Quetiapine and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• The...
• March 15, 2014

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "Aching or discomfort in the lower legs, or sensation of crawling in the legs, unusual tiredness or weakness, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, muscle pain or cramps."

• Jam...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 21, 2017

For Insomnia "I have given quetiapine 5 stars as it definitely allows me to sleep right through the night. But I have been on it for 15 years and still experience dreadful side effects. I have reduced from taking 800 mg in the morning to 300 mg in the morning, yet in the evening and the morning I can barely function and am tired and groggy all day. I have tried to take it earlier and earlier in the evening in the hope of having less side effects in the morning, but nothing works. Plus, it gives me the appetite of a racehorse. I also have nasty withdrawal symptoms whenever I try to taper off completely. For me, this drug is a necessary evil, and I really wish I didn't have to take it."

• Kno...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 20, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I take 100 mg daily with Vraylar for my bipolar I. It cured my insomnia. I’m no longer manic nor irritable. I can work. I feel great. There is a head fog in the morning, you have to push through it. I can handle being a little tired in the morning because it makes me sleep at night. I’ve heard it’s called the shut-up drug. My kids say it makes me quiet."

• Doe...
• November 25, 2015

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder 10 years ago (recently found out it is actually PTSD/c-PTSD), and I was started on 1200 mg of Seroquel. I was a zombie! I didn't want to do anything but sleep. I was so tired all day. One day after taking my medication and then sleeping 10 hours, I got in my car and was driving somewhere and fell asleep at the wheel. I totaled my car, but luckily I wasn't hurt and no one else was involved. I lost my job. The 'best' part, though, was the 110-pound weight gain I had in less than a year of taking this poison. I've been off of the crap for about 3 years now but still can't drop the weight it caused me to gain. Please be careful if considering taking this drug, it almost ruined my life."

• Kan...
• March 23, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have mixed feelings on quetiapine. I take 25 mg of it along with 100 mg of sertraline for major depression. It does somewhat help with the sleep disturbances. In the way that if I take it on time, it helps me go to bed at a reasonable time, and I fall asleep in a flash once it 'kicks in.' The thing is, I am now absolutely unable to fall asleep without taking it. I never had a problem with falling asleep before I started taking medication, the problem was that I slept too long, 10-13 hours a day. My quality of sleep on quetiapine is miserable. I wake up several times in the night, and falling asleep after is very difficult, sometimes impossible. I can't sleep any time else. As a result, I'm tired all the time because I can't catch up on sleep, with naps, for example. I guess I have to pay this price in exchange for the pills preventing me from killing myself, but sleeping terribly hasn't really been helping my mood all that much."

• vos...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 12, 2017

Quetiapine for Schizophrenia "Definitely calmed me down during the first-time onset of schizophrenia. However, it makes me very sleepy, sometimes I sleep 14 hours a day, and when I wake up, I feel like I want to sleep even more. Also resulted in a lot of weight gain. Eventually, had to stop taking it because of how tired I always was."

• Anonymous
• February 2, 2009

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "This medication brought me out of a long manic episode very quickly (which was a huge relief), but I couldn't bear the tiredness and lack of tolerance I had because I was so tired. I felt quite grumpy most days. The sugar cravings were wild, and I lost all restraint with cakes and sweets. I guess I'm just one of the very few people it doesn't agree with."

• Dru...
• January 23, 2019

For Depression "My psychiatrist worked me up to 200 mg after my first suicide attempt in April 2018. I thoroughly enjoy how easy it is to fall/stay asleep on this drug. But when I got back to college, I was excessively tired throughout the day, needing multiple naps and lots of caffeine to even stay awake during classes. I just went down to 150 mg per day and already feel better sleepiness-wise, even naturally waking up a bit earlier instead of requiring 10+ hours of sleep. In terms of other side effects, I always attributed the cravings and binging to my restriction/eating disorder, but didn't think until now that it may be because of the drug. I have been bothered by feeling the need to literally eat spoonfuls of sugar multiple times a day. As for depression/suicidality, I haven't really noticed a difference."

• st3...
• September 11, 2016

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "After being on this medication for several months, I finally reached a dosage (600 mg) that helped. I needed this to calm down my manic state. This being said, I gained close to 20 lbs. As an 18-year-old girl, this affected my confidence greatly. I was on a vegan diet for 7 months prior to being on this medication and stayed on the diet while taking it. My weight was stable around 125 for all those months, however, upon starting, I went up to 145. Not to mention how absolutely exhausted this medication made me. I highly suggest trying to find another medication."

• Hea...
• September 24, 2008

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was recently prescribed Seroquel, and I can tell the difference already with my bipolar. However, it made me so drowsy and lethargic that I can only take it at night. It has helped me think more clearly and has lessened my manic and depressive episodes to where I feel almost 'normal' again."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2017

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I don't understand all the negative reviews. For me, this pill has worked well. It's calmed me right down and has been blissful at moments. It's expensive, unfortunately. As for weight gain, I've noticed that it's pretty neutral... Granted, I'm weaning off of Zoloft as well, so who knows, but I find with medications with 'weight gain' as a side effect, just trying your hardest to eat a well-balanced diet will prevent it. It's too easy to give up and say, 'Oh well, I'm gonna get fat'-it's very much not the case. Don't give up. If you're bipolar like me, there's a chance you can do a lot with your brain, so give it a shot and take your life back. I think much more clearly and am more productive. The overwhelming tiredness subsided after one week."

• mae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2018

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I'm surprised to see so many positive reviews for Seroquel for depression and panic/anxiety. That is why I was prescribed it 2x a day, and I didn't take it very long. Everyone is different, I'm glad it works for others. For me, I was extremely tired 24/7, had to force myself to get up and stay up and do anything. I felt like I was out of it, like it wasn't even to help me mentally and emotionally, but like I took a street drug. I was so tired and forcing myself to stay up. I couldn't do anything, luckily, I didn't have a job at the time. This drug did not help me. Everyone's different though, I'm sure it has helped others. To me, it's like Seroquel = sleep."

• Bip...
• May 17, 2011

Quetiapine for Depression "Taking low dose, 25-50 mg at bedtime for about two years. I was tired during the day, so we switched to hydroxyzine for the sleep. Bad idea, as I was very irritable and after about 6 months, wound up back in the hospital. Low dose Seroquel has positively changed my life. My psych says low dose has a remarkable effect on bipolar patients in his practice."

• Jan...
• October 29, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This drug is surprisingly risky to take. While it certainly does have a significant effect in terms of reducing tension, anxiety, overthinking, and sleep problems, it certainly has some really unpleasant side effects. For instance, it’s extremely sedating, it shuts down the emotional system, making it almost impossible to feel any feelings except extreme tiredness and irritability. Not the type of drug I’d recommend to anybody, but definitely the drug I’d warn people against taking."

• npo...
• December 17, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I use quetiapine in conjunction with Luvox with adequate results. Thoughts are less overwhelming, but still present. I usually have a fairly high tolerance for medications and experience few side effects, however, this drug was an exception. I started on 25 mg (the lowest dose available), and they made me mentally and physically exhausted for almost 24 hours. I was unable to function normally for at least 12 hours after the initial dose. I went off them because of this, but started again at the suggestion of my psychiatrist. She suggested halving the tablets. I just went with the 25 mg but took them very early in the evening (no later than 5 pm). I found I could wake up okay in the morning and was myself by about 11 am. I've been on them for about 3 months now and have increased the dosage steadily. I have just moved up to 100 mg and feel fine. No side effects, except for memories in the couple of hours after taking the drug feeling vague and seeming somehow dreamlike."

• Maz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2021

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "Seroquel has helped me through psychosis from bipolar 1. I was paranoid to the point I struggled to leave the house and was convinced there were cameras in my walls and TV. On top of that, I was seeing people in my room and I was literally scared all the time. I started out on 50 mg twice a day, then 100 mg twice a day. At the moment, I am happy at this dose. I can sleep and I still get paranoid thoughts, but I can easily push them aside, whereas before it was constant thoughts flying around my brain. I considered suicide many times before this drug, and literally without it, I don't think I would be here. You have to give this drug time to work and yes, you get side effects: dry mouth, tiredness, and for me, nausea, but that outweighs the alternative."

• joy...
• September 11, 2021

For Insomnia "I did not fall asleep on 25 mg until 4:30 am. The next night I took 50 mg at 9:30 pm as Dr. suggested. I didn't fall asleep. I then took another 25 mg without any sleep onset yet. In total, I took 125 mg and fell asleep from 4:30 to 7:30 am. I woke sluggish and tired. I was irritable also. Restless legs was a side effect."

• Sur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2021

Quetiapine for Schizoaffective Disorder "One of the worst meds I've ever taken was only on 25-50 milligrams a day, made me extremely tired and my eyes black. I'd wake up feeling like I was being choked. If I was trying to work out, doing push-ups for instance, I'd get a sharp pain in my head and either my arm or leg, or both, would give out, and I'd fall to the floor, almost hurting myself. I thought it was bad for me, or I must be allergic to it, so I had to refuse to take it anymore after a couple of months. I can't believe they are still giving this to people without knowing how destructive it can be to people's lives. It's an older antipsychotic medicine, they claim, so how could they not know the brutal side effects it causes."

• Mig...
• January 19, 2016

Quetiapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I'm currently 30 and a male. My depression has only worsened since (and before) my initial diagnosis of depression and generalized, social, and 'acute' anxiety 13 years ago. I've been in major depression for at least five years, tried to kill myself twice, and am unable to take care of myself. I've lived alone since I left for college in 2003. I still live alone here. I've been on any SSRI I can think of, so this was a last resort med. Seroquel has made me much too tired to work or do anything else. The only stars I gave it relate to the reduced anxiety when I'm actually awake. Other than that, I'm more numb than I ever have been and am at risk of losing my job."

• Noa...
• September 13, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "150 mg controls my anxiety but leaves me very tired. Within 2 hours of taking it at night, I feel drugged and have to go to bed. I sleep all night without waking but sleep at least 10 hours a night. I'm looking for an alternative without the side effect."

• Geo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 16, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I live in New Zealand. I took less than 25 mg once a night (I'd break it in half, sometimes even quarters), and it helped me sleep, reduced anxiety, and helped stabilize my mood. I took this with 40 mg of fluoxetine. I've returned to taking it with 225 mg of venlafaxine a few times to ease anxiety when needed. After about 12 months of taking it, I began to feel very lethargic and generally slow, and my short-term memory basically stopped existing. I had to stop taking it then. I wish it were available in 12.5 mg tablets. My main issue was having to take more than needed due to the tablet size."

• ang...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 1, 2017

For Insomnia "I struggled for years with not only insomnia, but waking up several times through the night when I would fall asleep (usually anywhere from 2-3 hours after going to bed and laying there with everything from bills to elementary school friends and worrying about my son). Many, many times I would doze off, then after sleeping an hour or so, wake up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as if I had gotten a full 8 hours of sleep. I would do this several times a night, then fall into a deep REM sleep right before the alarm went off. This action made me extremely tired, cranky, and totally unmotivated the whole next day. My doctor finally has me on a good combo and I sleep: 250 mg of Seroquel and 300 mg of trazodone. And if needed... Vistaril."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2017

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar, PTSD, and depression. I was put on lithium and Seroquel about 5 months ago. Lithium makes it so I don't feel... anything. And seriously, I take it around 6 pm, and the next morning I feel like a zombie. Half the time I can't even get out of bed to go to work. All I want to do all day is sleep. I've told my doctor, but he keeps telling me to give it some more time... I have kids I have to take care of, but I feel so tired and lazy on Seroquel. The only upside is it does help me sleep throughout the night instead of being awake, depressing about my life. Lithium, not sure what it does to me, but tries to block my emotional feelings, which is good and bad at the same time. I still feel sadness, though. Every day."

• Whi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 2, 2015

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "This was the first antipsychotic I was put on, I was pushed into it by my psychiatrist at the time. I was on a low dose, 150 mg. I took it for four months before taking myself off it due to extreme tiredness and horrific weight gain. I gained over 2.5 stones in the time I was on it, despite managing my food intake very carefully and exercising rigorously. A couple of years later, I wound up being prescribed Seroquel again, this time at 300 mg. Same as last time, it really knocked me out, and once again I gained weight. This med did nothing for my mood, but I kept being told to 'give the medication time to work.' After six months, I came off it again. Since weaning off the med, I haven't slept properly, and that was almost three months ago."

• Anonymous
• April 11, 2017

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I take this medication for bipolar, but it also does wonders for generalized anxiety disorder. I have suffered for decades with anxiety and panic attacks, and SSRIs have stopped working for me. When I started taking Seroquel, it was like I finally saw color in the black and white world I was living in. My moods are completely under control, and my anxiety is controlled for the most part. This medication definitely has side effects. It's a tranquilizer. It makes you very tired. It also made me gain a significant amount of weight... but I would rather deal with the side effects than deal with the horrible anxiety I was living with every day. I take it before bed... make sure you're able to get at least 8 hours of sleep so you're not groggy the next day."