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Suggest Treatment For Severe Insomnia And Anxiety

Posted on Tue, 29 Sep 2015

Question: 6months ago, due to life stress, I began suffering bad insomnia & some anxiety. My dr rx 100mg/seroquel nightly. It works great, I am usually asleep within 15minutes of taking it & sleep at least 8 hours. My dr thinks I will only be on it temporarily bc my problem is situational and he says I can taper the dose too.

But I am afraid. Is this medication safe? Am I at risk of tardive? What if I have to take it forever?

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (9 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Risk/benefit of Seroquel

Detailed Answer:
Great question.

Seroquel at low doses (less than 150mg a day) is an effective sleep aid with few side effects. The most common side effect is oversedation or morning grogginess. The risks of metabolic syndome (weight gain, high cholesterol) usually only occurs at higher doses. Seroquel does not carry a high risk of EPS (extrapyramidal symptoms) or TD (tardive dyskinesia). It is not likely you will be on this medication for a long time, as sleep issues related to life stressors usually improve as stress decreases.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (21 hours later)

Thank u! Besides grapefruit what other foods need to be avoided. What do I do if I accidentally ate something that contained trace amounts of grapefruit ?

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (1 minute later)

Brief Answer:
Foods are safe

Detailed Answer:
I can think of no foods that would interfere with this medication. Trace amounts of grapefruit aren't harmful, only larger amounts which can raise or lower the level of medication in your blood.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T