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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Seroquel and alcohol

drug_mentor

drug_mentor

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OK, so tommorrow night I plan on using methamphetamine and binge drinking. I have about 100mg of seroquel and some benzos (namely valium and xanax) anyway, I was planning on using the seroquel and possibly some benzo's to sleep when I get home and I just wondered if there is any danger to mixing seroquel with a large quantity of alcohol and possibly benzo's?

I know benzo's and alcohol isn't the safest combo but I wont take any if the seroquel is sufficient to knock me out. I am familiar with this combination anyway and wouldn't be using any ridiculous doses.
 
In most cases, people being treated for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are advised to not combine alcohol and Seroquel. Taking these two substances together can increase the side effects of Seroquel, especially drowsiness or low blood pressure. A person's tolerance for alcohol may also be affected. If you decide to drink anyhow, talk with your healthcare provider about alcohol and Seroquel, including how it affects your specific situation.


Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Seroquel?
Drinking alcohol while taking Seroquel® (quetiapine fumarate) is generally not recommended. Combining the two can increase the chance and severity of several Seroquel side effects. In addition, many people with mental illness are advised to avoid alcohol.

The Link Between Alcohol and Seroquel Side Effects
Drinking alcohol may increase your risk of certain side effects of Seroquel, such as drowsiness or low blood pressure (when sitting or standing up). You may also be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol if you are taking the drug. Also, you may not be able to safely drink as much alcohol as you are used to drinking in the past.

Seroquel is approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is typically best for people with these mental illnesses to avoid alcohol, as it may worsen mental illness and is often a form of "self-medication."

Talking With Your Healthcare Provider About Alcohol and Seroquel
Although people are typically advised not to combine alcohol and Seroquel, you should not be afraid to discuss your alcohol consumption with your healthcare provider if taking the drug. Together, you and your healthcare provider can make a shared decision about Seroquel and alcohol that is right for your particular situation. If you do drink and need to stop, your healthcare provider can suggest ways to help you with this. http://bipolar-disorder.emedtv.com/seroquel/alcohol-and-seroquel.html


Hopefully that helped :)
 
bumping this old thread :D

recently i've been taking seroquel for sunday nights after binging on meth all weekends to knock my self out for a good sleep. Been taking 25mg short release ones and sometimes 200mg xr's.

My question is. These seroquels are not prescribed to me, nore do i have any known mental problem. I am only taking em to knock my self out from the bender and have a nice sleep.

Is there any side effects from taking this medication like this for someone thats not diagnosed with schizo/mento illness?
 
There is a very small,practicly infinitesimal risk of neuroleptic malignant syndrome whenever you take something with dopamine blockade. Sedation and maybe some lightheadedness when sitting and standing are the more common side effects. All the time usage has a lot more riskks and effects like metabolic syndrome and some chance of tardive dyskinesia. As anti-psychotics are not fun I'd choose an antihistamine over an ap as a wind down unless I needed some ap effect. Sometimes you go with what is available though.
 
If you have schizophrenia you really might want to reconsider doing meth in the first place, I seen that combo kick people into a psychotic episode more than once.
 
As the OP of this thread I would like to clarify I was not and have never been prescribed seroquel for psychiatric purposes and only ever used to to assist me in sleeping. I have found it particularly useful after methamphetamine as it is a dopamine antagonist.

I am fairly certain headdah who bumped this thread is using seroquel purely for sleeping purposes, and does not suffer from schizophrenia or related psychiatric illness.
 
I would also like to know if there are any long term side effects for an alcoholic taking 100mg a night to even out mood swings?
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Taking these two substances together can increase the side effects of Seroquel, especially drowsiness or low blood pressure. A person's tolerance for alcohol may also be affected.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I was told by my doctor, after I saw a warning on my box of Seroquel saying "limit alcohol" and I asked him about it. I don't take Seroquel for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder - I take it to help me sleep, as I have severe insomnia.
 
How does that work? I have been taking it for mood swings and has been working brilliantly.

I find by itself it won't put me to sleep that well but with a couple of beers beforehand I will be out like a light.
 
^ What dose of Seroquel are you on? Seroquel is a very sedating drug (especially with its histamine antagonist properties), and I find 100-200mg's is usually enough to make me fall asleep. Some people can fall asleep on less. But if you experience manic-like symptoms with your mood swings, that same dose probably won't be as sedating for you. When I used to do meth, I'd need a much larger dose of Seroquel to sedate me.
 
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I've been on Seroquel for about 8 years.I got Tardive Dyskinesia after about two years.I didn't know what it was at first.My tongue goes to the upper right side of my mouth constantly,I also make biting motions.If I had known of the chance of this I would never have taken this drug.Astra-Zeneca was under-reporting side effects for a long time.I read several FDA reports threatening to pull it off the market if they did not report side effects.Also ,can cause extreme weight gain,diabetes,hypoglycemia.Anti psychotics all have severe side effects.If you haven't gotten any yet,I would advise going off and finding something else less harmful.The chance of getting side effects goes up the longer you take it.
 
adicabrady said:
I've been on Seroquel for about 8 years.I got Tardive Dyskinesia after about two years.I didn't know what it was at first.My tongue goes to the upper right side of my mouth constantly,I also make biting motions.If I had known of the chance of this I would never have taken this drug.Astra-Zeneca was under-reporting side effects for a long time.I read several FDA reports threatening to pull it off the market if they did not report side effects.Also ,can cause extreme weight gain,diabetes,hypoglycemia.Anti psychotics all have severe side effects.If you haven't gotten any yet,I would advise going off and finding something else less harmful.The chance of getting side effects goes up the longer you take it.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Seroquel. I always thought atypical anti-psychotics like Seroquel were relatively safe compared to the older typical anti-psychotics like Thorazine and Haldol. This is the first time I've heard of someone developing TD from Seroquel.
 
Like Enki said I would choose an Antihistimine over an Antipsychotic especially when it comes to combo'ing with alcohol. And try to avoid anti-psychotics if at all possible unless you really need them. The side effects are really harsh during the later years of life.
 
Yuck. I remember the first (and only) time I took Seroquel.
Was in high school and a girl sold me some. I took a whole tablet when I got home from school. Was sitting in front of the computer and suddenly weighed 1,000 pounds and it was hard to get up. I almost tripped out in front of my parents. I went to lie down and slept soundly. Woke up feeling light headed. God, this was back in 2002.

Wasn't fun at all. A dopamine receptor antagonist sounds unpleasant anyway. This drug is obviously very helpful for those with certain conditions, but recreational use? YUCK
 
Seroquel & alcohol is definitely a less dangerous combination than Benzos & alcohol. I combine alcohol, Seroquel, & Benzos all the time & I've never had any problems with it thus far... Of course, I'd still recommend people be careful with combining Benzos & alcohol. None of the doctors that have prescribed me Seroquel have ever given me any "don't drink while taking this" speech, a speech which I've of course heard a few times at least from doctors about my Klonopin & Xanax. My Seroquel bottle does have the same little warning as my Benzo prescription bottles though that says something to the effect of "May cause drowsiness, alcohol may intensify this effect..."

In short, I'd say it's probably best to be a bit careful about combining the two, but overall you should really be fine.
 
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