Anybody on Quetiapine?

[TroubledGirl91]

Hi everyone,
i have recently been diagnosed with mixed-mood disorder and have just started taking quetiapine and i just wondered if anybody has got any experience with this antiphsychotic?

[adel_ezz]

SURE but give it a little of time

[TroubledGirl91]

Thankyou, i have been taking it since thursday so not that long. I am starting to feel really tired during the day and sort of dazed a bit which i understand to be the effects of these.
My moods still change during the day but no where near as dramatic as they were before i started taking them and i havent had any more mania episodes either.
Do you think my moods will get better soon?

[adel_ezz]

you wonder if anybody has got any experience with this antiphsychotic? i doubt if anyone hasn't tried it. In 2006, revenues from Seroquel to Astra Zeneca amounted to around 3.41 billion U.S. dollars. In 2011 it rose to 6 billions. If the average intake is 200mg daily/person costing some 700-1000 $ /year (based on average cost) then you have some 5 millions at least using it worldwide.

people use it as a mood stabilizer, others for depression a great majority for anxiety, some for good night sleep etc...

as for my own, i was unstable for 7 years - from beginning of disease onset - and the last 3 years almost stable on seroquel, i go to work at least and behave like human beings with bouts of rage but minimal than before

give it a try

[TroubledGirl91]

Thankyou what you said makes sense. I have only been taking the meds since last thursday and i havent had a manic episode since new years day which is a big improvement for me. My moods still change a lot but hopefully that will improve when the meds kick in a bit more. I am going back to see my psychiatrist on the 1st of feb so if i havent improved they might change my dose.

[Bubulous]

Like I said I couldn't or wouldn't want to go without my Seroquil.  No you will not likely "get rid" of this.  It may subside for a while if you take care of yourself and to live a stable life....oh and take your medicine.  I had to face the fact that I will have to be medicated my whole life, and I didn't really like it.  I am still a little unstable even with the meds I am on now.  I became manic yesterday even with the meds.  If it stops working or you find undesirable side effects you can have your meds changed but a lot of us make the mistake of coming off our meds for whatever reason and we set ourselves up to do the same thing over again.  

[TroubledGirl91]

That is a good question i didnt think of that. Will i have to be on these forever now or will i be able to get rid of this condition or will i have this forever?

[Bubulous]

I have never been off of it yet but that sounds about right.  It has so many qualities to it like anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, mood stabilization, and sleep aid, it is most likely necessary to go into treatment.  Anyway just wanted to give you a reply, have no real knowledge about it and I hope they never decide to take me off of it.  Whether they told me it was necessary to go to treatment or not I would admit myself.

[who_knew1]

Has anyone else been told that the only way to safely get off of the seroquel is to go into a treatment facility so that they can monitor you while you are coming off it?

[Bubulous]

Seroquil is a great mood stabilizer anti depressant and anti anxiety med.  When I first started taking it I struggled a bit but it didn't last long.  You may or may not have to try a different med, I would give it time as the therapeutic effects outweigh the side effects.  If it doesn't get better soon (1-2 weeks) talk to your dr about perhaps switching meds.  There a lot of sleep meds and mood stabilizers out there and I hope you find what works for you.

Good Luck,

Larry

[TroubledGirl91]

The hardest time for me is when i go to sleep. Thats when the thoughts take over and thats when i cant sleep and i toss and turn for hours. And then i cant wake up in te morning its a vicious cycle. If this doesnt improve and i need my meds adjusting, how long should i wait before asking my psychiatrist?

[Bubulous]

Yeah it was a scary few days when I was off of it and it took a while for me to stabilize when I started it back.  I am good now with no breakthroughs of mania or depression.

[freebird227]

yes that is a low dose and honestly the lowest dose of any med is a good thing..... when i have more than 1 or2 nights of sleeplessness i reset my time clock with 3/1mg. of meletoin at bedtime..sublingual from gnc....i also use it when traveling as it is very hard to sleep away from home....

[TroubledGirl91]

Thankyou everyone for your  comments. Its great to hear such good feedback from this med! I think im on the lowest dose to start of with 2x 25mg a day, and i havent noticed a massive difference as of yet but what i have notices is i havent had a mania episode for a few days since now which is great.
Bed time is the hardest time for me and i must admit i have been falling asleep slightly quicker but it still takes a while for me to fall asleop.
But i guess i only started taking it 3 days ago so it wouldnt have kicked in too much by now would it?
How long does it take before you notice a difference?
Thanks again.

[freebird227]

Wow... i would freak slam out if i was to run out of my seroquel, please don't ever run out again.. i happen to have a brother who also takes it so worse case i can get some from him if needed~  once our insurance changed and the dosing went from 4/ 50mg @ bed to 2/100mg...same amount but the delivery was different.it took a few days the~ 3rd.being the worse (we were on vacation with family) and thought i was going to make a trip to the hospital....thank god i woke up the 4th day and felt more stable.....sleepless nights are horrible, like you said every once in a awhile i will have a sleepless streak but they are few and far between....usually when the moon is full. why that is so idk....

[Bubulous]

Yeah I have only been on it for a short time but I have ran out before and I can't sleep without it.

@freebird227:
I worry about that too.  That is one of the reasons the military is processing me out (medical board).  Can't deploy to a combat zone if you can't wake up and go straight to work.  Now that I am pretty much a civilian the only thing I worry about is not being able to sleep naturally without it.  The VA fills my medicine for free and always will but Sometimes I forget to call it in.  It gets mailed and takes 7 to 10 days to get here.  If I get down to 1 or 2 doses I run the risk of staying up for 5-7 days and we know what happens then.

[who_knew1]

I have been taking seroquel for about 5 years now. I feel like I have a handle on my mood swings and I feel great. A big downside to it is knowing you will always have to be on medication for this, and it will be hard to get off of it. But I do feel great :)

[freebird227]

i have been on it for at least 4 years now and i have had excellent results with it.....a little tweeking here and there but for the most part seroquel has worked great for me. i also like the fact that it does help with sleep at night. i was concerned at first as to if there was an emergence i would not be able to drive after the med kicked in... if i had small children again i would have to ponder the benifits verses anxiety of not hearing them at night. all in all....i personally love the way it works for me.

[Bubulous]

I have been taking Seroquel (quetiapine) for about four months and I haven't had but a few breakthroughs of mania or depression in a few months.  Plus the added benefit of knocking me clean out when I go to bed.  The only thing that I don't like about it and this is something to look at if you start experiencing this, is it gives me very vivid nightmare.  It is a common side effect of the medicine but the therapeutic effect it gives me is worth a few nightmares