Quetiapine and Depression: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Awf...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2022

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "Started on 25 mg quetiapine for PTSD, and two years later I needed 300 mg to get the same effect. It has destroyed my cholesterol, and I will have to take atorvastatin for the rest of my life. I'm 25 and healthy, and I now have issues that are common for obese people above 50. I became an emotionless zombie, barely remember anything from that time in my life and had no energy whatsoever for the entire last two years of taking them. If I stopped taking them, I would not sleep for days, and I had to get help from my doctor to quit. The downsides to this drug are so awful I don't understand how it's prescribed to anyone that isn't psychotic. It works, but it's not worth it unless your only other choice is other (older) antipsychotic medications."

• Bip...
• September 25, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I first tried the generic for Topamax, and I just felt depressed. I've been on Lexapro also for about 2 years. When I got prescribed Seroquel, I was nervous about the 'tired' side effect, but my Pdoc said as long as I take it before bed, I should be okay and might feel some fatigue. First week, I was EXTREMELY tired when waking up. I would sleep at least 10 hours, and it was still difficult for me to wake up. I slept the whole night and fell asleep great, but WOW, it was very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I was told not to up my dose the 2nd week. After 2 full weeks, I felt like a zombie. Yay for being calm, but I was too calm. No motivation to work, college homework, and I started feeling sad and crying for no reason. Not for me."

• Bip...
• September 25, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I first tried the generic for Topamax, and I just felt depressed. I've been on Lexapro also for about 2 years. When I got prescribed Seroquel, I was nervous about the 'tired' side effect, but my Pdoc said as long as I take it before bed, I should be okay and might feel some fatigue. First week, I was EXTREMELY tired when waking up. I would sleep at least 10 hours, and it was still difficult for me to wake up. I slept the whole night and fell asleep great, but WOW, it was very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I was told not to up my dose the 2nd week. After 2 full weeks, I felt like a zombie. Yay for being calm, but I was too calm. No motivation to work, college homework, and I started feeling sad and crying for no reason. Not for me."

• Bip...
• September 25, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I first tried the generic for Topamax, and I just felt depressed. I've been on Lexapro also for about 2 years. When I got prescribed Seroquel, I was nervous about the 'tired' side effect, but my Pdoc said as long as I take it before bed, I should be okay and might feel some fatigue. First week, I was EXTREMELY tired when waking up. I would sleep at least 10 hours, and it was still difficult for me to wake up. I slept the whole night and fell asleep great, but WOW, it was very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I was told not to up my dose the 2nd week. After 2 full weeks, I felt like a zombie. Yay for being calm, but I was too calm. No motivation to work, college homework, and I started feeling sad and crying for no reason. Not for me."

• Mol...
• July 2, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug has helped me gain control of my life again. My manic and depressive episodes are now controlled. I take a dose of 400 mg IR daily, along with 200 mg lamotrigine. If I take my medication too late into the night, functioning the next day will be slightly hazy. I feel an overall sense of calmness. Weight gain is a huge issue, something I'm working on. I feel numb at times with a lack of motivation. I recently played around with my medication and added an antidepressant to push me a little manic. Drove myself into a mixed cycle of moods and caused havoc with my job and personal life. It wasn't worth the risk. I acknowledge that to be baseline stable and to have a settled life, I need to come to terms with feeling neither excited nor unexcited. The positive effects of this medication outdo the negative side effects. Everyone reacts differently to all medications. Unfortunately, it's trial and error. Always give them a few weeks to work and side effects to lessen."

• Bah...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 14, 2022

For Depression "I was prescribed this med for treating depression and OCD 1.5 years ago on 300 mg per day. Although it improved my OCD, I became depressed, introverted, and so lazy all day with a lack of energy to do almost everything. When I tried to taper off this medication gradually, I had almost the same withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking rather than its useless."

• Mir...
• January 24, 2022

For Insomnia "Horrible medication! I gained so much weight on just a small dose! Even if I slept better, I felt more depressed! It has so many side effects. Because of the weight gain, and I have always been slim, my self-esteem is so much worse. I hardly even eat, and I am not losing any weight. It is the worst drug ever! I'd rather not sleep than be this fat! I can't believe they gave me this harmful drug for insomnia! I would rather prefer sleeping pills!"

• Mir...
• January 24, 2022

For Insomnia "Horrible medication! I gained so much weight on just a small dose! Even if I slept better, I felt more depressed! It has so many side effects. Because of the weight gain, and I have always been slim, my self-esteem is so much worse. I hardly even eat, and I am not losing any weight. It is the worst drug ever! I'd rather not sleep than be this fat! I can't believe they gave me this harmful drug for insomnia! I would rather prefer sleeping pills!"

• big...
• July 26, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I am currently taking 800 mg of quetiapine at night and occasionally an additional 300 mg around noon as a 'rescue' med as needed. I have tried all of the available atypical antipsychotics, with the exception of the new Vraylar. I always end up back at quetiapine as it is the most effective for me by far. I take it in addition to lithium and carbamazepine (Tegretol) and have had very few suicidal ideations, and depressive episodes are short-lived. I still have some manic episodes, and they typically land me in the 'hospital,' but it has been the best treatment regimen for my disorder thus far."

• JT1...
• August 25, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Caused depression and negative, self-defeating thoughts early on. They just got worse and worse until finally, it peaked in major anxiety and panic attacks so bad I could barely speak. Then I had to step down from the drug slowly due to the well-documented withdrawal problems. So more time feeling god-awful and wasted time out of my life. In my opinion, avoid this med if you can. It's a serious drug."

• Asd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 23, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Took quetiapine for 3 nights; made anxiety unbearably worse and caused severe depression. Slept all day and couldn’t bring myself to do anything. Not the drug for me."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2015

For Insomnia "My doctor prescribed me this for insomnia. It makes me sleepy but makes me disconnect from reality, become very sad, and have extremely vivid nightmares."

• ols...
• November 6, 2015

For Insomnia "I was prescribed it for severe insomnia. It was the worst experience I ever had with drugs. I was feeling really depressed and walked like a zombie for a few days."

• Kja...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 12, 2019

For Insomnia "Horrible! Made my sleep worse, lost my hair, hurt my teeth because of profound anticholinergic properties! More depression due to lack of sleep."

• Do...
• August 5, 2015

For Depression "Really good for sleep when not too anxious (25 mg), but when over-anxious, it doesn't work for me. I didn't find it very good for suicidal tendencies/depression."

• Voi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 10, 2017

For Depression "Worsen my depression a lot. I could not find a reason, because I have been on Effexor since 1998 (20 years) and Effexor works great. I took Seroquel 100 mg once a day for 3 weeks. Look out!"

• Anonymous
• June 21, 2011

Quetiapine for Depression "Made migraines a lot worse and sunk me into worse depression. I guess it works for some people."

• Ele...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "Made me suicidal. Depression got worse and worse."