Quetiapine and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 3)

• ver...
• February 9, 2017

For Insomnia "Starting 50 mg of quetiapine fumarate and 50 mg of sertraline for the first time tonight. I have had constant anxiety for about a month. Heart races, mind races, trouble sleeping, sometimes I don't sleep at all. Had trouble eating, lost 10 pounds that I couldn't afford to lose. Bad headaches, even stomach pain and diarrhea. Crying a lot, feeling stressed about everything. Has anyone taken these two meds together? Even having anxiety about starting these meds."

• Can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 28, 2015

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I have only just begun a week ago, 25 mg to start. So far, the worst of my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms: panic upon waking, has subsided. Increasing dose tomorrow as still anxious through the day."

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

Quetiapine 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."

• Ber...
• August 11, 2019

For Insomnia "When 1/4 tab clonazepam did not work for me anymore, my psychiatrist prescribed me quetiapine at 25 mg. It worked for a few nights. I had a quality baby sleep, however, it kept me groggy in the daytime. I stopped for a while due to heart issues, and when I was cleared from my cardio, I got back to it again at an upped dosage of 50 mg. It was effective on the first night, but the next nights were terrible. It made me drowsy and like my body is drugged, feels immobile, but I did not have a good sleep. Now I’ve taken it with clonazepam (25 mg Q + 1/4 tab clonazepam), which was perfect for a few nights only. Now I am back to my vivid dreams sleep (I’m on it whenever meds don’t work, and it makes me feel I never really had sleep), which makes me anxious and depressed the whole while. I don’t know, but this drug only worked for a while with every new dosage to me. I’m afraid I will be given another upped dosage of 100 mg if I report this experience to my psychiatrist."

• sag...
• April 5, 2009

Quetiapine 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."

• Rip...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 10, 2018

For Depression "I had severe, endogenous postpartum depression... melancholic in nature with insane amounts of agitation, anxiety, and psychotic features. Quetiapine saved my life. When I first started, I felt BAD... but after 4 weeks, I adjusted and slowly went back to normal. I would not suggest this unless you are as severely ill as I was. But if you have that agitated, restless depression, this drug is a miracle. 150 mg is the sweet spot for me, extended release. Give it time, and the side effects will lessen. Weaning off, on the other hand? It's a goddamn nightmare. I'm in the process of weaning, and each step down is pretty uncomfortable, so NEVER go off cold turkey."

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

Quetiapine 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

Quetiapine 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!"

• KRC...
• January 8, 2012

Quetiapine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I loved how the XR worked for me. I was on 50 mg at night. It was a 30-day trial to see if it would help me, it did. My GP gave me the XR, then my psychiatrist switched me to the IR 25 mg so I could take either 1 or 2 pills depending on how I felt. That seemed to be working okay, but I had another anxiety attack, and it has been 5 days since, and I am still not recovered. Tonight, I am going to take the XR and see what tomorrow brings. Luckily, I do go to my Dr. as well. I am sure that I will feel better tomorrow, as I felt great the day after my first XR dose."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2019

For Insomnia "Never again, two days I was sleeping fine on 25 mg, but the third day I had night terrors, I was paranoid all day, and I was feeling awful. I couldn’t eat, I had pressure in my head, I was anxious, nervous, depressed, scared of life, my memories didn’t exist anymore. I was so tired that I couldn’t function till 7 pm. I don’t recommend it for insomnia."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2019

For Insomnia "Never again, two days I was sleeping fine on 25 mg, but the third day I had night terrors, I was paranoid all day, and I was feeling awful. I couldn’t eat, I had pressure in my head, I was anxious, nervous, depressed, scared of life, my memories didn’t exist anymore. I was so tired that I couldn’t function till 7 pm. I don’t recommend it for insomnia."

• Kit...
• September 24, 2016

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I'm a Desert Shield/Desert Storm vet who went through a lot of stuff. Plus, during peacetime, I was taken hostage in South America and faced execution. Like a lot of vets, I self-medicated with alcohol. I had done this for many years. One year, I went to the VA hospital near me and spoke with a Dr. about the issues I was having. She said I most likely had PTSD. I went through the whole process with the VA to get benefits, and they finally saw this as a disability. I was put on an antidepressant, mood stabilizer, prazosin (for nightmares), Xanax (for anxiety), quetiapine 200 mg (for restlessness and hypervigilance). I also take 30 mg of Oxycodone a day for pain related to an injury while in the military. Quetiapine works; be careful with other drugs."

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

Quetiapine 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?"

• Thi...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 14, 2019

For Depression "I have TBI, Organic Personality Disorder. I hate this med. I've been on it for almost 15 years. It does not help my anxiety or depression, it does help my mood swings a bit, but I feel like a zombie all day. I'm constantly anxious to the point of having chest pains and depressed with low self-worth. It's never helped me, and when I don't take it, my symptoms explode. Garbage med for sure."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2015

For Insomnia "I have insomnia and was told that this drug would knock me out and help me sleep. Well, it did. For 3 hours. After I woke up with my heart pounding out of my chest and barely able to move. Dry mouth, so I attempted to go get some water from the kitchen. Collapsed and couldn't move after 3 steps. I'm only 21, by the way. I was able to walk after 14 hours and the side effects, like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, passed after two days. Then I was back to normal. This drug is poison. I have been through alcohol withdrawal and would take that over one single day of Seroquel."

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

Quetiapine 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."

• aku...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 13, 2024

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "IR tablets really helped me. Been on 100 mg for about 8 months, but some stressful events at the job and working too much made me burn out. So my doctor tried to add 50 mg XR version, but that gave me anxiety, couldn't sleep, tension in muscles. First day after taking it, I was feeling the best in my life, but the second and the third it was an awful experience. I will never take XR version again. Quetiapine only agrees with me once daily before bed, if I take it through the day, it makes me climb out of my skin. I am back to my original dose of IR, and I am feeling good again."

• Kiw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2022

For Insomnia "I was given this for insomnia. I was on the smallest dose and was instructed to take half. It gave me awful heart palpitations, made my mouth feel numb, and made my anxiety feel worse. I felt very panicky."

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

Quetiapine 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

Quetiapine 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

Quetiapine 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

Quetiapine 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."

• Ham...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 12, 2020

For Paranoid Disorder "My father, who also suffers from Parkinson's disease, has developed paranoid and delusional behavior the past few years. He's been taking a small dose of this drug (37.5 mg at night) for almost two years now, along with a bunch of other antidepressants and a tranquilizer. It worked pretty nicely until now. The effect seems to be wearing off now, and we are trying to add to the dosage."

• mai...
• April 13, 2014

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Been on quetiapine for a month for borderline personality disorder and possible bipolar disorder and mild psychosis, take 25 mg three times daily. I love it, my moods and anxiety are much more stable, and so are the voices. I do take it along with Depakote 2000 mg, lamotrigine 100 mg, zopiclone 7.5 mg, diazepam 5 mg, and lorazepam 1 mg as needed, and haloperidol 5 mg as needed, but definitely the quetiapine that's sorted my head."

• mwo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 31, 2022

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I am taking Seroquel XR 200 mg for bipolar, borderline personality disorder (BPD), and anxiety. I take it 11 hours before I have to wake up so it doesn't cause me to sleep in. It has completely prevented my social anxiety, helped me make new friends, prevented my panic attacks and depressive episodes, and I'm sleeping so deeply now my night terrors have stopped as well. The downside, however, is I am rarely as happy as I used to be. During my highs, I felt on top of the world, and now I find it hard to romanticize any moment of my life. Nothing feels special or extraordinary. It's a bit boring. Even music doesn't feel the same."