Seroquel and side effects

Hi @anndomico that must be so frustrating having this medication help you sleep but prevent you from waking up.

i wanted to tag fellow Connect members @kwilder01 @derryman @jakedduck1 @mxyzptlk and @mrsminniemouse may be able to share their experience with seroquel and how drowsiness affected them while they were taking the medication.

Back to you @anndomico, how long have you been on seroquel?

I had to change my user name because your system wouldn’t let me in with my other user name/password.

I have finally quit Seroquel because it was pushing me into diabetes and making me fat and unable to lose weight. I am now on Abilify which has its problems too, but I’m losing weight and I’m not sleeping all day. Abilify is actually activating. It may not be the best for me but it’s what I’m trying for now. Does anyone have experience with Latuda?

My previous name was mxyzptlk.

@anndomico
Hi 👋,
I hope your not taking Seroquil just for sleep.
This medication is a powerful Antipsychotic and is not recommended as a sleep aid. Drowsiness is a side effect of Seroquil and no competent physician would prescribe it solely for sleep.
There have been people who have been misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s taking the same dose you are. Experts are working hard to stop doctors from prescribing it for insomnia and other sleep related issues.
If your only taking this for sleep I hope you take it back to your doctor and tell him to put it where the Sun doesn’t shine. Then look for a new doctor.
Jake

Hi, @anndomico - how are things going with the quetiapine (Seroquel)? Are you still experiencing the same grogginess you mentioned?

I'd like to invite into this discussion some others who could speak to any side effects they experienced with quetiapine (Seroquel), including any extreme grogginess, like @secretwhitepop @mrser52 @pianista @lla2019 and @sarahbeth.

When I was taking Seroquel I could not stop eating.

Yes, extreme grogginess too! But I am on a very low dose and now it seems to be leveling off. I’ve also started on a low dose of Zoloft which is adding to the grogginess! But it’s all doable. Yes. Hungry a lot. Food tastes very good! But I had lost some weight due to anxiety so hoping I don’t go overboard!

Help I have been on kratom for a year I also take 20mg of Lexapro for the last 14 years and a med doctor put me on 50mg of seroquel two weeks ago and I am a mess and I don’t know if it’s because of the seroquel mixing with the kratom but I don’t know what to do??

Hi, @jax3 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. We don't diagnose here on Connect, as the members are not medical professionals but rather patients who share their similar experiences and provide support for one another.

@lorirenee1 @jakedduck1 @mrser52 @ken82 @artscaping may have some thoughts for you on your situation where you are taking quetiapine (Seroquel) as of 2 weeks ago, have been on escitalopram (Lexapro) for 14 years and now have been taking Kratom for a year and are just feeling like a mess currently.

I truly hope that the experiences of these members can be of help. I also do want to let you know that since Kratom has come up in various Connect discussions and is an unregulated substance, we consulted a Mayo Clinic pharmacist on the posts. She offered the following information:

- Kratom is a natural product but it does have significant risks and side effects. Because of these risks the FDA banned import of Kratom in August 2016 and issued a notice of intent to classify 2 chemicals in Kratom as Schedule 1 drugs (the same category as heroin). There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom, and the agency has received concerning reports about the safety of kratom. FDA is actively evaluating all available scientific information on this issue. (2019) https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom

- Kratom can cause dependence and withdrawal symptoms including aggression, anxiety and other negative psychiatric effects, muscle aches, spasms, tremors, insomnia, fever and upset stomach. It can also cause dangerous slowed breathing and seizures. It can worsen psychiatric disease and may increase the risk of suicide. Kratom can impair liver function. Kratom interacts with other herbal medications including Jimson Weed. It interacts with sedating medications. It has the potential for many other drug interactions because of the way it is metabolized.

@jax3 - It seems like it would merit talking to your doctor who's prescribing your escitalopram (Lexapro) and quetiapine (Seroquel) at this point, due to how you are feeling. Have you shared with her or him about the kratom you have been taking? If so, what did they think?

@lisalucier thank you for sharing that much needed information on kratom.