Quetiapine and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Eda...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 25, 2020

For Insomnia "I have been taking quetiapine for more than 15 years for bipolar, but especially for insomnia. Lately, my brain feels sick and tired, and sometimes anxious all too often. I tried stopping taking the quetiapine, but it is absolutely impossible to sleep without it. I am taking 200mg, which is necessary. I understand that I can go insane without adequate sleep. My doctor up till now has not given me a solution. Do you have any suggestions I could try as I am caught between a rock and a hard place."

• mys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "LIFESAVER. I tried antidepressant after antidepressant, all exacerbating my original anxiety symptoms - nausea, vomiting, insomnia, brain zaps, anxiety, agitation, headaches/migraines. You name it, I had it, and the antidepressants made it worse. Been on Quetiapine XR 50mg, and I'm still trying to get used to how GOOD I feel. For the first time in YEARS, I'm not waking up nauseous and dry-heaving, appetite is normal, sleeping a blissful 8 hours a night and waking up easily in the morning, alert and awake during the day. My anxiety is just GONE. I still have emotions, I still care about things, but this feels like what I imagine a normal person feels like. I can cope without panicking!! 10/10!!"

• Eir...
• March 8, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started this med quetiapine about 3 wks ago at a dose of 25mg. I go to sleep shortly after taking it but wake up during the night for an hour or so and sometimes find it hard to get back to sleep. It has reduced my anxiety and I find myself being more friendly/open. I have lost weight and seem to eat less also. I also take effexor 150mg."

• Hol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was just prescribed this medication after not really responding to Risperdal well, and having some bad side effects from an SNRI. Don’t know what I have, extremely anxious and paranoid. I’ve seen many good reviews with Seroquel and I do have my hopes up, hoping it does something positive than negative. I don’t need any more negativity happening to me. So I’m really hoping that it gives me sleep, I’ve been awake for two days. Wish me luck, I hope this med is the one out of many that I will need to know happiness again. Will share experience tomorrow and in a few days. Wish me luck!"

• Sad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2021

For Insomnia "I have been taking the generic Seroquel for 3 months. I am up to a 50mg dose at night. It does make you have very vivid dreams, some scary lifelike, and I am a zombie most of the day. I get up maybe once and try to eat everything in the house too. Gaining weight!! I wonder if that will go away? Any thoughts on that? I do also take Klonopin and Effexor for panic attacks and depression. My doctor put me on the Seroquel for a mood stabilizer and sleep too. My mother took Seroquel XR for years. Her doctor took her off it because it made her a diabetic. She had a lot of trouble sleeping for months. I take the tablets only. Good luck to everyone."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Several years ago, but several times, Seroquel saved me from the extreme anxiety I had from taking high dose oral steroids for breathing problems/asthma. Anxiety meds were not working, so the doctor prescribed Seroquel 25mg. I'm very sensitive to medication side effects, so I had to cut the pill in half. The anxiety went away almost immediately before going to sleep. This is powerful medication and works very fast. When I read of others taking such very high doses, I don't know how their body can take it. I'm so grateful there is something I can take for the awful anxiety and panic related to oral steroids. I did wake up a few hours after taking it and had some insomnia but without anxiety."

• Tha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2013

For Insomnia "It's a wonderful knockout punch if everything else has failed, or if you've taken something like Ambien and it stops working. For me, Ambien was great until it stopped working. I then tried Trazodone but that didn't help much. Seroquel is an antipsychotic but at small doses (25-50mg) it only hits histamine receptors so it's like a large dose of Benadryl - but much better than Benadryl. The only downside is that it is a little hard to get out of bed the next day, but you will sleep like a bear so it's worth it. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to kick in and 25 mg does the trick for me. Also, there is no weight gain at small doses so that's nice too."

• Pin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2019

For Insomnia "My doctor put me on a low dose of quetiapine to help with sleep as I also have mood issues. Quetiapine works very well to help you sleep. Before I started taking it, it would take me probably 2 to 3 hours to fall asleep on my own, within a half hour of quetiapine I could sleep. This was great at first, however, now, if I don't take it I can't sleep AT ALL. If I don't take it, for whatever reason, no matter how tired I am, my body will not fall asleep. I have been up for more than 30 hours multiple times. I can lay in bed in complete silence and darkness for 12 hours and not fall asleep for a minute. My body is dependent and I don't like it at all. I just want to be able to even take a nap in the afternoon without taking something. If this is what the lowest dose can do, I can't imagine if I was on a higher dose."

• Anonymous
• September 28, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "My doctor prescribed Quetiapine 50 mg for my anxiety. I took one before bedtime. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sleep, it felt like I was closing my eyes but couldn't shut down my brain. After 6 hours of very light and inconsistent sleep, I decided not to stay in bed and got up. Once I sat down, I started feeling my heart pounding very hard. I went to the restroom, and then the palpitations went from bad to worse. I had a severe panic attack that lasted for almost 45 minutes. It was a horrible experience for me!"

• Jod...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2019

For Insomnia "I started taking quetiapine about 5 years ago for insomnia after I stopped using methamphetamine. It helped me have a great night's sleep, gained a little weight but nothing too serious. I am on 25 mg, and I never get hungry after taking it. I am usually asleep in 30 minutes, if I do wake up in the middle of the night, it's only because I need to use the bathroom. After I go back to bed, I fall back to sleep and always wake up feeling refreshed. I did stop taking it for a while, and I had the worst night's sleep. My doctor suggested I start up again, which I did. Great little pill."

• 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."

• Iss...
• November 10, 2015

Quetiapine for Depression "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 8 months ago (I'm 19), but I do not have that. Instead, I have BPD and depression. I was taking olanzapine, which took away my entire life - I could barely do anything. But for the past 2 days with Seroquel, it has almost the opposite effect. Together with Prozac, I have felt more motivated and less suicidal. Also, I'm able to control my anxiety, and I have more control over my behavior. I also have trouble focusing, but this has helped me focus on therapy a lot more. Sleep is not great, but I'm only on 25mg; I only sleep for about 6-7 hours and then wake up and keep going back to sleep. This is the first drug that's given me hope."

• eke...
• February 14, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "It worked really well for my generalized anxiety and dissociative disorder, made it manageable. But even on a low dose, it has made me pile on the pounds. I've put on 2 stone. I was on a 100 mg dose and managed to reduce to 75 mg because of the weight gain. I am trying to get off it because of the weight, but it's very hard. The withdrawal symptoms are quite strong, can't sleep at all without taking it, and they don't seem to get better with time. I tried a week with no sleep, so going to try VERY gradual withdrawal."

• Rhi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2019

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "This was my experience... I have been fighting mental disorders since age 14. During the 40+ years, I have been prescribed tricyclics, typical antipsychotics, SSRIs, SNRIs, and Benzos (diazepam when 16 years old). I chemically blew out my brain, specifically the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways, by doing LSD from 1978 through 1981. It was the '70s. So now at the edge of 60, I have horrible reactions to psychotropics. Seroquel paralyzed my arms and legs after my nightly 1 to 3 hours of sleep, such that I had to lay there until I could use my left arm to pick up my right arm. Then with both free, I used them to get my legs going. I took it for about 4 years, with the above side effects plus the helicopters whizzing through my brain and body. To me, it is a nasty drug. I finally got sick of it, tossed the remaining pills, went loopy. My partner thought I was going to die. I lived."

• Lam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed this medication in early sobriety from alcohol, and it helped tremendously with the insomnia, anxiety, and generally crazy busy thoughts that cannot be shut off once the brain has stopped receiving its alcohol, yet hasn't yet compensated naturally with the right chemistry. It slowed me down, calmed me down, and allowed me to sleep deeply and fully in a time where, for a week or two, there's just no such thing as sleep for many people who decide to get sober. I've been to detox. They load you full of Valium for a week, then cut you loose. They might as well just be serving cocktails. Quetiapine gave me the relief I needed from the difficult symptoms of early sobriety and the jump start into a much healthier life."

• Thi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 12, 2016

For Insomnia "Quetiapine changed my life for the better concerning my bipolar disorder. Making my mood swings less severe and insomnia. The only major drawback to this is you become completely dependent on it for being able to fall asleep. It's almost like an addiction. My doctor tried tapering me off it once, and it was a nightmare. So, in the end, I am still taking it. I am curious if anyone feels dependent or 'addicted.'"

• Jax...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2016

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was on this med in 2010 for a year. The dose went from 25 mg up to 400 mg. The first few weeks were very difficult. It knocked me out cold and I had such a blocked nose I could hardly breathe. I toughed it out and my depression lifted. I stopped taking it because of a really bad blocked nose. I have just had a major depressive episode (2015) with insomnia. I was prescribed 100 mg. It worked within 24 hours. I was able to sleep for 9 hours and feel refreshed and energized. The depression and anxiety have improved dramatically. This time I'll stay on Seroquel."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2020

For Insomnia "The quetiapine is difficult for me to get off. I started on a dose of 50 mg in November, now up to 400 mg. It was prescribed for sleep along with Klonopin. I am tapering off Klonopin. So, that is why the dose of Seroquel went up. I suffer insomnia horribly. Now afraid how long it will take to stop using this drug. Have had intrusive thoughts since starting both these meds."

• Anonymous
• February 12, 2010

Quetiapine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "The side effects that most complain about are what I love most about this medication. I am a 5'9" male in the Army that had lost weight all the way down to 128 lbs and was sleeping 3-4 hours a night on average. I have been on Seroquel for 4 months. I weigh 165 lbs now and sleep 8-9 hours a night."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 23, 2022

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been on this medication for roughly 3 months and take 30 mg every night. It has completely transformed my life, and for the first time, I feel stable and in control. I'm 23 years old, have a diagnosis of c-PTSD and generalized anxiety, and have had relatively regular panic attacks from around 16 years old. I used to get into a very heightened emotional state very easily, would regularly freeze up and become incredibly dissociative for hours on end, would be very nervous out in public, near crowds, and in noisy areas. With the exception of some people in my life, I believed I fundamentally could not trust most people. I was very sensitive to (perceived) changes in other people's emotional states, and I was incredibly hypervigilant around men. I also used to struggle to fall and stay asleep and was incredibly sensitive to being touched, to the point it sometimes felt uncomfortable or even distressing. Now I am immensely more settled and able to employ what I've learned in therapy."

• nik...
• February 5, 2016

For Insomnia "I've been taking quetiapine 75 mg at night due to my severe postnatal depression and anxiety. I've been taking quetiapine for 6 months now, and it has been an amazing medication for me to help me sleep. I've suffered terrible panic and insomnia, and now I can finally get some rest."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2018

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started on 25 mg of quetiapine in the morning and at night for anxiety. It was not doing much last week, so I got put on three 25 mg daily! Tuesday of this week, I was in so much panic and nerve damage pain, he has put it up again to 50 mg three times a day! Now I can't sleep, feel confused, and spaced out! I am a single parent of a 7-year-old daughter, and I now feel like a vegetable! Does anyone else out there have any ideas, please?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 23, 2019

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I’ve had many problems with the wrong medications making me more unstable, including restlessness. My Seroquel dose was raised very quickly to 250 mg in the hospital, then overmedicated after. But now, after working with a doctor for a long time, my doses are between 75-125 mg and have been life-saving to calm me down and help me sleep and think clearly after having very bad insomnia caused by anxiety. Ignorant doctors call this a sleep dose, but it has many mood-stabilizing benefits for people sensitive to medications. I also take Lamictal in the morning and Gabapentin at night. Klonopin, as needed, has been life-saving."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2008

Quetiapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Seroquel for 4 months now. I have terrible insomnia and racing thoughts because of my bipolar disorder. This drug worked wonders for me, and now I can finally sleep at night without my mind racing for hours."

• Emm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 30, 2013

Quetiapine for Depression "I was put on 25 mg of Seroquel at age 15 due to major depression. I agree with the previous comment made, even on such a low dose, I also feel I'm in a chemical straightjacket. I have trouble thinking straight, I can't concentrate for over 15 minutes, my sleep is average - it's extremely hard to wake up. I also find I'm so much angrier and impulsive, I stutter and can't form words, as well as shaking uncontrollably in my legs when I get anxious. I also get headaches at least twice per week. However, my family and close friends have noticed a considerable improvement in my mental health, e.g., suicidal thoughts have almost stopped completely, and an increase in more 'happy Emma days.' Such a strong, powerful, and dangerous med."