Scary things happening when Seroquel knocks me out

[TheHelpWillCome]

I may sound really strange.  But I'm starting to get scared about what happens to me occasionally.  During the day, I'm usually knocked out at least one time by the Seroquel I take.  Most of the time while I'm asleep, it's normal (for seroquel sleep, anyways.). I'm basically asleep, but I still kind of hear the people around me, and while knocked out, I occasionally wake up for a few seconds at a time.  That's what I'm used to.  But over the past few weeks, several times it seemed like I fell into a much deeper sleep. I was still aware of the people around me, and was listening (In school), but I did not wake up every once in a while. Also, I was completely paralyzed. I wanted to wake up, even tried to wake, but I couldnt. I felt like I was zoning out, and I was numb and tingly all over. Finally, after trying to move or wake up for quite a while, I was suddenly able to. Most of the times, I found that what I was listening to and totally aware of as I slept was what actually happened.  Two of the times, I was very vividly dreaming of what seemed to be an alternate reality of what was happening in the same class, but when I woke up, it turned out that what I thought was really happening was not really happening.  I know seroquel gives you weird dreams sometimes, and I'm used to it knocking me out, but what I'm scared about is the fact that I become paralyzed and cannot wake up, even when I am aware of what is going on around me. When I wake up I am achy all over, and stiff.  During these times, the total amount of time I am asleep is no greater then an hour and a half.  Does this happen to anyone else, or have you had similar experiences?  Is this something I should be concerned about, or is it just more normal seroquel stuff? I've been on it for over a year, and this has never happened before until recently.

[AnneMarie]

Talk to your pdoc about that. A med should not leave you sleeping during classes and it should not make you feel paralyzed. It sounds like Seroquel is not a good med for you. I'd talk to your pdoc sooner than later.

[dreadOHdreads]

What you are experiencing are episodes of sleep paralysis.  I have expierenced them since I was in elementary school, although it wasn't until highschool that I finally found something online that explained what it was.

In a nutshell, your brain for the most part disables your ability to move your muscles and arms 'n legs.  It also moves yourself from a wake state to dreaming.  When this process happens more slowly than usual you become aware of the fact that you can't move.  Since you're in a semi dream state you can get weird sensations, sounds, and hallucinations.

For me, I used to panic.  I would try to scream but I only would breathe harder.  I could open my eyes and look around, but everything was distorted.  I often see shadows walking and buzzing around the room.  When I was little I remember a time where a shadow dinosaur was snapping at my face making very scary noises.  Of course I was scared to death and thought I was going to die.  Sometimes I see  actual people, but somewhat blurred, walk into the room.  Like, I'll see my husband come in and walk around but I can't call out to him.   

So yeah, the Seroquel is probably messing with your sleep habits.  It may go away, if not you can talk to your doctor about it to see if there is any way to help it.  However I learned the best way to deal with it is to educate yourself on what it is.  Then, knowing what all can happen it's important to try to explain to yourself that what you are experiencing is not real and try not to panic- if you panic it only makes it worse.  I've found that as soon as I start to feel that vibrating feeling if I start to try to move and wiggle my body I could snap myself out of it before it became full blown.

Lastly, statistically episodes are more likely to happen when you are sleeping on your back for some reason.  So in bed try to sleep on your side.  I also noticed that it would happen if I try to take a short nap knowing that I had to wake up for something soon.  I think my mind gets more active when I enter sleep when anticipating something, so it triggers sleep paralysis.

[dreadOHdreads]

Tips on dealing with sleep paralysis

 

Preventing and coping with sleep paralysis

Paralyzed at night:  Is sleep paralysis normal

[konings]

Seroquel is not recommended to be taken over a long period of time as the antihistaminergic effect is very strong. For example when prescribed as a sleeping pills it is sometimes alternated with GABA sleeping pills. To me it sounds like it is beginning to cause you a problem.

[lysergia]

Seroquel is not recommended to be taken over a long period of time as the antihistaminergic effect is very strong. For example when prescribed as a sleeping pills it is sometimes alternated with GABA sleeping pills. To me it sounds like it is beginning to cause you a problem.

 

um, no.  i'll leave it to someone else that isn't suffering from severe brain fog today to explain why not.

[lysergia]

TheHelpWillCome, you aren't strange.  i've been through that with seroquel as well.  it's quite frightening and i stopped taking seroquel for that reason.  (i wasn't falling asleep through the day like you are though... i just slept far longer than i needed to and those sorts of things were happening as i was *trying* to wake up.)

[konings]

Seroquel affects sleep most through its antihistaminergic action. Other antihistamines can cause sleep paralysis as well. Its not unknown of that taking seroquel for a long time can leave you with permanent side effects due to its antihistaminergic effects. I would take this sleep thing as a warning that you dont tolerate it.

[TheHelpWillCome]

Thanks for the replies, guys.  From what i've read, sleep paralisis seems to fit it.  Thanks for helping me figure it out! How long do you think is too long to be on seroquel? I looked at the calendar, and i've been on it for more like 2 years. Do you think i've been having these problems because it might be time to switch?  I'm kind of scared to have to change meds, as it took something like 15 different med trials to find something that worked. Now i'm on seroquel and lithium.  What is the life of it, anyways? (how long do people usually take it before they have to switch?)  I'm not supposed to see my doc for another month or two, but if this is a sign that things aren't working any more, I could probably get in sooner to talk to him.

[lysergia]

i'd definitely give him a call for a quicker appointment.  i hear you on the baziliion med trials (frustrating isn't it?  argh).  some people take seroquel for many years without these kinds of problems.  it really does sound like things aren't working well anymore - it's not okay to have to live like that.  i hope your pdoc has some good alternatives for you.  i'm still fiddling around trying to replace seroquel myself (but only for sleep, i replaced it as an AD/mood stabilizer with lithium and parnate - i went really old-school after trying out so many newer drugs.  there's always something left out there to try!).

[dtac]

Seroquel affects sleep most through its antihistaminergic action. Other antihistamines can cause sleep paralysis as well. Its not unknown of that taking seroquel for a long time can leave you with permanent side effects due to its antihistaminergic effects. I would take this sleep thing as a warning that you dont tolerate it.

Citation? I've done a lot of reading and I've never heard this. Both histamine-inducing and GABA-inducing drugs are used as sleep aids, yes, but there is no clinical reason to alternate that I'm aware of. There can be rebound effects with withdrawal, but they subside as your body readjusts.

On topic: I had the daytime sleep paralysis problem from heavily sedating AAPs. I would definitely talk to your pdoc about switching or adjusting your dosing schedule.

[konings]

I know its done. There was a poster on this very same forum some time ago who had gotten permanent side effects from taking seroquel. And taking gaba sleeping pills for a long time can leave your sleep permanently out of place if you stop taking them.

[Luna-]

Konings, can you show us where it says that? I'm inclined to disbelieve you.

[heavendj4]

I had this on the immediate release 1200mg. Prolly coz the dose was TOO HIGH.

On the XR no problems.

[bookgirl]

I had this when I was on very high doses of Seroquel (800mg) and I was in a horrible mixed state. It went away when my dose when down and when the dysphoric mania resolved (due to other med tweaks). It was worse when I slept on my back. 

[A Beautiful Mind]

Seroquel only a few hundred mg makes me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack if I'm behind on sleep but I wake up an hour in to pee or something. Once a long time ago I woke in the middle of the night and was standing over the sink sweating sure I was terribly sick, but ultimately didn't even vomit, which for me isn't "didn't even just", it's a huge thing, I've hated nausea and vomiting since young childhood. The feeling can drive me religious it's so bad. Last nigh was the worst when I had to pee only an hour in and I had been sleep deprived (other story seroquel makes me oversleep to the point where I've been on a 16-32 sleep wake cycle vs an 8-16). So basically on one of those long cycles, I had too many liquids and not enough salt and had to pee in the deepest verge of being asleep. I stumbled outside and felt like I was gonna fall and die, heart pressure high, like a panic attack but more viscerally physical without the mental drive, but still a very scary mental effect, but more of helplessness than an overdrive to run naked into the street. 

I've been on this almost a year now, but definitely not quite yet. I present hypomanic when medicated (bipolar), but off medicine I've gone into deep psychotic depression (more like schiz category). In general I've suffered anxiety in some strong form or another since youth. From mid 2012 into some time in late 2013 I was suffering daily panic attacks, and low dose dependent on klonopin. I know, an absolute no no, but I when I say low dose, I mean the bare minimum to edge off the worst of the attack. 

Anyway I'm heading toward sleep hopefully, just took 200 mg going on an hour, but I'm not behind enough on sleep for a "guaranteed shutdown", which can result in just a real slow helpless period, then an after wind without certain and long sleep. This stuff seems heavy man, and I must be among the worst side affected by it, because it would be very controversial if the "dark feeling" (also can induce depression, fear of ideation, and damn near what I'd call auditory hallucinations-which I've never had yet) were very common. 

I used to take 1 or 2 mg of risperidone, and that seemed pretty good for a while, didn't shut me down, I functioned well starting a few months in, but getting sleep and to sleep was always hard, as it was pre med since a long time. 

I've had deep existential fear several times, including as a young kid I woke up crying wondering why we have to die. It was quite an advanced breakdown for me being probably 5 to 7. Last night as I made it back to bed, heart pumping through chest, I was in horrible existential terror, as if my life had past, and I wanted to ask people to pray for me. The abstractness of time is challenging for me, how you're only time away from it all being over and nothing. And if you think hard enough to lodge a long term memory, you will at some point be dying, possibly very old, and time is all that separated you, and it's all gone now. In line with this, I have a rational fear that I will have intense regret from holding myself back and overthinking through the good years, and not being genuine and organic. 

I possibly have or had and outgrew high functioning autism, asperger's, but like the other possible diagnosis, it's far from an in the bag straight forward case. I still tend toward measurable, objective things. 

Seroquel puts me to sleep stronger and more reliably and with more intensity than a pure antihistamine, so I think I'm being affected beyond "too much antihistamine," though I did hate antihistamines when they were the first line against the panic attacks. Is the physical palpitation and feeling of dire health all a psychological effect, like a panic attack? Or should this be more worrying, as in the risk of collapse and heart attack is more real?

Thank you.  

Edited March 19, 2017 by A Beautiful Mind