Seraquel

[nolan12]

After my son died 2 years ago  my doctor added Seroquel to add to my antidepressants sertraline and imipramine. .  I never took Seraquel during the day because it put me to sleep while I was driving and I drove off the road.  Another time I fell asleep sitting up while my son's doctor was talking to me.  Mortifying.  It did help me sleep with no nightmares and I got up feeling great.  It is very expensive.  First, Is Seraquel  addicting?  I started taking it only at night.  I've been without it for six weeks because of cost.  Is it often prescribed for insomnia? Is there another product that will do the same thing, but affordable (say no more than $60 for a 30 day prescription?

Tank you.

Linda N

[knickfan15]

Nolan12,

  I am so sorry for your loss.  My mother died in front of me from respiratory failure from COPD 3 and a half years ago.  I was 25.  My father isnt around and my brother had a schizophrenic break soon afterwards and is in a mental institution and doesnt even know who I am and wont consent to let me visit, I havent seen him in years.  That essentially leaves me by myself in this world.  Just know you are not alone.  All the meds i have taken have really messed with my sleep and it only makes things worse for me but thats just me, im trying to find a med that works that doesnt mess with my sleep as much.  Try working out or doing something active as it helps me a lot too.  Also writing and listening to music, i like upbeat stuff that gets me in the zone so i dont think about ****.  Also, help people as much as you can, thats the best thing you can do because when you help other people u help yourself even more.  It will get better with time!      

[daren17467]

Hi  im on

[nolan12]

Thank you for your suggestions and sympathy.

[prete]

SO SORRY NOT SURE WHERE I GOT LINDA FROM!!! LOL PLEASE FORGIVE

[prete]

Hi Linda I want to say sorry for your lost. I don't know much about drugs of any kind. However, I do know a few home remedies for better sleep. My favorite sleep aide is yoga or deep stretches. I do about 30 minutes when I seem bothered to the point of being restless. Yoga with soothing music will have you yarning before your done. The next part is nightmares, to stay away from nightmares set up your dream theme. Crazy right but if you just let your mind wonder about any and everything, your not in control. So think positive, watch a favorite movies, listen to a favorite song, or read.

Simple things are long lasting cures. If your like me when I'm suffering I watch tv until I fall asleep. This is the worst thing to do!!! Your not in control the tv is. So if something crazy comes on while your sleep your dreams will reflect it. Keep in mind that silence is just as bad if you cant think positive.

I pray everything works out for you!!!

[nolan12]

Thank you.  My son died of an accidental heroin overdose two weeks before his 22nd birthday and 6 months after his best friend died of the same thing.  My son suffered in and out of rehabs, hospitals, sober houses (where there were plenty of drugs).  He OD'd on heroin many. many times--it was as though he was allergic to it.  I don't know how many times he was rushed to the hospital, I bet 8 or 9 times.  Then, on 6/22/11, I went to pick him up at his father's house, and found him dead on the floor of his bedroom.

I have done a lot of grief work and had 2 years of counseling.
I attend Compassionate Friends meetings two to three times a month.  They are very helpful and I find myself helping those parents who have just lost their child and that helps me, too.  I miss my baby boy very much and so does his twin brother and older sister.  He was a good kid, like so many others getting involved in heroin these days.  We are going to see these victims of heroin at younger ages.  I would like to find a way to help.

Once I have health insurance again, I will go back to one-on-one counseling and hopefully Seroquel.  I miss peaceful sleep.

[Paxiled]

Also, the question about addiction is irrelevant.  Antidepressants and antipsychotics aren't technically categorized as addictive but can be just as hard to stop taking, so that should be the measure, not the label.

[Paxiled]

Seroquel is neither an antidepressant, antianxiety, or sleep aid.  It's an antipsychotic.  So yes, there probably are alternatives.  It helps you sleep as an unwanted side effect, but it is allowed to be prescribed for this off label.  If it helps, it helps, so it's up to you what to do about it, but we all should know what we're taking and what it's FDA approved uses are.

[nursegirl6572]

Hi Linda!  Welcome!  I'm so glad you found us!

As with any medication, we all react differently.  Seroquel absolutely can cause drowsiness, it's one of the most common side effects.  How long have you been on it?  A lot of times, those side effects will start to dissipate after a week or two of taking a medication. It sounds like you've been on it a while?

Also, it could be very likely that your dosage is just a tad too high.  I would recommend talking to your doctor and seeing about maybe making some adjustments and then reassessing the Seroquel after a few weeks.  

As far as your question about Seroquel being "addicting", it's not a medication that typically causes those types of issues for most people, however, it still should not be stopped abruptly after being on it a while.  A taper is recommended for sure, so just keep that in mind.  There can be some symptoms related to discontinuation.

What is your exact diagnosis?  Depression?  Anything else?  Have you participated in any kind of therapy?  While medications can be an important part of one's treatment program, most people find that the real progress happens in therapy, where one can explore any possible reasons for their depression, and learn healthy coping mechanisms.

Obviously, it goes without saying that you have suffered an unbearable loss, losing a child.  NO parent should ever have to experience that, and I'm SO sorry for your loss.  Can you share what happened and how old he was?  

Have you ever sought out any kind of grief support groups?  I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend that.  There are support groups specifically for parents who have lost a child.  

I just recently lost a special friend who I used to work with/supervise, a young girl, 25, who was killed in a car accident.  I'm very close friends with her aunt (also worked with her) and I know her Mom through them.  Their loss has been so heart wrenching to watch, especially on FB, but I've also realized that they're helping themselves grieve.  

They started a memorial page, which I think is very cathartic for them.  They're keeping her memory alive, and expressing how they're feeling.  Tricia, the girl who died, left behind a young daughter, 3 years old, and a lot of their posts are about her daughter, pictures of her, etc.  It's very special.  I'm rambling, but my point of this was to tell you that Tricia's Mom recently started going to a grief support group, and it has really helped her a lot.  I would recommend looking into that, in addition to standard "talk therapy".

Please keep us posted on the med situation, what the doc says, and how you're feeling.  Blessings to you.

[nolan12]

Thank you for your answer.  It was helpful.

[Bubulous]

Seroquel is not addictive and I hate that you cannot afford it anymore as it is a great mood stabilizer, anti depressant, and anti anxiety med.  The sleep you get is not the only good thing about it.  Unfortunately, as of yet, I have not found any medication that works as good for me as Seroquel.  You may have to try a few different meds for your sleep and if you can get a prescription for around 25 mg of Seroquel you can take it throughout the day for anxiety and depression plus the cost will be less.  Also 25 mg, in my experience, will not knock you out or make you a zombie.