Quetiapine for teenagers

Treatment and medication
1

Hi, I am a mother of a 17 years old who had struggled most of her life.

She was bullied at school due to symptoms of Bipolar Disease, because she was acting different everyday. School was a nightmare and just made her self-esteem lower.

She had a psychotic episode last year, and another one this year, in both cases she had to be admitted to a hospital.

The first time she spent 4 weeks, this time she is 5 weeks so far, still in the hospital.

They started Quetiapine 50 mg as initial dose, and have been slowly increasing. She is now 450mg per day, twice a day, but the doctors think she will be in a minimum of 600mg.

I am here to share her experiences and to hear from other people in the same boat. From the beginning of the treatment:

2 weeks on - She seemed 80% better - we were thrilled!

3 weeks on - She seemed a bit lower - we felt a bit disappointed.

4 weeks on - Still low

5 weeks on - the symptoms seem pretty much the same as she was admitted. The only improvement is that the thoughts are not so unclear, but she has visions, paranoia and hear things. - We are desperate

I wonder why the symptoms came back, if she is taking the medicine regularly and the doses have been adjusted.The doctors think it is stress - as she has leave to come home. Sometimes she comes home and seems to be a shock for her. Anyone went down and came up again, after taking the Quetiapine?

Sorry this is too confusing for me, but I would be grateful if you shared your experiences.

Thank you

2

quietiapine seems to have helped me big time. Sorry you have had issues with things. How is your daughter doing now? fingers crossed things are looking up for you

3

Hi my daughter is currently in a unit under asessment as of yesterday it was decided to try her on this drug initiall start at 25mg ( she is only 13) and we will go on from there what should I expect as we are quite worried 

4

Hi I'm 15 and was on Quetiapine when I was I was 14 and In Hospital because of Psychotic episodes that they couldn't control.

When I was on it,  it made me alot worse. Instead of having breaks between the episodes it was like one constant never ending episode.The Visual hallucinations were more distressing and more often so they eventually took me off it and put me on 50mg of levomepromazine which did help. They didn't want to discharge me on it but they didn't have much of a choice in the end.

I hope thiswas helpful & Good Luck smile

5

I forgot to mention that medication reacts differently to everyone and I know alot of people who it's helped smile

6

I'm 19years old and have recently been prescribed quetiapine at 50mg. Although I am yet to wait for a diagnosis I've been taking this medication for about two and a half months. I can't personally tell if it's benefitial or not. The only thing I can tell from it is that from continuing to take it I have gradualy become less affected by the "hangover" feeling. It's still difficult for me to get up in the morning but it's not half as bad as it used to be! Before taking Quetiapine I would wake up rather early (around 7/8am) and be full of energy and according to my friends "annoyingly happy". Too happy for them as they would describe themsevles not to be "morning people". Quatiapine deprives me of this feeling in the morning, also if I'm not to take it for whatever reason, I find it very difficult to sleep without it as i don't feel tired. I can be up until 4/5am. Despite this i would still wake up early (8am) and be my pre-quetipine self. I'm not sure that I'm happy taking Quatiapine personally neither am I sure that I am willing to continue taking it. Just becasuse I'm not able to tell if it's even helping me to regulate my emotions and also because I'm afraid to develop a dependancy with it.

This is my experience. 

7

hows it going with the Quetiapine? Are you still a zombie in the morning? I had to laugh when in another thread was said you have to put on a happy face in the morning. I totally agree 100% when my partner yells at me to get out of bed to help with the kids. I can lie in bed and hear everything going on around me, but its difficult just to open my eyes.