Quetiapine

[holstenlips]

Hello, silly question but does anyone know what Quetiapine will do? Does it work as an antidepressant/anti anxiety? Im on my first week. its making me sleepy and hungry. I have a constant headache. My anxiety seems a bit better but im still getting the odd panic / also some sort of flashes of despair and giving up type feelings. I see my GP thursday for review so will ask then but wondered if anyone here has any experience. It was prescribed by a psychiatrist btw, who felt i may possibly have bipolar but wasnt sure. I have a lot of mood swings this is true. Also terrible anxiety for last few weeks and some suicidal feelings (but not actions). I have been under stress for a while. I think i am going to be increased from 25mg to 50mg on thursday. If anyone has any comments i would be grateful. HL

quetiapine is an anti psychotic but can be used for anixiety etc and the dose your on would suggest you use it more for anxiety/depression side affects are can make you drowsy very hungry [ therefor weight gain] you could also suffer friom extra pyramidial siode effects [ these are more common in older anti psychotics like haloperidol and chloropromazine]but you could still get them usually dry mouth stiff neck i,m not a big fan of it as an antipsychotic but seen it work well in anxiety/depressive illness,s i,m a mental health nurse.

thanks x2boys. im not enjoying the drowsiness at all. but must persevere.

just been prescribed this along with mertazapine both make you drowsy and both make you put on weight - great...first night of Q tonight...cutting down my other ADs over next two days and will take the mertazapine then

Good luck mulranno. It will defo help you sleep if that has been a problem.

Hi. I've been taking Quetiapine for a while now. I am currently on 150mg but intend to increase to 200mg, possibly more. I'm starting to take diazepam during the day just to cope with my stress and anxiety. I have bi polar and am extremely stressed and depressed at the moment. I was prescribed Mirtazepine a while ago but have been too terrified to take it because every other anti-depressant had made me too manic. They sent me completely off the rails.
Has anyone with bipolar taken both Mirtazepine + Quetiapine? Is it worth the risk or should I just increase the Quetiapine and see how it goes? I really need something to help the depression as I'm struggling to function.

I haven't, but my quetiapine balances the happy baccy I smoke sometimes, and which my mh professionals know about. So it might do the same for the Mirtazepine? Worth a try...

Are you able to 'catch' yourself if you start to go manic, before you lose insight (if you do)? Not sleeping is the one I watch, the quetiapine ensures I sleep am glad to say.