Ambien vs. Seroquel

My pdoc won't give me Ambien anymore. I have asked him to try something else and Zolpidem (Ambien) is not working for me. He said I should take Seroquel for insomnia when hypomanic.
Why is Ambien(or class of hypnotic sleeping aids) any more dangerous than Seroquel. I understand Seroquel is a mood stabilizer while Ambien is not, but it seems to me some other sleeping aid LIKE Ambien would perhaps be safer than Seroquel. Generally, Seroquel is not recommended for sleep aid.

NOTE; Last night I tried it and it worked but I am still wondering....

Seroquel is an antipsychotic with mood stabilizer properties while zolpidem is just an hypnotic.
Sometimes when you are hypomanic or manic you are given an AP whit mood stabilizer properties, since it is sedative it also helps with sleep. If you are hypomanic it will improve your hypomania and your sleep.
While zolpidem would only help with sleep but not with hypomania or mania. Actually, sometimes benzos and benzo-like meds like ambien don't work pretty well on people who are manic or hypomanic, or stop working really quickly.

Crazy, inside and aside

"Outwardly: dumbly, I shamble about, a thing that could never have been known as human, a
thing whose shape is so alien a travesty that humanity becomes more obscene for the vague resemblance."
I have no mouth and I must scream -Harlan Ellison-

I am on 400mg of seroquel.

I take it at night and its a godsend to me helps me with some many issues.

Sleep is always solid, 8 hours, consistently easy to fall asleep and stay asleep. No dreams or nightmares.

plus helps me with anxiety, mood stabilization , depression, mania, hyper sexuality ( too high of a sex drive/libido)

Its very calming and makes you feel laid back and relaxed and patient.

improves a lot of other areas as well.

i don't know. on the one hand, i take an 'atypical,' and i find it very, very helpful. on the other hand...

i think too many people are on antipsychotics. they have serious risks. seroquel can cause metabolic problems, weight gain, plus the usual from neuroleptics (movement disorders, akathisia, dysphoria, etc.). and yet...

seroquel -is- usually better than, say, Thorazine or Haldol. so, if someone needs a neuroleptic, seroquel is often a better option than the older drugs or even some of the other 'atypicals.' but...

for just occasional insomnia, i don't see why restoril isn't on the menu. its a benzodiazepine. unlike most benzodiazepines, it -is- potentially lethal in OD, but...15-30mgs every now and then provides restful sleep (rest...restoril...get it? haha! thanks, Big Pharma), and its in the same category of controlled substances (Schedule IV) as Ambien.

the other z hypnotics...I personally wouldn't mess with them if the ambien stopped working. if the insomnia is a regular, ongoing thing, then...

maybe seroquel could be a good option, or possibly gabapentin (that's what I take), etc. etc. etc. psychiatry in the 21st century is largely drugs, drugs, drugs...giving pills to people with problems.

do you get along with the psych doctor? personally, ive found that they can be controlling and demanding, especially the male doctors. oh, and they like it when you have good insurance or pay for the sesison out of pocket, if they're private practice.

but...yeah. when my former psych doc brought up increasing my neuroleptic, i asked about tardive dyskinesia and AIMS Tests (the evaluation to see if you have early TD). he left me alone after that. :-)

Yes, well no drug is safe I suppose. I have tried 25mg of Seroquel and it worked, way better than Zolpidem. I am insomniac only when in manic phase! Thanks a lot to ALL and keep safe!

25 mg of Seroquel is a tiny dose at which it does not act as an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer - it is a sleep medicine dose. Also, scores of people who are not mentally ill take 25 of Seroquel for sleep. If it works for you, feel blessed and forget about Zolpidem which stopped working anyway. 25 mg of Seroquel is a safe dose at which side effects are unlikely.

I personally would also ask the psychiatrist to augment Seroquel with Gabapentin for better sleep.

Seroquel does not start working as an Anti psychotic until 300mg. Below that it is an antihistimine, mood stabilizer and anti depressant for some people. It is good for sleep 200 mg and below. I have taken ambien and seroquel for sleep neither work for me.

If you don't go to sleep right away on it Ambien can be extremely dangerous, people will black out and eat a lot or drive or stuff like that. It's addictive too. Seroquel causes weight gain.

I just tried a small dose of Seroquel for sleep and it made me feel awful the next day. I felt like I was still hungover from taking the Seroquel. I will go back on my Ambien which helps me sleep so much better

As it turned out seroquel is not too good if a person has restless leg syndrome. The only trick is take it hours before bedtime but then it is not a sleeping aid is it.

Gabapentin, taken at bedtime alongside Seroquel, ameliorated the restless legs for me. Another medication to try to ameliorate restless legs caused by Seroquel is Atarax.