In the evenings I take Seroquel, 100mg, mostly so that I can sleep. I have been on Seroquel for about a decade or so and for most of that time I have taken 200mg. While I love feeling the warm embrace and sedation that comes with a dose of Seroquel, I am acutely aware of the eventual long-term risks associated with the drug. The two main risks are the development of diabetes and tardive dyskinesia (TD). The first one needs no explanation, but the TD is unheard of by a lot of people. TD is a condition associated with uncontrollable facial movements, such as lip smacking/pursing, chewing, blinking, etc... Once TD manifests itself, it is in most cases permanent even after cessation of the medication that triggered it. There are currently no effective treatments for TD; it causes major distress and embarrassment for those afflicted.
Fortunately I have neither developed diabetes nor TD... yet, but I do know that the risk of these complications rises for every year that I take Seroquel. I have tried every so often to stop the Seroquel, but it appears I am entirely dependent on the drug to maintain a diurnal sleep cycle. However, I have never tried going off of it for more than a week at a time. I expect to be awake most of the night tonight; getting perhaps an hour or so of sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
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