Seroquel and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• December 5, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "At age 19, I have been taking Seroquel for more than a decade, as I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder extremely young. Seroquel is not a quick fix for an incurable syndrome that those diagnosed will continue to have to live with for the rest of their lives. Seroquel did not fix my sleep problems completely, although it did at first. Now I have to take extra sleep medication to quell my continually racing thoughts. I am still moody, and I still do have meltdowns, but the frequency has decreased drastically. What Seroquel and other antipsychotics allow you to do is function in daily life to the best degree possible. I'm not saying everyone with manic depression should take it because bipolar disorder is a different experience for everyone."

• 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."

• Dia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on this medication for about a week now. I am a type 1 diabetic. My sugars are extremely on the high side. It was like overnight it raised my sugars terribly. It has the complete opposite effect, my mind races. I pace, no sleep for me. So I think I need to be done with this. The not taking it versus the side effects. And I don't need this. So diabetics, beware."

• Anonymous
• January 26, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug has changed my life. I'm on 300 mg and find it helps me sleep and stops me from becoming stupidly manic. I haven't gained any weight, but I go to the gym and walk every day, so I'm very active. My only complaint is it takes me quite a while to wake up in the mornings. I'm also on 300 mg of Lamictal."

• Vic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed Seroquel for treatment-resistant depression. I only took it for about 2 weeks. For every night I wasn't able to sleep, my doc upped my dose, which was most nights. In my opinion, it was upped too quickly. It literally made me feel like I was going crazy. I'm aware that this is a very subjective feeling, but I can't put it into words how bad it made me feel. I would still recommend it only if titrated very slowly."

• Anonymous
• August 2, 2009

For Insomnia "I have been taking 100 mg of Seroquel for about a year now. It does worry me some because when I do miss a dose, I don't sleep, but it does work well. I do have to eat before I go to bed or want to sleep well."

• ano...
• April 17, 2011

For Insomnia "I am in treatment for Lyme disease, and the antibiotics, as well as the infections, cause insomnia, depression, anxiety, and racing thoughts. I used herbs to quiet my mind so I could sleep, and they were successful for a couple of years, but finally, I needed something stronger. I take just half of a 25 mg pill an hour before I want to fall asleep. It works very well, but I do feel groggy in the morning. At first, I even had trouble talking, as my speech was slurred."

• Twi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2015

"I have been on 100 mg of this for a few months now. For me, it's harder to wake up than fall asleep, but it sorts out my paranoid thoughts. My psychologist told me if anyone is fully schizophrenic, they are on a minimum of 600 mg, which makes me feel a little better about myself. Anyway, I'm trailing off subject, the medication works for me. Obviously, your doctor will prescribe you what should work for you, but I would definitely recommend it if you suffer from insomnia and paranoid thoughts. You can suggest medications if you feel you need to change. Anyway, it worked for me. Good luck to the rest of you."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Seroquel (along with a myriad of other psychiatric medications) for 10 years at a dose of 600 mg at night. For a while, I would get so sedated that while sleeping, I would stop breathing and jump awake feeling like I was drowning. While the medicine has been very helpful, I am starting to titrate it down in the hope of losing the 15 kg that I put on when I started it. I now find it impossible to sleep without it, so I'm coming off it very slowly hoping that my other medicines will keep my mood balanced. Overall, a really good medication."

• ISS...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 12, 2023

"Seroquel is classified as an antipsychotic medicine that is indicated for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it shares all the benefits and side effects of all other medicines in its class. Doctors sometimes use side effects as beneficial effects, e.g., insomnia in the case of Seroquel. The dose varies for different conditions and from person to person. The key is to start at the lowest dose, give time to let it work, then increase the dose slowly if needed. Get labs done 2-3 times in the first year to watch for side effects. The usual dose for insomnia is 12.5 mg to 100 mg, 1/2-1 hour before bedtime."