nurse.christine Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Hello all, I am curious if Serioquel works for you, and if so, how long it has. I started on 25mg, and have now slooowwwly worked my way up to 100 mg for the diagnoses above. It seems like it will work for awhile, then I relapse back into symptoms. Is this common, or was my dose just not at a therapeutic level for my symptoms? Just trying to figure out why the symptoms keep returning... Thanks! Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Seroquel XR 300 seems to have had a positive effect on my level of anxiety and obsessions. I also take it because that dosage is supposed to have some efficacy in combating depression. But the main reason I take it is to forstall my serious manic episodes. With your doctor's advice, you may wish to try a the XR version which will extend the effect of the drug, if you are currently taking the immediate release version. Caveat: I'm not working right now, and work is often the source of my anxiety or OCD like symptoms. This may explain why these symptoms have waned. It certainly explains why I am so active on this board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Seroquel has been really great for me - I originally started it at 50 mg for insomnia when I was only diagnosed with PTSD. It was later raised to 300 mg for depression and anxiety, and when I was diagnosed "sort of bipolar" it was raised up to 600 mg. I found that at 600 mg it wasn't enough alone to treat my depression, so I added Lamictal and it's been a great combo, but I have found Seroquel to be AMAZING for my anxiety and also extremely helpful for my mood, though I need to be on something else as well. Of all the medications I've ever been on, Seroquel has been one of the best in terms of efficacy and lack of side effects. In terms of dose, different doses tend to work for different things. For insomnia, and as an as-needed therapy for anxiety, doses below 100 mg can be really good. If you're looking for help with depression, as an add on to an antidepressant, generally speaking you'd want to be edging towards 200-300. But as always your mileage may vary - your doctor knows best what you should do with your dose. But you're not anywhere near a high-end dose, so you still have a bunch of wiggle room, and it's not super surprising to me that you're not getting amazing symptom control. When you say it works for "awhile" do you mean that it wears off during the day, or that you have to keep increasing the dose? If the former, you could look into divided doses or trying the IR. If the latter, you might just need to hit your "sweet spot". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurse.christine Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Well, it seems like when I increase the dose it will work for a few weeks, then I get the symptoms back...The pdoc i very conservative, which I appreciate. He said that anywhere from 100-300mg should work for my symptoms, but wanted to try the lower doese first. I am also on 5mg of Prozac daily, and 10 mg of Buspar twice daily. (Had serotonin syndrome 3 times, so can''t go higher on the SSRI.) I am SO worried about side-effects though--primarily the weight gain, as I had a gastric bypass 4 years ago, and have been able to maintain a 100lb weight loss. Has that been an issue for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I don't know how it would work with a gastric bypass - but I've gained a bit of weight on it. But some of it was weight I gained from other medications that I haven't been able to lose, and some of it was just me gaining weight - I wouldn't lay it all at Seroquel's doorstep. Honestly, weight gain is a REALLY individual side effect with Seroquel. Some people gain nothing, some people gain a lot, some people gain a little bit, and the only way to find out what it's going to be for you is to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Your dosage is still pretty low. Seroquel has been amazing for addressing depression for me. But it doesn't do much until about 400mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enlightened_plutonian Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I take 600mg every night and it has worked wonders for my anxiety. I now only get a little anxiety when the situation makes me feel anxious, but not like how I was before when my anxiety was always really high (though for me, I've been told that my anxiety comes from having delusional paranoia as part of my psychosis). So anxiety wise I am doing a lot better now. Mood wise, I used to never change. For 2 years until just recently I was flat as a pancake. I don't actually know why this was as I never got it seen to. But I now experience the full range of emotions, including happy and sad. The change does coincide roughly with me starting my Seroquel so it might be linked or might not. But I haven't had any depression since 2009 so I wouldn't know how Seroquel affects that. I've not had side effects, and my weight has remained the same also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I needed to get up over 250 mgs to have good anxiety relief. I really love Seroquel at this point in my treatment. I was able to lose 30 lbs on Seroquel. It helps to get in bed before the hungry stage kicks in. But everyone reacts differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 "I was able to lose 30 lbs on Seroquel." Awesome, bpladybug. "It helps to get in bed before the hungry stage kicks in." Word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceAndHarmony Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Seroquel seems to be working well for me as well as my other meds. The problem that I always have is that I seem to need a high dose of all meds for them to work consistently. I am currently on 900mg but MOST people would not have to go that high in order to see results. I do have to take cogentin though for the side effects. I also take a separate SSRI antidepressant and a Tricyclic antidepressant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laume Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Wow It just amazes me how everyone reacts so differently to meds based on individuals and their illnesses. 25mg of seroquel is my emergency go-to when I feel a mixed episode coming on - it seems to nip it in the bud if I catch it early enough and shut my brain up long enough to see clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic in Montana Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Seroquel worked wonders for me. It helped my anxiety, depression and insomnia. BUT I gained 40 pounds in 6 months so they took me off of it. Now I'm trying a new concoction of meds that seem to work for my depression but do nothing to help me sleep or my anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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