Living with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is not as uncommon as you may think. In the United States, as many as 8 million adults may be affected by this disorder. A bipolar disorder diagnosis may be overwhelming at first; you may find it helpful to work with your health care provider and utilize the tools and resources available.

Impact of Bipolar Disorder

  • Bipolar disorder may make it harder to get along with others and have good relationships
    • Divorce rates, for example, are almost 2 to 3 times higher for people with bipolar disorder than for people without it
    • Holding down a job, completing an education, taking care of children, and managing money may also be more difficult
  • Bipolar disorder may make drinking too much alcohol or abusing drugs more likely
    • It may cause you to take risks that could cause harm to yourself
This site is best viewed using JavaScript and Flash. To view certain content, JavaScript must be enabled and you must have the latest version of the adobe Flash Player installed. Download the free Flash Player now. Get adobe Flash Player
This site is best viewed using JavaScript and Flash. To view certain content, JavaScript must be enabled and you must have the latest version of the adobe Flash Player installed. Download the free Flash Player now. Get adobe Flash Player

Healthy Routines—Positive First Step

  • Get regular sleep. Do your best to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day
  • Eat regular meals and get regular exercise
  • Reduce stress. People with bipolar disorder may find that an episode of depression or mania might start after they have been under more stress than usual
  • Take medication regularly. If your health care professional has prescribed medication for you as part of your treatment plan, be sure to take it at the same time every day. Having a routine may help make it easier to remember to take your medication as prescribed
  • Get help for substance abuse, if needed. People with bipolar disorder may be more likely to use and abuse alcohol or other drugs. This can trigger episodes of illness or make your episodes last longer. If you think you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, talk to your health care professional about options for dealing with these issues

Track your progress. You may find it helpful to keep a Mood Tracking Diary.

Work with your health care professional to develop a plan to help manage your bipolar disorder and to follow your treatment plan closely. Here are a few more resources that are designed to help someone living with bipolar disorder.

  • Helpful tools that may help you gain perspective, track your moods, and work with your health care professional
  • Support and resources from organizations, advocacy groups, and support groups, as well as prescription savings programs
  • Thinking Forward™, a patient support program that offers free information, resources, and practical advice designed to help you work with your health care professional and move forward with your treatment plan

The information on this Web site should not take the place of talking with your doctor or health care professional. If you have any questions about your condition, or if you would like more information about Seroquel XR, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Only you and your health care professional can decide if Seroquel XR is right for you.

Important Safety Information and Indications for Seroquel XR

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis (having lost touch with reality due to confusion and memory loss) treated with this type of medicine are at an increased risk of death, compared to placebo (sugar pill). Seroquel XR is not approved for treating these patients.

Antidepressants have increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults. Patients of all ages starting treatment should be watched closely for worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, unusual changes in behavior, agitation, and irritability. Families and caregivers should watch patients daily and report these symptoms immediately to the physician. Seroquel XR is not approved for patients under the age of 18 years.

  • High blood sugar and diabetes have been reported with Seroquel XR and medicines like it. If you have diabetes or risk factors such as obesity or a family history of diabetes, ask your doctor about checking your blood sugar before starting Seroquel XR and regularly throughout treatment. If you develop symptoms of high blood sugar or diabetes, such as excessive thirst or hunger, increased urination, or weakness, contact your doctor. Complications from diabetes can be serious and even life threatening
  • Increases in cholesterol and triglycerides, and weight gain have been reported with Seroquel XR
  • A rare, but potentially fatal, side effect reported with Seroquel XR and medicines like it is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Tell your doctor if you have very high fever; rigid muscles; shaking; confusion; sweating; changes in pulse, heart rate, or blood pressure; or muscle pain and weakness because treatment should be stopped if you have NMS
  • Another serious side effect reported with Seroquel XR and medicines like it is tardive dyskinesia (TD)—uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, or other parts of the body. TD may become permanent, and the risk of TD is believed to increase as the length of time on and the amount of these medications increase. While TD can develop in patients taking low doses for short periods, this is much less common. There is no known treatment for TD, but it may go away partially or completely if treatment is stopped
  • Before starting treatment, tell your doctor if you have high prolactin levels or have a history of, or are at risk for, seizures or a low white blood cell (WBC) count. An eye exam for cataracts is recommended at the beginning of treatment and every 6 months thereafter
  • During treatment, tell your doctor if you feel dizzy or lightheaded upon standing, or if you have trouble swallowing
  • Suicidal thoughts or actions may occur; tell your doctor if you have thoughts about death or suicide
  • Since drowsiness has been reported with Seroquel XR, you should not participate in activities such as driving or operating machinery until you know that you can do so safely. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Seroquel XR because Seroquel XR increases the effects of alcohol. Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated while taking Seroquel XR
  • Common side effects: The most common side effects are drowsiness, dry mouth, increases in cholesterol and triglycerides, constipation, upset stomach, dizziness, a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, weight gain, increased hunger, tiredness, increases in blood sugar, difficulty speaking, and stuffy nose

This is not a complete summary of safety information. Please discuss the full Prescribing Information with your health care provider.

Indications

Seroquel XR is a once-daily tablet approved to treat acute depressive episodes in bipolar disorder; acute manic or mixed episodes in bipolar disorder alone or when added to lithium or divalproex; long-term maintenance of bipolar disorder when added to lithium or divalproex; and schizophrenia.

Click here to see Prescribing Information for Seroquel XR, including Boxed Warnings.

Please see the last page of the Prescribing Information for the Medication Guide.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Patient photos are intended to be representative of typical patients with bipolar disorder and are not of actual patients.

Your opinion matters to us

In an effort to improve SeroquelXR.com and make sure it continues to meet your needs, we would like to invite you to take a short survey that should take you only a few minutes to complete. Learning more from the people who use the site can help us continually improve it. Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be linked to any personal information you may have provided elsewhere while visiting this site. You will not be asked to provide your name or contact information in order to complete the survey. All survey results will remain confidential, and will be used solely for the purpose of improving the content of this website for future visitors.

Close