dragonfly79 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Hello everyone. I remember when I was taking Seroquel XR 600mg, it helped me tremendously (voices, delusions, mania, and depression) but I could not get up before 1pm the day after taking it in the evening. I wouldn't get tired right away, but I sure did sleep a lot the next day! It sucks because it worked so well for me without causing restlessness like so many antipsychotics do. I could sit still and read, play games, watch movies, and study for a long time back then. Anyway, I am wondering what your experiences have been with different dosages of Seroquel XR as far as the sleep issue/getting up in the morning. Is the IR different in this respect? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax15 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The IR is more sedating. At least with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) I'm on 600mg of the XR (plus a smaller dose of the IR), and for me it's all about timing. I take the XR between 4 and 5pm everyday, and I feel it kick in approx 4 hours later. I then take 100-125mg of the IR and go to bed. I have major problems with "busy brain" and sleeping, but on a reasonable night I'll get about 8 hours of sleep on that combination. So, have you considered what time you're taking the XR? It acts quite differently to the IR, and you have to take into account the fact that it doesn't kick in immediately. The IR can be more sedating for some people, particularly at the lower doses. For me, although I still can't do without a top-up of the IR, the XR has been a life saver (both.for depression and as an antipsychotic add-on to the fluanxol I already take). eta what the XR does mean is that I rarely, if ever, go out in the evenings. If I have no choice and wind up taking the XR at 6pm or later, then I have to make sure that the next day is one in which I can sleep in. Edited June 13, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfly79 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Interesting, Miab. Thanks. I used to take the XR around 7:30pm, then not go to bed until late. I wonder if 800mg would be as sedating or less?? I have heard some people say that they were less sedated on higher doses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) First of all, apologies for all the misspelling in my earlier post. I was typing in the dark at 6am and couldn't really see what I was doing. The lithium also makes me hit random keys and not say what I was meaning to say. It is true, yes, that some people report the higher doses of the IR being less sedating, but that was never the case for me. At one point I was taking 1000mg of the IR a day and that was the only thing that knocked me out enough to get some sleep. I'm useless at the pharmacology of these things, but as far as I understand it, the XR functions quite differently to the IR. My inclination (and remember I'm not a doctor and it's not clear to me what you're actually doing with your pdoc right now) is to say give the 600mg XR a shot, but take it at a more sensible time. If you're using it only at 7:30pm, then it's typically only kicking in close to or around midnight, and it's not surprising that you're having trouble with wakefulness in the morning. Basically you need to count back 7 or 8 hours from the time you ideally want to get up and function, then take the XR 3-4 hours before that. I don't know what 800mg of the XR would do for you. It gave me horrendous akathisia and I didn't last on it very long. This contributes to what I was saying about the XR and IR functioning differently, because I was knocking back 1000mg IR very easily. And sorry, but I have to say this: you really need to be speaking to your pdoc and not making dosage decisions based on the experiences of random people on CB. Edited June 13, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I was on 400mg XR for about 2 years and if I didn't take it before 7:30pm I would be so drowsy the next morning. From what I can remember when I was taking 600mg XR it was the same. I have been taking 800mg XR, for 18 months and it doesn't cause any sedation at all! In fact for the first 12 months I had to take medication to help me sleep, but that's settled down now. I was on the IR version in the past and definitely found it much more sedating than the XR version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I took 800mg of the IR. Now I'm down to 300mg. It is not sedating to me much anymore. Although it calmed my mind enough so I could usually fall asleep. It works so well for mania and depression and anxiety and sleep and psychosis. You are right. I have gained 70 lbs since last August on it though. So my pdoc is taking me off of it and replacing it with geodon. I also take abilify. Anyways, I would try taking it earlier. Or try the IR. I took the IR 4 times a day. But it is generic now. The XR is brand name but it works differently. I've never tried the XR so I can't compare them. Good luck with whatever you decide to try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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