Whats the deal with Quetiapine- Good or Bad?

[joj2006]

Hi I'm on 600mg of Quitiapine for phycosis. I'v had some problems with it eg racing heart, pins and needles in my legs at night. But i read on a thread here that it is considered by alot of people as a 'dirty filthy' drug. Does anyone know why this is? Thanks for any replys.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If you don't mind me asking - is your psychosis diagnosed due to drug abuse or is a psychological problem? It's not really a filthy drug if you're using it for a genuine condition. If it is helping you then it's not. You seem to be experiencing a lot of side effects from taking it though. Have you tried any other anti-psychotic medication? Seroquel is just riddled with a lot of nasty side effects that differ from individual to individual.

 

[pasha]

Unfortunately tachycardia is a common symptom of quetiapine. I suspect it's due to its alpha-adrenergic blocking effects.

Side note: I remember reading an anecdote about how clubbers take it a considerable amount of time before going out, because once the effect of the pill has worn off, all the adrenaline that's docked gets released, which in turn boosts the high of stimulants. I'm not one to believe anecdotes without backup, but I wondered why I would always get tachycardia when I took it, getting even worst when it wears off. I would literally wake up with my heart pounding out of my chest on the verge of a panick attack. I tried the method of taking it a while before raving and I have to say, I was impressed. Nonetheless I ditched the drug, I would rather have insomnia than take a drug which has killed people, and induces psychosis.

Switch to olanzapine if its not working for you. I found olanzapine to be much cleaner and side effect free.

 

[paradiseride]

Yep. Prisoners seem to love it, for use with methadone and cocaine, for some reason. there's something to it in face of others antipsychotics.

 

[mgrady3]

I take it at much lower doses for insomnia after having tried nearly everything else - z-drugs, benzo addiction, sedating antidepressants, etc.
usually around 100mg to 150mg a night
Other than occasionally needing to increase the dosage I've not encountered any of the symptoms you've mentioned and have been using it for a year now.

So perhaps its only something that come out of much higher dosages? I can't be too sure. Seroquel is kinda strange in that its dosage range is so large (12.5-800mg)

The only thing I can think of that sounds similar to what you describe is that I have heard quite a few people describe the feelings the next day after taking seroquel for sleep as pretty grimy and gross. not being able to wake themselves up properly after, feeling hungover, sluggish, dehydrated, and groggy for ever in the morning... etc

For me those symptoms subsided pretty quickly after I had taken it for a week or so.

as for that anecdote about clubers taking it - I can't fathom that but who knows...

 

[bronson]

One important thing to consider that often gets overlooked: you want to find the lowest effective dose that will alleviate your symptoms. If this dose still causes too many unpleasant side effects, talk with your doctor and let them know it isn't working properly.

There's no point in taking something where the bad overshadows any good it's doing.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Well - it's dirty in the sense that there's no euphoria to be had if you try and catch a high on it. In fact the opposite occurs, days dysphoria and a shift in mental state/clarity.

If 100mg is working well and producing no side effects the next day I don't see the problem in taking it. Just beware it may make you feel depressed after a period of time on it. It's not you having a mental breakdown etc. it's most likely the med. if that happens, taper off quickly and you'll alleviate the depression.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Hi I'm on 600mg of Quitiapine for phycosis. I'v had some problems with it eg racing heart, pins and needles in my legs at night. But i read on a thread here that it is considered by alot of people as a 'dirty filthy' drug. Does anyone know why this is? Thanks for any replys.

Often when people say something is a "dirty" drug, they mean it tends to have a lot of side effects or has multiple mechanisms of action (which can increase the prevalence of side effects). Not sure if that's what they meant when referring to quetiapine, but quetiapine antagonizes histamine, dopamine, serotonin, adrenergic (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and acetylcholine receptors (although acetylcholine blockade is not very strong). The serotonin and adrenergic receptor blockade actually increases these neurotransmitters.

I take it at much lower doses for insomnia after having tried nearly everything else - z-drugs, benzo addiction, sedating antidepressants, etc.
usually around 100mg to 150mg a night

Wow, I was prescribed it for insomnia at a dose of 5-15mg. Is 100-150mg a normal dose for sleep? Even at these super low doses I felt unwanted side effects from it (anxiety, worsening of RLS, etc), but I tend to be very sensitive to adverse effects from drugs these days.

One important thing to consider that often gets overlooked: you want to find the lowest effective dose that will alleviate your symptoms. If this dose still causes too many unpleasant side effects, talk with your doctor and let them know it isn't working properly.

There's no point in taking something where the bad overshadows any good it's doing.

^This.

 

[RobotRipping]

^lol my dr prescribed me 50mg per night for anxiety... good job Dr. it does work to knock me out at least, does shit for anxiety though. I only take 25mg, at 50mg i am a zombie the next day.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

^lol my dr prescribed me 50mg per night for anxiety... good job Dr. it does work to knock me out at least, does shit for anxiety though. I only take 25mg, at 50mg i am a zombie the next day.

Yeah, as one person said, "quetiapine will work for anxiety - by making you sleep all the time". I know it is prescribed for anxiety but for me I would just fall asleep for a little while, then wake up feeling even more anxious, tossing and turning.

 

[BlueHues]

That's shits good for one thing:

Knockin' you the fuck out!

 

[RobotRipping]

@SwimmingDancer: I don't get that effect, i just got the massive groggy unable to wake up, pass out in the bath tub sort of thing the next day. I also can't focus worth shit or even function cognitively. I wish something else knocked me out as well as quetiapine does though, even 15mg of zopiclone won't cut it anymore.

I worry about this medication causing depression though and worsening my RLS, i would prefer to avoid that. I wish i had a competent Dr.

 

[mgrady3]

Wow, I was prescribed it for insomnia at a dose of 5-15mg. Is 100-150mg a normal dose for sleep? Even at these super low doses I felt unwanted side effects from it (anxiety, worsening of RLS, etc), but I tend to be very sensitive to adverse effects from drugs these days.

i started at 12.5-25mg and over a year have worked up to 100 to 150mg

That's shits good for one thing:

Knockin' you the fuck out!

set an alarm
actually set two alarms

 

[mgrady3]

then there's also the possibility of weight gain
when you take it there's that undying urge to make a sandwich - bonus point if you can finish it b4 passing out

 

[pasha]

Quetiapine effects for insomnia don't last all that long. I began taking a small dosage like robo until I reached 200 milligrams and they disappeared in less than three weeks.

The makers of this drug are criminal in the sense that they're marketing it left and right for every indication. Some people may benefit from it but if you ask any psychiatrist with an honest to god ethical code they'll tell you it's a poor drug especially for its main indication, controlling the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. It's never been and will never reach the top of the pecking order as it has a whole host of health hazards, with clozapine, olanzapine, and respiridone proving way more effective drugs with fewer side effects.

The only time i've been rewarded some benifit from this drug is during acute opioid withdrawal when I could not sleep for the life of me, only to wake up with tachycardia, disruptive anxiety and treading the line of psychosis.

Be careful with this drug, if you're prescribed it for both on/off-label purposes, I would try and have a serious conversation with my doctor as to why.

 

[Alex000]

Quetiapine can have its places in the practice of medicine, particularly psychiatry, but it is rather 'dirty' in its mechanisms of action. This is not an inherently bad thing, and can actually work to one's advantage depending on the therapeutic effects desired, but can cause also be a problem. It depends on the individual, and the individual's needs in drug therapy. Quetiapine, at lower doses, exerts a lot of effects as would a sedating anti-histamine and this can cause some RLS, anxiety, paradoxical excitation as unwanted side-effects, but can also be of use (at such a dose) for someone who tolerates it well w/o side-effects becoming problematic and needs the therapeutic effects it renders. As the dose goes up, quetiapine begins acting more like what it is - a neuroleptic or anti-psychotic, albeit a 2nd generation anti-psychotic. As the dose goes up from a low dose, the serotonin activity becomes changed more than with the lower doses and the dopamine activity is not as affected, if I recall correctly - and, if I do recall correctly, when the dose is upped even more it begins to exert more action on dopamine activity as well as even more activity on serotonin, and it still keeps its anti-histamine properties, too. Because of this very dose-dependent range of DIFFERENT effects, and not so much just the LEVEL, it is important to find out if there is a dose and dosing regimen of quetiapine that works well for what you need, provided you can tolerate that dose. Also, a little problematic is the fact that it is rather short-acting, and quite sedating. The level of that heavy sedation does seem to fade SOME, but not a whole lot - one will become more used to it, though, generally, if taking it regularly over a while. Compared to some other anti-psychotics, it is safer in some ways, and potentially more dangerous in others - for example, it is notorious for weight gain, but all anti-psychotics will cause weight gain, usually. It SHOULD BE NOTED that anti-psychotics, on the whole, are a very risky group of drugs to use, even when rx'd by a doctor - the old ones and the new ones both have dangers and side-effects which are potentially serious. For example, anti-psychotics can cause tardive dyskinesia - a permanent side-effect causing regular and uncontrollable tics and muscle spasms, a truly horrible side-effect. Anti-psychotics, can too, cause severe restlessness and dysphoria - I can attest to the hellish nature of this firsthand. They also can cause what is called neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which is potentially fatal and is an acute set of serious symptoms brought on by the taking of an anti-psychotic (AKA neuroleptic), which is said to be not only potentially fatal but extraordinarily horrible to go through. I just want to stress that there are risks with ALL anti-psychotics (or neuroleptics) and one must be careful in taking them - they really should be avoided completely, unless the benefits outweigh the negatives and they are needed as a part of drug therapy for better mental health and functioning. Just, ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WITH ANTI-PSYCHOTICS, even if doctors are involved in prescribing them and say it is 'fine'.

 

[T. Calderone]

then there's also the possibility of weight gain
when you take it there's that undying urge to make a sandwich - bonus point if you can finish it b4 passing out

When I was using seroquel, it made me want to eat foods I normally would have no appetite for. After a couple months using it, the side effects were too much for me. The worst being inability to wake up, increased heart rate and lethargy the following day. There may be a better medication for you, even Geodon or Risperidol didn't affect me so badly but still made my blood pressure high. Olanzapine worked much better for me. Hope you find something that works for you!

 

[opiodmaniac]

I myself just found some 50mg seroquels and really dont know what the fuck i would wanna do with em besides take 1 or 2 just pass the fuck out. cuz from what im understanding thats about all its good for.

 

[Psychonauticunt]

Hi I'm on 600mg of Quitiapine for phycosis. I'v had some problems with it eg racing heart, pins and needles in my legs at night. But i read on a thread here that it is considered by alot of people as a 'dirty filthy' drug. Does anyone know why this is? Thanks for any replys.

I consider it 'filthy' because of its nasty side effects, but to be honest that's the case with most neuroleptics. A "dirty drug", pharmacologically speaking, is one which exerts its action indiscriminately on multiple different receptors, such as the already mentioned quetiapine, Thorazine (chlorpromazine) and dextromethorphan.

If it helps you genuinely and the side effects aren't too bad then no, it's not bad. If it makes you feel like shit then it probably is bad.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I myself just found some 50mg seroquels and really dont know what the fuck i would wanna do with em besides take 1 or 2 just pass the fuck out. cuz from what im understanding thats about all its good for.

Yup. That's all it's good for. No recreational value.