Seroquel for Schizoaffective Disorder User Reviews

• Mat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 13, 2020

"Seroquel saved my life. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 16 (I'm 18 now) and I've tried almost all second-generation antipsychotics since I was 13. All made me experience horrid side effects (extrapyramidal effects, paranoia, vomiting, emotionally flat). Seroquel, within 2 days of taking it, helped me feel relatively normal...with no akathisia/extrapyramidal effects. I can sleep, I don't feel anywhere as paranoid, the delusions have significantly decreased. The only thing that is a little funky is the hunger, but I can manage that. This drug has helped me live a normal life. I'm at 300mg now, and this is my safe spot. For anyone considering this medication, go for it. It's the only antipsychotic that has not made me crawl out of my skin and 'die' mentally. Genuinely a wonderful drug."

• Sam...
• April 28, 2020

"10 years ago, while in college, I had a marijuana-induced psychosis (didn't know this was possible) & wound up in the ER. Don't remember 95% of events, but apparently I thought the hospital staff was trying to kill me, was uncooperative & pulling IVs out of my arm. They had an officer restrain me & he decided it was a good idea to tase me in the head. I fell down and suffered a fractured skull, concussion & the next day my nightmare began. I developed PTSD, couldn't sleep, panic attacks, hyper-vigilance, etc. I was close to ending my life when I found a $300/hr Psych. who started me on Seroquel immediately. Within 24 hrs, I felt almost as good as before the incident happened. I was on it for a year and stopped as the doc told me I could stop if I didn't have any psychoses in that time. Very grateful for that doc and Seroquel. Everyone should have medical care like I found regardless of their ability to pay $300/hr; fortunately, my parents could afford it."

• lip...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 12, 2020

"My experience with quetiapine is amazingly positive. I tried Invega (that was bad) with unsuccessful results. I take quetiapine at a dose of 50 mg at night, and it makes me so much more relaxed and without any bad feelings or thoughts. If you want to be healthy and active during your days, this drug is highly recommended. In my case, it is used at night before sleep. It works!"

• Dru...
• February 15, 2020

"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."

• Jac...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 15, 2019

"I take 400 mg fast-acting Seroquel for bed, and it knocks me out in about forty-five minutes. Sure beats laying awake all night overthinking things. I don't know what I'd do without it, probably stay up for several days and have another manic episode. The regular Seroquel works better for me, as the extended release just turned me into a brainless zombie."

• Kra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2014

"Don't worry about weight gain! I've taken Seroquel for two years, and let me tell you, you can stay fit and/or lose weight! The hardest part is the munchies at night, but if you can control that and/or snack healthy, you will be FINE. You don't have to have a strict diet on this medication. Exercise and eat healthy as much as you can. You can still enjoy giving in to cravings! You have to adjust to the major hunger, especially at night. See what works for you. This medicine is amazing and works very well. Just give it a chance. After two years, I have not gained any weight but have actually lost weight since I began taking it. It's a little hard at first, but once you figure out what works for you, you'll have a happy life emotionally and physically!"

• Pat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 3, 2021

"I have been on Seroquel 600 mg a day for over 15 years. During that time, the drug has been effective. However, towards the end of 2020, I decided to have my eyes checked for the first time. I was having some farsightedness in my left eye. I am 37 years old and I have never had eye problems. Never been to an eye doctor. The doctor told me I had a cataract, which is unusual for my age. She was baffled. It wasn’t until later that I learned that cataracts are a rare side effect of Seroquel. Not only that, Seroquel increased my AST/liver enzymes and decreased my T4 levels, both rare side effects. It is even possible that it has contributed to my acid reflux. The Herculean effort is tapering off this medication while being able to sleep. I can’t give this drug a high score because of the problems it has caused and the extreme difficulty of getting off of it. The drug has been very effective, but that has come at a high price. I can’t get off Seroquel fast enough."

• sto...
• November 20, 2019

"I have schizoaffective disorder and manic episodes, and Seroquel has helped me so much. I'm more calm, I eat better, sleep better, the only downside is when I do have episodes, they are full-blown, but it's better than the everyday I was experiencing."

• Tan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 8, 2024

"I am on 50 mg of Seroquel for sleep help because of anxiety, psychosis. I find it works like magic for sleep, calming me down, changing my perspective, turning off my head, inducing deep sleep with dreams, not nightmares. At the highest, I was prescribed for psychosis and schizophrenia, 600 mg. This caused my heart to race and feel like my heart would jump-start and be on a runaway train without stopping, which induced panic attacks so bad I had to call for emergency. My heart racing is one of the rarer side effects, I think. Also, at such a high dose, it really blocks the dopamine D2 receptor because it's trying to prevent schizophrenia, but it can dampen feelings, emotions, and interest levels in daily activities, I find. So I spoke to my psychiatrist, and she just prescribes me 50 mg for sleep help and another med for psychosis and schizophrenia problems."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2016

"This drug worked perfectly. It controlled all my symptoms, paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, tactile hallucinations, and anxiety. Absolutely no weight gain. I lost 30 pounds on this medication and could not be happier that I tried the drug. It also works excellently for people with eating disorders, controlling their cravings and regulating their eating patterns. There were no sexual side effects. I never relapsed when I went off the medication with the help of my psychiatrist. Thank you, makers of Seroquel!"

• Ser...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 8, 2013

"I've suffered from bipolar and psychosis as early as 6th grade. It took about 15 years to get seen, by that time, I was completely detached from reality. After trying expensive placebos with bad side effects and high hype, I tried Seroquel. It works on the psychosis, mania, and depression I've experienced in trade for being a little sleepy. Seroquel is so far the only medication that works by itself and which I can function even after missing a dose (not recommended). It's all about risk versus controlling symptoms with these medications. If you've found something effective for treating the symptoms, the next step is finding the cause. This illness is like a sleeping dragon, you must keep it asleep or you'll get burned. Seroquel helps."

• Wyn...
• March 31, 2011

"I have been treated for schizoaffective disorder and bipolar 1 since 1998. I have been on many medicines and combinations of medicines. In 2006, I had been off medicines for about a year when I went into psychosis and extremely manic - I was not sleeping and could not relax. The hallucinations and delusions were troubling. I was given Seroquel, and on the first night, I slept and slept very well for the first time in months. I woke up with a clear head and was not confused about who or where I was. I did not get the zombie feeling, but I was very tired all the time - taking Seroquel 4 times a day. When my dose and frequency were reduced, the sleepiness went away. (I take it just at bedtime now). I didn't get weight gain from it. Seroquel was my miracle medicine."

• Bro...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 18, 2016

"I've been on this medication for 5-6 years now on a large dose of 800 mg a night! It's the only medication that has worked for me. Sleep slot, but my big main problem is weight gain! I went from 65 kg up to 122 kg in the years of taking it! I keep active and have a terrific diet, I just can't seem to lose any weight, so for me, I'm at a place of wondering if I should swap for something else and risk it. Fat and happy or thin and crazy?"

• gtb...
• January 18, 2013

"I take Seroquel for schizoaffective disorder. I also take Prolixin in addition to that and an antidepressant. I have had schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder for about 4 years now. The reason I name both schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder is because I go in and out of delusions that seem very real, but I have discerned to just brush most of them off as normal things I interpret as conspiracies or straight-out someone wishing me to be dead. It can be fairly scary, but it has made me much stronger, and now I still constantly get the voices, but no longer do I go months, day after day, thinking someone out there has it in for me or other delusions. Seroquel, in my opinion, has made me much less paranoid."

• Stp...
• February 16, 2016

"I have been on a lot of them, and I'm now on 300 mg Seroquel. It is the best. I have not gained weight, but I exercise. I take it at night. I don't see things, I feel things touching me, but I still have one voice and not four in my head."

• Mom...
• September 16, 2013

"I have been on Seroquel for several years, mixed with other medicines. Recently tried reducing strength but couldn't sleep or concentrate due to racing thoughts. Keeps me normal (as 'normal' as anyone else). Also take Lamictal for mood stabilizer/anti-depressant and Citalopram for anxiety/depression. Does make me very sleepy, so I must take it before 9 PM to feel awake enough to function at 6:30 AM. Life saver for me and my family."

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2012

"I have been taking 200 mg of Seroquel now for about 4 years for schizoaffective disorder. I love this medicine, especially after trying Abilify and Risperdal, which made me lethargic and apathetic towards everything. It has also helped with my borderline personality and generalized anxiety disorders."

• hea...
• April 27, 2015

"I take Seroquel and have taken higher doses. When I was heavier at 300 lbs, I was taking 900 mg, and my new doc cannot believe my psychiatrist was prescribing me that high of a dose just to help me sleep. Once I had weight loss surgery, I could only handle about 150 mg. I am up to 300 mg. The thing I like best about Seroquel is it will knock you out, and you will get good sleep. Now, occasionally I have taken one and a half pills if I want to fall asleep quicker, but you really have to be careful with this drug because many things can happen. The side effects I've experienced mainly are trouble swallowing, which scares me to death when I'm trying to sleep, and I'm panicking, and my heart beats racing, yet I can't swallow. So, be very careful with dosages."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 27, 2017

"I was prescribed 800 Seroquel for my therapeutic dosage. Many years later, I decided with my pdoc to try 600. I felt more balanced, more centered, and attuned-with the same effectiveness of the med. Later, while in a combination of other meds, I took the courage to play around with 300/400 mg of XR, and, to my surprise, I still got a precise dosage-no racing thoughts, sound sleep, no anxiety, much attenuated paranoia, and an awesome antidepressant effect with half of the original 800."

• The...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 24, 2022

"I have been on Seroquel for about 15 years. It is the only antipsychotic medication that has ever really worked for me, in terms of hallucinations and delusions. While I am grateful for that, I have battled for the whole of this time with food and weight gain - it is awful. I’ve tried to get off it with my psychiatrist a number of times, unsuccessfully. I try to remain grateful for all the good things it gives me, sleep and being able to function in the world, but it hasn’t always been easy."

• K19...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2018

"I was on a number of medications. For hallucinations (both tactile and visual, as well as auditory), I’m dealing with more of the schizophrenia part. I’ve been diagnosed for a year now. I’ve been on Abilify, Risperdal, Zyprexa. And nothing until Seroquel. I am completely calmed down and feel much better. Really sleepy and very hungry. Restless legs and arms, but all around a good medication."

• Bru...
• October 15, 2020

"I started this drug at age 19 when I was first diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder and have been taking it for 5 years. I haven’t noticed any positive changes at first since you have to give the drug a couple of weeks to kick in. When it did kick in, this drug changed my life. I was more positive, outgoing, and overall in an elevated state of mind. The only downside to this drug was weight gain and too much sleep time. I’d still keep taking it, but it stopped working for me. Now I just feel really horrible on it. Definitely give this drug a try, though."

• d9i...
• May 15, 2009

"I have been taking Seroquel for a number of years. I have been prescribed numerous other antipsychotics, which have had worse side effects than the condition. Love the Seroquel, a good night's sleep is the best side effect. Used to get the munchies for chocolate and sweet things. Eat a whole block of chocolate or a packet of biscuits. Only take it at night because the morning dose makes me a zombie. I don't know if it is addictive, but if I miss a dose, it makes me all zoned out and crook. I think I will be taking this for the rest of my life, but it makes my head clear and stops the hallucinations. I've had some bad life experiences lately, and this has stopped me from falling and dealing with what has happened."

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

"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."

• Wha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 23, 2015

"Seroquel is awesome. 300 mg kicked my butt. It took a year to drop down to 100 mg. No matter the dosage, I don't snap out of it until midday. Best sleep ever. Gained a lot of weight. My worst side effect is tight muscles, in legs more than anywhere."