Quetiapine/seroquel?

[Maggiemay]

I know what you mean about hangover effect *sigh* to begin with it helped with sleep, then got very active in my sleep, less so now on diazepam, but it's only a short term solution, dreading sleep without diazepam on Fri... xxx

 

[Red Feather]

I took Quetiapin last night for the first time. Is that the same as seroquel? I am in Germany so the med's names are always different. I was taking Risperidon and I told my doc I couldn't take it. And now since my symptoms got stronger he recommended Queitiapin. I slept really well last night. Will see how it affects me ...

 

[Srain]

It's my "go to" medication when I can't sleep or am having a rough time with Night Terrors, it works for me. Sufficient decrease in mood instability.

The issues I have are:

1. Getting the dose right, the smaller the dose the better it seems to work for me.
2. That totally WIPED OUT feeling that lingers all day long with me.
3. Weight gain, that is more likely caused by inactivity than the medication when on such a low dose but can be
caused on higher doses according to listed side effects.

I hope you find relief with this medication.

 

[AngelaMarie]

I have been taking it for a couple of years. They started my dosage way too high, so I went down to between 25mg-50mg and it does help me calm down and sleep.

Good luck with getting the dosage right.

 

[Maggiemay]

Nadia - Seroquel is one of the brand names for quetiapine. :)

Srain - I agree with ur issues with it - am at the lower of the doses psych recommended & just waiting to see impact. Def get wiped out but still active at night :( I've said if I put weight on I will stop taking it!! Dr watching my weight though as worried after I lost a stone in 3 weeks :s think he thinks I have an eating disorder :s

AngelaMarie - because I have a history now of being very sensitive to meds, causing physical issues, I started at 25mg and increased weekly which has helped stop my body rejecting it, its just now finding therapeutic dose :s

Thanx all *hugs*

Xxx

 

[Shellbell]

Today I was given Seroquel to help with severe anxiety. This is in addition to Mirtazapine.

It's good to know most people seem to tolerate it okay.

Maggiemay - I'm glad it's working for you.

 

[matthios]

I... can't believe so many of your (plural) doctors are prescribing seroquel anymore. After the giant lawsuit in '07 where it was stated that the risk for non-psychotic patients far outweigh the benefits, it was suggested that this drug stop being given for off-label use (label use being bipolar and schizophrenia) altogether.

Sure, it may knock you out... it may also trigger NMS and kill you. Or cause permanent neurological damage. Or trick your brain into telling your heart to stop beating.

If nightmares are the issue, talk to your doc about Minipress. If your doctor doesn't know about the use of pressors in handling nightmares, it's time to get a new doctor. It's "new" to medicine wherein "new" is defined "in the last two decades."

If you're psychotic, then by all means, atypical anti-psychotics are not a bad idea. If you don't actually suffer psychotic disorders, stay the hell away from them.

 

[Shellbell]

But are these concerns about the higher level doses or any dose for seroquel?

My doc has prescribed me the 50mg dose, which is very low compared to the 1000mg dose that schizophrenics can be prescribed.

 

[Maggiemay]

I agree about it being about level of dosage. I know people who are on it who are psychotic on 400+mg. I'm on 100, can go up to 20p0 max depending on how body reacts according to psych. Whereas I'm not psychotic it sure does help with flashbacks - if they weren't my own memories surely they'd be psychosis/ hallucinations - I'm seeing/hearing/ feeling things with such realness that aren't there!!!

Xxx

 

[matthios]

I truthfully don't remember the finer points of the study which was cited in the aforementioned lawsuit-- but I don't think it was particularly dose dependent. I mean, they were talking specifically about off-label use. Now for "label-use" it's a 250mg starting point on the low end of meds. Off-label folks take between 2.5mg to, typically, 50mg. The risk assessment was for off-label use (and thus smaller doses), so I'd be VERY inclined to think that even the small doses are potentially harmful.

I know if you dig around things like wiki and webmd you'll find the link to the '06 or '07 study. That *should* clear some things up if you want to go searching.

My experience with the drug in '07 involved being on it for a long weekend at doses smaller than 5mg, getting migraine headaches, being taken off the drug immediately, the headaches going away, and a series of neurological problems starting that in the short term had doctors saying they didn't expect me to live beyond a couple of my months (my autonomic system was misfiring). Most of the "acute" symptoms disappeared in a couple of months. I lost about 20 lbs of muscle mass in as many days, and started twitching and feeling incredibly weak. To date, I still twitch (primarily in my legs)and have weakness issues. I'm not as bad as I was, as I can now walk 20 feet from the couch to the bathroom, but use a cane to get around for longer distances. This started when I was in my mid-late 20s, not exactly the age most people associate with necessary use of a cane. (Well, to be fair, the doctors actually wanted me to use a walker... mmhmm.)

 

[Maggiemay]

:( I may look it up as your symptoms seem similar to what I'm experiencing at the moment :s xxx

 

[matthios]

You should look it up- just try to keep the healthy balance between inquisitiveness and hypochondria. :)

One key piece of wisdom I've gained when dealing with doctors is that there's a big difference in how they take the information if you say "this is something I read online" vs "this is something I read on the drug manufacturer's website" (or citing the actual study). While the former group of things (such as my posts) may point you in a worthwhile direction, they also may entirely not apply. Or be complete and utter BS. But if they DO point you in a worthwhile direction, follow up! Knowledge is power.