Seroquel for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• fre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 27, 2013

"Took for bipolar disorder (for the depression). In small doses, this caused me to be too sleepy to function. When I took a large dose at night, however, it knocked me out, and I was good the next day. This really did help with the depression and mood swings. However, it caused significant weight gain. I had to stop taking this when a job had ended and I no longer had insurance. I fought insomnia for around 6 months, but after that time, was finally able to sleep again, and the weight came out. I would recommend this for someone who really needs it, but not until other medicines have been tried first with no success."

• JJJ...
• February 23, 2013

"I have found Seroquel to be very helpful in my life. I was on high antidepressant medicines but gave those up. The Seroquel helps me lead a normal life by allowing me to sleep and calm down after long working hours in a high-demand job. I take 100 mg before dinner, which helps my appetite also. I would not take Seroquel during the day, as I feel it would inhibit my ability to communicate at work. From what I've read, some interpolate the effects of the medicines in differing ways, but I can honestly say it has saved me from a very dark place. Expensive but worth the cost."

• Tay...
• March 23, 2015

"I've been on Seroquel for a couple of months, and I'm surprised at how good it works and how I have minimal side effects. I take 100 mg-300 mg at night and before my naps, just depending on how tired I already am without the medicine. Like most people, if you don't get ample sleep (8-10 hours), you usually wake up feeling tired and groggy. It usually wears off within a couple of hours, though. I noticed when I take it, my eyes become super red like I just finished smoking weed. I have experienced a little chest pain in my lower rib cage, but it's tolerable. Other than that, I sleep like a baby; I have vivid dreams, which, in my opinion, is neither negative nor positive. But it's helped in stabilizing my mood and controlling my swings."

• Eve...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2021

"This drug is awful. I became a zombie. My muscles began twitching, and I felt like I was hit by a truck after taking it for 10 days. I stopped it and immediately felt better and actually felt my emotions again. I do not recommend."

• NWI...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 11, 2022

"I was diagnosed bipolar when I was 16. It’s been a rough ride. I’ve been with my husband since I was 16. I had to finally take some serious action when I was 25 to help with the anxiety, mania, and insomnia. I found what was to be the best doctor in my life. He worked with me on several doses of Seroquel. I take other meds too, but I take my Seroquel at 9 pm every night. It stops the racing thoughts, anxiety, and I sleep all night. I wake up just fine! Some people think they need Xanax or some kind of narcotics, but for me? The Seroquel has saved my life! It does give you a dry mouth and it sure does give you the munchies, but be prepared! This medicine really does work!"

• cmw...
• April 16, 2013

"I just started taking Seroquel (50 mg) for now at bedtime, and will eventually increase the dose to 150 mg when told to by my doctor. So far, I have experienced serious trouble waking up the next morning, but my doctor says this will go away as I continue to take it. As a teenager, I can honestly say it has helped so far, and that I highly recommend it to others who have struggled as I have."

• lal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 7, 2022

"I once rated this medication highly for my initial positive experience with it. I now believe that is only because it helps me sleep. Once I got up to 200 mg, I felt like a zombie and experienced some other concerning symptoms. When I expressed my concerns, I was told that this was a 'baby dose,' and they intended to still increase from there. I disagreed. I have weaned down to a sleeping aid dose and intend to decrease from there and get off this stuff. It's terribly addicting. When I was at 200 mg, I used to experience withdrawal-like symptoms if I was accidentally late to take my nightly dose: splitting headaches, shaking. I've seen some say it can be dangerous to not have an exact time each day it is taken, but this was never expressed to me by the psychiatrists who prescribed me. This is not an opiate, but there's a reason some people sell this and call it 'baby heroin.' If you get prescribed it for sleeping, it did help with that."

• Rot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2019

"I tried this medication a few years ago and could never get the dose correct. It was either too much or not enough. I recently tried it again and only took it for a week before the doctor took me off. I was taking this medication for bipolar disorder and insomnia. 30 minutes to 1 hour after taking this medication, I would have constant dry mouth and my legs would twitch, RLS. Constant tossing and turning because of my legs and having to drink water because of the dry mouth, finally passing out hours later and feeling like rubbish the next day."

• Sno...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 18, 2021

"I started off taking 25 mg of Seroquel with Lamictal, 450 mg of bupropion XL, risperidone, and 9 mg of melatonin to aid the sleep effect of the Seroquel. I slept great and gained no weight on it. I began having trouble falling asleep. My pdoc upped the dosage to 50 mg without changing anything else. At first, I was a little groggy in the morning. That went away, and now I sleep well every night for a little over 8 hours, which is normal for me. So I've had a very good experience with it."

• Ckn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2017

"Where do I begin? Seroquel, personally I think it is a great medication for the right person. I've taken Seroquel on and off 3 different times, I am currently back on it and will most likely stay on it. I take 800 mg before bedtime and sleep like a baby. I do have a few side effects from this medicine, which include dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. I take Seroquel for borderline personality disorder (BPD), I am also on 300 mg lithium and 300 mg 3 times a day of gabapentin. Seroquel helps control my mania and impulsive behavior, it does not make me a zombie, and I have great concentration. What I don't understand is this drug being prescribed to people for sleep issues, sure, you sleep like a baby, but those are the people with all these terrible side effects and horror stories."

• Kim...
• August 8, 2013

"This medicine worked at first, but after taking it for a few (2) weeks, I developed anxiety and panic attacks. I've had panic attacks in the past but not like these. I wasn't afraid of anything specific; it was like a constant fear. Also, my heart would race so bad. I am being weaned off this and switching to Zyprexa."

• GRa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2018

"I have been on Seroquel XR for 2.5 years now, with doses ranging from 150mg to 250mg. Currently taking 200mg. It does work, but it works very slowly, therapeutically speaking. The anti-anxiety effects kick in, I would say, in a week or two maximum, and the sleepiness is very intense in the beginning. What I don’t like about it is that you get used to the dose very quickly, and the symptoms return, needing to either up or lower the dose. It’s not a super stable medicine. The first days of upping the dose, you do feel more stable, calmer, peaceful, but a week after, you find yourself asking for more. Now, therapeutically, it brings you back to earth, you know, but it’s not enough. In my case, the lack of motivation is a big thing for me. It was so bad my doctor thought I had attention issues and wanted me to try Adderall, and I said no because I knew it was from Seroquel. Anyway, all antipsychotics are motivation killers and make existing depression worse and trigger ADHD in my case. Good luck."

• oct...
• October 3, 2013

"I have been bipolar for 26 years. After my first and huge depression, I have not missed lithium, not even for a day. I have had a really good acceptance of Seroquel, but not of Seroquel XR. The difference is huge, and XR plays with your sleep patterns and more. The insatiable hunger is so, so true, as is the weight gain. I just eat less and less and less, and as a person who has had an amazing metabolism, I still am 105 lbs. After 3 children, my teen weight, I am now at 115 lbs, and I hate it. But I have no desire to stop Seroquel."

• Lif...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 16, 2022

"I have bipolar and extreme anxiety. I did not want to take the typical addictive anxiety meds due to addicts in my family. After trying probably eight other meds, I was prescribed Seroquel twice a day. It changed my life within a week. I could finally sleep, was less impulsive, and stopped vomiting due to anxiety."

• Woo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2021

"I started Seroquel due to being on the 'spectrum' of bipolar and having bad anxiety, depression, and some paranoia. I remember when I started it, feeling at peace just being in public. Calmest I have ever felt in my life. Had to stop it because I was having issues with it causing edema in my legs. Have issues with type 2 diabetes prior to this, so figured I'd better not try to start it up again. I really wish I could because it was nothing short of a miracle for me. Weight gain wasn't bad. Getting up too fast from bed would cause dizziness and ear ringing sometimes, but just a few hours after I took it at night. (Didn't happen that often though.) In combination with Luvox, it made a big difference in my life for the better."

• Jak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 16, 2019

"Seroquel has been life-saving for me after being on the wrong medications that made me more unstable, so I ended up being in hospitals for years. Now, at 125-150 mg of Seroquel, I’m able to get rest and have reduced agitation and anxiety, and am finally stable. I have also been put on higher doses, which felt uncomfortable, but the right dose has been life-saving."

• Mel...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 24, 2017

"I've been on Seroquel more years than I know. I have always been on the magical 200 mg. I'm only on 50 mg now because of weight gain. I really did not want to be on this and tried to go off. The headaches and misery are just awful trying to come off this drug. So, back on Seroquel... along with Lamictal, Tegretol, and Topamax. I have Bipolar 1, another name I've been told is Classic Bipolar. Seroquel helps with sleep for sure. Don't like the heaviness on the chest if it's too high a dose. Also, getting up to eat like 10 minutes after taking it. AND feeling zombie next day. I've noticed if my meds aren't taken before midnight, forget the next day. Next day is gone. Sleeping all day. And if I don't snack with these meds, my heart feels weird."

• Aub...
• September 23, 2016

"I've been taking this for a few weeks, and I think I've already gained 10 pounds because I am hungry 100% of the time. I've had insomnia for all 20 years of my life and have yet to find a medication that makes me sleep until this one, and on the 50 mg dose. That would be amazing if it did not make me sleep for the rest of the day too. It shuts me down to the point where it is harder than normal to breathe. I've been staying with it in hopes that I would improve, but all I've noticed is that I am more irritated by even the smallest things."

• Ano...
• September 16, 2014

"Somewhat hit or miss on mania, racing thoughts, and the like. Pretty effective as a sleep aid, though. Currently taking 300 mg as needed, as it was mainly prescribed for sleep. It is as effective as benzodiazepines in that regard, without the benzo withdrawal. It does leave me feeling gritty and nasty the next morning, though, but it's better than insomnia."

• Aud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 9, 2017

"My experience with this drug has been generally positive. It does tone down my hypomania and is amazing at helping me sleep (it used to take me up to 3.5 hours lying in the dark to fall asleep... now it's closer to between 1-2 hours). However, it does give some weird side effects. It gives me intensely vivid dreams. I normally dream very little, but this gives me very strange dreams every night that I can very clearly remember on waking up. These dreams even frequently (3/4 times a week) cause me to wake up in the middle of the night! Would not recommend if you already have frequent nightmares or night terrors, as Seroquel may make those much worse. Ineffective for depression."

• Jac...
• February 5, 2016

"I have had severe depression and anxiety for a long time. Adding to that, I was sexually assaulted and now also have PTSD. Long story short, I became addicted to opiates and am now in recovery. Being in recovery, I embarked on a journey to get my mental health under control. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 and PTSD. I take Seroquel at night with Lamictal and Lithium twice daily. The Seroquel is a must for me. After five years of flashbacks, panic attacks, and night terrors over my rape, I can finally get a full night of sleep. I have asthma, and it doesn't bother it, and I'm on 100mg per night. I saw one reviewer say do not take Seroquel if you have asthma. The truth is everyone is different. Seroquel works great for me."

• Eli...
• August 15, 2015

"I sometimes hear negative things about Seroquel. At first, I had bad giddiness and lightheadedness. I wanted to stop, but was recommended to stay on it, and I did. I changed to XR and I haven't looked back. It's been three years, if I hear an offhand remark at the chemist that it's not popular, I tell them I would not change. I tried Zyprexa, but it wasn't good for me, I didn't last even a full foil. Seroquel isn't too bad on the weight, and a better diet and exercise would help. For me, this is a great med, and I don't want to change, it helps with so much, it has many uses. The tiredness you can have wears off, and as time goes by, your body gets used to it. It is tiring, but a small price to pay. I'm sticking with Seroquel. I am a positive vote."

• Deb...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 8, 2021

"I was prescribed Seroquel for sleep, and I was diagnosed with Bipolar II. At first, I was prescribed a low dose, but I still couldn't sleep, so now the dose is 200 mg at night. I also have ADHD, so I take Adderall, along with the Seroquel. What I notice is this: If I go off Adderall, I get very depressed. I did some research on this phenomenon and found out that Seroquel is a dopamine antagonist, which means that it actually suppresses dopamine in your brain. I also take 100 mg of Topamax twice daily as a mood stabilizer, and the combination of medications seems to work like magic. I don't gain weight at all. However, when I had some blood work done, my thyroid hormones were low, and also my blood sugars were very high, even though I am not overweight. I believe these are side effects from the Seroquel. I do not recommend Seroquel unless absolutely necessary for sleep because there are too many metabolic side effects."

• may...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 20, 2025

"I am a 36-year-old woman. I have taken Seroquel since I was 25. For years and years, it was an incredible drug to help me sleep. I still continued to have manic and depressive episodes while on it. For me, it was a sleeping medication and nothing more. Unfortunately, within the last year, it stopped working. I was up to 300 mg, and usually never fell asleep. And if I did, it was well after the sun had risen. Every psychotic break I've had, I was on this medication. Every suicidal attempt, every panic attack, every depression episode. My mood has leveled off a lot with my age. (I know this is not typical and I'm extremely lucky.) I was always starving with this medication, though. In 10 years, I gained nearly 100 pounds. I also experienced restless leg syndrome randomly. The groggy feeling the next day was always the worst. I could sleep 20 hours and still go back to sleep for another 10. However, now my lifelong insomnia has caused me to not see a decent night's sleep in almost a year."

• MG ...
• March 30, 2017

"I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety 5 years ago. I was so stressed about work, even though I liked my job and wasn't stressed about it for years before. Had continuous trouble sleeping more than 4 hours a night, sometimes less. I went off work for two months due to stress, anxiety, and depression. My doctor prescribed 25 mg of Seroquel and 20 mg of Cipralex for depression. I take both at night, an hour before going to bed. I saw a psychiatrist for about two months during the time I was off work. I didn't get off the couch basically all day for about a month. Started to sleep better and feel a bit better after a few weeks. I sleep perfectly now and haven't had any real problems the last five years."