Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Quetiapine - Sleep and anxiety

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Quetiapine - Sleep and anxiety

    My doctor has recommended this for treatment of insomnia (at 50mg) then moving up to 100 MG for anxiety. Anyone tried this? Her goal is to eventually reduced the use of clonazapam (which I take 0.50mg 3x/day).

    #2
    Yes, I have used both the short acting and extended release version of seroquel. I am not sure about anxiety, but it is the only medication that has helped me both get to sleep and stay asleep. However, at this point I only take 600mg of the XR around dinner time, and I have done so for about seven years. I used to have pretty terrible insomnia but I only experience it maybe once or twice a month now. So, I do think it is great for insomnia.

    Comment


      #3
      Thank you missmoods for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I took my first time 50mg dose last night at dinner time and the fatigue and weakness and blurred vision was off the charts... take that with my highly sensitive nature though. I also took a smaller dose of the clonazapam before bed, but by then I think the clonazapam woke me up cause it took me another hour to fall asleep... coincidence? I think if I would have stood up before going to sleep, I think I would have fallen down, so I don't understand why it took me so long to fall asleep? Perhaps I need to take the quetiapine later... and without the clonazapam. I just don't want to deal with the effects of a new drug along with the withdrawal from stopping the clonazapam.

      Comment


        #4
        I also take quetiapine. I've been taking various doses on and off for many years. I first started taking it as a sleep aid since the medication I was taking at the time caused insomnia and I started getting delusional from lack of sleep. I've also taken it as a kind of «booster» for other meds (at higher doses).

        I also used to take clonazepam for anxiety. I took it during the day, it made me a little drowsy and made concentrating even harder. I've since switched to alprazolam, which doesn't cause me any drowsiness. But I still take quetiapine. It's the last medication that I take at night, an hour or two before bedtime. I find the effects a little.... haphazard. Some days it'll knock me asleep in no time (whether I'm ready or not). Other days it takes longer. Sometimes I don't really feel tired until I get into bed.

        But, for some strange reason, it's the only prescription that, over the years, I've reduced the dose and stopped without consulting my doctor. I need it to sleep. If I don't take it I don't sleep through the night. When I start taking it (low dose)I start to dream (vivid nightmares), as I get used it, it gets easier and better. But then one day I'll decide that it's getting too difficult to wake up with a clear head, or I'll get depressed about the sheer amount of pills in my palm, and stop taking my quetiapine. But I always come back to it.

        It's always tricky, this balancing act we play with our medication. But the best advice about dosage, side effects and whatnot is to talk with your pharmacist. My pharmacist has helped me through tricky dosage changes and medication switches. So, try a few things that you're comfortable trying (as you said, taking one med later/after the other). And just know that your pharmacist is always a great source of information about these things. I hope you figure it out without too much difficulty.

        The side effects you described (fatigue, blurred vision) are the same ones I feel. If I fight them and try to stay up they get worse. So I would recommend taking the quetiapine much later than dinnertime. Try it an hour or two before bedtime.

        Comment


          #5
          Whoa that does sound intense! I second talking to your pharmacist and perhaps taking the quetiapine a bit later, as it is fast acting. I take my extended release version at dinner time so it starts to have some effect by eleven. I hope it all works out!

          Comment


            #6
            I take seroquel for sleeping (100mg). I find that a large dose leaves me permanently tired. I take very few meds that are extended release. I find that using regular release allows me more leeway in how and when I take it. Take Care. paul m
            "Alone we can do so little;
            Together we can do so much"
            Helen Keller

            Comment


              #7
              At first, I thought Seroquel was a magic drug for me. Then I started getting mild seizures. I would honestly feel as if something kept coming out from my peripheral vision and attack me, like shadows moving around and easily startled. Also, lights would send me over the edge, as if I was on a spinning ride at the fair. It did help for sleeping, but I could hardly wake up and get going in the morning. It would take about 4-5 hours before the fog would wear off. I also noticed a major lack in memory. My already forgetful self had started forgetting every little detail. Gas cap open, leaving car lights on, forgetting where I put random things even though I've gone above and beyond and created places for most things. I can definitely see how this drug can help people, but the effects were too strong for me. I hope Seroquel yields better results for you! Stay safe!

              Comment


                #8
                Welcome to the forums TOW42.
                AJ

                Humans punish themselves endlessly
                for not being what they believe they should be.
                -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                Comment


                  #9
                  Hello Tow42 and welcome to the forums. Thx for sharing how seroquel worked for you. Take Care. paul m
                  "Alone we can do so little;
                  Together we can do so much"
                  Helen Keller

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thanks for the welcome. I'm happy to join this community. "If we turn, I Into We, you change Illness into wellness"

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Disclaimer: I'm super sensitive to a lot of psych meds!

                      I took seroquel for years, but like often happens it worked until it didn't any more. I'm sensitive enough to it that 50 mg was an antipsychotic dose for me, as well as helping with sleep. My crisis dose was 75 mg, and at 100 mg I'd start bumping into walls when I was walking. And yes, we'd increased it very slowly. When I read MissMoods' comment about "only" 600 mg... I'd probably literally be dead if I took that much! But that's a reminder of how our bodies all react differently to the same drug. I don't really have anxiety unless my meds aren't working, but if they are I don't usually need a specific anti-anxiety drug, so it's hard for me to say on that. I hope it works for you without side-effects you can't manage... finding the right drug combination can be so tough!
                      Pressure makes diamonds....

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I have had insomnia for about 3 years. I cannot sleep without taking something. I am 31 at this point.

                        I eventually ended up with Quetiapine Fumerate. Quetiapine put me to sleep but I felt it (1) didn't give me restful sleep and (2) made me dependent. Without it I couldn't sleep at all now matter how many hours I lay in bed. I took Quetiapiane every day for about a year. Quetiapiane also helped with my daily nightmares - because my unconscious mind was anxious. I was completely dependent on quetiapine because if I didn't take it my nightmares would roar back with a vengeance. Sometime also when i'm waking up after a night of sleep on Quetiapine I get these wild nightmareish psychotic visions that last like 2-3 seconds. If I managed to sleep without Quetiapine for like 3 days I wouldn't get them, but if I used Quetiapine I would, which demonstrated to me that Quetipaine wasn't solving any problems. However I have RESOLVED my sleep issues with the following:

                        1. Guided meditation 30 minutes before bed each night
                        2. Reading the Bible/getting closer to God - this helps ease anxiety
                        3. Don't chase thoughts during the day, and especially not at night. Now when i'm not busy music pops into my head.
                        4. I take magnesium and Zinc before bed. VERY IMPORTANT. At night I inevitably wake up 2-3 times. I keep some extra zinc around so that when I wake up I take another 5 or 10mg Zinc. Zinc eases me into sleep every time. Hopefully it works for you!
                        Magnesium I think helps the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight system) and Zinc helps sleep. Together they've put me on the right track. I rarely get nigthmares now.

                        DO NOT USE the zing & magnesium testosterone boosters - they gave me nightmares. Simple magnesium and zinc from your local drugstore will be fine.
                        Last edited by oSenju; April 12, 2020, 10:04 AM.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          oSenju welcome to the forum.
                          AJ

                          Humans punish themselves endlessly
                          for not being what they believe they should be.
                          -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Hello oSenju and welcome. Thx for posting what works for you. Take Care. paul m
                            "Alone we can do so little;
                            Together we can do so much"
                            Helen Keller

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Forgot to mention, I also keep some VALERIAN drops. If I wake up in the middle of the night somehow anxious with my heart beating, and doesn't look like a little Zinc would be enough to put me back to sleep, I'll take like two drops of Valerian. I'll be back to sleep within 10-20 with it. Hope it works for you.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X