# Talk to me about Seroquel



## invisible.ink

I was prescribed 50mg of Seroquel today because doc doesn't want me on benzo's long term. I'm scared shitless to take this stuff. Some of the side effects are nuts. Anybody take this? Does it make your DP/DR worse or better? Does it work for your anxiety? 
This was prescribed by a GP and I don't see my psych until the 29th otherwise I'd go over it with her. I'm not schizophrenic and I'm not manic (I don't think anyway) so why did she prescribe me this? She asked if I had racing thoughts sometimes and I said yes because when I'm panicky or really DP'ed I do and then she prescribed this to me.


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## wael

hee,

It is quite common that anti-psychotics are prescribed when you mention dissociation/dp/dr. I used seroquel XR 50 mg, for a couple of weeks. No major changes, no bad side effect. Those scary side effects are more usual when your on high dosages.. Sometimes Seroquel 50 mg is described as sleep/anxiety aid, so dont worry about that too much. It gave me a little boost, by reducing my anxiety marginal. I was also less tired. But no significant changes in DP. But there are people on this forum that had relief from anti-psychotics in DP. I think it would help you with your racing thoughts. Just give it a try, finding proper medication is often a trial-error process. The "positive" side is that you can notice it almost immediately(1-2days), and if you take it before bed you probably will fall asleep quicker.


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## invisible.ink

Thanks, Wael. I'm still terrified of it. I think I'm just going to stick with the clonazepam until I see my psychiatrist on the 29th. The Seroquel was prescribed by a GP.


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## Matt210

If you can get by without it, it might be best to wait until you see your psychiatrist.

Boggles my mind that a GP would prescribe Anti-Psychotics. Not to say there is anything wrong with anti-psychotics - while the name is scary, I have heard they can be really effective for all sorts of things. But when it comes to mental health, 95% of GPs are just guessing. The reasons I might hold off is because your psychiatrist might have his or her own plan for you and it will just be an extra hassle to be put on medication for two weeks and then pulled right off of it. Finally - if you do experience weird side-effects, you will have a mental health professional as your point of contact to make sure things are okay (i'm sure they will be).

All my opinion of course. While a GP may not be qualified in the mental health profession, they know more than me of course so what you do is up to you. Hoping you find something that works for you!


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## invisible.ink

I'm not so sure about that, Matt. I think I surprised the GP with my knowledge of medication. She was surprised that I knew it was an atypical anti psychotic and that it isn't approved for use for panic/anxiety (though that is an off label use). She also didn't tell me all of the side effects when I asked. All she said was drowsiness and weight gain and when I read the sheet that came with the script there were a lot more!
When you're poor and can't afford to see a real psych you do a lot of research (like me) and sometimes you do end up knowing more than a GP. Sometimes I think they just throw the first drug that comes to mind at you.


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## Mark

It is odd to use it as a replacement for benzo's
It just evens out you mood if you are not psychotic.
If you are psychotic then it basically shuts you down - they will go up to 800mg.
Do not take it during the day.
It will cause increased anxiety because you have things to do. You do not need to be all confused and sleepy when you have positive and important things on you plate - looking after your kids for example - or kid - I don't remember - sorry.
Take it for a good nights sleep.
I have taken a small dose of 100mg at bed time.
It works every time.
It has no libido side effects - damn your husband.
He must be one hell of a great gut.
My wife called me a ghost for 2 years.
Damn her.


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## invisible.ink

But my mood is fine. It's just the anxiety and panic I need to keep under control which the clonazepam does and the Zoloft will once it reaches therapeutic levels. I don't think I'm going to take it.


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## Rein

I like them very much, don`t see them often, only very rare. But they are so cute!!!


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## Mark

invisible.ink said:


> But my mood is fine. It's just the anxiety and panic I need to keep under control which the clonazepam does and the Zoloft will once it reaches therapeutic levels. I don't think I'm going to take it.


I I act like "DR Phil - Mark."
That's funny.
Fill mark full of drugs.
But I don't see the point.
I am hyper and prone to emotional extremes...and I have DP...go figure.
Zoloft will not stop the anxiety that we get.
Its not "oh gee I have an exam tomorrow and I have not studied and my BF just broke up with me" anxiety that we get.
It's "oh gee, I just witnessed a beheading" level of anxiety.


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## comfortably numb

Ive taken seroquel in doses of up to 400mg's a day for bipolar disorder on and off for almost 3 years and ive found it to help alot for that purpose. It really works well against mania, mixed states, the psychosis that comes with it sometimes and it also helps with depression abit. As for the side effects they look scary especially the ones such as tardive dyskinesia but these side effects are extremely rare with seroquel. In fact seroquel along with zyprexa have about the lowest incidence of extrapramidal side effects of the atypical anti-psychotics. So there isint any real ned to worry about that especially at your dose which isint even a anti-psychotic dose really. Your just getting hit with the anti-histamine effects at that dose.

The main side effect is drowsiness and seroquel can be nasty for causing drowsiness. I don't find it to be too sedating but i have bipolar disorder so it just brings me down to normal at high doses if im manic. Weight gain is another side efect to look out for but seroquel is not as bad in this regard as other atypical anti-psychotics such as zyprexa. Some people still get hit pretty bad with the weight gain though.

As for how well it works for dp/dr and anxiety i don't know personally. My dp/dr and anxiety was already in remission before i started taking it. But from reading experiences on this board about it atypical anti-psychotics in general don't seem to be very effective in treating dp/dr. I certainly wouldnt use it as a first line treatment and maybe not even a second line treatment. Benzodiazepines (especially clonazepam) seem to be the most effective meds in treating dp/dr. This only makes sense because they are the best at treating anxiety. It's just too bad that some doctors are scared off by the addiction potential of benzos which is way overblown. They also forget that many anti-depressants which they hand out like candy are also pretty physically addictive.


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## invisible.ink

Exactly. The first time I came off of Zoloft it was pure hell and I was tapering. I decided not to take the Seroquel until I talk to my psych. I'm hoping she'll give me a longer term script for the clonazepam. I only have it for a week's worth but I'm trying to stretch it.


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## Guest

invisible.ink said:


> Exactly. The first time I came off of Zoloft it was pure hell and I was tapering. I decided not to take the Seroquel until I talk to my psych. I'm hoping she'll give me a longer term script for the clonazepam. I only have it for a week's worth but I'm trying to stretch it.


Your right! Every drug has side effects and most you need to tapper off.....that's true.

Here's a little list of the side effects you can expect from withdrawal after LONG term Benzo use.

Abdominal pains and cramp 
Aching jaw 
Aching joints 
aching muscles, 
Acute hyper excited state, 
Aggressive behaviour 
Agitated sight 
Agitation 
Agoraphobia 
Allergic reactions 
Allergic reactions to foods previously tolerated, 
Allergy & nasal symptoms exacerbated, 
Anger, 
Anxiety 
Apathy 
Appetite - either loss of, or voracious appetite with constant desire to eat, 
Arms and legs feel detached from body, 
Ataxia - can't coordinate muscle movement, 
Back pain, 
band around head, 
Bladder incontinence 
Bladder irritation - feeling of having an infection or cystitis, 
Bleeding between menstrual cycles 
Bleeding from the nose 
Blepharospasm - eye twitches, 
Bloated stomach, distended abdomen, (benzo belly), 
bloated, diarrhea, constipation, 
Blood pressure fluctuations, 
Blurred vision 
Blurred vision, seeing spots, flashes, vivid vision 
Body feels like jelly 
Body odour - stinking sweat, 
Body temperature fluctuations, 
Body temperature reading higher or lower than 98.6, 
Brachycardia - slow heartbeat/pulse, 
Brain moving within the skull 
Breasts - heavy, over-sensitive, swollen, enlarged, painful, 
Breathing difficulties 
Breathlessness, 
Bruxism (teeth grinding) 
Buildings appear to be leaning 
Burning along the spine 
Burning sensation around the mouth 
Buzzing, burning, tingling limbs, 
Changes in perception (faces distorting and inanimate objects moving) 
Changes in skin colour, tone, texture, 
Chemical sensitivities 
Chest tightness, 
Chills - (can feel like the heebie-jeebies you get when viewing a scary movie), 
Choking 
Claustrophobia, 
Clumsiness 
Cognitive impairment, 
Confusion, 
Constipation 
Cracked and sore lips 
cramping in stomach, 
Craving for sweets and sugary foods, 
Crying jags, 
Cuts and abrasions take weeks to heal 
Dark circles under the eyes, 
Decaying teeth and gums, 
Dehydration, 
Delirium 
Demented and murderous thoughts 
Dental pain, 
Depersonalisation (a feeling of not knowing who you are) 
Depression 
Derealization 
Diarrhea, 
Difficulty in writing slowly 
Difficulty swallowing 
Difficulty writing or holding a fork, due to muscle weakness, 
difficulty writing, 
Discharge from the breasts 
Disorientation 
Distended abdomen 
Distortions or hallucinations 
Dizziness - in general, or a feeling like you are falling off the couch/chair/bed, 
Double vision 
Dry mouth 
Dry throat, sore tongue, and thrush 
Dry, itchy skin 
Dry, tickly cough 
Dyspepsia (indigestion) 
Dysphagia (difficulty eating or swallowing) 
Dysphoria (inability to feel pleasure or happiness) 
Dyspnea (breathing difficulty) 
Earache 
earache, and sinus problems, 
Electric shock feelings 
Emotional blunting - can't receive or give, 
Encopressia (faecal incontinence) 
Oesophageal spasms, 
Excitability 
Exercise - exacerbating all benzo symptoms, 
Exhaustion, 
extreme cold, 
Extreme lethargy 
Extreme thirst 
Extremely disturbed 
Extremely nervous and jumpy 
Eyes - sore, tired, seeing floaters, spots, itchy, 
Falling hair 
Fatigue, leaden heaviness 
Fear 
Fear of being a burden or unlovable, 
Fear of being alone 
Fear of dying, 
fear of insanity, 
Fear of losing control 
Fear of never recovering, 
Fear of water 
Faeces - appears abnormal looking, 
Feeling bloated 
Feeling like the ground is moving beneath you, as if on a cruise ship or boat, 
Feeling of extreme cold 
Feeling of impending doom 
Feeling of vulnerability 
Feelings of shaking inside and out 
Feelings of shame, despite realizing this was all accidental and not your fault, 
Feelings of the spirit being out of synchronization with the body, 
Feelings of unreality 
feelings of worms under scalp 
Female ejaculation or incontinence during orgasm, 
Fingernail problems - median nail dystrophy (line/ridge down the centre) 
Flashbacks 
Fluctuations in blood pressure 
Flu-like symptoms 
Flushing, 
Formication (sensations of bugs crawling on skin) 
Fuzzy feeling in head, 
Gait disturbance - hard to walk straight, 
Gastritis 
Glassy eyes 
Goosebumps - very visible to the eye, 
Grinding teeth 
Hemorrhoids 
Hair - loss, thinning, dullness, 
Hallucinations (auditory and visual) 
Headaches - mild or severe, 
Heart palpitations, pounding or racing heart, 
Heartburn 
heavy arms, legs and head, 
Heavy pounding heart 
Holding onto the walls in the shower, 
Hostility 
Hot flashes, 
Hurts to wear clothes, a car seatbelt, 
Hyper sensitive (unable to watch the news, see films, read the newspaper), 
Hyperactivity 
Hyperacusis - profound hearing sensitivity, hurts to talk on the phone, music, etc., 
Hyperosmia (sensitive sense of smell), 
Hyperreflexia (?jumpiness?) 
Hypersensitivity to being touched, 
Hypersensitivity to light, sound, and other stimuli 
Hypersensitivity to stress, 
Hyperventilation (over breathing) 
Hypnologic (hallucinations, sleepwalking), 
Hysterical and inappropriate laughter 
IBS - irritable bowel syndrome, 
Impacted bowels, 
Impairment of motor coordination, 
Impotence 
inability to comprehend the simplest things, 
Inability to concentrate, 
inability to cope with a lot of information 
Inability to draw a satisfying breath, 
Inability to make a decision, 
inability to read or write, 
Incontinence, frequent or urgent need to urinate, unable to hold or pass urine, 
Increased saliva 
Indigestion 
Insomnia 
Intense fuzzy feeling in the head 
Intense jaw pain 
Intrusive thoughts, 
Iris in eyes changes colour 
Irrational rage 
Irritability 
Jaundice, 
Jaw, tooth, neck and shoulder aches and pains, 
Jaws clamped together 
Jerks in arms, legs fingers. 
Joint aches and pains, 
Joylessness, 
Jumpiness, 
Jumping toe, 
Lack of concentration 
Lack of co-ordination 
Left/Right-sided symptoms, 
Legs arms and head very heavy 
Leukonychia (whitening of nails) 
Libidinal changes - variances in sex drive, 
Loss of balance 
Loss of concentration 
Loss of confidence, 
Loss of control of movement, 
Loss of interest in people and/or things, 
Loss of memory 
Loss of self respect 
Loss of taste or metallic taste 
Loss or changes in appetite 
Lung pain, 
Memory problems - short term, 
Menstrual problems (painful periods, irregular periods, cessation of periods) 
Mild hypertension 
Mood swings, 
Morbid thoughts 
Mouth and tongue soreness, 
Muscle spasms 
Muscle tone, wastage, 
Muscle wastage 
Muscle weakness, 
Muscles locking and rigidity, 
Muscular aches, pains, cramps, spasms, 
muscular rigidity, 
nausea, flu like symptoms, 
Nervous ticks or twitches, 
Nervousness 
Neuralgia 
Neurological problems - topical nerve anaesthesia, 
Night apnea 
Night sweats, 
Nightmares 
Nose bleeds, 
Numbness - around the face, mouth or any other part of the body, 
Numbness, pain, 
Obsessions 
Obsessive behaviour, 
Oedema - especially face or ankles, 
Oesophagitis 
Orgasm changes - big setbacks after orgasms, 
Outbursts of rage or aggression 
Over breathing 
Painful scalp 
pains in neck and shoulders, 
Pains in temple, 
Pains in the chest 
Pains in the lungs 
Pains in the neck 
Panic attacks 
Paraesthesia (numbness, tingling) 
Paranoia 
Passing gas continually, 
Penis and testicle sensitivity, 
Persistent, unpleasant memories 
Perspiring, night sweats 
Phobias (hydrophobia, agoraphobia, monophobia, 
Pins and needles 
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, 
Premature menopause, 
Premature wrinkling around the eyes and face, 
Problems of decaying teeth 
Psychotic symptoms - usually transient and confined to rapid withdrawal, 
Pupils of eyes become minute 
Pushing away friends, 
Racing thoughts, 
Rage, 
Rapid blinking of the eyes 
Rapid changes in body temperature 
Rapid mood changes 
Rapid weight loss 
Rashes and blotches on skin, 
Recurring mild sore throat, 
Repetitive thoughts 
Restless legs in bed at night 
Restlessness 
Saliva running from the mouth at night 
Scalp pain and burning, 
Screwing up of the eyes 
Seeing spots before the eyes 
Seizures (fits) 
sensation of brain moving within the skull, 
Sensitive or painful teeth 
Severe cramping in the stomach 
Severe headaches 
Severe muscle rigidity 
Sexual problems - no sex drive or ultra high sex drive, 
Shaking - inside or out or both, 
Sharp throbbing pain in the wrists 
Shivering - feelings of extreme cold or hot, 
Short-term memory impairment 
Sinus pain 
Skin problems - dry, itchy, rashes, slow healing, tickling, burning, 
Sleepwalking, 
Smell problems - everything smells bad, 
Smelling bad, but only to you, 
Sore and tired eyes 
Sore mouth and tongue 
Speech difficulties 
Stomach cramps 
Stuttering, 
Suicidal feelings 
Swallowing difficulties 
Sweating 
Swollen breasts 
Teeth - pain, throbbing, sensitivity, feel like they are falling out, grinding, 
Tension between eyes, 
Thinking you are dying, 
Thinking you have some awful disease other than benzo withdrawal, 
Thirst 
Thrush-like symptoms, 
Thyroid disturbances, 
tickling and itching 
Tight band around the head 
Tight band around the legs and ankles, 
Tightness in the chest 
Tightness in the head 
Tinnitus (buzzing or ringing in the ears) 
Tiny pupils 
Tiredness 
Toe and finger nails change colour 
Tongue - sore, burning, 
Total loss of confidence 
Toxic naps - feeling worse upon wakening, 
Tremor or feeling of inner vibration 
Twitching of the head 
Unable to walk 
Under-eye puffiness, 
Unusually sensitive (unable to watch the news on television or read the newspaper) 
urinary problems (continence or incontinence) 
Vaginal discharge, or extremely dry or wet vagina, 
Vertigo 
Visual disturbances - waves, sparks, flashes of light, seeing spots, floaters, blurry 
Voice quality changes, 
Vomiting 
vulnerability, 
Walking side to side, like a drunken sailor, 
Weakness - "jelly legs", 
Weight loss or gain (can be rapid), 
Yellow coating on the tongue (which can yellow the teeth)

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post was not compiled by a doctor or anyone with medical training. The advice contained herein should not be substituted for the advice of a physician who is well-informed in the subject matter discussed. Before making any decisions about your health or treatment you should always confer with your physician and it is always assumed that you will do so.


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## coffeecup

ok heres my experience of seroquel:

i was on olanzapeine for years ( i was labeled psychotic by most docs i saw.. as i didnt feel real)

seroquel was amazing to me when i first took it , the anxiety went away for at least a few hours a day i could function, even did my driving test (and passed!) under seroquel (1000mg)

then i saw a new (11th) psych doc, who re evaulated me

apparently i wasnt psychotic, i had an illness called "derealization" came off the seroquel.. and been as good since

but if you have bipolar/psychotic tendancies an anti psychotic will benefit you, as its an "add on" to the illness ..much like depression and panic is to a lot of DP/DR patients

best of luck ! (its all we can wish for  )


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## spert23

I've been on Seroquel, 100mgs, for almost a year and a half now, and it has been great. I have used it in conjunction with Remeron, so it is tough to say which one is more effective, but when I have tried to lower the Seroquel it has been difficult. I think the best part about Seroquel is it slows down your thoughts a little, which reduces panics, which weakens those scary thoughts. As for side effects, I put on about 15 pounds (could have been the Remeron though), and very tired before I go to sleep (not sure if that is a negative). But different things work for different people. If you are very anxious like me, it may help.


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## Absentis

Its probably too late to chip in my $0.02 but here goes anyway. I have taken Seroquel, and it definitely made my symptoms much worse. I rank it up there with my experiences on pot and LSD for inducing dissociation. For this reason I have since avoided taking Seroquel or any other antipsychotic.


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## coffeecup

absentis.. i had the same , better than most anti psychotics.. but still a bit crap...

all i want is to see bleeding sierra right now.. sort my life out and become a normal person like everyone else (with happy thoughts )

nothing to fix tomorrow , so im off to get more drunk and play super hang on in my garage

god bless the japanese


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## university girl

hey there... u can message me about seroquel if you like. i've been on it for some time now and have had mostly good stuff come of it.


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