seroquel/ quetiapine

[Guest penny0305]

I've been changed from risperidone to seroquel this week by psychiatrist because my prolactin levels were too high. It's only a tiny dose 50mg and I took first one last night. I've had the most horrendous nightmares and feel awful. My anxiety is through the roof and I am checking and grinding my teeth more than ever which is my main ocd theme.I am scared. I thought they were meant to be sedating but I feel worse than ever. I feel groggy but horribly panicky. Does anyone know if this wears off and if they help. Risperidone made a massive difference when I first started taking them but then suddenly stopped working.psychiatrist said he would have just upped the risperidone dose normally but because of the prolactin he had to change it to a different antipsychotic. Nothing ever seems to work. IM at the point of completely giving up now. Can't go on like this. I'm in so much pain with my teeth and I can't stop messing with them.given up.hope that. Anything is going to make a. difference. I'm in such a state I can't engage properly with cbt and don't feel it's helping at all. Does it ever get any better

[Guest DarkSyn3rgy]

Seroquel wiped me out completely, I used to take a half a 50mg tablet to help calm me down, within 20 minutes I couldn't stay awake, they build up in your system quite quickly though and the effect doesn't seem as strong a couple of days in, perhaps the effects on you will subside in the next couple of days. Have you been to the dentist? Perhaps they can make you up a dental guard to wear during sleep. Good luck and try to find some calm.

[Guest penny0305]

Hi.thanks for replying.I hope the effects do wear off. I just want them to work so my compulsions lessen.I do have a mouthguard thing but it doesn't help. I've always ground my teeth in my sleep but about two years ago after some bad dental work I developed a bad obsession with my teeth and now grind them compulsively.during the day too checking for sharp bits and problems. I think I'm noticing things that have probably always been there but once I've noticed them I can't leave them alone.it's driving me crazy.it's got so bad and I've done so much damage my dentist has made me a guard to wear during the day that other people can't see. It's ok if I wear it but as soon as I take it out I start checking again. I had it under control for a bit on the risperidone but it's terrible now. I just can't resist the compulsion and I'm scared. I just hope the seroquel help me like the risperidone did at first because my life is hell. It's on my mind constantly and it feels.hopeless now. If it wasn't.for my family I'd just end it now. Sorry to moan, I just feel alone and terrified x

[Guest DarkSyn3rgy]

The last thing you are is alone. You're not moaning, you are in pain, it's really good that we have forums like this filled with people that care about each other. It sounds good that you have a guard during the day. There are always options, give the seroquel a few more days and see how you progress. Just take each little moment at a time. You have been better before and you can be better again. Sending you some calming thoughts.

[Guest penny0305]

Hi.thanks for replying.just feel desperate now. I've taken the seroquel two nights now and feel worse.constant intrusive thoughts and compulsions worse than ever.I've lost hope that anything will make me feel better. I don't know.if they have to.build up in your system to have any effect but so far I just feel worse.it all feels totally hopeless now.

[Guest DarkSyn3rgy]

Do you have a mindfulness meditation that you can listen too? I find that it helps me when I my anxiety is really high (it actually helps anytime). How many days are you going to give them before revisiting your doctor? I think having a plan in mind might help you to give them time to settle in. Everyone has a different reaction to these drugs, for me 2 or 3 days they started to lessen in effect. I think you should try and give them at least a few more days in which time you may start feeling better. It's important to try and keep yourself busy. When you can feeling yourself getting strung out turn it around and get active. You can do it

[Guest penny0305]

Nothing seems to be helping.feel like I'm going out of my mind. The anxiety is worse than it's ever been. I thought seroquel were meant to be calming. My compulsions are out of control. I really don't know how much more I can take.I know everyone says cbt is the best thing for ocd but I'm.so bad I can't concentrate and take it In.just want it all to stop but it's not going to

[Guest DarkSyn3rgy]

This time will pass, we suffer differently but I can relate to your pain. I hope you can get some relief soon, part of it comes from the medication but the hard part comes from us. You can do this, I know you can.

Do you feel the worst in the morning or at night. My worst stage is in the morning and last most of the day, I have to start early to calm myself down by the afternoon. Not that I'm feeling 100% better then but it's easier to function.

OCD makes you feel weak but I am becoming aware that we are actually very strong. You can do this.

[Guest penny0305]

I honestly.don't think I can do it anymore.I've exhausted pretty much all the ocd meds, I don't feel like cbt is helping at all and the thought of it always being like this is horrific.I wish I'd never told the psychiatrist the side effects I was having from risperidone. Since he stopped them and started the seroquel I feel a million times worse which I didn't think was possible.I've just lost hope now.lifes just torture

[felix4]

Hi Penny,

First thing tomorrow morning try & phone your doctor & tell him/her how you are feeling!

Something not too dis-similar happened with me when I took quetiapine. I can't be sure whether it was down to quetiapine alone, or whether it perhaps a conflict from 1 of the other previous A/P's that I was prescribed shortly before, risperidone included.

What anti depressants are you taking?

xx

[Guest penny0305]

I'm taking mirtazapine because I can't tolerate ssris. Did you have to come off the seroquel or.did it help in the end. The problem is now I'm being treated by a psychiatrist my gp won't do anything without his say so.think the psychiatrist is getting fed up with me because nothing seems to help

[Guest penny0305]

I am just going insane.every compulsion I've ever had is coming back harder than ever and I just can't stop it.took another seroquel two hours ago and I'm climbing the walls. This can't be normal.the psychiatrist said they were sedating but I feel like I'm having a constant panic attack. I can't concentrate on anything else. Is it normal to feel so much worse at first. I can't stand this anymore and I don't know what to do. My gp won't do anything now without the psychiatrist say so and the psychiatrist will just say I haven't given them a fair trial. I want this to be over

[Guest penny0305]

Please can anyone help or give any thoughts on seroquel. It would be much much appreciated. I feel so bad

[Guest DarkSyn3rgy]

Hi Penny, I'm sorry your going through this, it's not fair. When are you able to get in contact with you psychiatrist next? I'm sure they are not getting fed up with you. They want you to be feeling better as well. It's been 3 days now hasn't it? If you haven't found any improvement yet during your day, even slightly then you should contact the psychiatrist and let them know. That way you can tell them exactly how you are reacting and they can access you.

As far as your GP goes I don't think they can do anything. I know here in Australia GP's aren't even authorised to write prescriptions for things like seroquel. I'm really sorry you are going through this pain but it will pass.

[Guest penny0305]

I just want it to end now.there's no hope

[Guest Jamesp]

Penny I feel for you so much. I am no expert in meds so will leave that to others who know more.

But I cab relate to that feeling of despair. I hope you find the help you need.

Love james

[ACE]

Hi Penny how are you? I think I may be of help with this for you,well I've been on Seroquel been amazing for me personally helped stable my moods,reduce the anxiety such a great deal,helped so much in getting me more calmer&in control.The only downsides well i think maybe they're the nightmares/dreams&weigh gain but clearly for me personally the positives out weigh the negatives I have to say.I Take 200mg at night &^ 50 mg in the morning I have proper sleeps now if anything and I can do many more things better as mindfulness,concentrating on my thoughts in a much better way etc etc&I have to say much is to the Seroquel personally :original: .

[Guest irretractable]

Penny,

I wonder if what you're experiencing is related more to coming off the Risperdal than to side effects from the Seroquel. I don't know what dose of Risperdal you were on, but it's hard to get to an equivalent dose of Seroquel because it's so sedating. For example 4.5mg of Risperdal is thought to be equivalent to 225mg of Seroquel (but that doesn't mean 225mg of Seroquel works the same as 4.5mg of Risperdal). Risperdal blocks D2 (dopamine) receptors very potently. Seroquel doesn't block D2 very much except at higher doses. Maybe if you can get up to higher doses it will work better. Or maybe your doctor can switch you to something else more potent. Just to give you an idea, Risperdal 3-4mg is often effective for psychosis. It usually takes greater than 600mg of Seroquel to treat psychosis. Obviously OCD is quite different than psychosis...just wanted to give you an idea about the comparison. I hope you feel better. What you're going through sounds miserable. I tried Seroquel up to 300mg, and it didn't work for my OCD and anxiety. Risperdal didn't work for me either though. The one that's worked the best for me has been Zyprexa (just makes me really hungry!) I also take a very low dose of Haldol because I have Tourette syndrome too. Is grinding your teeth almost like a tic? Haldol did elevate my prolactin too at 2mg, but I'm o.k. at 1.5mg.

Edited March 4, 2014 by irretractable

[Guest penny0305]

I just want to.die now. I had a big bottle of wine last night and was going to take all my tablets. It was only my mum coming over that stopped me. I have just come to the end with this. My Teeth are never going to change.I'm always going to be able to feel the ridges on the backs of them so I'm never going to be able to stop grinding them. I don't even think this is ocd now. It's a real problem with my teeth and the dentist can't help.she just tells me not to grind them then I won't notice it but I can't stop.it's all hopeless.I just want to be out of it now but I can't do it because it would upset people too much. I can't stand it anymore

[Guest penny0305]

I just can't stand it.would I be better going back on the risperidone. The problem is they worked great for a few weeks then seemed to stop and I was back to square one. The psychiatrist said he would just have upped the dose if my prolactin levels hadn't been high so he swopped me to seroquel but I feel terrible.I'd rather have high prolactin than feel like this.I'm so desperate.I'm sorry to keep posting but I'm going out of my mind

[lovid]

Hi Penny.I'm so ,so sorry to find you like this again.I had noticed that you had seemed to be a bit better a few weeks ago and I was wondering how you had been getting on.What is the disadvantage of high Prolactin levels?How long after you started taking the risperidone did you start to feel better.i know you used to take something else before that which didn't seem to work or was that the risperidone and it took a long time to have an effect?I just know exactly what you mean about those sharp ridges and defect which need investigation because that is absolutely exactly how I used to feel.It has gone away now and I have to say it most definitely is OCD or BDD because without it I can leave my teeth completely alone.You have had better times and then worse which shows that you have made partial recoveries before.We just need to improve on those.Try to be strong until this goes.It would be terrible to lose your life just for your teeth.Many people have accidents and lose all their teeth and still live full and rich lives with false ones.I will be with you all the way through this if that's ok until you at last overcome it

[Guest penny0305]

Thank you.that means a lot.I just feel.swamped with it now.I managed to stop grinding them.for a couple of weeks but then noticed a ledge on my front tooth a few weeks back and so of course I can't leave it alone and it's driving me insane.logically I know it's probably always been there but once I've noticed it I can't leave it alone and I don't know how to unnotice it if you know what I mean. My prolactin levels were over two thousand times higher than normal and it can affect your health so they refused to leave me on it but I've really gone downhill since they swopped it. I'm just sick and tired of it now. The cbt has helped massively with other checking compulsions but the teeth thing won't change and that's the one that distresses me. My therapist keeps saying everyone would notice things wrong with their teeth if they checked but I don't really believe her.she says if I got one thing treated I would just fixate on something else and I suppose that's true. It's just unbearable. Thanks for replying.it means a lot.I feel alone in my own head if you know what I mean.love penny

[lovid]

No I think your right not to believe her.That's not the answer because I can check for ridges etc at the moment and leave them alone.I think that if I put pressure on them with my other teeth I would break the sharp bits off but at the moment I just think so what if it did and leave it alone.I know that those points are probably quite weak but I knoiw if I don't test them they will last indefinitely and if they do break off it doesn't really matter anyway.That is in very sharp contrast to the way I thought when I was in the grip of it when I would have had to "check "anything like that out to destruction sometimes and the answer I think for me has not necessarily come about with medication (although I did take 100 mg of sertraline everyday) but simply realizing that if I could resist the checking for a while and build up those periods so that they became longer and longer then the need to check also diminished.In short the more I gave in to checking the more I needed to do it.I found that I could "put off" the checking until the next day after a while and would only check in the morning for an ever briefer period and not at all again that day and then I started to check every other morning and then once a week etc.I know how unbearable it is and how you must be feeling.I would dearly love to help you get over it and understand how lonely,unhappy and terrified you must be.Love David

[Guest penny0305]

Hi. Thanks for replying.that's the problem, my.therapist keeps telling me to delay grinding and checking my teeth but at the moment my anxiety is so high I'm finding it impossible.I'm grinding them umpteen times a day. I feel like I'm constantly fighting the urge and feel powerless over it. My logical brain tells me I'm just finding things that have always been there but once I've noticed I just can't leave it alone.my therapist keeps saying that I'm doing well because my other checking compulsions have reduced but I'd rather check doors and windows than this.I just hope I can find some strength to fight the urges but I feel powerless at the minute.love penny

[Guest irretractable]

Can you get something more potent than seroquel? That might get you relief more quickly. Like I said in my previous post, you have to take pretty high doses of Seroquel for it to be equal to risperdal.