DOSE:

repeated

oral

Pharms - Quetiapine

(pill / tablet)

BODY WEIGHT:

150 lb

I have had chronic insomnia for some time. I don't like taking addictive susbstances frequently, so my doctor and I decided benzodiazepines were not the solution for me. I've tried many drugs for sleeping. OTC sleep-aids (e.g. benadryl) have an opposite effect on me-they stimulate me (mentally, while giving me a drowsy feeling, extremely unpleasant). Ambien only works for me for the first two days. Lunesta gives you an unpleasant taste in your mouth. Et cetera. My doctor had tried many drugs on me. After a few weeks of only 3-4 hour sleep/day, not feeling tired after going to 5:30 AM swim practice and working nights (full time), my doctor was concerned. Sleep being one of the side-effects of Seroquel, he prescribed it for me off-label.

This drug is great, however, it is extremely unique. One thing I have noticed, is tolerance is virtually, in all practicality, not gained. I have noticed tolerance when taken every night for a couple weeks at a time, and I notice I can handle it better than some friends of mine, however, I believe it is more me being used to its effects than some sort of enzymatic or neurological change that gives me this tolerance. It also, for me, depending on what I have eaten that day, usually takes at minimum an hour to begin to really kick in, and peaks usually around 3-5 hours after taking.

I take, on average, 25 mg a day. Sometimes, I take only 12.5 mg a night and still can sleep (and I have pretty horrible insomnia). I have taken up to 100 mg a night, however, seroquel has a relatively long halflife compared to most drugs, and I usually feel groggy for 24 hours at higher doses. The food I eat that day can have a definite effect on the absorbtion of the drug. I believe fatty foods make a difference. My sleeping habits have improved greatly with seroquel-unlike any other medication I've taken for sleep. It is also a great medicine for many other problems.

Exp Year: 2005	ExpID: 50062
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Oct 2, 2007	Views: 26,344
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Pharms - Quetiapine (273) : Medical Use (47), Retrospective / Summary (11), Not Applicable (38)