I've been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder this year and have been put on quetiapine during a high phase.
I have sleep and anxiety problems with my condition, I get anxious and shaky with the high phase too.
The psychiatrist put me on 25mg x2 for 2 days then 50mg x2 for 2 days and for the last 4 days I've taken 100mg x2. I take 100mg in the evening and then the second dose an hour or so before I get into bed.
It makes me drowsy, has helped me sleep every night and I haven't felt too groggy the next day. On the 200mg I'm starting to feel very depressed again. I don't know if this is me naturally falling into my depressive phase or if it's a reaction to the medication. I was as high as a kite only a couple of days ago.
I fully intend on giving this medication a good go but wonder if anyone else has been prescribed this for bipolar and found a dip in mood at the start? Also has anyone found this med helpful and not needed an anti-depressant with it?
I thought I'd add to this that I'm having an anti-depressant added and adjusting well to quetiapine in the meantime. My mood is low so I need the anti-depressant which is supposed to be safe for me under the cover of quetiapine.
Hi there - ive just got back from Doc and have been put on same as you. 25 mg for two days then 50mg etc. Have bi-polar 2 or cyclothamia they are not sure which and only taking an tricylic ant id at moment ( have taken lithuim but had shakes etc) They think th anti d might be causing as many problems as it is solving been on it for 20 years +
To be honest i'm terrified of taking a new drug and always worry myself to death about teh side effects or if it will 'freak me out' I gues thats my problme in general a vivid imagination and racing thoughts. tried lamotrigine a few monthes ag and didn't like it.
My moods are unpredictable and stop me leading a normal life but i like the good moods and don't like teh lows and the fould moods which i get alot. Its liek beign my own best friend or my own worst enemy if that makes sense. Anyway before i ramble away for England. I'm worried but keen to try it and wouyld liek to know how you get on with it. best wishes J
I'm on 400mg of quetiapine now taken in 2 doses. I'm also on 150mg of venlafaxine and just started the slow release capsules 75mg in 2 doses.
I'm very tired a lot but I'm starting on a high at the same time. I sleep every night without fail which is wonderful and I'm not getting any bad moods where I feel angry.
I have moments of feeling really excited and my other half has to ground me with some of my 'great' ideas being unrealistic or just not 'great' ideas really. I have a sleep in the afternoon too sometimes which I'm trying to get out of the habit of.
It's all early days though and I can't say anything negative about the medication at the moment.
I drink green tea too which I'd read could stop the weight gain with quetiapine, and I haven't gained weight.
I think I'm on the down slope again. I had a couple of really bad days and I just couldn't do anything, I was sobbing and just in a black cloud of confusion. I woke on the 3rd day after a 12 hour sleep and felt ok.
Today I'm exhausted, finding it hard to motivate myself to just move.
I'm still having the highs and lows of my condition but expect to for a while.
I'm trying to take my meds at different times to see what's best for me
Im on day 3 of just 50 mgs-i think im an off the label case..( thats for the dsm) but I feel really confused, sweaty and at the samw time want to sleep!! Will this go and please someone , im really worried about the weight gain, not because of appetite increase but because of the chemicals...anyne can they help?
I've been on 400mg for 4 months now. I take it in 2 doses of 200mg each.
I also take venlafaxine that I took at 150mg in 2 doses for about 6 weeks and now just take 75mg in the morning.
I take the 1st 200mg of quetiapine a couple of hours before the second but both of them in the evening. I can't take it in the day it turns me into a zombie.
I'm struggling to get into my usual level of exercise but I am more active overall then the first few months of taking this. I don't find it difficult to follow a healthy diet during the day but really find it hard to fight the hunger I feel about 30mins to an hour after taking a tablet. I drink lots of fluid and have lo-cal hot chocolate to ease the craving. It really is just a matter of ignoring the need to absolutely pig out at night.
I've only gained 8lb since starting taking quetiapine but that's with a really healthy diet and pushing myself to be active.
I'm concerned about the long term affect of quetiapine and weight, some days I don't eat and just have meal replacement drinks, my appetite just isn't there on these days (part of my highs and lows). This medicine wants to make me as big as a house and I've been there before.
My mood is calmer overall with a lessening of the severity of my symptoms. It's very disappointing to still be on a roller coaster emotionally.
I sleep even on days of horrible agitation, it takes time to fall asleep on these days but I do eventually. I enjoy my highs and feel less afraid about loosing control. My lows are mostly lack of movement, a heavy feeling and weepiness. I haven't felt in the depths of despair for a while though.
So mostly positive but I don't know if I will stay on this at the 6 month mark because I can see myself gaining lots of weight and that bringing other problems with it.
Ive been on this for over a month and gained something like 3 pounds! Im not on such a high dose...i now take 50 mgs normal release before bed, and 25 mgs at dinner time. I have had an automatic pilot thing to go and get food from the fridge ( after taking it!) ...I definately think it increases appetite..though my appetite changes and even when im hungry i cant get much in as i fill up easily
Ive got to say after everything thats gone on, my sleeping has really improved and I am calmer..though that might be due to citalopram as well! Had a really off day yesterday and really hurt, but I still behaved. Iam better to mysef thatn before and dont really feel the need to drink. I think it would be too much and , picking up a glass of wine makes me have a panic now!
I dont think 8lbs is a great deal of weight to gain-when the price you caould pay is life! My mum did say \"id rather you were here a bit rounded than not at all\"so that ,kind of puts things into pers[ective.
I had over a couple of stone weight gain from other meds just before starting quetiapine. What I'm doing with exercise and diet would normally make me loose weight even with giving into the odd craving.
It's like I'm making a pointless effort to lose the excess weight only to still gain weight and my motivation levels just aren't high enough.
I have another condition unrelated to bipolar that's worsens with more weight too.
My mood isn't stabilising and if it was I wouldn't even consider coming off this drug. It just seems to dull the emotions with the sedation.
I do agree with you about being calmer and less self destructive, I just want to try something else that improves mood more significently for daily functioning without the massive food cravings.
After saying all this I'm having a horrible day so I'm going to eat lots of chocolate!
Hi stabilization? great name by the way! if it makes you feel any better i ate tons of chocolate yesterday!..But its like a replacement to wine, i have to be bad-everyday!!!Im going through a \"cant sleep crises again!\" Mayb ei should havetaken more last night before bed..Ive not slept the entire night and dont even feel the tinniest bit exhausted and i should probably with all the stressors here!
Hmm, i cant get these racing thought sto stop...how it happeneed, what others must thinkof me, what is going on with my children, what am i going to do about my life, my course, why have i lost all firends( though thats an exaggereation, but partly true) , why does my sister never call me anymore , has she decided thats it because i lost the plot and took too many diazepams, or is it because mum and dad spoke for the first time in 23 years about my behaviour..I want to chill! i want to forget about it-all of it, i want a normal existence! i want to be left alone! And on recollection, i think out of my boredom i goint o complain to the police about how i feel ive been treates. I mean how sick is it to printout lothian and borders police on a nenvelope when you are awaiting a trial date? Then you open it up to find its a ruddie questionnaire about how you feel youve been treated???Thats just sick? Effing awful actually!!!!!!!!! Not once did i use the word that they splashed all over the medi...its my body, my identity, they shamed . They said\"Theyll be a small media report\" it was huge in my opinion! Then thers my history...god hewil get away with it because of my history- i know so! That makes me more depressed, and the fact they too took all cotrol and dignity from me and i cant even im not allowed second thoughts.
god ive a cold, and oh god, i need tostop rambling......I thought id put pn tos of weight, just fels that way..Bellie feels like im 6 months down the line and everything feels massive....Im sad, and I should try and sleep! I need sleep!
I've just read some of your posts. Your posting on every recent thread about your Quetiapine experience and what you say isn't making a lot of sense.
As a person with bipolar I just want to say to you, 'The medication isn't working for you!'
If you're genuinely ill I'm sorry to upset you in any way but you need to go and see your doctor, psych or cpn because your dose is too low and you're obviously really unwell.
I see a Psychologist tomorrow. I took some emergeny normal release tabs yesterday, and had altogether a better day. ( I just find it hard getting out of bed-I feel like a teenager again, as though i want to lie in until 1pm etc) But once im out of bed, im okay! Im not having my shouting matches despite the house being a mess, and other than stomach cramps, im okay!
Im putting the other things that need to be addressed under the carpet for the time being, otherwise ill come out of automatic and breakdown!
I'm glad you had a better day. Good luck with the appointment too, I hope it helps.
Try to talk as much as you can about those racing thoughts, it sounds really uncomfortable for you at the moment. Write some down if it makes it easier.
I saw the psychologist yesterday. It went well, but I found it really incredibly exhausting. Im having a better day today!
Ive managed to see my housing officer and i no longer have to bid , their management team are taking over! Thtas good news for me-and its left me in a scary place, but it couldnt get nymore scarier than last night or the night before that or the night before that. i think its my ex that really needs the help.anti psychotic medication .
hes started a new job, and expects me to do all my \"chores\" Okay so ive not been on top of the world and my standards have slipped somewhat, but I certainly aint a bum like he described me to my girls yesterday. he came in , banged about the kitchen sore at 830 pm \"f*** S***\" banged about somemore, prevented me from getting a drink -juice , and then banged about somemore, swore, banged about until he had finished in the kitchen , shut himeslef in the living room, put the football on full blast, sent the kids to their room , and I was tooscared to go into the living room other than that im fine.
Oh-i do have one question, periods? Mines has come early and really really heavy and really bad cramps-is this a side effect of this pill or is this just stress?
I am so unsure about this stuff! Im sleeping yeah great but waking up is a nightmare. I actully really want to die! i have 2 beatiful children and a cat to put before myself so this is not practical!
This is more like a misscariage than a period. Im clotting day 2 , big nasties and in having bad cramps ...all the way down to my toes. Not been sick yet but think im going to be!11 I know it isnt possible so this is jst a thing ive got to get through-is it this stuff?
Sounds like you've got lots of stressful things to deal with.
Does your ex still live with you? That's not an ideal situation to be in especially if he's not the father of your children.
I can't say if quetiapine affects periods because I had a hysterectomy a while ago and don't have them. It could be affecting yours though, ask your doctor about it.
Keep thinking of what is precious in your life, that's what I do. There are things I have that other people don't and things I don't have that others do. Everyone has at least one precious thing in their lives and that's a good basis to build strength from.
Though really tired today and my mouth is so dry, that i even spat out gross green phlegm and its disgusting!
My ex is still gere, but good news is I saw my housing officer just there on friday and my housing move has been placed in the housing management team, so its just a wait before getting somewhere else to live! But I have my mmoments and last nigth got really freaked out, We live on the first floor ( which is good) When I was younger i was stalked when living in a fround floor bedsit, so groundfloors are no good, even basement would do - but this is the thing, when im exhausted i still se things flashing by my windows etc and like last night it freaked me out COMPLETELY! Im thinking , thats it, everyone is right about me-im am crazy, and then because i felt so scred i started to cry, meanwhile my eldest gets upset about situation , and i m exhausted and trying to comfort her and listen to how she feels and its so trying, whilst the younger one is crying for hours about the fact that whoops i drank her fizzie juice out of desperation bwecause my mouth was so dry! She was not happy with me and behaved desrvingly like a 7 year old should, so i had to go out and but a buig bottle of cream soda!
But that alone , the windows thing and the fear when im on my own makes me feel so scared and lonely and makes me want to numb everything even though im on all these drugs i cant shift it! I cantget rid of the scared feeling!!!!!