Bipolar Support Group

I have been doing better on my lithium I must admit, but my psychiatrist perscribed seroquel to help deal with the psychosis I'm going through and to get some sleep. Only problem now is that when I go to bed I get vivid hallucinations then think the whole family is out to get me. Is it possible this could just be situational or a side effect of the drug? When I wake up I feel okay but just like a complete zombie like life lacks a spark.

It could be the med, but since it's an a-typical antipsychotic it should help with psychosis and not increase it. The zombie feelings the following day decreased after about 3 months of being on it (I was on 200 for 2 years now on 50 mg)

Best to speak to your psychiatrist b/c everyone is different. Beth

I bet it's the seroquel. I was on it for a while and I had hallucinations both visual and auditory. I was on 300mg and very much a zombie. It sucked. I would almost fall down the stairs in the middle of the night when I had to use the bathroom.

Seroquel may give u .. delusions after u take it, or more likely.. crazy, crazy realistic dreams. Thats what ive experienced with it anyways. And, most of it happened when i first began to take it. My dreams arent as long,.. vivid realtistic or anything anymore, rather normal. I once thought someone was hiding in my room one night, i swear on my life i heard and saw something, but nothin. I dont take that much, but my boyfriend takes 300mg and i know he is hungover for the first few hours hes awake, it will really zonk u out. On the upside, it does help with sleep a lot.. and although i dont know first hand i hear its pretty affective for pychosis

I had those same intense hallucinations on seroquel and was on it for a very long time. They were so intense that, well, it was tough eventually I had to get off of it because it was not helping with psychosis. I was also a zombie on it.

Ohfaithful what was your dose? How long were you on it? I know you are going the alternative route now, but were you given a replacement med for it? I ask b/c for me the med works great for my mental well being, but it tends to make me gain weight around my middle. This has been helped since I was reduced from 200 to 50 mg. Beth

I was told it was the "average" dose given, we kept lowering it though and the hallucinatins continued...I don't remember what that dose was, however. My body is just very sensitive to medications, no matter what they are, and because of that I was constantly asking the doctors to give me a "below average" dose to start off and work up to "average" lol... I remember my psychologist at the time saying you are overmedicated and from that point on I just worked on weaning myself.

Hey! Ok i have been on seroquel for lil over 2 yrs now and i still aint found of it but it helps as far as my bipolar, but...i still have a hard time shaking it off, lost the spark as well, even to the sex life its just not there and its like i dont even care for it any more when my whole life i was a complete "nymph". I have tried to get off of seroqeul but the dr's refuse to take me off and when i try on my own to get off of it i cant sleep at all now. I am completely addicted to it, have admitted it to the dr's and yet still they keep me on it and just 'up' the doses! But i do sleep now and im not as quick to lose my temper but i feel ya, at first i had a lot of crazy dreams and still do at times but its like sleep or no sleep...no choice for me, its def something i would talk intensely with the dr about!! I wish u the best

i got about 2 months or so takin seroquel xr it as done wonders for me ..i also get those vivid weird dreams an iv herd things that aint there mabe? wasnt sure really..but compared to what the last med combo did to me im doin much better ..i think any way...

My doctor suggested using seroquel with my lamictal to help stabilize a bit. However, because of the high instance of weight gain and my ongoing recovery from anorexia I opted out of taking it. Most medications have a risk of weight gain, but seroquel causes it more often