[bleululu]

Am really anxious about being put on Seroquel (even though it is my choice) as I have fears of its impact on my body especially seeing as though I am thinking of having children.  Have been on many anti depressants of all kinds in the past and all were unsucessful.  For many years survived on Xanax even though I didn't suffer from panic attacks regularly.  Was then prescribed Valium, 8 x 5mg a day now down to 5 x 5mg daily, which I can't get off.  To be honest it is only just holding me together (some days).  Am really nervous about seeing the doctor and cant stop thinking about the pro's and con's of what to do????  Is Seroquel good for Bipolar 2, as that is the "label" the doctors are leaning towards for me!  Maybe they got it wrong?  So torn at the moment and scared, really scared!  Would really appreciate some feedback.  Seeing the doctor next week!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!!!!

[lilie]

Seroquel works really well for me. I know how hard it is to try new meds for the first time but give it a chance it may work really well for you. If not you can always change meds. Take care

Lilie

[Batou]

Warning we all react differently to meds!

That being said. I am BP NOS, GAD, ADD. Pdoc and I removed Zyprexa from my cocktail and within a month I had a breakthrough depression. She suggested trying Seroquel, even said I might eventually be able to use it as mono-therapy. I titrated up to 200mg. After "passing out" twice in one night, I woke up after taking the Seroquel to use the bathroom, and hitting the floor head first and then face first I am having to back down on the Seroquel. Just my expereince, don't let it scare you.

Seroquel is very effective for sleep even at a dose as low as 25mg. Once I fell asleep I was gone and slept for 10+ hours. Seroquel is less sedating at the higher doses. I have not made it past the daily slugishness but it is a side effect that should go away. Seroquel seems to be a "fashionable" medication these days. However, it can be an effective anti-depressant for many people and effective for anxiety as well. So, it may be a good choice for you, certainly worth a try.

If you haven't already read CrazyMeds Seroquel.

If you are thinking about getting pregnant your pdoc needs to know. But a medicated Mom-to-be usually outweighs the risks of being unmedicated during pregnancy. Check out the Pregnancy board for more info on meds and pregnancy.

Erika

This post has been edited by Erika: 13 October 2005 - 11:32 AM

[sepia]

I'm bipolar something (BAD) with lithium as my primary mood stabilizer. I am however taking Seroquel to promote sleep and augment stability, with an extra 25mg as needed if I have difficulty with anxiety. For me, troublesome levels of anxiety and agitation tend to be part of a hypomanic swing, and are not a standalone problem. Nonetheless, you may find Seroquel helpful. Follow Erika's link for detailed information. Good luck.

[Fiona]

I've found Seroquel good for smoothing over anxiety and helping keep my days relatively even, not to mention that sleeping at night thing.

Of course, everyone is different, but I really do find it very helpful. I take a dose during the day as well, which really does help me over that 'late afternoon hump' stage (around 4:00/5:00PM). And I don't have any complaints, I've taken it long enough and at a high enough dosage, that I don't have trouble with feeling sedated during the day but still have some assistance with nightime sleep.

Fiona

[Min]

seroquel worked well for me, although it was too sedating so i stopped it.  i am apparently bp1/schizoaffective.

my doctor needs to decide what i am dammit D:

[grousemouse]

i have mdd and am on 50 mg a night to help me sleep and help my anxiety. this is the second time i've been on it and find it less sedating during the day than it was the first time around. and it still knocks me flat at night. i do get some pretty wicked dreams. my friend has extreme anxiety and gets utterly horrifying nightmares. so bad that they stopped taking it and now have trouble sleeping.

so, buyer beware.

grouse.

[bleululu]

Firstly thank you so much to those whom have written to me. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with me.  It is so daunting facing the drugs and stigma.  I had given up on anti depressants long ago as non of them worked but I never thought the doctors would put me on anti psychotics as I thought I was "coping".  Turns out I'm not and the fear of the fear is intensifying!

I am still really scared because I feel such pressure to either battle on and up my Valium, which I know is a non win situation, or go on the Seroquel.

I am getting the vibe that Seroquel's side effects, like those on the meds info page, and from what you have all shared with me will make me want to sleep and sleep and sleep.  Naturally I feel like doing that many days anyway because I am going through a nasty bout of depression on top of my daily off the richter scale anxiety. 

I feel such pressure to decide.  I know its my body, but I am planning on having children and I keep thinking horrible things about how I could be affecting a baby.  On top of it all I will be doing IVF, so I'm really scared that those drugs will send me over the edge, or vice versa.  Then when it comes time to have a baby that then I will just totally loose it as the doctors give me statistics of being at high risk for Post Natal Depression.  Double edged sword.  Not even pregnant yet and cant stop thinking, thinking, thinking of all the negatives.  Where are the positives?

I don't tell people about my anxiety and everyone I meet wants to "get together" as of course they have no idea I am so screwed up.  I feel like I am living such a lie.  Like I'm in some kind of soap opera and doing a really good job at changing my personality for every situation.  The one and only person I leave out of the equation is myself, its exhausting!

I know I am not well and I cant keep deluding myself that this is okay, but the decision of drugs or not drugs is really getting to me.  I am not eating on top of everything!  The up side is my figure has gone back to where I want it to be, so I wouldn't want to put weight back on, not that I'm heavy.  Perfectionist - yes!

I just feel so lonely when it comes to what is right for me.  I can't imagine sleeping the days away.  I would loathe myself.  I feel trapped by my brain chemistry.

I am really spilling my emotions here because I guess in one little session last night of a few hours I realised I'm not alone and that the doctors are trying their best, but in the end I have to decide what to do.

I really appreciate your imput and hope to hear more about your stories.  I will know this Wednesday what I will be doing, but as people have mentioned, I could try it and if it doesn't work go off it.  It's just really hard when planning a family.

Well, I have written wayyyyyy too much, but if you have anymore advice I'd really appreciate it.  Some of the wording is going over my head as I am new to this.  I tried a chat site once and it was so confusing.  This has given me time to read at my leisure.

Take care from Bleu, very anxious but "very happy to have found this site".
   

[chimpmaster]

As the other posters have stated, seroquel has different effects for different people.

Some people are "knocked out" on 25mg, whereas some others respond really well to higher doses/

I take 900mg/day for OCD/psychotic depression and for me its a wonder drug.  I am not tired at all on it.  I have noticed when you go through a dosage change you have cold/flu systems for around a week, but it passes/

For long term, daily use, my p-doc at least, feels that seroquel is much safer and more effective than benzos if you have a severe anxiety disorder or some kind of psychosis. 

Essentially, you dont build up tolerance to seroquel.

If your dr suggests it, its worth a try, especially if you needed 40mg/diazepam/day. 

A better regime would probably be xmg seroquel/day and a benzo as required (hopefully no more than 4 times per week).

[sun_zoom_spark]

After taking Valium, Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin I can say that Seroquel beat all the benzos hands down for treatment of anxiety. I was able to decrease my Klonopin dose down to 0.5 mg. at night, none during the day. I probably could have quit Klonopin altogether.

Why did I quit Seroquel? I seem to have an affinity for developing akathisia on anti-psychotics. Started at 25 mg. like most folks for sleep and sleep I got. Ten plus hours a night. Always had a hangover even at 100 mg. where I started to develop some very weird symptoms like I had on Abilify (which I also quit after two trials).

Withdrawal wasn't bad. I cut back gradually over a period of weeks. Now I realize I've never felt better in my life. I can finally make it to work on time every day (sometimes early). Probably due to addition of Lamictal to my lithium intake.

I do have a stash left over in case I lose it but I'm not feeling it and it's been three weeks now.

[Pastafarian]

I just started seroquel for sleep.
I took 12.5mg the first night and didn't notice myself being much more sleepy.  I was pretty tired when i got up but i only slept ~7 hours.
Last night i took 25mg and it made me sleepy.  i fell asleep before midnight and woke up at 11am.  I was really tired and went back to sleep at 1:00pm and napped on and off until 2:40pm.  I do not sleep this long normally, but i did just move my entire dose of depakote (375mg) to night time and i think that's partly culpable for my afternoon sleepiness.

It's 3:40pm and the sleepy stupour from napping has worn off and i feel pretty good, but i will not be able to function if this continues.  I know this is low dose side effects, which may differ from high dose side effects, but i'll keep you informed as to how things go for me.  I'm going to take seroquel every night for the next little while and see how it goes.  I'm also a slow metaboliser so don't be surprised if really low doses effect me in ways they wouldn't effect normal people.  I may have to go back to 12.5mg and retry that if 25g proves too sedating.

[DOWNWARD SPIRAL]

High doses of Seroquel gave me anxiety and panic attacks. This was mainly due to feeling so out of myself, panicing that something was happening to me. I even made a couple trips to the ER, for them to tell me there was nothing wrong. I would get chest pains, numbness, heart palpitations, and much more. It didn't work for me, but it could for you.

[pressmama]

Seroquel has been wonderful for me.  I've been on it about four months steadily increasing but will be decreasing as my symtoms allow.  It has helped with obsessive thoughts and bipolar mania/hypomania.  I take 350 mg at night and 0-50 in the afternoon.  I was having terrible nightmares every night before and now I only have them ocassionally.  So far so good.

Has your doctor ever talked to you about lamictal?  I think there's a discussion about it and pregnancy on the pregnancy board.  It seems to help people with bipolar depression.  I'm on it too and like it as well.  Dry mouth is my only major side effect.