Seroquel and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 5)

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• San...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 17, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I’m 61 and was diagnosed bipolar NOS, meaning I don’t fit into any category, but I have elements of bipolar. I used to be very impulsive and have made some bad decisions. I was high energy, but I also had a lot of depression. I had bad reactions to antidepressants. I would get very irritable. I've been on a low dose of lithium and 25 mg of Seroquel for several years. The Seroquel makes me a little groggy in the morning, but it has really helped with irritability. I’ve gained some weight because I’m not as hyper as I used to be. Hope this helps. I’m not ashamed to admit I need meds. Some people resist when they should be on them."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 4, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "In my experience, Seroquel literally saved my life and helped control the symptoms of schizophrenia correctly when the dose was increased to 400 mg. I felt more like myself again and far less paranoid. My downsides include drowsiness, tiredness, and dry mouth, so drink more water than usual."

• Nin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 8, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "As a teen, I was on a lot of mood stabilizers. I stopped taking them before as a child. Cut forward 10/13 years, I've been really struggling to control my thoughts and mood, so I sought out help, and they put me back on Seroquel. To my surprise, the medicine had me pretty sedated the first 3 days or so and is slowly building up in my system. I feel so much better, my mood is not constantly up and down, I don't have racing thoughts, I don't feel suicidal. I was iffy about getting back on it just because I remember, as a teen, trying to get off it and the sleepless nights, however, I am very pleased with this drug right now. This is a fast-acting drug that saved me a trip to the psych ward."

• Sno...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 18, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I started off taking 25 mg of Seroquel with Lamictal, 450 mg of bupropion XL, risperidone, and 9 mg of melatonin to aid the sleep effect of the Seroquel. I slept great and gained no weight on it. I began having trouble falling asleep. My pdoc upped the dosage to 50 mg without changing anything else. At first, I was a little groggy in the morning. That went away, and now I sleep well every night for a little over 8 hours, which is normal for me. So I've had a very good experience with it."

• wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2021

For Schizophrenia "In the four years I've had schizophrenia, I've never really had relief from symptoms despite much effort in finding a good medication and numerous hospitalizations. I honestly felt like a hopeless case seeing as I've been on Invega, Zyprexa, Abilify, Clozaril, Rexulti, Loxapine, and Risperidol. Every single one of these medications made me extremely tired. I would sleep for days only to get up to have a meal or use the washroom. In some cases, I was sleeping 23 hours a day. But then I tried Seroquel XR. Within days, I started feeling alive again and didn't even get the sleepiness side effect. I feel so calm and clear on this drug. I now have days where I'm completely in reality, and not a thing could bother me or upset/trigger me. This medication was a literal lifesaver, an unexpected one too."

• Zul...
• May 2, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I can now see my own signs of mania or depression (having had Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for six months). With that said, the meds are not miracles, and after some dialectical treatment to add to my “toolbox”, Seroquel really helps. When I am restless, having racing thoughts, and feeling moody, I feel well-balanced after about 48-72 hours of using coping skills and adding Seroquel to prevent lack of sleep, which can worsen thoughts, moods, eating, etc. For me, it’s very helpful to have self-relaxation skills to manage my reactions. I give this medication, after months of skill work, an A++. My experience is not to say it is 100% fluent to all bipolar sufferers. The good thing is that DBT is not a medication so it won’t hurt to try it as a “tool”. The side effects are mild. It does make me drowsy, and I sometimes get an oily face, yet I can accept that over extended episodes. I also have to keep drinking lots of water as dry mouth is mild and I do feel thirsty."

• Poo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 13, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been on Seroquel for years-150 mg at night to sleep. I combine it with 50 mg Trazodone and 0.5 mg of Klonopin. I sleep through the night and I can deal with my anxiety and bipolar 1. Diagnosed 22 years ago and tried just about every other drug suggested. This works-I get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. I’m a bit groggy in the morning, but it’s worth it to be stable and functional."

• Lig...
• January 31, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "The reason I'm rating this drug 10/10 is that it does not stab you in the back, and it does not ask for increased doses. It works all the time and kicks in fast, making you feel euphoric combined with sleepiness. If you stay awake more than 30 minutes after taking it, you will feel hungry. So, if you are worried about gaining weight, just take it and sleep. Find your correct dose that works well, and remember good sleep equals a good mood. If you feel sleepy the next day, that's okay, drink some coffee + 1 cup of water. And remember to do 20 minutes of exercise every day, just not before going to sleep, and you will feel better 100%."

• Aud...
• September 23, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Love, love, love this drug. It has normalized my sleep, though the initial morning grogginess was hard to deal with. However, this side effect went away after the first month or two. I'm at 300 mg, and it has normalized my moods and has mostly gotten rid of my anxiety. The only downside is that it causes some pretty extreme 'munchies,' which does lead to some weight gain. May also have contributed to my pre-diabetic condition."

• Wil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Seroquel for about a year, and I can honestly say I don't ever want to live without it. No other medicine had any effect on controlling my extreme mood swings and delusional/psychotic thinking. The sleepiness (which I now find very helpful) and morning fog were bothersome, but I've gladly adapted my schedule to allow 8-9 hrs sleep nightly."

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

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Wyn...
• March 31, 2011

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I have been treated for schizoaffective disorder and bipolar 1 since 1998. I have been on many medicines and combinations of medicines. In 2006, I had been off medicines for about a year when I went into psychosis and extremely manic - I was not sleeping and could not relax. The hallucinations and delusions were troubling. I was given Seroquel, and on the first night, I slept and slept very well for the first time in months. I woke up with a clear head and was not confused about who or where I was. I did not get the zombie feeling, but I was very tired all the time - taking Seroquel 4 times a day. When my dose and frequency were reduced, the sleepiness went away. (I take it just at bedtime now). I didn't get weight gain from it. Seroquel was my miracle medicine."

• Anonymous
• January 29, 2011

For Depression "I recently started Seroquel 50 mg for depression, panic disorder, anxiety, insomnia. The first couple of days and then up to 150 mg. This medication works great. It creates anxiolytic effects similar to clonazepam and relieves all my anxiety. I sleep well too. I can actually function thanks to this medication, and it works excellently for paranoia and anxiety. I've also found it to work great for sleep. I was previously on Abilify, which was very activating and gave me a lot of anxiety, and I couldn't sleep more than 1-2 hours. On Seroquel, I sleep a full 8 hours, and I wake up refreshed and ready for the day. It controls my anxiety and works wonders. Side effects are: no sex drive and drowsiness. Great medicine, works great."

• lis...
• September 1, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been diagnosed with bipolar type 1 for 7 months now and have been taking Seroquel along with another drug. I take 300 mg twice a day of Seroquel and find it extremely wonderful. I find it keeps my manic and psychotic symptoms at bay, however, they're not totally eradicated but minimal and helps with my insomnia very much. For me, I've only found that it made me drowsy for the first 2 weeks of taking it, some dizziness, and it gives me dry mouth enough to be irritating but manageable. As for eating, I haven't noticed any real big change, I've kept a stable weight and even lost some (healthily) when I do get munchies for sweets or otherwise I just have crackers or some fruits and veggies around and try to keep a balanced eating scheme."

• Anonymous
• May 17, 2010

"Our mom has been on Seroquel for just over a year. She was diagnosed with Sundowner Syndrome and hallucinates, becomes very fearful and afraid. This has helped a great deal. We have had to increase the dosage a few times. It has never made her sleepy, however, when she does go to sleep, she gets good rest."

• Anonymous
• May 12, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar type II and have been taking Seroquel for the past two years. It has helped a great deal by stabilizing my moods and providing me with a good night's sleep every night, no matter what. Each morning, I wake up feeling refreshed and in control of my day. Used to take 300 mg a day, but now I only need 100 mg, or 150-200 mg on bad days. This was the only medicine that did not cause tremors or restless legs. I've been on Lamictal and Geodon, which all caused tremors. It got rid of the angry hypomanic episodes. The 300 mg caused only minimal weight gain (I gained more weight when I was on lithium) and extra drowsiness in the mornings."