Thursday, April 23, 2009
Hello all. i am 26 and have been dealing with bipolar since 16..its so bad im on disability for it. Well today is saw my dr and she prescribed seroquel xr 300mg for me. ive been looking on line and heard either that it is really great adn helps or its terribel, makes you feel like a zombie and it makes you gain like 50 pounds. Anyone know which one is correct? i wanna take these meds, but im really kinda scared now after what i read! thanks , amanda from charlotte NC
You mention being from Charlotte NC. A fellow NCian, welcome!
Seroquel : is an anti-psychotic known to be primarily well liked by most folks who take it because it does what they need it to do. It is prescribed for many different symptoms, not just psychosis.
However, it does have a side effect of possible weight gain and for a lot of folks I know personnally - it does have a tendancy to give a "hangover" effect.
I took it for sleep due to going nearly 7 weeks with very little to absolutely no sleep and ending up inpatient for mania & suicidal impulsivity (High Mixed Manic State). I was put on a low dose of regular Seroquel and it literally knocked me off my feet.
I slept like a dead log, a bomb wouldn't have awakened me. I was also seriously hungover during the day and my mind was in thick miring quicksand and this was the lowest dose. I gained several pounds while I took it and developed a craving for sugary items like nothing else. I also developed a stiff neck, muscle aches, and a headache so... the doc took me completely off of it.
That all being said and of my experience with it - each med reacts differently to each person. What happens to one will not necessarily happen to another.
The XR is an extended release version which - as I understand it and could be wrong so it wouldn't hurt to check with pdoc and/or pharmacist - is to release the med slowly and gradually and for a longer period of time - not all at once as the regular version does. So, the side effects you may have may not be as bad or the same as what I had or others I've known.
When I'm prescribed a new med, I tend to put out a request for the good, bad, and ugly experiences anyone has had with it but ultimately.. I talk with the pdoc about it because each person is different and the meds are different to each person.
If you have any concerns or anxieties about taking the med... talk with your pdoc about it some more. See what his/her reasoning for the med is and talk with them about any fears, anxieties, or concerns you have about it. He/she may know of something you can do or take to offset any potential problems.
Hello and thank you sooo much for your imput. im telling you, ive just been throught the ringer with this bipolar stuff...lets see, let me count the meds...cilexa, effoxor,zoloft,paxil,abilfy,geodon,wellbutrin, and now...serequel xr. i mean, i dont know if im not taking these meds enought to actually feel a change, because honestly i get depressed just sitting around waiting for them to work! But i have taken my first serequel now and im just wondering how i will feel! the only thing that gets me is the weight gain...i mean i used to be a size 5 about 3 years ago, and now ive balooned up to a size 14...so its very difficult now! just the thought of possibly getting any heavier is almost enough to not want to take anything. So im here in charlotte or the queen city as they like to call it. I know how it feels to have to be inpatient...i was in that situatuion about 5 months ago. See i went into the psych emergency room and after waithing 4 hours to see someone they ended up locking me against my will in a room...and long story short i did not get out for 4 days. i mean, its not the longest stay, but when you feel that its not necessary, 10 minutes is too long! so where in nc do you live? hope i didnt take up too much of your time! you can email me directly at behappybehappy1@hotmail.com hope to hear from you soon!