View Full Version : Has anyone had or heard of quetiapine ?
Been on citalipram a few weeks now and doctor wants to add quetiapine 50 mg bit never heard of ot b4 , has anyone tried or on this ?
It's an anti psychcotic ,in low doses it used for sleep disorders and anxiety
It will calm you down and make you sleep like a baby
Doc wants to put me on 50 mg as well as citalipram as not eating or sleeping very well but worried I will be to tired to work next day
Doc wants to put me on 50 mg as well as citalipram as not eating or sleeping very well but worried I will be to tired to work next day
You will be ok Tristan I was on 150mg for a while and could get up for work,take it an hour before bedtime
Was it any good for your anxiety and did you put any weight on ?
Was it any good for your anxiety and did you put any weight on ?
It did help and no don't believe the put on weight stories you will read on the internet.My weight was stable on it,it is a strong drug though and will knock you out at night
Good luck
Thanks x did you have any bad side effects ?
Thanks x did you have any bad side effects ?
it made me a bit dizzy and very sleepy
I tried this at 25mg and just couldn't function, didn't calm me down either, if anything it made me worse but everyone reacts different .... hope it works for you...
Not going to take it
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What are you in now crosser ?
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Just picked these up and scared to take them , might just flush them away
nicola1980
10-01-14, 21:29
Hi why don't you give them a try? I take a low dose 5mg of an anti physcotic, olanzapine, to help with my anxiety and it does help, it made me a bit groggy for a few days but that was all x x
Fed up of trying different things now and side effects look really bad .
nicola1980
11-01-14, 14:00
The side effects for mine looked bad but I thought 'well I can't feel much worse than I do already' and I didn't have any side effects apart from drowsiness for a few days xx
What are you on now ? Fed up of feeling this way now as I'm sure everyone on this site is .
All I get from doctor is try this , take that , up this , stop that .
try it Tristan, no harm in trying.. everyones different. I suffer with cfs so that's probably why I didn't get on with them.. ive just started citalopram and doc says if this don't work then im going to have to go med free as all options of other meds have been tried over the years.. I use diazepam as my back up when really bad...
What's cfs ? I'm also on diazipram when needed and been on cit 6 weeks , have you tried everything else ? I tried venaflaxine and mirtazipime but no good for me :( was thinking about self sectioning and come back better .
cfs is chronic fatigue syndrome.... was on ven for years but then stopped working , ive tried nearly all other meds and the cit is my last resort..
What's cfs ? I'm also on diazipram when needed and been on cit 6 weeks , have you tried everything else ? I tried venaflaxine and mirtazipime but no good for me :( was thinking about self sectioning and come back better .
Don't say that Tristan hospital is harsh I've been there and it ain't pretty
It's worth trying quetiapine although I do think olanzapine is better with no side effects.IF you aren't happy with your doctor change
Are you having counselling ?
I am on the list but long wait , how long were you in there and did it help ? Not taking quetiapine
I am on the list but long wait , how long were you in there and did it help ? Not taking quetiapine
It's rough in hospital I was glad to get out,you are better off with a cpn team visiting you
What are you taking now mr Andy ? You seem to have been on a few ?
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Crosser , hope this one works for you , what dose are you on now ? I have been moved up to 40 mg now but also being tested for over active thyroid as runs in family
What are you taking now mr Andy ? You seem to have been on a few ?
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Crosser , hope this one works for you , what dose are you on now ? I have been moved up to 40 mg now but also being tested for over active thyroid as runs in family50mg Sertraline and 5 mg olanzapine
clare_201086
11-01-14, 17:29
How long have u been on sertraline andy? How did u go on with these?
nicola1980
11-01-14, 17:48
What are you on now ? Fed up of feeling this way now as I'm sure everyone on this site is .
All I get from doctor is try this , take that , up this , stop that .
Im on 5mg of olanzapine which is an anti physcotic and 187.5mg of venlafaxine, the venlafaxine took a while to kick in and get the dosage right but the olanzapine worked near enough immediately x x
How long have u been on sertraline andy? How did u go on with these?
2nd time around 4 weeks so far ,I'm doing ok on it
Very little side effects
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Im on 5mg of olanzapine which is an anti physcotic and 187.5mg of venlafaxine, the venlafaxine took a while to kick in and get the dosage right but the olanzapine worked near enough immediately x x
Yes olanzapine is almost instant the way it calms you down,it has really helped me
nicola1980
11-01-14, 18:24
Olanzapine is the most commonly prescribed anti physcotic for anxiety and panic, i know a couple of people who take it, it worked almost overnight for me x x
I'm going to ask for some
I'd be more willing to try quetiapine before olanzapine to be honest. At low doses quetiapine does not act as an antipsychotic, instead acting as an antihistamine and an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor blocker. This means it can help calm agitation and anxiety, but at the cost of making you feel sleepy. It can also affect your metabolism, making you gain weight.
Olanzapine does this too but it also acts as a dopamine antagonist even at low doses, unlike quetiapine which only acts as an antipsychotic around above 200mg (I think). This means that it can have a number of risky side effects such as uncontrollable movements, jerking, twitching, and cognitive problems. If you go for olanzapine I would try to take it for as short a time as possible, until your citalopram kicks in and you get over the venlafaxine withdrawals.
Thanks for the advice , have you ever tried quetiapine ? Was wondering how long it takes to work and is it easy to come off ? I have been put on ot for sleep and weight gain but still unsure as feel tired enough through the day
I don't get any side effects from olanzapine and it's doesn't impair me cognitively
Quetiapine makes you very drowsy during the day but works quite quickly
Why did you stop taking it mr Andy ?
Why did you stop taking it mr Andy ?
It made me to drowsy at work,I think olanzapine is a better drug
I took it for a couple of months, I slept around 14 hours at night, and another 3 or 4 in the afternoon, if I wasnt asleep, I was falling asleep, couldnt function at all, tried 50mg then 25mg, still the same, had to stop them, I had no life because I wasnt awake long enough to live one.
Is it easy to come off them once you start ? Don't want to be stick on another drug ?
Is it easy to come off them once you start ? Don't want to be stick on another drug ?
Yes easier than ssri to come off
Andrea2607
13-01-14, 21:31
Don't be scared, I'm on 200mg and have had no side affects and they really help me sleep, just take an hour before bedtime.
Don't want to wake up groggy next day as work full time .
So got told off today by doctor for not taking this , she said why are you coming to us for help if your not going to listen to us and take what we give you .
Good point I guess but still not ready.
Starting this tonight to help with sleep , fingers crossed
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Here goes nothing , down it goes 25 mg to start me off , worried much
You will be ok ,drowsy but ok
nicola1980
18-01-14, 20:41
good luck, im sure it will help xx
Slept well and so far so good
Very tired today an bad headache
What side effects are you experiencing?
Dizzy , tired and vision sometimes goes funny :(
Sorry to hear its not helping. Did it help your anxiety in any way though?
Other possible anti-anxiety drugs you could ask about are pregabalin or buspirone. They can be taken with SSRIs and they are not addictive like diazepam so can be taken longer-term.
Stuck in a rut and don't know what way to turn now , only been on 50 for 5 days and was on 25 for a few weeks I know time is the healer but can't stand another 4 weeks like this
Did it help your anxiety though? I would ask your doc for those two meds - pregabalin is meant to be very effective for anxiety. Its a bit expensive though so your GP may be reluctant to prescribe it.
I've had a couple of days of bad anxiety and have been considering taking some quetiapine while the new medication I'm taking starts working.
Hi Tristan,
After much deliberation last night I finally conceded and took the Quetiapine 50mg XL. I don't remember how I felt last time but feel really zonked today and can feel anxiety trying to get in but drugs are keeping it away a little. Got a slight headache and tummy ache that comes and goes. I know that I need to keep with it a couple more days for body to calm down but have to break it today as psychotherapy assessment first thing in morning arghhhhhh and just won't get up.
The sedation can wear off after a few weeks of taking it and also I've heard the higher the dose the less sedating. Not sure how that works! I know 5 days feels like forever when you are living this hell but time can make a difference to how it affects us and I know after a couple of weeks last time on it the side effects did lessen.
Jo x
Thanks Jo , when I first started taking it I did get some really bad headaches and felt and still feel really tired in the day but just power through and hoping for better days , the mornings are hell for me but gets a bit better by lunch time
Only been on fifty since Friday last week and was on 25 b4 that so still early days for us , my body is still getting use to citalipram , the doctor said take 40 but I have gone back down to 30 for a few days as 40 seems to much to cope with .
Take care and stay in touch as to how you are getting on x x
Racing , thumping heart today and weird sensation going through body , is this a normal side effect ?
For the first time in months I woke to my alarm going off :)
Would you recommend quetiapine for dealing with chronic anxiety and panicy/adrenalin feelings?
It has helped , still not where I need to be but fingers crossed x
I have some 25mg tablets. In terms of the 'stigma' of mental health medication, I think I've reached the ultimate level. I've had loads of different antidepressants before, but its the first time I've had 'antipsychotic' meds. The pharmacist mentioned that she would put them into an anonymous package - this has never happened to me with any of my other meds!
I'm still in 2 minds about taking them. I could cut them into quarters to start with just so I know how they affect me...
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Decided to go for 12.5mg around 5-10 minutes ago. I really don't know what will happen, though I do have some spare diazepam if I have some kind of weird reaction...
They seem to dish out antipsychotics like smarties these days. All the antidepressants have failed me be but one of the reasons I am reluctant to ask my GP for a referral to a psychaitrist is that I don't think I would want an antipsychotic medication.
The side effects just sound nasty - weight gain, diabetes, being 'doped up', some rare but potentially permanent movement disorders... ugh.
I agree with you yenool. I only wanted to try quetiapine because at low doses it only affects histamine and adrenaline receptors - pretty much like Mirtazapine does. For anxiety/sedation people take 25/50, for depression around 150 (when it starts affecting serotonin receptors), and for psychosis/bipolar above 300mg, where it starts antagonising dopamine receptors.
The nasty antipsychotics are the ones like olanzapine and risperidone, which affect dopamine from the outset. You wouldn't get me to take them with a bargepole.
What are your issues yenool and why didn't the antidepressants help?
Incidentally, the half tablet I took sedated me and made me sleep but did nothing whatsover for the anxiety. I was anxious yet sedated - a nasty combo.
I agree with you yenool. I only wanted to try quetiapine because at low doses it only affects histamine and adrenaline receptors - pretty much like Mirtazapine does. For anxiety/sedation people take 25/50, for depression around 150 (when it starts affecting serotonin receptors), and for psychosis/bipolar above 300mg, where it starts antagonising dopamine receptors.
The nasty antipsychotics are the ones like olanzapine and risperidone, which affect dopamine from the outset. You wouldn't get me to take them with a bargepole.
What are your issues yenool and why didn't the antidepressants help?
Incidentally, the half tablet I took sedated me and made me sleep but did nothing whatsover for the anxiety. I was anxious yet sedated - a nasty combo.
I have long term depression, social anxiety and some physical health issues too. They all feed into each other. I've tried many different antidepressants recently and pretty much every one of them made me MORE anxious, agitated and generally worse with side-effects.
I seem to have found one that I can tolerate now and my anxiety is a bit better controlled but my mood is still crap and I have quite bad mood swings and deep dips that can last for a week or more.
I struggle with fatigue, low energy and lack of motivation and I can't afford to gain weight either. That is one of the things that puts me off antipsychotics - they all seem to cause weight gain and rarely permanent side effects.
I know the feeling you describe of being sedated yet anxious and it is a horrible feeling.
What are you taking out of interest? Is it moclobemide? I considered that as a possibility but wasn't sure whether it was good for OCD and generalised anxiety though.
How long did you give each med before you decided to switch?
Did you find mirtazapine did anything good?
In my case, a combination of stress, excessive alcohol intake and SSRI protracted withdrawal meant that I my central nervous system is so disrupted that I feel nasty side effects from most of the meds I've tried, or when I try to go med-free I find that my OCD, depression and anxiety take over my life.
AuntieMoosie
13-02-14, 19:29
I'm currently on Quetiapine 100mgs slow release, and have been for some time now.
To be quite honest, I'm not really sure whether it's helping me or not!! :wacko:
Regarding sleep though, my sleep has never been so bad as it is right now, I really am an insomniac now in the true meaning of the word!
When I first started taking it, my sleep was brilliant, for the first time in years, I managed to sleep right the way through the night, which was great, but, unfortunately, that only lasted for a few weeks and now I'm even worse at sleeping than I was before started Quetiapine!!!
Having said that, I don't know for sure if it's the Quetiapine that's making me like this, it may not be, as I'm on quite a bit of medication, some for depression and anxiety and others for physical illnesses.
I'm too scared to rock the boat by trying to come off of the Quetiapine though because if it is helping my depression and anxiety, it's going to hit me and send me down hill and I just don't want that.
This is working really well for me too , really didn't wan to take this but glad I did as eating really well again and fall asleep with out any sleeping pills, I do tend to wake early but think that's my body clock now :(
Been on 100 mg for a few weeks now and not had a great deal of side effects and every one at work has noticed a difference in me , don't get me wrong I'm still not where I want to be but can see progress :)
Never give up. X
What are you taking out of interest? Is it moclobemide?
How long did you give each med before you decided to switch?
I feel nasty side effects from most of the meds I've tried, or when I try to go med-free I find that my OCD, depression and anxiety take over my life.
Yes Moclobemide. It has has done something as my motivation is better at times and my general anxiety/agitation is better. It just hasn't helped out the massive dips in mood.
I gave most the meds I tried at least 6 weeks or so. I know there are those that say you need to give it X weeks before they 'kick in', but my feeling is that if a med is going to have a positive effect you will notice SOMETHING within 6 weeks.
With moclobemide I could tell it was doing something quite early on. Unforunately it doesn't seem to have 'kicked in' as strong as I need, even though I am on 450mg.
The thing I do like about Moclobemide is the lack of side effects. I just had some mild headaches during the first few weeks and after that it settled down. WAY better than all the other meds I tried which made me feel agitated, doped up and weird.
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I'm currently on Quetiapine 100mgs slow release, and have been for some time now.
To be quite honest, I'm not really sure whether it's helping me or not!! :wacko:
Having said that, I don't know for sure if it's the Quetiapine that's making me like this, it may not be, as I'm on quite a bit of medication, some for depression and anxiety and others for physical illnesses.
Have you noticed any appetite or weight changes on the this med?
This sounds similar to the problems I have. I don't know what is caused by anxiety, what is the depression and what is down to the physical stuff / pain I have. I'm sure they all feedback into each other to create a negative circle and it is hard to know what to try and tackle first!
AuntieMoosie
15-02-14, 01:03
Yes Moclobemide. It has has done something as my motivation is better at times and my general anxiety/agitation is better. It just hasn't helped out the massive dips in mood.
I gave most the meds I tried at least 6 weeks or so. I know there are those that say you need to give it X weeks before they 'kick in', but my feeling is that if a med is going to have a positive effect you will notice SOMETHING within 6 weeks.
With moclobemide I could tell it was doing something quite early on. Unforunately it doesn't seem to have 'kicked in' as strong as I need, even though I am on 450mg.
The thing I do like about Moclobemide is the lack of side effects. I just had some mild headaches during the first few weeks and after that it settled down. WAY better than all the other meds I tried which made me feel agitated, doped up and weird.
---------- Post added at 16:22 ---------- Previous post was at 16:20 ----------
Have you noticed any appetite or weight changes on the this med?
This sounds similar to the problems I have. I don't know what is caused by anxiety, what is the depression and what is down to the physical stuff / pain I have. I'm sure they all feedback into each other to create a negative circle and it is hard to know what to try and tackle first!
Yes, unfortunately, I have gained lots of weight. I take my Quetiapine at night, bedtime, and that makes me nibble all through the night!!!
My doctor has never really been too happy with me being on it to be honest, because not only can it cause weight gain but it can also make diabetes worse, my diabetic counts have gone up a fair bit since I've been taking it.
As I said earlier, I'm not even sure whether it helps me or not.........and this is the problem, my doctor really wants me off it for health reasons, but I'm scared to rock the boat :unsure:
As I said earlier, I'm not even sure whether it helps me or not.........and this is the problem, my doctor really wants me off it for health reasons, but I'm scared to rock the boat :unsure:
It sounds like it is potentially doing you more harm than good though?
Maybe your doctor could help you taper slowly for find a better alternative medication?
I don't particularly like quetiapine. It makes me feel really woozy and has gave me some visual disturbances - I came off a medication because of the vision problems...
I used it for 3 months. First I slept very well but not later. And what worse quetiapine 50 mg turned me into a complete zombie. I was terrifying. I couldnīt feel anything except anxiety in the bubble. Withdrawing was awful!
I was on 50mg of this stuff earlier in the year, they gave it to me to try and stop my aggressive episodes and calm me.
Well it certainly calmed me to the stage that I was deep sleeping most of the time, having very vivid and frightening dreams and walking into doors when awake as was so groggy.
I reduced the dosage but nothing changed, it got to a stage where people I came into contact thought I was on heroin or something, by all accounts I looked completely shot.
I didn't even think about the withdrawal symptoms as simply had to get off these as quick as possible and end the nightmare.
I am on a low dose of Olanzapine, 5ml,and far from being a "nasty antipsychotic",it has given me my life back in terms of reduced anxiety.
I take it of a night with mirtazapine,and am on venlafaxine xl of a morning.
The mirt will be tapered slowly in the future.
Everyone is different, and I don't think its very useful to label something in that way.
I have also lost about 2 stone in weight whilst I've been on the ven and mirt,and have not gained any more whilst the Olanzapine has been added.
I've done it by eating healthy.I also have a good nights sleep,and wake really refreshed.
Some of these meds are lifesavers to people,others won't get on with them,that's how it can be with these things.:)
A nasty drug. I was given this to start on 50mg to work up to 400mg. After the first tablet I decided never to take them again. It knocked me out to the point where I couldn't move or speak.
I've heard of people saying these side effects never go away.
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