Reducing medication

[ruthandsam]

I've been on a lower dose of quetiapine, 550 mg xl instead of 600 mg xl as I was having some unpleasant side effects. Just reducing it by 50 mg xl has made me feel very 'down' and I'm wondering if this will disappear when my body gets used to the lower dose?

Many thanks

[lcg]

it may do......may i ask what side effects you were getting? i take quetiapine and i'm a psych nurse, so may be able to help x

[ruthandsam]

Thanks for your answer Icg76. Mainly parethesia of arms and hands to the extent that they are completely numb if kept still for too long. Also, foggy thinking and extreme tiredness. I'm not nearly so tired now and definitely able to think clearer but I'm feeling very down and hoping I'm not going down the depression route.

How do you get on with quetiapine and how long have you been on it?

Many thanks

[lcg]

sorry it's taken a while to get back to you....personal stuff ahoy going on this end! yes, you will notice even a small reduction in your meds and i would advise trying to stay on a dose that makes you feel ok. i take quetiapine as i need the antipsychotic, sedative and enhanced effect it has on my antidepressant (venlafaxine). i find fiddling with any bit of my meds is just not worth it as i feel so rubbish if i do. i get many side effects including over-sedation, dry mouth, visual disturbances, balance problems, bad guts, constipation and akathesia (really bad restlessness) as the main ones. sometimes i have to take procyclidine for the restlesness as it drives me potty (excuse the pun!). it can take a few weeks to adjust to higher or lower doses and i again stress that you should only do this under a shrink or your gp monitoring you closely. hope this helps...and i have now subscribed to your thread. i wish you well x

[ruthandsam]

Thank you so much for your message Icg76 and for being so open and honest about the reasons why you take quetiapine.

I am under the guidance of Con Psych and he suggested reducing meds to 550 mg xl. Still feeling down but it was suggested that I introduce Escitalopram if no better after a couple of months. I've not heard of Escitalopram and wonder if it is related to Citalopram in any way. Tried Citalopram but was absolutely horrendous and nearly ended up in hospital from the effect of it. So a bit nervous all in all. I suppose it's trial and error with medication and I've been told by members of our bi-polar support group that I'm doing well only to be on one drug.

Here's hoping that things settle down soon. What I can't understand is my previous Psych wanted to prescribe Venlafaxine but the new one wants Escitalopram - very confusing.

Interestingly enough Icg76 I work for Primary Care Trust, Psychological Therapies - funny isn't it that we are drawn to that type of work!

Take care Icg76 and let me know how you are keeping. Thank you once again xx

[lcg]

hiya! i have no shame about being nuts, so am absolutely fine with sharing. i think being really honest about it is a good way to accept your diagnosis and bypass some of the stigma that goes with it (you should see the faces of the trainee doctors i teach when i drop the bombshell....it is quite funny!).

anyway....yes escitalopram is similar to citalopram (SSRI + similar side effect profile) but is claimed to be more effective than citalopram. if you had very bad side effects the first time round, i would certainly question your shrink to see why he wants you to take that specific drug. if you have tried 2 or more SSRIs, then you can request to try venlafaxine - in my experience as both a patient and a nurse is far more effective for deep depression, being augmented with quetiapine and anxiety symptoms. none of the SSRIs worked with me, they made me more anxious and jittery and the side effects were just too much. venlafaxine has given me my life back and i would certainly recommend you try it and see how you get on - also google/wikipedia for other sources of info and people's experiences of it - most are quite good. don't wait too long to address your low mood, though. it will be harder to correct the longer it is left. and it's also not about how many pills you take or what type (i take 27 pills a day for various reasons and i hate it) - it's about being the best you can be. stay ok x