Antipsychotics with no psychosis

[PurpleLovecats]

Does anyone take antipsychotics for anxiety or similar?

Don't know the answer but bumping for you. I'd imagine it would have to be extreme for them to prescribe antipsychotics though

I’ve been researching and it does happen. I was on antipsychotics because I had a diagnosis of psychosis and the drugs were fantastic. My diagnosis has changed and I’m now refused them. So all my symptoms are back. But research shows that they can be prescribed for different diagnoses so I’m wondering why I’m not allowed them. They literally will save my life if I can go back on them.

Yes, they are prescribed in conjunction with AD for treatment resistant depression. I’ve had two different antipsychotics for that.

They’re often used for people with bipolar for reasons other than psychosis- sleep disruption for example. But there are other options that have fewer metabolic consequences.

Do you feel able to share what your current diagnosis is? Have they stated their reasons for refusal?

Your certainty that they would be the medical solution to your symptoms comes across very strongly. Ultimately they have to make the medical decision on what options sre appropriate using their expertise as they carry that responsibility. Prescribing drugs because a patient wants them without clear clinical need would get them stuck off and rightly so.

My husband took one along with and antidepressant when he went through a very bad period of depression. He had tried a lot of antidepressants and nothing really worked until he took the combo. It worked really well for him and he finally started to get better.

I knew someone who was on these for severe rages associated with EUPD.
There was certainly no psychosis

I have CPTSD, along with that comes insomnia, and I’m prescribed Quetiapine for sleep - without it I’ve got no chance so I can understand how you feel. Go back to your Doctor, or whoever it is that prescribed them for you and be firm.

You are the patient, its your body and you know what works for you, if you are now struggling when previously you were ok with the medication then advocate for yourself, or bring a trusted person along to support you. Keep making appointments until you are listened to - unfortunately many doctors especially in mental health don’t have up to date knowledge and follow guidelines and tick box charts to diagnose and treat rather than noticing the person/patient in front of them.

Take notes with you, ask for your summary care records and explain how being without the meds is affecting you, and ask for a second opinion if needed. And then a third.

Our health are system in the UK is shocking, and very hit and miss depending on who’s treating you, it really can come down to who’s sitting in the chair that day. Although there are some wonderful humans that work in the NHS, I’m not tarring all with the same brush, but with the pressures and cracks in a failing service you really need to make yourself heard.

I would say that it is a clear clinical need if you were settled before and now you are struggling, it doesn’t sound as if you’re ‘just wanting them’ ignore that kind of drivel from others, too many people have lost their lives and or loved ones from just accepting what ‘medical professionals’ say because of an outdated degree and guidelines on a website.

Coming from someone who has had to advocate for herself and her child who would not be here today had I followed a GP and A and E consultant’s advice.

Good luck 🤞

I have been on quetiapine since 2012 for bipolar. I predominantly have depressive episodes and only occasionally having manic, hypomanic mixed, or psychotic episodes.

Quetiapine is licenced as a monotherapy for bipolar depression.

What's your new diagnosis, ehat meds were they, have they prescribed you an alternative. Hopefully they can help you, who has decided you shouldn't have them.

I've also known Quetiapine (antipsychotic) be used at a low dose for severe or treatment resistant depression where there was no psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Previous diagnosis of anxiety, depression, OCD, psychosis.
New diagnosis of personality disorder.

Which type of PD is it @PurpleLovecats?

I work on psychiatric inpatient
often seen quitiapine used for EUPD

I had antipsychotics when I had a diagnosis of EUPD to help with anxiety and regulate mood. I now have a diagnosis of bipolar and they’ve added other things but I’ve stayed on the same antipsychotic as it works for me.

Non specific. I can’t get a proper answer as I requested the psychiatrist report and it states:

“In terms of an underlying personality disorder, there is evidence of difficulty coping throughout her adult life and possibly in childhood. However this was never previously at a level which would have reached a threshold to be a moderate or severe personality disorder. As she was functioning for most of the time reasonably well, especially when family support was around her. However with changes in her circumstances and increased stresses this may now have changed.”

on this basis, my diagnosis was changed. However I have no increased stresses or changes in circumstances.

That’s weird that they haven’t specified which type.

Yep, not even actually stated it’s the diagnosis properly.

I took a low dose of antipsychotic medication for vertigo/labyrinthitis.

They can be prescribed for licensed indications such as psychosis symptoms associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but also commonly used off license for severe anxiety, as an additional drug for depression that isn’t receptive to antidepressants and also for other less straightforward areas like problematic symptoms associated with Personality Disorder or EUPD. They were also commonly used in the past for older adults with symptoms of dementia but that all got pulled back and is nowhere near as common anymore.

I was going to suggest borderline personality disorder would have been the diagnosis as it seems to be the ‘du jour’ one at the moment (was the last label given to my late dm after various ones since the sixties including dissociative disorder, severe depression, manic depression (now known as bipolar) and finally borderline personality).

Maybe we just all have very different genetic bases and environmental triggers and it would be better to treat on an individual level rather than according to the most recent diagnosis 🤷‍♀️

I agree with other posters that you have past experience of a drug working for you and now you cannot access it your symptoms have worsened. That surely should put you in a better position than just ‘wanting an antipsychotic’.

Sorry I can’t be more helpful, just wanted to add my own personal experience and share the frustration.

As an aside, for both my dm and dsis, lithium seems to be the only thing that has been effective and worked for them, although I understand it does come with a lot of risks.

My son was on a low dose of risperidone from about 7 years of age. It was prescribed for autism related anxiety interestingly at 24 he still takes the same dose!

Which antipsychotics were you on @PurpleLovecats?
I’ve had low doses of Quetiapine and Aripiprazole for depresssion with AD but you would probably need much higher doses for psychosis.

I was on olanzapine.

previously been on haloperidol too

My understanding (if you’re in the UK) is that NICE guidelines specifically say that antipsychotics should not be used for more than a short term course (eg week) for most types of personality disorder.

Thanks, that’s very interesting. I don’t believe I have personality disorder but explains their rationale.