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Seroquel Rage

I've been taking Seroquel every night for over 5 years (God help me).

Even in very small doses, it is generally impossible for me to be awake while under its stupor.
As life would have it: If I am asleep I am on Seroquel and if I am on Seroquel I am asleep.

Since birth I have been especially cranky when I get woken up before I'm done sleeping for the night.

Lately, Seroquel has been making this crankiness much worse. ...more like an alcoholic rage.
I feel confused, very angry, and frustrated with my inability to articulate. I scream and curse but don't remember it in the morning. My live-in girlfriend said it makes her afraid for her safety.

I am a gentle pacifist and strongly believe that NOBODY ever deserves to be yelled at, so this behavior is especially upsetting for me to hear about.

The gf relationship is beyond repair. She lost respect for me years ago and isn't shy about telling me so. I only get to live here in her house out of I don't know: - either kindness or her need for a scapegoat. I don't have any money or place to go.

The gf is also a practicing psychologist and is emotionally abusive. Take my word for it folks, psychology can be used for evil.

So to conclude: I am stuck in a harmful relationship and living situation. I don't fight back against emotional abuse, but it builds up into a rage that only comes out when I'm both on Seroquel and awake. I am scared of changing any of my medications and terrified of adding a fourth one.

Does anyone else get really upset on Seroquel? Shaking hands, fear, anger, confusion?

Be well,

JLC
13 Responses
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Avatar universal
Try something else, soon.  There are so many bipolar meds that won’t do that.  I called my doctor on an emergency a couple of days ago because I didn’t sleep for four days and was raging.  We adjusted my meds and now I’m okay.   Sometimes doctors don’t know what you’re going through and sometimes they’re just lazy.  Don’t put up with it.  New doctor or new meds or both.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Great advice!  Thank you.  My son's friend has a hard time with med adjustments but there are definitely SO many options out there.  When were you diagnosed? This is a new diagnosis for him.
Avatar universal
I have been on seraquil for five years for bipolar. Some days are fine but mornings suck. I feel like I'm walking on jelly my vision is bad I feel pregnant and I pee every fifteen minutes sometimes more than once. I'm looking at alternatives with my doctor tomorrow there has to be better way. Who wants to walk around sedated unable to feel the spark of life
Helpful - 0
6653958 tn?1395759593
Seraquil can definitely cause anger, usually because your in such a sleep induced state that it's nearly impossible to wake, I remember taking it and waking up extremely agitated and angry, I would not even take it in the day because if I did sleep, I would feel horrible when I woke up.PLUS after being on it for over a year, they are so quick to increase your dose, I personally hate the drug and finally got off it,it was like coming off heroin and I don't ever recommend you try without your doctor,I had horrible side effects,from bad stomach issues,to headaches,at first I could sleep like that then after a while I would keep waking up every couple hours, I had to pee all the time think I might be diabetic from the pill who knows all I know is I think it's the drug companies way of killing us, it should be called sdrakill.evil little drug I wish I had never been on it.
Helpful - 0
6961172 tn?1386510206
I had the exact same problem after taking that drug for 7 years. The blackouts, rage and irrational thoughts began in the last 1.5 years I was on it. I don't know how my husband lived through it but, he was my main supporter!    

I was on 300 mg and had to work my way down but, ever since my medication regimen was changed I have not had any of those horrible side effects! In fact I was switched to 2 of the older tried and true drugs (Divalproex and Trazodone) An it is almost like night and day!

Meds are definitely NOT a one size fits all thing! I would definitely talk with your Psych to find good alternatives! Good luck and have patience =D
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had the same problem a few years ago and actually got physical with my mom when I explained to the doc what was going on he switched me to geodon and I was so much better after that may be something to discuss with your doctor
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi. Your living situation sounds really tough, and I get what you are saying about using "psychology for evil." I am glad your psychiatrist responded to you and you were able to discuss things.

i used to be on Seroquel too, as well as various other anti-psychotics, and for the miost part, it would hold me, but since I was working in a "war zone," meds can only do so much. As you recognized, living in q hostile environment works against getting a chance to get better. For myself, I got out of my work environment, because my psychiatrist pointed out that it always thwarts me from getting better, and he really was at the point where he "threw everything at me including the kitchen sink," and I already was on the highest dosages and then some of all the psych meds.

I knew another guy who was about 19 t0 22, didn't have a job, couldn't really work because of his bipolar instability and was in and out of the hospital every 3 weeks for a long time. He was on Seroquel, and each time the dosage went up and he would get really well, and then leave and after a week, he was doing badly again and back in. The problem was that he always returned to his parents house, and it was a toxic, abusive environment. The therapists, the doctors, group therapy explored this, he understood it but he kept going back and he kept getting hospitalized. After awhile, it got harder and longer to achieve "remission" no matter how high or what drugs were thrown at him. Eventually, the social worker helped him to get into a residential treatment facility, and it took awhile to do this, and it also took some convincing for him to take this route. After that, I never saw him back again.

It took me years to get out of my situation, because I was certain, at the time, if I just was on the right drug combination or drugs, if I shored up my coping skills and learned how to keep myself distant and detached, then I can still can be stable and take it. I even went parttime for awhile, took a lot of vacations to break up my "exposure" to the work place and give myself a break, but it didn't work. I had to be out of there completely. It wasn't easy for me to leave. I basically spent most of my adult life there, and even though it was "hostile" for me, I loved what I did for a living. As my doctor put it, he was really worried now, and since I was getting better and better at my suicide attempts, he wasn't so sure I was going to be alive before the year was out. It was October. So, he forced my hand, and wouldn't sign the papers to get me back to work. He wasn't comfortable doing that, but I have to give him credit for being brave enough to do it. It wasn't just another job. It was my career and my life's work and he knew how much it meant to me. At the time, I thought my life was over, and tI felt  like I  was being set aside. I also knew this was the way it had to go. It was the right thing to do even though I really didn't like or want it. That was years ago. After that change, it wasn't easy, because I had to deal with a lot of problems and life situations, but at least I didn't have to be breathing and bathing in a bad place. I struggled, but I am not struggling in a hellish environment.






Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How big of a dose are you on?  At below about 100 mg, Seroquel is almost entirely antihistamine.  Benedryl or Trazodone (prescription) might be enough to get you through antihistamine withdrawal.  Your doctor should be able to help you with a taper schedule (don't do it without their permission).  

The risk for TD is very low on the atypical antipsychotics.  Not zero, but much lower than for the typicals.  
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
What do you mean that Serequel is like an antihistamine below 100 mg? My son rages everytime we adjust. We just went from 100mg to 87.5 and he went nuts 7 days later
Hi Kimsob.  How are hings going with your son?  Is it an adjustment period for your son with the dosage change or does the 'crazy' persist?  
Avatar universal
I used to think of Seroquel as a straightforward heavy sedative. Thanks for all the feedback.

I spoke with my doc on the phone and we agreed that the rage was an isolated incident. It wasn't entirely isolated though, but I like to think that if I weren't living in a hostile environment that I wouldn't ever lash out like that.

I still want to get away from Seroquel, but I find it terribly difficult to reduce my dose. It seems more physically addictive than the anti-anxiety "benzos" which I can taper significantly quicker. I'm afraid to increase my Seroquel dose b/c of the T.D. risk.

Maybe its time to start testing new drugs again. I've had some terrifying experiences trying the latest hottest new brain pills. Twice I had to go the ER and a 3rd time I should have gone but didn't have the wherewithal ...too delirious. Call me jaded. I'm really sensitive to this stuff. Scratch that call me PTSD'd.

I wonder if I switched to a different antipsychotic if Seroquel withdrawal - ah hem - "discontinuation syndrome" would be bearable for me.

Has anyone here made a switch from Seroquel to something similar?

Thanks for reading.

JLC
Helpful - 0
1985196 tn?1402190098
Isn't that strange ? I take 600 mg of  Seroquel at night it  help's me sleep and 100mg  morning and that keeps me calm through the day but i take Lithium morning and night too , I get no side effect's i'm aware of . I'm recovering from 3 months' of psychotic mixed state .
Helpful - 0
1985196 tn?1402190098
I think the vitamin B , I had problem's with elation when i take them and i'm also on seroquel .
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You are not alone. Sequeral makes me extremely angry with rage as well. Needless to say I will never take it again. It does not make me tired at all.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I think being in that zombie thick state can lead to agitation
574118 tn?1305135284
very strange i begin to wonder lately whether seroquel becoming ineffective or what else. I have rage everynow and then. But it was seroquel that used to calm me down. However the frequency of my rage rose since I took it. ILADVOCATE says it has an equal potential of sedation as well as agitation. I fear of playing with my drugs. Nowadays I am in a phase of elation bit by bit. Could it be the seroquel or the vitamin B that I took I can't judge it  
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
  Seroquel can often cause sedation but also has
the potential to cause agitation and insomnia.
'it would be essential to speak to your psychiatrist about this.
If you are experiencing any changes while sleeping
if they note these concerns they could run a sleep study
to see what is happening. I had one a while back
and it is an easy to undergo procedure so let
them know about this as well.
  It would be best until things are adjusted
to wait to resolve any interpersonal concerns.
If she is outright abusive then it might be time
to discontinue the relationship. If there is a potential
things could be resolved you could both
speak to a therapist about this.
Helpful - 0
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