Quetaiapine help

[Cmblue]

Iv been put on quetaipine for resistant depression and anxiety among other mental health issues, iv been on it for a week and am getting terrible side effects, I feel sick, weak, dizzy more anxious. Has anyone taken this medication and had side effects or found it effective?

babette I’ve been on ADs for years, they added the quetiapine last. I’m in the situation where they just keep adding drugs- I’m like a walking sodding pharmacy at the moment.

OP I’m shocked the psych didn’t explain about side effects, especially since you’ve been titrated up so quickly!

Been taking it on and off for years. This time round it took a couple of weeks. It’s worse if you forget a dose!

How are you doing today cmblue? I am having a really bad day and woke feeling agitated and can't seem to shake that feeling. So difficult to know what is the side effects of the medication and what is the depression

Babette I'm having a really bad day today aswell, I'm on edge, can't settle, feel really anxious, I'm supposed to go shopping with my mum and son and my nerves are in tatters just thinking about leaving the house, I also feel really down. I don't know if it's the meds altering a chemical balance in the brain or my illness either,
How are you going to occupy yourself today? I really feel your pain, wish there was a magic wand.

Meant to go shopping as well with DP and son. They have said that they can go without me but feel that would be a slippery slope. It's horrible isn't it. I am grieving the loss of my mental health. I can't believe the difference in me as a person from even a few weeks ago. Let's hope for a better day tomorrow. I am also really struggling to let others in the house know how bad I am feeling. Feel it would freak them out.

Side effects do go away eventually. Just keep taking it as prescribed and your body will adjust. I remember the feeling well!! I'm on 800mg/night but it doesn't really affect me now.

Ye it's horrible, I was pinning my hopes on the quetiapine because iv heard lots of positives but so far don't feel any better, I know I feel so sorry for my son I'm a single parent and feel useless iv had to tell him that tablets are making me this ill. Do you get support from your partner? Did they say how long you have to give quetiapine before you try something else?

Must be very hard being a single parent. My DP is struggling himself with depression but his is not the same as mine and doesn't involve anxiety and agitation.My son is 20 and home from Uni at the moment. We are very close and he is used to getting a lot of emotional support from me which I can't give at the moment. Worried that all this will affect him - he has exams coming up. I have a feeling they will want to increase the Q before either taking me off it or trying something else. How long have you been struggling with your MH? For me it has been a recent thing after a lifetime of good MH so it is taking a lot of getting used to. I feel humbled by people who have these issues all their life. I am finding this kind of pain worse than anything that I have had physically. Feeling very sorry for myself.

I worry about the effect on my son too, he is only 9 but my psychiatrist told me to be open about mental health, I had my first mental breakdown 8 years ago but found mirtzapine helped until 17 months ago when I started getting panic attacks and depression again, they tried me on sertraline but I had a psychotic reaction to it and it's been downhill since then, iv lost my job and my mental health.
Did you have any triggers? Have you received any councilling or any other therapy? Is quetiapine the first thing you've tried?

My triggers have been hormonal ie the perimenopause. I was put on Mirtazapine which helped until I had an episode of hypomania just before Xmas. Now being assessed for late onset bipolar and quetiapine is the first med that they are trying but as we both seem to be experiencing it is not doing much for my mood, quite the opposite. I am also worried about losing my job and claiming ESA seems to be really hard. My son knows about the depression but not yet about the bipolar. I can't imagine how you are coping with having to look after a young child - at least mine can see to himself a bit. Do you have a diagnosis of anything? I am going to summon up any energy I have to do an Aldi food shop. Just hope I don't bump in to anyone I know they would be shocked at the state of me. Hope you are getting through your day.

oh and I haven't received any counselling just support from a CPN who is nice but on annual leave at the moment.

I thought they may have tried you with a mood stabilizer, I have BPD and PTSD my depression is resistant to antidepressants that's how I ended up on quitapine, lithium has been mentioned but I have to try these antipyschotics first.
Good luck with your food shop. I'm in bed but my mums coming to take me out shopping in a bit, I hate not being able to go out on my own. Are you on sick leave, I got ESA sorted as quickly as possible

Yes I am on sick leave just 3 weeks in as I went back to work after my pre xmas episode and I was fine. I have read that even with a diagnosis ESA is often not granted - did you get help with the form? Back from the food shop, it was super busy though so needed lots of concentration which I think helped to take my mind off things. I did 10 minutes on the treadmill as soon as I got back which has helped. I have heard good things about Lamotrigine although my CPN hadn't heard of it and I think I am pinning all my hopes on being allowed to go on that with the quetiapine. It seems like a popular combination for BPD. I hope you mange to get out and good that your mum is supportive.

If you've paid enough national insurance I think your definitely eligible, I did get help with the forms from a support worker tho, yes I'd like to try lamotrigine combo aswell, shop done and had a meal, I feel better for getting out but I'm shattered now, well done for the exercise.

Hope you have a peaceful evening Cmblue and you did get out after all. I feel better than I did this morning which does make me think that it was the quetiapine making me feel like that. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Well I didn't have a peaceful night at all. It is going to be a challenge to get through the day. Hope you faired better cmblue

Babette iv felt bloody awful since I took my tablet last night, I'm up and about but feel so ill, iv got a children's party today and I could honestly cry, what have you got planned for today?

I was going to tackle some housework but I will just be able to lie in bed or on the sofa. I don't envy you having to go to a children's party.Trying my best to be normal for my son's sake. I really do think that the Q has made me feel worse.

I did 45 mins of the kids party now iv had to crawl back into bed. I was thinking the same thing about the quetiapine, I dread taking it now, I don't feel like myself I can tell I'm taking something, the side effects just don't seam to be easing up. Has anyone told you how long until you start to feel better on the q?

I have always been advised in the past weh starting a new course of meds to give it between four to six weeks for my body to adjust to them.
When I was put on citalopram for the first time, my anxiety levels went into overdrive for the first three weeks but then settled down.
I have been on quitiapine since 2015, I find it really helpful, though have learnt that if my depressive symptoms come back, I then have to up my dose again.
150 mgs does seem high for a starting dose, I started on 75mgs and was on that for at least a year.
Maybe discuss with the psychiatrist being on a lower dose?

Room did you have any side effects with the quietiapine? Do you find it works for anxiety or depression? iv read the full benefits it can take 4-6 weeks, and some do say it can worse before better, I'm just having such a hard time this medication.

I thought that 150mg was still quite a low dose and I think that you are right, Room about the time to adjust. Cmblue, I haven't been told how long before I am feeling better in fact I wasn't told much at all apart from the sedative effects. Well done for getting to the party. Is it more the tiredness that is affecting you or low mood? With me now it is a severe low mood.

Low mood, I want to cry and it sounds weird but I feel like my brain is on fire and I can't settle, I wasn't told anything either. I think it is time to adjust but I feel worse than ever.

That is a really good description of how I feel except I would say that instead of a burning feeling, I have a pent up feeling with some disturbing thoughts. Unfortunately, for me it doesn't help to go to bed as that just intensifies those feelings. Yesterday it helped to get out and exercise but I don't think that I am up to that today. I might try lying in bed and listening to the radio. I don't want to sleep in case that makes it harder to sleep tonight. It's miserable isn't it.

I initially felt it was making me worse too. I remember getting quite cross about it in hospital, and if I’d not been there I definitely would have stopped taking it. I’m glad I (was forced) to stick it out though.