seroquel ???

[Done-With-It]

I've been taking this for years off and on for sleep. It's the only thing that will really let me sleep. I have really bad anxiety, etc. It works great at stopping the mind from racingggggggg all night long. For me anyway.

I've never found it addicting at all. Can stop and start it anytime.
It's a life saver for me!

[bella]

i'll respond more later after work but i just wanted to say that this is why i love this board. you get all different sides of the coin. i love it. i love seeing how other people respond to the same situation as me. thanks guys for being SR.
sam

[eddie z.]

Thank YOU for being here, too, Sam!!

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[eve27]

Just curious if you take lithium Angelgirl

[angelgirl]

Eve,,

welcome to SR!! Good to have you here. Great place

I haven't taken lithium. It's one med. that they have not given me
for some reason. I am not sure why, they have tried me on so many other things.

It almost seems like where I live, the docs seem to go through streaks of
prescribing a certain medication, like there's one popular medication that people are on with a certain diagnosis. I am Bipolar, and in a bipolar group,
they just tried me on Lamictal, and it seems that most of the people in the group were on lamictal. I wasn't on it for very long, it wasn't working well for me,.

But the Nurse practictioner I was seeing, she was really a great lady. She just quit, and now I have to go back to my old doctor, so we'll see what he prescribes for me. My anxiety goes in streaks, but when it's bad, it is really, really bad.

Have you had experience with lithium?

Prayers,

Becky

[eddie z.]

I was treated for bipolar disorder for a number of years, but it turned out to be an incorrect diagnosis. I think when we're using sometimes our mood swings mimic bipolar and also anxiety can be mistaken for mania. That's my take on it, anyway. Now, I'm clean and only treated for unipolar depression and ADD. And that's working out very well. One needs to be clean for some months, I believe, before an accurate diagnosis can be reached. Just some thoughts.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[Alera]

I was on lithium for a year and a half. I was not bi-polar, but a teenager who had just lost her career in competative sports due to injury, had a mother who was abusing drugs and nearly killed me, and my grandmother (who raised me) had died--all in 6 months. This was before SSRIs, and nothing was working on my depression. It was lithium or MAOIs. Doc didn't want me on a MAOI because I already had an eating disorder. The last thing I needed to was to watch my food intake.

I had a lot of blood tests to make sure my level was safe, and a terrible metallic taste in my mouth, but it worked like no other. It kept me alive and away from abusing drugs while I was on it.

I was taken off of it when a level III clinical trial for a new drug, called Prozac, came out. We decided to try that and it worked.

[eddie z.]

Cool story, Alera!! Thank you for sharing that!! Lithium is often used to "augment" the effects of antidepressants even today. I took it for a while with no real problems, but no real benefits either. Back in the early '80s, like you said before SSRIs, I was put on Nardil, an MAOI, which seemed to help but I couldn't tolerate the side effects.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[jada326]

Hi everyone....I'm new here. Just was reading about all that takes seroquel. I myself have been taking it for years and am now on 100mg. It has helped me a lot. But in all fairness I am bipolar 1. However my husband went into a deep depression and has always had trouble sleeping. Well he went to his general practioner and he put him on 25mgs of seroquel 4 times a day!!!!!!!!! I freaked out!!! well he tried it and it put him on his butt and he could not work so that was that. I told him he needs a psychiatrist. I feel like I did the right thing.

[eddie z.]

WELCOME to SR, jada!!! Thank you for sharing, too!! I agree with you. I don't think general practitioners should be prescribing Seroquel. It is all too often used as an expensive sleeping pill when other medications would be more appropriate.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[Ava29]

Hi there! I had to respond to this thread because I too-take Seroquel (I take 100mg at bedtime). The reason being was the shrink told me that I'm forbidden to take any type of controlled substance/Benzodiazepine for my anxiety. I had a physician--or shall I say candy man that was writing me numerous scripts of Lortab at a time (a drug addicts dream come true!), and high doses of Ativan, over the span of five years! He got red-flagged by the FDA for writing double scripts at a time, eventually got fired, and I was left to suffer! Going cold turkey off benzos is sooo scary and dangerous! So, my current doctor put me on Seroquel, and when I mentioned that I read up on the drug in the PDR, it was recognized as an antipsychotic!! At first, I flipped out at any insuation that I was psychotic, however, he explained that Seroquel is used as a "major tranquilizer". Seroquel does not do the trick for my anxiety. It puts me to sleep, but in the a.m., but I feel hungover!

I asked my MD for a Xanax script, and I got a big, fat NO in return. He told me it's like ingesting freeze dried alcohol. I still get a pill here or there, but I guess I'm stuck with Seroquel....ever notice your apetite increases?? I've gained 10lbs. since starting the drug.... I CAN TOTALLY I.D. with you on the not wanting to leave the house! I'm so anxious! I hope someday I won't crave these frigan pills...I thought alcoholism was bad--it does NOT even compare to my pill addiction!

[eddie z.]

WELCOME to SR, Ava29!!! Thank you, too, for sharing your experience!! Yeah, those newer antipsychotics can really cause one to pack on the pounds, so be careful there. It's no wonder Seroquel does not help your anxiety; that's not what it's for. Have you ever tried BuSpar? It's not addictive, so sometimes it's a good alternative to the benzos.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[Ava29]

Originally Posted by eddie z.

WELCOME to SR, jada!!! Thank you for sharing, too!! I agree with you. I don't think general practitioners should be prescribing Seroquel. It is all too often used as an expensive sleeping pill when other medications would be more appropriate.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

Hi Eddie!! Nice to meet ya! It's good to be here! I have got to agree with you 100%...Seroquel should not be used as a sleep aid. I also tried to hit the doc up for some Ambien, but he said it's not a good idea because it's a potentially habit-forming controlled substance.

I can't stand the lethargic feeling I get when I take the Seroquel too...I've also tried Trazodone for sleep, and holy cow, I felt like CRAP!! I had like practically every adverse side-effect you could read in the PDR..it was awful. Anyhoo, gotta go for now, I've been isolating too much lately, I struggle with depression as well (I know I'm a mess, eh?), so my best friend is dragging me out to the movies. Ever have those days you feel like doing absolutely nothing, but channel surf on the couch? Today is one of those days for me. Oh well....have a superb weekend all!!

<----P.S., I just love these cute smilies..lol..

[eddie z.]

Enjoy the movie/s, Ava!! What are you going to see?

When I took trazodone in antidepressant doses, I was a wreck, too, but when I was in treatment, I only took 25-50mg, which was perfect for getting me too sleep without making me tired the next day. Maybe you were just on too high a dose.

Rozerem is the latest sleep aid that's supposed to be non-habit-forming, although they say that about every sleeping pill when it comes out. This may be the real deal, though. I've never taken it myself, but my husband has and it seems to help.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

:bun5

[Ava29]

Originally Posted by eddie z.

Enjoy the movie/s, Ava!! What are you going to see?
<snip>

:bun5

Hi Eddie & the rest of ya's! Eddie I saw a very silly movie last night--which I highly recommend not seeing...."Scary Movie 4", the movie bit-big time! Also, pass on the movie, "The Hills Have Eyes", the movie was gross and lame.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

[eddie z.]

Yes, for the movie tips, Ava!! I haven't gone out to see a movie in a theatre for many months, though. I think Charlie & the Chocolate Factory was the last time I went. Now I'm starting to get frustrated with the rental place because they're billing us big bucks for movies that we DID return. I'm thinking of going to netflix or something like that as a result. Have you ever used one of those services?

Love and hugs,
Eddie teehee

[Alera]

A lot of my friends like NetFlix. I don't because I rent spur of the moment. Otherwise I would have signed up too.

I rarely see movies in the theater, even fewer now they have closed down the 2 dollar theater. I did see Corpse Bride and Munich in the theater though. Rented Charlie and I loved it.

[eddie z.]

My mom and I saw Charlie & the Chocolate Factory together and had a blast!! I prefer to go to the video store, too, but we've just had so many problems with them lately. How was The Corpse Bride? I love Tim Burton usually.

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[jada326]

Hello eddie and everyone else I haven't met yet. You know I have been diagnosed with bipolar since 1997. You would not believe how many different anti depressants and other drugs I have been on, nor how many doctors I have been through. I am very sensitive to so many drugs. I finally have a regimen that works but it includes an MAOI. However it helps a lot. You know I told ya about my hubby being prescribed seroquel, well he is now taking temazepam and it helps him very much. No hangovers just good sleep. Also my concotion of pills still do not keep my anxiety completely under control and I suffer from the shakes till about mid day which is not good considering I am a manicurist. Thank God for understanding clients. I have xanax for breakthrough anxiety attacks but I try not to take them unless necessary. You know it is soooo hard being on so many drugs just to maintain stability, but then I think about how I would be without them. I have never been dependant on alcohol or any other kind of drug that would get me high. This hell has been the biggest ride of my life but it has given me insight to those I know who abuse drugs or alcohol. I just put lil brother in rehab a week ago because he has been using cocaine, pot, and alcohol to cope with depression. Its going to be o.k tho cause he really wanted this, he said he wants a better quality of life and at 24 yrs. of age he has plenty of time to live life to the fullest. WOW......getting this out has really helped me!!!!! Even tho I knew I was doing the right thing and he was ready to go I have felt so guilty. However I am extremely protective of him, but I couldn't watch drugs take him over anymore.

all the best to everyone!

[eddie z.]

Hey, jada!! I take 6 prescription meds, 3 nutritional supplements, and a multivitamin every day, so I can identify. The Wellbutrin gives me the shakes, too, but I take Inderal and that prevents them. Just a thought.

It's wonderful that your brother is seeking recovery so young. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers!!

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[jada326]

Thank you very much eddie. I used to be on inderal and one of my doctors took me off of it. So now that you mention it I am going to ask my present doctor if I can get back on it. It's just that the maoi I take has so many interactions with other meds and non meds. You know I respect people in this forum that are doing their best to help themselves with their problems. No one should be ashamed. It's hard work with a lot of ups and downs but giving up will not solve the issues. I tried....and it didn't take me long to figure out I am better when on my meds. We all have a continuous battle to fight. I am glad I have found this forum.

Hugs to all !!!

[eddie z.]

You're welcome, Jada!! And thank YOU for sharing, too!! If you're taking Parnate, you may require a smaller dose of Inderal, but if you're taking Nardil, there shouldn't be any interaction. Hope this helps!!

Love and hugs,
Eddie

[angelgirl]

((((((((((SHESTRUGGLES))))))))))

Missing you SO much, and thinking of you everyday, my friend!!!


Praying for your safe return!!!!

Love ya,
Becky

[jada326]

hi everyone, it's me again. As usual life has thrown a big mess at me and I am not dealing with it at all. Doc wants me in the hospital, but I don't want to go. So he told me to take the rest of the week off from work. I can't afford to do any of this!!!! I'm scared but I have to find strength for the next few days. Whats so hard is I deal with the public on a one to one basis. Some are ok but others make me want to run out the door crying and screaming cause they are so nerve racking. Anyway just trying to let off some steam. Talk to ya soon.