Quetiapine and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 6, 2013

Quetiapine for Depression "I have had depression since I was a child, but I didn't start getting help for it until I was 19. I have tried Prozac and Celexa, which did nothing for me, and then my doctor asked me if I have ever heard of a medicine called Seroquel XR. I started out on 50mg and then worked my way up to 300mg. The only side effects for me were weight gain and drowsiness, but the drowsiness went away after a couple of months of using this medicine. Overall, I really like this medicine. It has helped me tremendously!"

• geo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 5, 2017

For Insomnia "This is the only med that actually helps me sleep. I had tried melatonin, zopiclone, lorazepam, and temazepam, as well as every natural remedy I could get my hands on, and then my doctor suggested quetiapine. I take 25mg about an hour before going to sleep and usually by the time I climb into bed, I can hardly keep my eyes open. I'm also taking bupropion (which is technically contraindicated with quetiapine) which may be why I feel so sedated on such a low dose. The only downside is that I don't fully wake up from it until I've been physically awake for at least an hour, and it makes me really thirsty. But that's a small price to pay for getting a good sleep after struggling for years. Also, it makes orgasms less intense for me which sucks!"

• Dru...
• February 15, 2020

Quetiapine for Schizoaffective Disorder "Seroquel knocked me out so badly that I slept 18 hours. The heavy sedation effect does go away, though. It did not help at all with my schizophrenia, but it did make me put on a lot of weight. Altogether, antipsychotics have made me put on a ton of weight. I've tried many of them, and I used to weigh 160 pounds and now I am 220. So far, that's all these drugs have done to me, they should be called fat pills."

• kas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 3, 2021

For Insomnia "I used to have really bad insomnia. I don't know the cause, but it made me sleep 7 hours in the span of three days. My mind was like a radio, nonstop playing and talking. When I took Seroquel for my bipolar disorder, I was super drowsy, and I could not wake up during the day. I started with 25 mg, but I noticed that I was getting sleep. Over time, I had to increase my dose to 300 mg to get good sleep. My body always gets used to meds, and I ended up increasing every time. I found that 300 mg was good to give me 8 or 9 hours of sleep at night. If I take it early, I can wake up early and feel well-rested for the next day. I noticed that if I need to wake up sooner, I lower my dose to 200 mg. The only downside to this medication is the weight gain. I would wake up in the middle of the night hungry and thirsty. I spoke with my doctor and tried Trazodone and Temazepam, but none worked better compared to Seroquel. Still a lifesaver."

• dam...
• March 15, 2014

For Insomnia "Don't know why it took so long for someone to recommend Seroquel for sleep. Tried them all. All sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, PM medicines. I take 50mg up to 100 mg tops per night and am getting sound 7 plus hours sleep without the all-day grogginess the other meds gave me. It's the best sleep I've had in a long time."

• TCa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2020

For Insomnia "I feel like taking Seroquel must be like getting roofied. I took the 100 mg, and it literally knocked me out for 12 hours straight. Then, after waking up, you're groggy for at least another 6 hours and are grumpy to the people around you. I also got restless leg syndrome or some kind of very weird involuntary leg movements. I would also always wake up in some kind of pain, and it might be due to the fact that you're so knocked out you're contorting your body in unusual positions while you sleep. I then got reduced halfway to the 50 mg, which did the same thing but with half of the same effects! Seroquel seems like a dangerous drug to me, and I've been on a few."

• Ela...
• February 20, 2020

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I suffer from Bipolar II, take 200 mg Lamictal daily, and was prescribed 25 mg Seroquel to take at night to help me sleep during hypomanic episodes. My psychiatrist claimed it would calm the racing thoughts, help me fall asleep, and hopefully make me think more clearly during the day. After taking it, I would still be awake for a couple of hours trying to sleep and still having racing thoughts. In the morning, I had the worst experiences trying to wake up. I wasn’t trying to wake up early or anything, like 11 on my free days, so I could sleep in, and even then I could barely open my eyes enough to turn off my alarm and would immediately fall back asleep. After finally waking up, I felt groggy and disoriented throughout the day. I couldn’t think straight and was unable to focus during my classes. Not a good experience. I only took it a few times and decided it was only having negative effects, so I stopped taking it."

• Yac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 9, 2020

For Insomnia "I've used quetiapine for 3 years now, initially at 50 mg and now at 25 mg, due to daytime drowsiness. It has improved my sleep remarkably but made the transition from sleep to awake more challenging, although I used to use nicotine for this and no longer do. If I ignore the reminder to take it in the evening, I can easily be awake until 3 am or dawn. Running out of medication for 1 night leaves me dizzy and irritable. Unfortunately, it seems to be making me more drowsy during the day, which is hampering my return to study. In general, I think this is an excellent medication; however, side effects need to be monitored."

• Ven...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 31, 2020

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I'm a 23 y/o woman diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at age 18. I take 25 mg of quetiapine once daily, and this medication has gotten my psychotic symptoms under control as well as getting my co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder under control. I also take 0.25 mg of Xanax as needed for spikes of anxiety, and it works like a charm! I used to not be able to sleep through the night without waking up hallucinating, and it was a nightmare. Now I actually sleep, and during the day, it's made my psychotic symptoms completely go away. The only con I've noticed is the morning grogginess, but that's eased as I've gotten used to the medication. I absolutely recommend this for anyone with BPD specifically struggling with psychotic symptoms."

• Anonymous
• November 26, 2010

Quetiapine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "After trying nearly every SSRI on the market, I was placed on Pristiq, which improved my condition somewhat, but still left me dependent on Xanax to alleviate my daily anxiety. After a particularly bad stretch, I was also placed on Seroquel XR. It has helped more than I could have ever hoped for. I finally don't have to reach for Xanax as soon as I wake up. It was very sedating for the first week after I started and after increasing my dosage, but this has lessened with time. I do make sure to take it before bed, as it does make me tired as it kicks in, but I welcome this due to my problems with insomnia."

• Jac...
• January 24, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been on Zoloft for 7 years. I experienced my first panic attack about 2 years in. Since then it had gotten really bad, so much that I was having 3 or more a week. I was given quetiapine by a psychiatrist. He recommended half a tablet (tab is 25mg) so 12.5mg morning and night, but to start taking it just at night to see how I go on it. The first night I slept about 11 hours. The next night was 8. It sorted itself out after that first night. I still do not take it in the morning as I don't want to be drowsy at work. As far as the panic attacks go, I've been on it for 2 months now and I've only had one. I've been able to accept a promotion that has me work 6 hours from home for a few weeks. I have my life back!"

• Anonymous
• April 16, 2012

Quetiapine for Insomnia "I am 21 and have trouble sleeping, due mostly to my depression and anxiety. I got prescribed Seroquel (50mg one before bedtime) about a year ago, and it has helped me SO MUCH in a couple of ways, INSTANTLY - helped me sleep and stay asleep. At first, a couple of weeks, I was drowsy when I woke up, but after a month or two of taking it, I wake up feeling great. (Makes sleep amazing, and I have the most vivid awesome dreams.) Over time, taking this medication has lowered my depression and anxiety. I have noticed that hard situations and emotions are much easier to handle. I can stay calm compared to always freaking out."

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

Quetiapine 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."

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

Quetiapine 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."

• Ros...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2022

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This medicine literally saved my life. All I can say is I have been battling with anxiety for as long as I could remember. At one point, I was dealing with severe depression and extreme anxiety with insomnia. I literally tried all the antidepressants that you could name, and none of them seemed to be working. I gave up hope on medicine in general. Also, I come from immigrant families, so I’ve never had anyone in my family who has relied on medication. And definitely battling my own personal stigmas, as well as cultural stigmas about medication for mental health. All I can say is nobody wants to take medication. I got to a point where it was begging to overpower me. It was overpowering my life with my sleep and everything. I remember taking this medication and actually feeling normal. No more intrusive thoughts. I could actually sleep at night. At first, the side effects were pretty annoying, such as oversleeping, a little drowsiness, and tiredness, but trust me, it gets better."

• Sym...
• January 31, 2011

Quetiapine for Depression "I recently started Seroquel 50 mg for the first couple of days and then up to 150 mg. This medication works great! It creates anxiolytic effects similar to Klonopin and relieves all my anxiety. I sleep well too. This medicine really knocks you out and makes you very sedated. Take it at night. I can actually function thanks to this medication and it works excellently for paranoia, anxiety, and depression. I also found it to work greatly for sleep. I was previously on Abilify, which was very activating and gave me a lot of anxiety. I couldn't sleep more than 1-2 hours with Abilify. 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."

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2009

Quetiapine for Insomnia "I am 49-year-old female with a lifetime of insomnia. I had been taking Ambien for sleep for over a decade for my insomnia but had been waking up during the night, cooking, cleaning, drawing, etc., so my doctor suggested I try 50 mg of Seroquel instead. I've been taking it for two weeks now, and I am sleeping and waking alert (YES!) and not semi-foggy...you all know that feeling, right? An added benefit is I am less anxious throughout the day."

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

Quetiapine 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."

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2014

For Insomnia "I had been suffering from pretty severe anxiety and sleeplessness. I would usually be able to fall asleep, but would then wake up 1-4 hours later and never be able to fall back asleep. I started Zoloft (50, then 100, now 150mg) a little over a month ago, and my anxiety is basically gone. In conjunction with that, I started taking Seroquel at the same time for sleep, and it has been wonderful. I started out taking 50mg but am now taking 100mg a night about 30-45 minutes before bed. Within about a half hour, I feel incredibly tired and relaxed, it's wonderful. For whatever reason, this medication does give me the munchies, so watch out for that. After a couple of weeks on the medication, I no longer feel drowsy in the morning, which is great!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2014

Quetiapine for Depression "Made me a zombie at low doses and didn't help with depression. In fact, I felt even more depressed since I wasn't able to hold a conversation or think straight due to drowsiness. But it seems to work for some people."

• Dfh...
• November 5, 2013

For Insomnia "I take 25 to 50 mg at night to help me sleep. It knocks me out and keeps me sleeping. I switched to this after other sleeping pills didn't help. I'd always wake up 3 hours later wide awake, which annoyed me. I do feel groggy in the morning, but I'd rather be groggy than not sleeping at all."

• Sof...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 4, 2019

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar disorder type 2. I'm on Seroquel XR 150 mg for 10 years now. Before, I was on Seroquel 300 mg for more than a year. I have tried different antipsychotic medicine combinations for years, but only Seroquel works for me. Changed my life for the better. I have chronic insomnia, tried all sleeping pills, but only lasted for weeks, then I couldn't sleep anymore. But Seroquel put me to sleep, deeper sleep, and I wake up feeling better. I just need to sleep every night at the same time. Also, I gained weight, and the side effect when I feel groggy at night is I feel hungry, so I ended up eating at midnight. I know it sucks that I gained weight. I tried to stop taking it for a few days, then my depression attacked me very suddenly and my mood fluctuated. From then, I never stopped taking Seroquel and I feel better. I told my psychiatrist that Seroquel is my best friend, without it, I feel horrible. It is indeed a lifesaver."

• the...
• September 21, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed 25 mg to be taken as needed for anxiety. The first time I took it, I only took half a pill as suggested by my doctor, this knocked me out. I switched to 1/4 tablet and take it as needed before bed. I have taken the medication like this for 6+ years now and have had no problems. I have seen a significant decrease in my anxiety and have elevated mood or affect the day after taking it, with the only side effect being grogginess. I was taking Klonopin before this but hated how addictive it was. I have intermittent severe anxiety with paranoia and occasional auditory hallucinations, mania, and depression, all of which is helped by even the super low dose of Seroquel."

• Dan...
• August 26, 2020

For Insomnia "My doctor started me out at quetiapine 100 mg for sleep deprivation due to a frozen shoulder. Turns out opioids have fallen out of favor even if you have a history of taking them as prescribed. After an acclimation period, which was tough, it mellowed out and did the job. I ended up at 200 mg. Folks, with this drug, lower dosages are going to have a very massive sedation effect. My advice is to really talk to your MD about that. As you raise the dosage, the sedative effect weakens. I rate it high, although the first few days, I felt really funky, lol!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I sleep much better now that I'm on quetiapine. I feel calmer and my mind isn't racing as much. I take 100 mg at night to sleep, feel very drowsy when I wake, and my knees feel like jelly, but I am grateful for a good night's sleep."