Quetiapine 25mg for bipolar

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Hello,

I have just started taking 25mg of Quetiapine and take it at night as it sends me to sleep.

How long will it take to start working? I have been on it for a week and I am feeling quite down. Things are coming into my head that happened a long time ago. Is this a side effect?

Julienne

That's a very low dose - I think you should have started to feel some effects by 2 weeks. Are you on anything else?

Does it make you sleepy?

It's a mood stabiliser to stop the peaks and troughs.

What have you been diagnosed with?

Hello I'm on 150mg at night to help with sleep. I started on 25mg then gradually upped it to 150mg. I've only just started to sleep now on this dosage but I have had Mirtazapine added to this too. Please tell your psychiatrist exactly what's happening as that is a very low dose. I now sleep much better. I wish you well.

Ps I do still suffer from intrusive thoughts and use audible books as a big distraction.

No just these. It has been 6 days. I have bipolar B and am wondering if I am feeling low just as I adjust to them?

Yes it helps me to drop off which is great!

My experience has always been that it takes me about two weeks to adjust to new meds of any kind. And I often do feel worse before I feel better. So, 6 days is bang in the middle of the worst bit for me. Having said that, it's a low dose so maybe isn't quite enough? Definitely worth chatting with your psych if you don't start to feel better soon.

I know with antidepressants you often feel worse mentally until they kick in. But I wasn't sure if it was the same with anti psychotics.

Thanks all. I will speak to my psychiatrist in a week if I am still feeling the same. Feeling low isn't usually part of anything I feel. It's more mania, anger, stress and hopelessness that happens and changes throughout the day a lot!

Hi, I'm also on a low dose (75mg) as I have trauma based hallucinations. Has your dr spoken to you about if you can up your own dose? My GP prescribed up to 4 (two in morn, 2 at night) as I had good insight so it may be worth speaking to them if you feel it's not working.

It worked very quickly for me in terms of hallucinations once I found the right dosage, but I am still a bit up and down mood wise after 3 weeks so you may just have to wait it out as rubbish as that is.

If you're taking it at night take a drink to bed as the dry mouth is awful!

I take quetiapine for bipolar, I personally need 300-700mg to receive a therapeutic benefit - 300-400mg as a maintenance dose in between episode and 600-700mg to treat an episode.

I'm not saying that you will need these doses to see the effect just don't get too disheartened if you don't see a benefit straight away as 25mg is quite a small dose and there is a lot of scope to increase it if needed.

I was on a low does for Quetiapine as well when I took meds for bipolar (maybe 50mg but not sure). On it for 2 to 3 years. It helps me with my sleep, although feel light-headed on the morning. Remember the effect took on from the first night I took it. It's very helpful to maintain my normal routine and help me to get through my exams in uni & achieved my degree. Wasn't able to sleep at night without it at that time.