Sorry if I'm posting in wrong place but I couldn't see a forum for this med. is there one ?
I was just wondering if anyone was taking this for GAD as my psychiatrist has it as an option got me
Anyone ?
Printable View
Sorry if I'm posting in wrong place but I couldn't see a forum for this med. is there one ?
I was just wondering if anyone was taking this for GAD as my psychiatrist has it as an option got me
Anyone ?
There isn't a board for this med but there are some threads about it on the Meds board. There are some people on here I have seen talk about their experiences with it so hopefully they will spot your thread but I would say have a look on the main Meds board too.
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your problem.
This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.
Hi,
I took quetiapine for about a couple of years for anxiety. Was taking citalopram for depression then anxiety came on too.
I found it very helpful with anxiety. Started off at 25mg and got up to 100mg for a good effect.
I did need a huge amount of sleep though.
I think it well worth a try and you need to get the dose right for yourself. I was desperate and grateful for anything but others not so keen on meds so it's an individual choice.
Happy to give more info.
Good luck :)
Thank you I shall have a browse
---------- Post added at 13:20 ---------- Previous post was at 13:13 ----------
Thanks for the input
I have a friend on it and she swears by it for her anxiety and also my son has just started on it last week he is schizophrenic.
I was offered this but was scared off when they said it was an anti psychotic drug so I opted for pregablin.
The jury is still out at the moment whether I made the right choice or not
If it is the label of it being an anti psychotic that put you off, there are people on another one called Olanzapine on here. Whilst it might be a different one maybe they can put your mind at rest over that worry?
Yes it was, I was in a bad place at the time mentally and the crisis team informed the psychiatrist who came to visit me at home
I can't even remember much about it I was in such a state I just remember her saying it was really good and my anxirty would be gone in days but when I heard the words anti psychotic I just panicked.
Looking back I should of just tried it cos I was put on sertraline ( along with my mirtazapine ) and ended up hospitalised 4 days later
Well I'm going to give this med a try as of tomorrow night. I need to have an ECG and blood test first so if all is well I shall be starting on a low dose twice a day and increasing to 200mg. Also I shall be tapering off the pregablin so I shall just be on mirtazapine and quetiapine.
Rather nervous as Im scared to take new tablets I worry about how they will affect me but I need to be brave and just bite the bullet! I shall post how I get on with it incase anyone else is interested
So last night I took my first 25mg quetiapine. The plan is I take 25mg x2 day 1, 50mg x2 day 2 and 100mg x2 day 3.
I was expecting the drug to make me feel drowsy but it didn't. Had terrible RLS and had a really poor sleep. That could of course be due to my anxiety about taking this drug so hopefully tonight I will sleep better. Apart from that nothing else to report but it's still early days.
I'm pleased to hear that you are doing well and thank you for keeping us updated. Best wishes x
Thank you
Day 2 and took 50mg last night. Did sleep a bit better but was still up early cos once my anxiety sets in I have to get up it won't let me stay in bed ( oh how I miss my lie ins ). Took my morning dose and I do feel drowsy but not drowsy enough to take a nap so I'm just chilling on settee. Still no major side effects to report, just the drowsiness and a dry mouth.
100mg tonight ! A bit nervous but hoping it gives me a better nights sleep. I do have some 3.75 zoplicone but I'm unsure wether I can take it with quetiapine. My CPN is visiting this morning so I shall see if he can answer that.
100mg last night, took it about 10pm and went to bed abt 11.30. Don't recall waking up during the night but my anxiety woke me up about 6.30 am. Still wake up with anxious symptoms and dreading the day ahead. Took my morning dose about 8 am and I'm now zonked on the couch. I won't sleep tho my anxiety doesn't let me so I'm feeling sedated and anxios, not a good combination. Side effects are the same as yesterday but also my appetite has returned with a bang....I can't stop eating !
I survived my first day on 200mg (100mg morning/100mg night). Took my night time dose at 9pm and nodded off on sofa at 10.30 so took myself off to bed. Woke up a couple of times thanks to son not, he had been on a night out. Yesterday I did feel rather drowsy all day and developed a headache last night but nothing a couple of paracetamol couldn't shift. Iv also noticed Iv woken up each morning with a really stuffy nose. I'm not seeing any more improvement to my anxiety in comparison to the pregablin but I'm aware like all meds you have to give them some time to do their stuff so I shall have to just 'wait and see'
Don't know if anyone is reading this bit if not I shall use it like a journal through my quetiapine journey
Yesterday wasn't good, anxiety was pretty high all day. I was all worked up about being on my own today and worrying tablets weren't working. I had to ring the crisis team at about 8 pm just to talk over my fears. I know it's all probably down to just starting a new med that increased very quickly and the reduction in my pregablin but I think I just needed some reassurance.
Took my tablets at 9pm and at 10pm I felt so drowsy I was staggering and had an actual panic attack! Took myself to bed scared stiff but managed to fall asleep. Not sure what time I woke up but it was still dark and my anxiety kicked straight in. Was all worked up about son starting collage today and knowing I'm going to be on my own for about 10 hours.
So now I'm sitting on doorstep smoking my head off and wondering if I have done the right thing adding the quetiapine or should I have given the pregablin longer? A friend of a friend says the quetiapine took a while to work for her but to stick with it as I will be amazed at the changes.....so for now I shall just try to get through each hour
Hi Lan
I am still reading and I'm very glad you are still writing! Hang in there. I'm so sorry you are having a tough time at the moment. You were so strong to make the decision to go down this route, you can do it! Hopefully another few days and the anxiety will start to subside.
Best wishes
T
Cheers
So yesterday my anxiety was bad on the morning but I forced myself to take car too garage( back suspension had gone), I hadn't drove for about 3 weeks and I was totally lost without my car it's my lifeline to the outside world. My main symptoms where the churning stomach and the shallow breathing and of course my worrying thoughts...will I ever get better, what if theses tablets don't work what next..... The usual what ifs
Then last night I got a phone call from my sons ward ( he's schizophrenic ) to say he had ran away, he's on a section 3, I rang his phone and got a shock when a paramedic answered ! He had been assaulted and was mortal drunk. I got a taxi to hospital and what an awful sight to see your son bruised and battered. He had a broken nose and ther decided to keep him in overnight for observations. I left about 11 and realised that from arriving at hospital my anxiety had gone !!! Came home took tablets and went to bed ( took a 3.75 zoplicone) and slept till 7am. Woke up and yes my stalker anxiety was ready and waiting for me....so shall see how today pans out
Well Iv surprised myself today, managed to go shopping with a relative and we even had a bite to eat in a cafe and I didn't feel anxious at all ! We then went to visit another relative....so all in all it looks like my anxiety dare I say is getting under control:) I think the morning anxiety will be with me a long time so I reckon I just need to live with it for now....I can sleep, eat and go out places again so that's a result and I'm feeling pretty positive today
Completed my first week on quetiapine and Iv survived!
Had a nice relaxing evening watching TV. Slept well for about 7 hours when mr anxiety arrived to get me up. Why are mornings so awful ? I dream of the day I wake up not feeling anxious but am starting to believe that's never going to happen .....
My CPN is coming this morning apparently we are going to form a plan to schedule my day. I'm so used to being on the go and working I'm struggling with this daily ground hog day, I just want to be able to be well enough to work even if it is only a few hours a week.
Anyway back to the quetiapine, still making me feel drowsy on a morning but if I find something to do and have a coffee it wears off. I've noticed having a bit heartburn but nothing too uncomfortable. Also my joints are aching but that could be down to a few factors and I am getting older lol. Nothing else to report hopefully I won't develop any new side effects .
Had a canny day yesterday I managed to go to hairdressers and sit for over 2 hours! Last time I had haircut was in February, the thiught of going to hairdressers terrified. I was anxious but I managed to keep on top of it. I also managed to go visit my son in hospital last night, I drove, had a lot of anicipatory anxiety while waiting to go but I managed.
Had horrible heart burn last night and my joints are really aching today told CPN and he's going to pass that on to my new psychiatrist ( I'm meeting her for the first time next week). Still waking up full of anxiety I seem to be having anticipatory anxiety fearing the day ahead I don't think that will ever go away.
Been on my dose a week today
And it wasn't as bad as I expected. I thought I would be like a walking zombie and sleeping most of the time like what other people have reported but Iv had none of that. I do feel drowsy on a morning after I take my tablets so I'm going to see if it improves over weekend and if it doesn't I'm going to ask my psychiatrist if I could try taking 150mg at night and 50mg on a morning or even take the full 200mg at night as it may help with morning anxiety. Another option is to try the XR version which is the extended release. I shall do some digging around about this and see which one seems to work best for people. I have a feeling they will want to stop my pregablin from 300mg to 200mg but I think that is too much of a drop and I just want to get stabilised on my meds and not upset the apple cart!
Well I'm having an awful morning today. Woke up about 6.30 and my anxiety was waiting for as usual. Churning stomach, shallow breathing the worrying thoughts....how will I survive today, what if I don't get better, what if I can never work again !
I feel sedated and anxious again I need to discuss this with my psychiatrist when I see her cos it's a horrible feeling and it makes me more anxious. It quite surreal like I'm in a dream world and would love to curl up and have a nap but my mind won't let me it's like it's scared to let go and let me sleep, maybe it's a control thing.
Yesterday I had another ok afternoon and evening I even managed to go out for a meal with friend but I did rather feel like I was a goldfish watching from inside a bowl. They really don't understand they think because I look ok I must be better and it's hard to explain that I may look well but my mind is a mess....if only they could read it
Didn't have a very good day yesterday I only managed to take dogs out and pop to local shop. I had no motivation and didnt feel safe with the drowsy feeling. I must ask doc if this gets better or do I need my morning dose reduced.
Feeling pretty much the same today and I have a feeling I will get worse as day goes on worrying about being alone tomorrow when son is at college. I don't know why I'm afraid of being alone tho cos he's always floating in and out of house all day so I'm often alone, but him going to college is making me anxious.
I'm going to try force myself to do a bit more today. Go to the supermarket and try make a Sunday dinner I just wish I felt more alert and motivated and could get off this settee
Woke up with anxiety as usual it's like a switch being switched on. It must of been about 6am ish I tried to stay in bed but it wouldn't let me I had to get up. Was feeling very anxious about being alone all day and also having a doctors appiontment
Why am I so scared ? It does my head in I hate it. Sat in the doctors with waves of panic kept thinking I was going to pass out and felt detached from my surroundings. The doctor has told me to stop my statin for a month to see if it's that causing my joint pain. Also to have a vit D test.
The weather isn't helping with my mood today and I can't seem to get on top of the 'what ifs', I hate living like this. Going to see my new psychiatrist tomorrow see what she had to say. I don't think I'm ready to decrease my pregablin yet I'm scared I go to that dark place again
Been prescribed this but am nervous about taking it. I have been prescribed 25 mg. I keep saying I will take it tonight but it never happens.
I started on 25mg x twice a day and was increased to 100mg x twice a day over 3 days. Also my pregablin was reduced by 100mg a day. So a bit of a bumpy ride but in all honesty it only made me feel drowsy when I take my 100mg on a morning
Some people seem to be knocked out for the count but it doesn't affect me that way in the least. Sometimes I wish It would so I could have a nap during the day just to have a break from my worries. Give it a try 25 mg is a small dose. Im going to give it a good go for a few weeks and hopefully when it's settled in my system I shall feel the benefits . I'm going to check tomorrow how long it should take for this and some say it worked instantly and others say a few weeks. I'm slightly disappointed that it didn't work straight away which is what the crisis team psychiatrist said it would. I'm not staying on an antisychotic drug if I'm not seeing any benefit
I have had it for a week so it has taken me a while to pluck up the courage. Have been on mirtazapine, they did help with sleep to start with but unfortunately that has worn off a bit. I have been off work sick for a while now and need to sort this problem soon as I am supposed to be back at the end of the week. So Lan69, How bad is the drowisness upon awaking? I can live with a couple of hours but don't want to be in a zombie state all day!
I've been unable to work since may. I need to go back cos I know sitting stuck in house all day isn't helping but the thought terrifies me incase I can't do it, I can see me having to resign if things don't improve soon.
The drowsiness is normally faded by dinner time provably quicker if your doing stuff. I try to force myself to do stuff and drink a couple of coffees. My sleep isn't that good (mirt30 mg) I can go to sleep ok normally but I wake up way too early still feeling tired but anxious too. So I take my tablets while I'm already still tired so that won't be helping. There is an extended release version which I might ask psychiatrist about maybe that would combat the drowsiness.
Been off work since mid august myself. Got to go back on friday unless I can get signed off further but am going to see how the next few days panned out. Feeling a drowsy spell coming on now, it's horrible. I started off on 7.5mg of mirt. First week was up and down but the second week, I felt a bit better, I was able to go out and do things. It was like a cloud had lifted but then the doctor upped it to 15mg. The first few days were ok, I was still managing but then it went belly up. My sleep started to go bad again, I got heart palpartations(those have eased off a bit now). The doctor said to go back down to 7.5mg but doing that didn't make much difference. I was supposed to start taking the quetiapine last wednesday instead of the mirt but I bottled it and just
carried on with the mirt. I thought if I stay on it a bit longer things might pick up again but they haven't really. So tonight I will have to bite the bullet. That's the trouble with these meds, you keep taking them and wonder when they are going to work.
I started on 15mg mirt for a week, then it was upped to 30mg then 45mg. I struggled on 45mg and sertraline was added. Lasted 3 days and ended up in hospital. Mirt was reduced back to 30mg, sert was increased for a week but it made me worse so it was tapered off and pregablin was added. The first week I felt so much better but it didn't last so it was increased.
After discharge the crisis team psychiatrist added the quetiapine, her plan is to decrease the pregablin so I only take mirt and quetiapine. I don't feel stable enough yet to decrease the pregablin so hopefully psychiatrist will agree with me and let me have another couple of weeks.
I was lead to believe my anxiety would be gone in a few days ! Maybe for some people but mine must be untouchable . The thing that worries me is if this doesn't work what's their next option! I like a plan it makes me feel safer. I'm due back to work next month but that won't be happening. I wish I could stop worrying about it cos I know it's not helping. I just want shot of this morning anxiety then I might stand a chance x
Sorry to hear that. Please try to be a bit more positive, I know that is hard. You may well yet be ready to return to work next month. I feel like that atm, supposed to be back in a few days but the way I feel today, it seems impossible. The problem with these meds are its all trial and error. If the pregablin is helping then they shouldn't drop the dose. I have to agree with you when you are told to take something and it will go away. I didn't expect it to go on this long myself. I can understand if you are worried about it, it's ok.
Took it last night. Hardly slept so back to the doctors this morning
I never slept my first night of taking it. I think it was cos I was scared about what it would do so my anxiety was sky high. I hope the doctor can help, maybe you need a higher dose. I go to sleep ok every night but I'm always anxious cos I know it's going to wake me up in the morning. Surely there must be something available for morning anxiety! I'm giving up hope it will ever go away
I don't know how high they can up the quetiapine for anxiety cod I think too high a dose affects the brain differently. I'm not sure about all the ins and outs how it works. I'm going to tell her I don't like the morning dose I don't like this groggy anxious feelings
Let me know how you get on
Got to persevere with 25mg and stop the mirtazapine. How long until your sleep came back Lan69?
I slept ok the following night, I get to sleep but wake up early
I have to keep my medication the same for the next 3 weeks only change is instead of taking 100mg in the morning I take 50mg in morning and 50mg in the afternoon
Sounds awful having to split it like that, a recipe for all day drowziness
Psychiatrist seems to think I will get used to tiredness in time. I think she is leaning towards stopping the quetiapine and increasing the pregablin. See her again in 3 weeks .
Hope you do get your pregablin upped if it helps. Will try the quentiapine again tonight and hope for better results, feeling shattered
Will your doctor not give you something to help you sleep? I have some 3.75 zoplicone but I only use it maybe once a week just so I know I have one night of undisturbed sleep.
Hope the quetiapine helps you sleep tonight
Hi. I've been on aripiprazole but am about to change to quentiapine on doctor's advise. Do you think I should?
Did get some sleep Lan69. Not as much as I would had liked but it's a start. I do have some zopiclone but would like to try to avoid using them if possible as I only have a few and getting more would be like trying to get blood out of a stone. 23tana, do you find the aripiprazole helping at all? That's what you need to consider. I can't really comment on quentiapine as I have only started and on a low dose