise that it would relax me and put me in la-la land. I will never again take medicine that is not prescribed for me! For the first time ever... I heard voices starting at 2 a.m. I heard two men arguing on the other side of my closed bedroom door, loud enough to wake me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I was too afraid to look because I knew no one was there. Then around 4:30 a.m., I heard a baby crying nonstop, this lasted until 7:00 a.m. I sat up for hours listening to what it feels like to be going insane! Never again!"

• MAR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Seroquel 100 mg for about a month. My psychiatrist said I had some of bipolar 2 and signs of depression. I couldn't get out of bed, and I had suicidal thoughts. I began on 50 mg the first two days, then bumped up my dosage to 100 mg. The first couple of days were pretty scary. The side effects kicked in a bit. I had an anxiety attack while driving and had to get out of my car (has never happened before). One night I woke up in the middle of the night, couldn't breathe, felt like I was about to vomit and pass out. About a week later, I began to feel better. Normal! Except for struggling to wake up in the morning. I am on my last week of the month, and I'm starting to feel depressed again. I jump in my sleep and get startled quickly. I have vivid dreams, and sometimes I don't know if it happened in real life or not. Don't know why... not sure if I need to change medication or dosage?"

• the...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 13, 2012

For Depression "Seroquel was awful. My doctor prescribed two 700 mg at night, and I slept so much! When I wasn't sleeping, I was exercising, still, I gained 30 lbs. I had extreme paranoia, never knew where I was or how I got there, and always woke up in sleep paralysis. It made my depression, anxiety, and bipolar worse."

• dyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Seroquel did not work for me (this is NOT to say it may work for you, because everyone's biochemistry is different). It caused me to sleep 16 hours a day or more on an extremely low dose (75 mg), and over 2 weeks caused me to auditory hallucinate and creepy or hellish nightmares (worse than my normal ones). Over time, it actually caused anxiety instead of reducing it. Hope you have a better time with Seroquel than me!"

• Bst...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 10, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I was put on this a second time around and helped a lot. It stopped working, so it seems. I have been having increased anxiety a few hours after taking it for bed, which leads into panic attacks for the past month. I have terrible insomnia and was going through a manic episode over the summer of 2021 and tried Depakote prior, which did nothing, and even tried Latuda, which gave me twitches. The Seroquel knocked me out and made me sleep so well, along with clonazepam. I even got it upped to 100 from 50 mg but noticed nothing and even stayed up all night most nights on 100 mg. I’m so sad this seems to not work for me anymore, so I’ll give it a 5/10 because it works but then it stopped. I didn’t gain weight, sex was fine, just did its job with controlling manic episodes and panic attacks and insomnia for me. Wish one pill did wonders for me."

• 28y...
• January 5, 2010

For Depression "I have been taking Seroquel 100 mg 3 times daily for several months now, and it has not helped me in the least bit. This drug has many negative side effects, since being on it, I have been feeling extra anxiety, impatient, sore and stiff muscles, especially in the neck, back, fingers, hands, and calves. I have also been having a lot of gas, nightmares are horrible, I feel really irritable, and I often have headaches and jaw pain. The list goes on, and if you are feeling this way, trust me, you are not alone."

• Anonymous
• November 18, 2010

For Borderline Personality Disorder "This medication is adequate compared to others in its class, despite still causing significant side effects such as weight gain (which is very undesirable). At first, this medicine seemed very strong and made me 'zombie-like' (e.g., slow, unemotional, sleepy), but after a couple of days, these were significantly improved. I was on a dose of up to 75 mg, and as far as the effects of each individual dose; 25 mg helped with sleep and 'anger management,' 50 mg increased my hunger (a lot), and 75 mg helped a little more with anxiety and emotional stability."

• Fiz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 21, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "Seroquel was the best and the worst medication I was on so far for bipolar disorder. It helped me stay a bit more stable, helped me sleep really well, and was the only mood stabilizer that didn't cause a negative reaction. Though I was going to be proved wrong. One random day, months and months after taking it, I went to bed and woke up in a hospital bed. No idea which hospital I was at, I guessed. Had no idea what day it was. Turned out it was 2 days after I arrived at the hospital! I apparently walked around the house looking for something, went to bed, and lay on the bed weirdly. I then fell off and hit my head and had a nasty hit on my leg. After that, I have been having spells of severe anxiety like I've never felt or heard of before. I also had hallucinations to the point I was trying to jump out of a moving vehicle. Seroquel is a really good medicine, but it definitely was NOT for me. I do miss the sleep :("