Splitting Seroquel XR into 2 doses

[rowan77]

Since my Seroquel XR was increased from 400mg to 800mg I have been struggling with insomnia. At first I thought it was because I was manic but I have been asymptomatic for the past 2 months and  I still cannot sleep without a hypnotic.

 

I was wondering did anybody try splitting the dose taking half in the morning and half in the evening and did you have success with that , as in did your sleep improve.

 

 

[Wooster]

Please don't split XR pills themselves.

 

When you split it, you rupture the membranes on the pill that allow it to be extended release, effectively turning it into instant release.

Edited May 25, 2013 by Wooster

[rowan77]

I wasn't planning on splitting the actual tablets, just the dose. I take 2 400mg tablets at night, so I was thinking of taking 1 tablet in morning and 1 in the evening, in the hopes that I would be able to sleep properly again.

 

It was just a thought. I see my pdoc on 19th June and see what he has to say

[Guest]

I went poking around at the PI sheet for Seroquel XR and I was kind of shocked to find that the half life of Seroquel XR is 7 hours (http://www1.astrazeneca-us.com/pi/seroquelxr.pdf). But then I looked at crazymeds and they say it's 12 hours (http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Seroquel-XRPharmacokinetics). Either way, it is shorter than I would have thought. I'd be tempted to dose twice a day and see what happens. 

 

I did some more asking around and evidently the half life between Seroquel and Seroquel XR are basically the same. The difference is that with the IR, it gets dumped into your system all at once and with the XR it is released slowly. So, the half life is the same because it's the same medication. The difference is in effective half life. The effective half life of Seroquel XR is much longer. This still doesn't answer your question though. If it were me, I'd talk to pdoc and ask about taking no more than 200 mg at night for sleep and take the rest of the dose in the morning. That is if you want to use it to help with sleep. As I recall, anything over 200 mg doesn't work real well for sleep. The lower doses are much better for sleep.

[4ao]

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Edited February 20, 2020 by 4ao

[tryp]

I take half my dose in XR in the morning and half my dose in IR at night - that works pretty well for my sleep.

[rowan77]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Splitting the dose is definitely appeals to me, but I will wait and see what pdoc has to say/recommend.

 

Sylvan that is very interesting information about the half life of seroquel xr and seroquel IR being the same!