anyone on seroquel feel they cant function?

Paige1989

Hey,

I am on Seroquel and cannot take it during the day at all. It makes me woozy and nonfunctionable. Therefore, my pdoc has me take it at night. Would that be possible for you? You should talk to you pdoc about it because it might help.

Paige

__________________
Bipolar Ultradian Cycler
400mg. Lamictal
600mg. Seroquel
1mg. Klonopin
0.5-1mg. Ativan
I'm not crazy ~ I'm mentally interesting!

leomia

I do take it at dinnertime, in fact so to try to help me get up before noon! But then when I have been up I get a bit GRRR and need something in the day.

My doc said she does not want to give me another med for some reason, maybe this is an NHS/England thing.
It would be nice to know anyone else from UK if they get to be on more than one, as I used to always be on 2 things the past 7 years .../

so do you take anything in the day, Paige or is that enough for you to last 24 hrs and what dose are you on> I am on 300 and I feel any more would knock me out 22 hours per day! which is not good as I need to concentrate on things like work, etc.

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Leomia

DandyAndy

Seroquel should be upgraded to a controlled substance. Alot of my mates that do coke and abuse Rx drugs use it to get chilled out or to deal with the negative effects of other drugs...it is growing on the black market.

Whenever I take it, it seriously screws me up. Originally my psychiatrist gave me a sample pack that started at 50mg, then 100mg, then 200mg, then 300mg, then settled at a dose of 400mg split in two doses per day.

I basically passed all the time in my room alone lying on my bed, doing nothing barely able to get up and walk around, and once, after taking benadryl for allergies, I had an odd period of severe visual allusions that my xanax didn't stop, so that ended up with a trip to the ER and Valium in my veins.

It's too strong for me...it might work for someone who has serious suicidal or homicidal thoughts, but for me benzodiazepenes are still the most acceptable (and cheapest) form of control for my rage and a-go-go.

But I do take 1/2 of a 25 mg tablet up to a 25mg tablet from time to time to help with sleep.

martavee

Leomia, I too am on 300mg of Seroquel. Initially I was supposed to be on a max of 200mg but after becoming extremely agitated/too energetic/a bit confused/somewhat violent I asked to increase to 300mg. I take it all at night. It's been several weeks on 300mg now.

Once again I've adjusted and it doesn't put me to sleep. To be honest I think I'm currently hypomanic. My CPN said "Isn't that a good thing? You're feeling well and productive." Uhm yeah, if you call running about town for hours buying something I don't need but at the time I just HAVE to have it a good thing. My friends have noticed too. My conversation is all over the place and I'm constantly interrupting.

martavee

OH I forgot to mention this but my different docs here all believe in only giving one medication too. It's discouraging considering the books I have read seem to prefer multiple medications at lower doses compared to one large dose of a medication. Then again those books were published in the U.S.

On another note, my docs STILL won't officially diagnose me. They say I don't want to be 'labeled' for the rest of my life. I do think they are stuck back in time. It seems as though they use psychoanalytical theories - wanting to focus on past events in my life that would have caused my behaviour, how I perceive things. They don't seem to follow a more medical approach- diagnosis, symptoms, illness, and medical treatment. Every time I try to use terms such as 'hypomanic' 'mixed state' 'depressed' 'racing thoughts' etc. they start attacking me "Why must you use a label to describe how you feel?" That just leaves me dumbfounded. I'm trying to explain how I feel so that you flippin can know what the problem is!

leomia

Dandy Andy, wow sounds like you had a rough time of it. I dont think I am quite that bad but not too far off, either.

Pieke,
thats very bizarre about the docs over here. Well at least I know I am not alone then. I think the US way sounds better,. also I was on a combo before moving here and that works well for me until I had to change it.

that is very odd how they wont accept a label esp since you do! and yes you need that to explain the problem! I hate having to explain myself to a person who should know this!

I feel like I cant get up and function in the day and otherwise act like some sort of zombie. I cant talk and my husband cant understand me, as if I was drunk and slurring words. Do you get that~??

it worries me that my doc calls and keeps calling this a mood stabilzer when its not, there is a difference!! she should know I know this because I do all this research and bring in all these pages of things!!! and still refuses, well I have an appt on thurs we will see what happens.

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Leomia

gav_73

I thought Seroquel was used to treat schizophrenia? I take it for sleep like Andy - 1/3 to 1/2 of a 25mg pill and it knocks me out in no time flat! I am always telling my husband that I simply cannot fathom how the people prescribed this drug for other disorders function! I also understand that sluggish, zombie-like feeling when I take it very well - and that's after I wake up from 8 hours sleep induced from the CRUMBS of a 25mg pill!

leomia

good point gav. I thought it was for just BP. then if it does this why do they prescribe it I wonder>

Well I had researched it on the boards and I know no one has the same symptoms but man do I have opposite ones of the people who were happy with it! I cant believe a 25 mg makes you feel like that as well. I definitely need to go down a lot. and use it just for sleep maybe.

What are you on in the day, anything? so if you feel like that on like 10 mg wow thats crazy. The people I had asked maybe none of you so far on this post had a problem so I was asking the wrong people.
Also my brother is on this and he said it was good but with him I get a one liner answer, he didnt tell me any affects just that he gained wait. or maybe he is so hard to sleep that this finally worked at whatever.
I just assumed this would work for me to, like him.
Silly me!

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Leomia

gav_73

Hi Leomia,

I am on 200mg of Lamictal for my bipolar and take Seroquel specifically for sleep. I told my pdoc that I MUST have something to help me sleep, as I was getting maybe 3 hours per night and felt like I was about to go over the edge. However, I was worried about taking prescription sleep aids, afraid of addiction and their ultimate loss of its medicinal effect. That's when she told me that Seroquel has had good results for treating insomnia in bipolars. At the same time, I remember her telling me that Seroquel was a treatment for schizophrenia, not bipolar, although it was commonly prescribed to bipolars in small doses for insomnia, not for their moods. And I see why! The first night I went home and took a whole 25mg pill I almost had a panic attack. It hit me so hard that I thought if I fell asleep that I might never wake up! I even remember making my husband talk to me to keep me awake because it scared me half to death. On the other hand, it was the best night's sleep I'd had in YEARS! So, I kept using it but in VERY small doses; seriously, crumbs put me to sleep, and a one-month's supply of 25mg lasts me nearly 3 1/2 months! Not bad for the price compared to other sleep aids.

All in all, unless you have schizophrenia, I would not recommend Seroquel by itself for stabilizing your moods. The drug information I've received from my doctor does not fit an effective treatment alternative for bipolar disorder. It may be used as a supplement, but not as the sole treatment. At least, that is my understanding. If nothing else, I would seriously seek a second opinion from someone who specializes in the treatment of mood disorders.

goody2shuz

Hello all...while Gav brings up some wonderful points I am amazed at how well my 16 yr old daughter is doing on Seroquel and also how much she is on that doesn't seem to give her any side effects at all. Erin is on 250mgs in the morning and 325mgs at bedtime!!! You would think that would put a horse out but it works well for her. You would never even know that she was on a med looking at her. Recently studies found that Seroquel was found to have the ability to address both the manic and depressive aspects of bipolar and many doctors found it to have the ability to stabilize moods all on it's own. We are also on Lamictal 200mgs/day

In addition to that it was found that " Relapse rates into some kind of bipolar symptom, including depression, were three times lower with Seroquel compared to before it was added." A doctor who specialized in treatment of Bipolar stated, ""This is the first time that an antipsychotic has been shown to have clear antidepressant activity.....it clearly topped all other antipsychotics when assessed as a treatment for bipolar depression."

When our pdoc put Erin on the Seroquel she warned us about how many patients had problems tolerating it due to it's sedation. But she told us that the faster we increased the dose the less likely we would experience that effect and the more likely it would help and be tolerated. And for us, she was right.

As with any med, not everybody will experience the same response. For us, amazingly, Seroquel has worked out well with very little weight gain and no side effects to speak of.

As we increased we experienced some dizziness but that only lasted a day or so. Erin has been on it for a little over 8 months now and is doing quite well on it.

Just thought I would share our success with this med.

~ Goody

leomia

thanks goody. I think I took your story when I did my research and decided to go for it. Other than feeling really wierd and zombie like the firs few hours I take and being stuck in bed for 15 hours, I love it, so If I have nothing to do then its fine.
I think I am no longer gonna take it at dinner (at least today I got up 2 hrs earlier) but because of how early I had to take it to get up before noon for once, I could not function last night. I was on the couch and my husband had to help me move my legs on the couch, they would not move!

did your kids have any of this? I thought I had adjusted and it all took about 4 days since that is how long it took to go from 25 to 300. I have been on this around a month maybe a tiny bit less. If its normal to still have symptoms fine. But I am not a happy bunny with the sleeping my life away and cant move my own legs on the couch!!!
I do like how I am seeming completely sane and rational, we have not had a fight this whole time.
But I dont like not being able to move talk or walk! Or wake up for that matter.

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Leomia

Dee-nah

2 more days, leomia and you see the doctor!!!

are you going to take it at night again?

leomia

Gav I did not even see your second post, sorry! I guess the email takes you to somewhere else, it always used to be where you left off. anyways, I guess me and you have completely different thinking doctors. And my husband and I had discussed finding another one if on thursday she wont sort it out. He has the day off and goes with me to fight the good fight!!
I never needed that back home in the states!

it is great to help you sleep and not have the insomnia! I had it pretty bad I would stay up till 5 am, so at that time it was ok that I was sleeping in but now I get 14 hrs of sleep easy!
I keep setting alarms and do not hear when they go off! Today I did but my cat was sitting on me so I could not move and I feel asleep a bit longer so thats my fault! But I did wake up a few hours earlier.

but what I had to deal with last night to just wake up 2 hrs earlier, man! I could not even move, but this time I didnt stutter.

Does that happen to anyone else who takes this? Sounding like your drunk slurring your words after the med?
Its insane!
Good thing I work from home and dont have to deal with anyone but it wont always be that way!
So when I go I am gonna just tell her I just got a new job or somehting and I need to function. Is that bad?

Hey Deenah
thanks for asking
and yes it is thurs .... I hope that works. Maybe Dan can defend me but he has his own doctors appt half way thru (the mental health office is next door to the regular doctors) which is convenient but you usually cant get them all on the same day!
Do you know what? I have to go back to a GP to renew my allergy med which I never had to do they just gave me refills.
Oh well.
and tomorrow I have an appt with someone who helps people like us get some financial help. thats cool I hope it works

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Leomia

Dee-nah

I have a friend that is BP who lives in the UK as well and when we talk, we talk a mile a minute... We stutter over our words, it's amazing that we can even understand each other.

I'm sure your husband is a good guy and would be the perfect person to back you up!