Seroquel and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Bip...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 14, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I had depressive episodes all my life (I'm 55) and was diagnosed with bipolar II about 9 months ago. I have had insomnia all my life, but it became severe and unremitting about a year ago when I became severely depressed/anxious. Started on Lithium and then 25 mg Seroquel and went up to 100 mg Seroquel. It never helped my insomnia or my mood and caused constipation. I was on it for about 7 months. Big issue - now trying to get off and having major withdrawal problems. Mild insomnia, excessive sweating, severe abdominal pain. Something new every time I lower the dose by 12 mg. I recommend staying on this drug only if you see significant progress. I wish I had been taken off sooner."

• Rhi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This was my experience... I have been fighting mental disorders since age 14. During the 40+ years, I have been prescribed tricyclics, typical antipsychotics, SSRIs, SNRIs, and Benzos (diazepam when 16 years old). I chemically blew out my brain, specifically the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways, by doing LSD from 1978 through 1981. It was the '70s. So now at the edge of 60, I have horrible reactions to psychotropics. Seroquel paralyzed my arms and legs after my nightly 1 to 3 hours of sleep, such that I had to lay there until I could use my left arm to pick up my right arm. Then with both free, I used them to get my legs going. I took it for about 4 years, with the above side effects plus the helicopters whizzing through my brain and body. To me, it is a nasty drug. I finally got sick of it, tossed the remaining pills, went loopy. My partner thought I was going to die. I lived."

• who...
• February 10, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "My doctor told me basically nothing else has worked, so what do you want him to do? The Seroquel seemed to help at first, but I gained weight quickly, and people are always asking if I'm expecting because I look maybe 5 months pregnant. I have paranoia problems as well with anxiety. I have suicidal thoughts throughout the day, but I don't share that with my doctor because I don't want to get put in a hospital, so I keep that to myself. I'm extremely depressed, and it doesn't help me sleep. I can't sleep because of the thoughts going crazy in my head, so I have to take Ambien. I'm sick of all these medications. I also take Wellbutrin for depression and Xanax for anxiety. The Xanax helps, but when I try to pull back from using it, my body jerks. I know I need help."

• 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."

• 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!"

• 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."

• Rot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I tried this medication a few years ago and could never get the dose correct. It was either too much or not enough. I recently tried it again and only took it for a week before the doctor took me off. I was taking this medication for bipolar disorder and insomnia. 30 minutes to 1 hour after taking this medication, I would have constant dry mouth and my legs would twitch, RLS. Constant tossing and turning because of my legs and having to drink water because of the dry mouth, finally passing out hours later and feeling like rubbish the next day."

• 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."

• FOU...
• December 26, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on numerous different bipolar medications, but this one was the worst! This medicine landed me in the hospital. I had pain in my right waist when I urinated. My creatinine levels were high and I picked up a lot of weight. I wonder if some of these reviews weren't written by the company itself. It seems there are lots more people struggling with these meds. I weaned off it, but now it seems I have bad withdrawals, blood pressure problems, headaches, fainting, dizziness, severe insomnia, heart palpitations, red spots on my skin, and my insides feel like they are shaky! I would never, ever recommend this."

• Aub...
• September 23, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking this for a few weeks, and I think I've already gained 10 pounds because I am hungry 100% of the time. I've had insomnia for all 20 years of my life and have yet to find a medication that makes me sleep until this one, and on the 50 mg dose. That would be amazing if it did not make me sleep for the rest of the day too. It shuts me down to the point where it is harder than normal to breathe. I've been staying with it in hopes that I would improve, but all I've noticed is that I am more irritated by even the smallest things."

• hap...
• July 23, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Seroquel for 18 months and have gained about 30 lb. I take 200 mg at night and find I feel as if I am starving and eat crazy amounts of sugary food that I crave. I find that when I wake, my eyes have a haze over them for a half hour or so. If I miss a dose, I cannot sleep no matter how much I try. I get a clenched jaw and grind my teeth when I miss a dose. I was in prison and sometimes was not given the opportunity to take it. Those nights and days were long. I will say that it helps slow the mind down and it is amazing to get to sleep. With that said, after taking it, I was ready for bed in about 20 min whether I wanted to sleep then or not. When I tried stopping, I did not sleep right for months."

• 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."

• Blu...
• March 22, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Been in therapy with a counseling psychologist for just over 3 years. Diagnosis from consultant psychiatrist - complex PTSD, bipolar type 2, and fibromyalgia. Been on sertraline 200 mg for 2 years. Ate diazepam 2.5 mg like smarties after a relationship with an antisocial personality disordered man. Been taking quetiapine since December '15 and slowly moved up to 125 mg to increase to 200 mg. Was taking 7.5 mg mirtazapine for sleep though have now removed it due to increase of quetiapine and weight gain. Overall I'm feeling much calmer, more rational, less reactive, and more confident talking to people. After intrusive thoughts, cognitive dissonance, depression, anxiety, insomnia, crying, dissociation, nightmares, etc. I'm happy!"

• ins...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 10, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "Took for bipolar. Good side effects: more or less consistently put me to sleep every night. Bad side effects: gained roughly 20 lbs 6 months in, had a difficult time getting up every day, needed more sleep than usual. It helped for a while, but it mostly made my episodes less severe, did not effectively stop or prevent them."

• fre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 27, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "Took for bipolar disorder (for the depression). In small doses, this caused me to be too sleepy to function. When I took a large dose at night, however, it knocked me out, and I was good the next day. This really did help with the depression and mood swings. However, it caused significant weight gain. I had to stop taking this when a job had ended and I no longer had insurance. I fought insomnia for around 6 months, but after that time, was finally able to sleep again, and the weight came out. I would recommend this for someone who really needs it, but not until other medicines have been tried first with no success."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Seroquel for 4 months now. I have terrible insomnia and racing thoughts because of my bipolar disorder. This drug worked wonders for me, and now I can finally sleep at night without my mind racing for hours."

• 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."

• Too...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Of all the meds I’ve taken for my bipolar, Seroquel is the best with the least side effects. I’ve been on Abilify, Depakote, and another one can’t remember the name. Horrible side effects: severe blurred vision, rash, panic attacks, restless legs, insomnia, gastritis, blood in stools, and more. Seroquel is working for me, and for that, I’m very grateful."

• peo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 13, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Seroquel, 50 mg nightly in addition to Lithium (2 x 200 mg) and Cipramil (20 mg), a dream combo for me. Stops the racing thoughts and knocks me out cold for 8 hours/night. Slight weight gain of maybe 2-3 kilos, but hardly noticeable. I'll take the extra weight over hypomania and insomnia any day."

• 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."

• 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."

• Mat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Been suffering with moderate/major depression with periods of extreme anxiety and daily thoughts of specific suicidal thoughts for 7 months. Suffered really rough initial side effects with Lexapro and endured this medication for 4 months up to 30 mg. Felt worse than ever at this dosage, and so I sought help from a private practice. He immediately told me to lower my dosage to 20 mg of Lexapro (to eventually taper off completely) and put me on 300 mg Seroquel, 200 mg at night and 100 mg in the mornings. The day after, I woke up with new hope and a sense of calmness. I no longer felt suicidal. Thus, the conclusion is that I'm probably Bipolar Type 2, meaning antidepressants are not right for me. Seroquel always makes me sleep every night, all night! :)"

• 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."

• 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."