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Old 04-19-2016, 06:42 PM
  # 41 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by EndGameNYC View Post
I'm not going to quibble with you about your personal experience with Seroquel. But some facts are in order.

Seroquel is indicated for certain types of schizophrenia and bipolar depression. It helps to manage hallucinations, delusions and racing thoughts, among other psychotic symptoms. At lower doses, it has a mildly sedative effect. It is not listed as a controlled substance. It is, for many rehabs in the States, a first-line drug for addicts and alcoholics who suffer from insomnia, often at doses well above 100mg. It is also indicated as a mood stabilizer for both mania and depression.

Mixing alcohol with Seroquel is a potentially lethal combination, and the two should never be taken together. Among much else, it can intensify known side effects of Seroquel. You stated that, in the past, when you've mixed alcohol and Seroquel, that you've awakened while sleeping as a result of your not breathing. Yet, after you increased the dose, you went ahead and started drinking anyway. You don't need to be a physician to know that this is a bad combination. You can blame your doctor for trusting that you wouldn't drink while taking Seroquel or after upping the dose, but I doubt that she'll ever make that mistake again.

I've had severe and chronic insomnia for my entire life. I was offered Seroquel in rehab in order to help me sleep. I started at 50mg., then 100 and then to 150. It helped me to sleep, kept my anxiety in check, and the last thing I wanted to do was to drink. I went up to 200mg. during my follow-up outpatient treatment, and suffered no ill effects. I've since come back down to 100mg. Working on my sobriety has helped me a great deal in terms of working on my insomnia and other issues. But I still need some help to fall asleep.

We always remember, and often focus on, the exceptional events. Because they're exceptional. Beyond what you say here, we have no way of knowing what you were feeling after you increased your dose. But to draw a direct link between you doctor's advice, or your increasing your dose as an explanation in defense of your relapse will leave you in a position in which you've learned nothing about what lead up to your picking up the drink.

If you're to achieve long-term sobriety, then you need to be honest with yourself.
I've learned a lot. The pills make me not care. To be honest, there's the dying thing. I'm ok with that. Without seroquel I wouldn't be. But now I am. I drink, I sleep, I die. All fine by me.

It probably won't happen and I'm almost disappointed because these pills make me depressed as one can be. Numb.

All the theory in the world can't say anything about an actual experience. I am no more. All my feelings are gone, except for a limited range. Very limited. And it lead me to drink. Because my well built-up defenses are taken away because of it.

Now I'm tired of saying the same thing over and over again. At least some irritation I can feel. It was like: "Hey, a feeling".

I will be fine.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:45 PM
  # 42 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by Frickaflip233 View Post
Okay Mike. Stop taking it. Pretty simple. Go see your dr or find another. You said that you took the drug in the past with good results so this is a bit of a switch.

I get that drugs work differently with different chemistries. I take 100mg of seroquil each night for sleep and for ptsd. Aside from making me sleep it has no other side effects. I do not take the extended release.....it stays in my system too long.
Seroquil can increase carb cravings. If you do continue taking it, buy some cookies instead of beer.
Hang in there. Or better yet, go to the ER.
I understand your intent but the part I put in bold is medical advice and not allowed on the forum.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:46 PM
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Mike, something is not going right for sure. I think this trail started with a music video that inspired you to fight against your urge for alcohol, then veered off into medication dosage, then to a bad decision to borrow money and drink. Then some back and forth about previous experience with serequil and how it does and does not affect you. I think the most important thing right now is to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is at the root of all of this. I don't believe those 70 days are a lost cause, but it's a good stretch to throw away on a whim, right?
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:48 PM
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Originally Posted by AnvilheadII View Post
so from your posts you are saying that at 1:35 pm today you got the ok from your doc to up your dose, and by 3:14 pm you are back from borrowing money from your neighbors and procuring alcohol and back home, drunk, and posting and that the seroquel did all that???? in one and a half HOURS?
Yes, the time-frame fits. I'm in a different timezone though. I already had the pills, so I took two.

Ah, whatever, I'm surprised it took one and a half hours. That's long. I'm sure it took me an hour at most.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:50 PM
  # 45 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by thomas11 View Post
Mike, something is not going right for sure. I think this trail started with a music video that inspired you to fight against your urge for alcohol, then veered off into medication dosage, then to a bad decision to borrow money and drink. Then some back and forth about previous experience with serequil and how it does and does not affect you. I think the most important thing right now is to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is at the root of all of this. I don't believe those 70 days are a lost cause, but it's a good stretch to throw away on a whim, right?
Right. The music video was ok. I was ok. After that, I got paranoid, delusional, called my doctor, upped my dose and that lead me to borrowing money for beer.

Btw, I only needed to borrow money because my brother still has my wallet.

Now we need to do something against me borrowing money.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:52 PM
  # 46 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by Frickaflip233 View Post
Okay Mike. Stop taking it.
Thats not medical advice in the context of this thread.

If you're determined not to phone your Dr or get help I'm not sure what you expect people to tell you Mike.

If you're intent on drinking and you're not interested helping yourself or in stopping, whatever the reason, maybe the best idea is to close this thread.

You can come back when you're ready for another go.

sound reasonable?

D
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Dee74 View Post
Thats not medical advice in the context of this thread.

If you're determined not to phone your Dr or get help I'm not sure what you expect people to tell you Mike.

If you're intent on drinking and you're not interested helping yourself or in stopping, whatever the reason, maybe the best idea is to close this thread.

You can come back when you're ready for another go.

sound reasonable?

D
Well, telling me to stop taking my anti-psychotic medication is heavy medical advice.

Closing this thread is like closing the door on people who need help the most. Even though I will probably not post much anymore, closing this thread feels to me like closing the door to me. I won't be back either. Closing such an important thread is almost like closing the door on what this site is for.

But it's up to you.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:05 PM
  # 48 (permalink)  
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I'm sorry you feel that way Mike.

If you want help, there's oceans of it here and I'd never stop anyone who was genuinely seeking help.

But today you don;t seem to want that.

You won't phone your Dr or anyone else, you won't go to the ER you won't stop drinking, and you won't stop posting here either.

It's strongly recommended, all over the world, that those taking seroquel not drink alcohol - but you seem determined to pick a fight about that too.

This is not an out of the ordinary request Mike.

I'd ask anyone who was intent on drinking, and being a little fractious about it, to stop posting, or cool it and be mindful of where you are and why you're here.

it's not up to me - it's your call.

what's it going to be?

D
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:06 PM
  # 49 (permalink)  
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I think it's up to you Mike. You command a massive amount of attention and support here. It's your choice to use it responsibly or not.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:20 PM
  # 50 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by ScottFromWI View Post
I think it's up to you Mike. You command a massive amount of attention and support here. It's your choice to use it responsibly or not.
That is unfair and inaccurate. I post my troubles. It is up to others to decide if they respond. That's regarding the massive amount of attention and support.

What I do with it is not what I would normally do with it. Anyone who is sensitive to Seroquel will tell you, you are not yourself on it. It dampens you. It fogs your brain. Reading becomes difficult. All that you are is impaired. So any choice I make now may not be one I would otherwise make.

But I still do believe in my response to Dee.

Do not underestimate the influence of seroquel. Ever. It is heavy stuff. Heavier than the result of a huge binge. That's nothing compared to it.

I've walked through the halls of the psych ward, stumbling, holding on to the walls for support to get to the food. Because it makes you eat. Things going dark and bright again. Like a movie or a series between scenes, where they have this short dark part. But then it's your vision and if you don't fight it, you're out cold.

That's how I learned that if you faint, they don't touch you. They stand around you and call your name.

I can only take the attention here in the state that I'm in. And if you mean by commanding a lot of attention that I intentionally make an effort to draw attention to me in this thread, you are mistaken.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:43 PM
  # 51 (permalink)  
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As far as I'm concerned, this thread is open to anyone in the same situation.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:46 PM
  # 52 (permalink)  
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I don't mean this in an offensive way Mike, but after reading your last post, the thought crossed my mind about maybe you getting a high of of the medication. You said yourself that the influence of seroquel is stronger than a binge. It makes you numb, fogs your brain, etc. And then you drank on top of it, knowing that would enhance the effects. Maybe I thought of this cause I've done the same thing. Seroquel by itself might not be addictive, but it sounds like it would definitely add a big kick to the alcohol. Have you thought about the possibility that after taking the seroquel, knowing it's effects, decided to pick up the beer to really put on a major buzz? Sounds to me like you made a decision to get high. Just a thought. John
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:00 PM
  # 53 (permalink)  
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just want to get this straight: it's the Seroquil's fault you went back to drinking, but because the doc told you to up your dose it's actually the doc's fault, and then also maybe your brother is somewhat responsible because he has your wallet, but in any case, you are simply a victim, is that it?

you know, there is a description about a "mental blank spot" in the BB, and how at times the alcoholic "has no effective defense against the first drink". i can get that. happened to me. and i'm not bringing it up here to endorse any program. just that...even in that case it's up to us to go and work on finding a way to an effective defense. we're not simply continuous victims of others, doctors or pills or circumstances.

you don't need a new defense against getting money; something much more fundamental needs addressing.

hope you get through this and grab the chance to look at that.
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:11 PM
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Originally Posted by 2muchpain View Post
I don't mean this in an offensive way Mike, but after reading your last post, the thought crossed my mind about maybe you getting a high of of the medication. You said yourself that the influence of seroquel is stronger than a binge. It makes you numb, fogs your brain, etc. And then you drank on top of it, knowing that would enhance the effects. Maybe I thought of this cause I've done the same thing. Seroquel by itself might not be addictive, but it sounds like it would definitely add a big kick to the alcohol. Have you thought about the possibility that after taking the seroquel, knowing it's effects, decided to pick up the beer to really put on a major buzz? Sounds to me like you made a decision to get high. Just a thought. John
Thanks John. Today I had 70 days sober. The seroquel took my defenses away. And that lead me to drink.

There is no being under the influence of seroquel that is pleasurable though. There's no high. It's not addictive and it simply shuts you down, so that only normal thoughts and feelings are there. Problem is, it shuts down much more than it should. It's like a switch off on your emotions.

The opposite of high I would say. So you seek feelings. That's what I see now. So I borrowed money from the neighbors, got drunk, etc.

Seroquel is the anti-high pill. It is the most boring thing you can take. Problem is, it takes away a large part of your judgement as well.

So there you are. A zombie. A shadow of yourself. None of your creative thoughts you can access. It limits almost everything.

Including my plan. All the things that kept me sober. All my successes.

Then there was my delusional dip, I got it prescribed, did well for a short while. Then I still didn't do well so I got more and I was gone. And I got beer. I don't even remember how it got here.

So yeah, to all you who have mentioned it, the seroquel is to blame. You know how you are different on chemicals, we're all alcoholics. Seroquel is on too. So don't tell me that I blame it on it, because I don't. Or I will tell you that your inability to walk in a straight line back when you were drinking, you simply blamed on the alcohol.

They're both substances. I've drank a lot. Seroquel hits me much, much harder. You have no idea.

So no, it's not an excuse. I'm simply being clear (I hope) and honest (I know).

And yes I know the combination is dangerous but the seroquel makes me not care and it is much heavier than alcohol. Some of you remember trying to get an alcoholic to do something. Make that much harder. It's a heavier chemical.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't try myself though. But unless you've had it, you understand.
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by fini View Post
just want to get this straight: it's the Seroquil's fault you went back to drinking, but because the doc told you to up your dose it's actually the doc's fault, and then also maybe your brother is somewhat responsible because he has your wallet, but in any case, you are simply a victim, is that it?
No. That is a truly weird and incorrect line of thinking and I don't know how you came to that conclusion. It is offensive but I like offensive, at least it's honest and to the point. So it;s all ok. But also incorrect.

I don't know who taught you that way of interpretation and reasoning but I'd ask for my money back. In any case, see my latest post and perhaps some before that.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:03 PM
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I think I've said all I have to say on this topic and I think it covers all questions and comments. Should there be any other, I will either hit "Thank" and/or write a response. But if it's something that's already been discussed, don't expect a reply. Read the thread.

I do feel this is an important thread since seroquel is prescribed so much and it ruined my 70 days sober. Yes, it was not my fault, the medication is that heavy,

So I'll leave it at this. I hope many people will benefit from it. It's certainly been a lesson for me. I will take action. And regain sobriety.

Thanks Dee for not closing this thread. It's relevant to so many people. I probably won't respond much in this one since I've said all I have to say. But it's a good thread for people with similar issues to talk.

Wishing you all super-duper-health-and-well-being.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:35 PM
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Everyone here is on your side Mike, we all just want you to be sober- you did too, remember? You were so proud of your 70 days. This can be just a slip instead of a binge.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:37 PM
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Originally Posted by sleepie View Post
Everyone here is on your side Mike, we all just want you to be sober- you did too, remember? You were so proud of your 70 days. This can be just a slip instead of a binge.
Thank you.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:39 PM
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Don't thank me yet.

I think this thread is a great example of the self-denial our addiction can lead us into - even if you can't see it yet Mike, many of us can.

That's why it's still up.
I hope you come back and see what we mean.

I think it's run its course now tho.

If you want to disagree with my self denial assessment, that's fine but if you want to battle on, I'd ask we continue that in private by PM.

Feel free to start a fresh thread whenever you're ready to start again,

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