Help with Medication question

Question

Simple question can you take two anti-pyschotic medications at once? And if you can is it better than an a anti-depressant for a mixed mood? 
- this is because i am on seroquel for anxiety and sleep and i don't want to come off it but i have the choice of going on venlfaxine or zyprexa so if i chose zyprexa would i have to come off the seroquel. I am being treated for bipolar at the moment mixed state. At the moment i am so confused my doc is changing all my meds round and trying new ones when i just want something that will work. my friend has concerns about the venlafaxine and says it could make my mixed state worse - i am also on lithium.

adel_ezz · Accepted Answer

yes indeed you can mix anti-psychotics, though medicine tells you only one is needed at a therapeutic dose. However those in favor say there is some form of synergy obtained by the mix since each type works differently. Moreover the therapeutic dose mentioned in the drug's brochure can vary from person to another and is not so strict. I myself mix seroquel with risperidone. 

As to using venlafaxine (effexor) it's an AD and there is no comparison with zyprexa. it's like saying better to eat banana or salad, 2 different things altogether.

In general AD's are very bad for the mania and especially for the mixed state. Of course it's a long story, to cut it short AD's trigger mania, rapid cycling and mixed state although at the beginning it looks wonderful but then in a very short time you end up with the aforementioned consequences. Your friend understands medicine better than your pdoc unfortunately. OR fortunately that you have such a friend. My advise search for another pdoc, to me he sounds more of an amateur.

I don't understand though why zyprexa + seroquel. One is enough to get you out from the mixed state with a proper dose.

paranoid_cataclysm · Answer

I don't think they can do a blood test to tell if those side effects I mentioned are going to occur or not or else there would probably be much less people with TD.

freddie8605 · Answer

Thank you so much. I currently take 300mg seroquel but it hasn't done much for me apart makes me sleep which is really important to me, but i would really like the mixed mood to improve so i will talk to my doc about decreasing seroquel to 100mg and trying zyprexa and see what she says. the reason i like this doc is because she isn't all about medication and will give alternative to medication such as supplements which i like. If my bloods are checked will that make sure the side effects will be picked up earlier and so wont get so bad?

paranoid_cataclysm · Answer

You can but it increases the risk of developing neuroleptic malignant syndrome or tardive dyskinesia as well as other things such as diabetes.  Antipsychotics I've heard so far are usually only prescribed for mania or anxiety in terms of mood disturbances or as an adjunct to an antidepressant if one has treatment resistant depression or something of the like.

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