Quetiapine for Schizophrenia User Reviews

• Mrm...
• August 29, 2019

"This drug has really helped me with the voices and the paranoia. I have been on it for nearly 3 years. I have been on pretty much every antipsychotic there is and have been dealing with this illness for a long, long time. The downside is that you will gain weight. I have lost some of it by reducing calories and taking metformin. Walking seems to help too. If you do take this one, stay as active as you can to avoid diabetes because as my psychiatrist told me 'It will happen eventually'. Also, I adopted a vegetarian diet to help lower other risks with this one. The other downside is that it can make you very tired. I take 400mg at night and 75mg in the morning and another 75mg in the afternoon. I still hear voices and don't want to be around other people but it is much more manageable and I can at least have some kind of life. To be honest, I probably would have killed myself if it were not for this drug. I am surprised I even wrote this as I am a very paranoid person."

• Win...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

"I started 100 mg of Seroquel after Abilify failed at managing my symptoms. On Abilify, I was waking with constant anxiety and restless leg syndrome. Once I started taking Seroquel, anxiety and restless leg syndrome disappeared and I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in a long time. The first week I was tired, but after that passed, it’s been nothing but a sense of inner peace and calmness. So happy I tried this medicine again. I think the dose of 100 mg is a perfect dose for me."

• Cut...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2020

"My son has autism and anxiety. He started experiencing psychosis/auditory hallucinations at age 18...so bad he would yell and get very angry. We have started Seroquel, been on it for over 2 months now, some improvement but not great. His doc has now upped it from 25mg to 500 mg. Along with Mirtazapine and Ativan for sleep. Hoping we can stay ahead of his episodes instead of chasing them. I'll give an update. Super helpful to read others' reviews. Praying we see some good results."

• Sur...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 13, 2018

"I've been taking Seroquel for a long time. It destroyed my life. It's addictive because when you stop taking it, you'll never be able to sleep again. There's no getting off of it. I sleep in till 2 to 5 pm every day. I'm sluggish all day. It never helped with any of my symptoms of schizophrenia. It makes me crave sugar immensely. This drug is very dangerous. You have to be very careful when taking it. Don't drive or be around people you don't know or trust. Let's just say I could sleep through anything. This drug should be illegal even if it does help some people with their mental illness. There are other things people can take. Risperdal, for example, does wonders for me. I'm working with my doctor on getting off of Seroquel. I didn't do it sooner because I'm so sick I can barely accomplish anything really. I just want to say to all schizophrenics I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that NOBODY has any idea of what's happening to you."

• 123...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 4, 2020

"I used to take this drug, Seroquel, for 7 years. The only side effects I had were sleeping too much, no way to wake up in the morning, and 'still sleeping' for the first hour of being awake. Once I threw up breakfast because my body was just not working yet. And I was always putting guilt on myself because I didn't know that this was a pill side effect. I used to think I was lazy because I couldn't wake up. When having a job, I always needed someone who woke me up because I always turned off the alarm unaware while sleeping. Only now, when I changed pills and can normally wake up, I see that I am not lazy, and I am very happy for that fact! Another side effect was muscle cramps in my legs. When I went to bed, I couldn't stay still, I had to move my legs because of some weird 'muscle tightness.' This happened occasionally. The side effects were not so terrible. It didn't do any harm to my mind and emotions."

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

"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."

• Baz...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 4, 2016

"I've been taking Seroquel for 17 years. I am diagnosed as schizophrenic, but for the last 10 years, I have had very few symptoms. After 6 years of being shifted from one med to another, all of which made me feel awful, put on weight, and had no effect on my condition, I was happy to be put on Seroquel purely because I felt normal. However, it still had very little effect on my symptoms. I was very reluctant to change meds again, so I stuck with it. I had my energy back, started getting out exercising, and began losing the weight I had put on. The schizophrenia was still there, but at least having a break from just sitting there with it. It took a while, but after 2-3 years, the symptoms started to decrease and kept on decreasing."

• Anonymous
• September 24, 2010

"Seroquel was a Godsend for me. I've been on it for 7 years, and it's the best medication I've been on for hallucinations and the voices I heard on a daily basis. It does, however, make me extremely tired, so I take it half an hour before I go to bed. I did get a little weight gain, but I would rather have weight gain than hearing voices and seeing things any day. Amazing medication."

• Ott...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 17, 2020

"I've had a lot of side effects caused by this drug. I never knew it was caused by this drug. I had high blood pressure, terrible gas that lasted for days, muscle cramps, seizures. I gained 60 lbs or more. Imbalance drug for 5 years or more. I would not recommend it for anybody."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 1, 2014

"Seroquel - Out of Risperdal, Zyprexa, Trilafon, Abilify, Haldol, and Geodon, Seroquel is by far the best one. At lower doses, it is good for anxiety. You don't feel like a zombie on it. Obviously, it helps you sleep, but at lower doses you won't be sleepy or if you just take it at bedtime. Abilify and Haldol turned me into a complete zombie, it was terrible. Risperdal had sexual side effects and, of course, the breast growth issue, but I would say Risperdal is the second best one behind Seroquel. Haldol and Abilify help paranoia big time, but they also exacerbate anxiety, definitely stay away from those. Geodon and Zyprexa are worse than those medicines. Geodon made me disoriented, helpless, and still very paranoid. Zyprexa is probably the second worst."

• Cor...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 25, 2018

"I was on Seroquel for years for my schizophrenia. It did work really well, kept my psychosis down, kept me in reality. It really helped get rid of the voices, although I did still hear some. Unfortunately, I had to be taken off of Seroquel due to the damage it was causing to my liver. If it wasn't for the negative side effects, it would have been the perfect medication for me."

• RG3...
• March 22, 2017

"The drug made me gain weight and become depressed, which I was never before using the drug. I now have an addiction that I can't beat. I would probably sue them for not warning me about the drug's addictive properties. I think this drug may help some people. However, people have a right to be informed about what they are getting into."

• cou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2013

"I was prescribed this for paranoid psychosis and depression. At first, I was to take a half of a 100 mg tablet at night for a week, then raise to the whole pill. After taking the half the first night at eight and feeling drunk, I decided this might not be for me, so I cut the half in half and take a quarter pill a night. It has helped me sleep and seems to curve my overthinking things and thinking that every comment or conversation on social media is about me. I think also by getting off social media altogether, it also helped my situation. But overall good medication, it's the only thing I take."

• Lan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 28, 2017

"I take 300 mg. It's been 5 years. I was on higher doses, once up to 900 mg. My delusions never went away, but I can control my thoughts better. I think of something delusional, but I don't follow the train of thought. Since I started a serious relationship 2 years ago, I have been working on my anger and paranoia that he would hurt me. It's harder to control my emotions. Right now, I have an outrageous story in my head about him, but after reading the posts on this website, I know these feelings aren't new. I've felt them with my own family. I'm going to a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) meeting soon to get support about how lonely it can feel to be exhausted. I pray in the morning to help my negative feelings and meditate at night to be present."

• Chr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 5, 2013

"From the age of eleven to seventeen, I lost touch with reality, no doctor could figure out what was wrong with me because I didn't tell my real problems. I was living in an imaginary world. At the age of seventeen, I was finally able to express some of my problems and got started on Seroquel XR. Day by day, I had the feeling of becoming normal again and regained control over my own life. I still have issues from all the problems that involved my past, but I can truly say that I got control back. I truly think Seroquel XR saved my life."

• Meg...
• September 4, 2016

"I was prescribed Seroquel for PTSD. Never again. 25 mg, I had the worst panic attack of my life, I could barely walk, but I was so scared I kept trying to run around. It was horrible. I went absolutely crazy, then passed out hard. Not my kind of medication. My mother-in-law takes 250 mg a day for schizophrenia, she has for six months now. So far, it is not helping her delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia. She was told to take it at suppertime and seemed drunk and sedated all evening. She now takes it at bedtime, but it is not helping her. :("

• Par...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 18, 2017

"Out of all the antipsychotics I have taken, Seroquel makes me feel the most normal! I was put on Geodon originally in 2012 when I had my first psychotic break. The Geodon made me gain 60 lb, eventually caused insomnia, binge eating, and heavy drinking. Drugs like Fanapt and Latuda made me more depressed/mind rush. I was put on Seroquel in 2015. My binge eating disorder continued, and I gained 40 lbs that year :/. It made me feel a million times better than Geodon, though. I was able to stop popping Xanax and Klonopin every day. I eventually stopped binge eating in October 2016 and lost the 40 lbs. Currently, I take 600 mg of Seroquel and 100 mg of Zoloft, and 0.5 mg of Xanax at night as needed to quiet my thoughts."

• Boo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2018

"My daughter began taking 400 mg of Seroquel when she was 17 years old. The first year she gained over 40 pounds. Her doctor recognized that the weight gain was contributing to her depression. He prescribed Topamax. My understanding is that Topamax is normally used to treat seizures, but this medication also helps with impulsivity (which she struggles with as well). A side effect is that it’s an appetite suppressant, or at least that’s how it affects my daughter. She currently takes 100 mg a day and is back down to her regular weight. I hope others can safely be prescribed this medication if their doctors find it appropriate."

• Cor...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 11, 2012

"I take a dose of 600 mg at nighttime (because it makes me sleep). I wish that I could take less because I don't like that it makes me so tired, but I need it to stay sane. I've been on it for 5 years, and I used to sleep about 12 hours, but now it's down to 9. The good thing about Seroquel is that I have only sleeping as a side effect. I have been on other meds and had everything: dry mouth, blurred vision, drooling, constipation, you name it, I had it. So Seroquel is at least good for that. The only bad thing in the last 2 years I have noticed is overthinking and like a conversation going on in my head, but I can't find a good medicine, and I don't want to increase Seroquel because of the sleepiness."

• Sam...
• May 25, 2017

"This medication was given to me free at my first visit to my psychiatrist. He assured me that he hasn't heard of any adverse side effects. Well, this stuff put my entire body into extreme shock. I did not drink alcohol, I don't do drugs, don't smoke, and took the proper dosage as prescribed. I was rushed to the hospital on this stuff, first dose. It was like my entire body on the inside was constantly being shocked with electricity, and outside I literally could not move or even sit up. My body was shaking, felt freezing, and had the feeling of being bruised. Took about 6 to 8 hours to wear off. Did not take again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2012

"Seroquel worked in getting rid of my psychotic symptoms (voices, etc.). It was a hard medication to go on, I would need to sleep 12 hours during the first week, and I would wake up in that 12 hours in an almost intoxicated state. There was nothing that would wake me up in the morning, but I think during medication changes it is important to listen to your body, so I rested, and in a week, that went away. I came off Risperidone in that first week as well, so that may have contributed. The medication did make me sweat a LOT, and it would take me a long time to cool down on it. My dyskinetic side effects from Risperidone went away. But I had to come off Seroquel in a month because I had an allergic reaction three weeks in...watch out for tight throat/trouble swallowing."

• zai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 6, 2014

"I've been on Seroquel since being diagnosed (now 18 months). Started taking 50 mg but now I'm on 100 mg. I've got to the point on this medication that the side effects are too much. Constantly tired. Feel very vague. My memory is terrible. I'm starting to forget about things I've already done. Still very paranoid. Also, I'm still having panic attacks. So for me, it's time to move on and try something new (Olanzapine)."

• Cho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2021

"I was put on this drug in January 2013 when I was 16 and in October 2008 when I was 12. I have schizophrenia, and when I first took this back in middle school, I don't remember any negative effects but weight gain. I ended up being 150 lbs at 5'1 in March of 2009 at age 12, so we stopped it, and I lost 17 lbs. In 2013, I was prescribed this, and good God, I felt awful! I couldn't keep my eyes open at school, I had severe akathisia and was ravenously hungry! I knew it was the medicine because I wasn't dumb, so they took me off. I ended up going from 145 to 190 in a damn month, all because of this crappy medicine. This, Haldol, Risperidone, and Latuda are the worst antipsychotics ever given to me. I'm on Depakote, Zoloft, and Zyprexa now, and no negative side effects except for nausea. Never taking Seroquel again."

• Zel...
• June 22, 2015

"I've been on Seroquel twice now. I was hearing voices all day that affected my PTSD, then it was a falling block thing with my anxiety and depression. I love this medication because I also have sleeping problems - falling asleep and staying asleep. There's XR and non-XR (time release). I'm on 450; the higher you are on, the longer it takes to fall asleep. The only bad thing about this medication is weight gain. Be careful with that. I did research on all schizophrenic medications, and they all cause weight gain. Just a note; the reason I pay $60 is that I need to take 300 + 150 to make 450. The XR is $15 more. I go under Blue Cross Blue Shield, if this helps anyone."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2009

"Pretty good medication for the condition. My thoughts are more straight, and I seem to have less visual and auditory distortions. It is sedating, though, and takes a little time for your body to adjust to it. I take 100 mg in the morning and 400 mg at night, seems to work pretty good in combination with Effexor for depression, and it's decent for mild anxiety (however, if you have major anxiety, it may not be enough on its own)."