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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jms600 on January 29, 2008, at 17:19:02
Hi everyone,
I've been taking Seroquel now for 13 days. My psychiatrist initially put me on 25mg at night, and then raised this again to 50mg last week. I saw him again yesterday and told him that there had been no improvement in my anxiety and crippling panic attacks.
He has now raised the dosage to 100mg (25mg in the morning and 75mg at night), but I still don't feel any better on the stuff.
Should it have kicked in by now? Is 13 days not really long enough to experience any positive effects?
I've been taking Mirtazapine - cycling between 45mg and 30mg. My psychiatrist has pulled me off it and is now trying me on 10mgs per day of Cipralex/Lexapro - I start tomorrow.
Is it time to give the Seroquel up as a no-hoper?
Thanks!
Posted by yxibow on January 29, 2008, at 19:51:48
In reply to Seroquel - does it really help anxiety..?, posted by jms600 on January 29, 2008, at 17:19:02
> Hi everyone,
>
> I've been taking Seroquel now for 13 days. My psychiatrist initially put me on 25mg at night, and then raised this again to 50mg last week. I saw him again yesterday and told him that there had been no improvement in my anxiety and crippling panic attacks.
>
> He has now raised the dosage to 100mg (25mg in the morning and 75mg at night), but I still don't feel any better on the stuff.
>
> Should it have kicked in by now? Is 13 days not really long enough to experience any positive effects?
>
> I've been taking Mirtazapine - cycling between 45mg and 30mg. My psychiatrist has pulled me off it and is now trying me on 10mgs per day of Cipralex/Lexapro - I start tomorrow.
>
> Is it time to give the Seroquel up as a no-hoper?
>
> Thanks!
It depends on the person -- 200mg is really where a therapeutic dose begins as far as D2 activity and increased serotonergic ranges but if you're not taking it for its Dx activity then you may have to give the 100mg a while. It can take several months to give an optimum relief.-- Jay
Posted by Justherself54 on January 29, 2008, at 20:57:06
In reply to Re: Seroquel - does it really help anxiety..? » jms600, posted by yxibow on January 29, 2008, at 19:51:48
Going through a med change could be what's allowing your anxiety to break through..I'd keep with the seroquel until you get straightened around with your med change..when I was on Lexapro, it kicked in quickly..
Have you talked to your doctor about a benzo to help with the anxiety and panic attacks until the Lexapro has time to work?
Posted by Phillipa on January 29, 2008, at 23:47:06
In reply to Re: Seroquel - does it really help anxiety..?, posted by Justherself54 on January 29, 2008, at 20:57:06
Xanax for panic attacks a long acting benzo like valium or klonopin is safer to me than atypical antipsychotic. That's just me and my 35 year history as have had panic attacks since the 70's. Now it's just anxiety. Love Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on January 30, 2008, at 18:40:38
In reply to Seroquel - does it really help anxiety..?, posted by jms600 on January 29, 2008, at 17:19:02
I think your med changes have a lot to do with it all. There is no way you can just stop remeron and not expect to have a fierce anxiety situation that even a low dose of seroquel is useless against, or maybe even a high dose for that matter.
Maybe a higher dose can work. I personally think it is foolish, risky, and begging for new problems that never previously existed, to prescribe an anitpsychotic for anxiety when something safer, simpler, and faster, and with decades of time in track records, and dirt cheap, could have been used. Like lorazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, or clonazepam.
Just my opinion, but I think antipsychotics should be reserved for cases where benzos are not manageable to do the trick. Benzos first. Antipsychotics last. Not vica versa.
Whatever. My doc prescribed seroquel for me during my intense anxiety period when withdrawing from prozac and zyprexa and switching over to lexapro. It was a scary time. Seroquel was of little help unless I took 50mg every 3 hours. But even then, it wasn't really antianxiety, it was more just drugged into a stupor.
Posted by yxibow on January 31, 2008, at 0:31:51
In reply to Re: Seroquel - does it really help anxiety..?, posted by bleauberry on January 30, 2008, at 18:40:38
> I think your med changes have a lot to do with it all. There is no way you can just stop remeron and not expect to have a fierce anxiety situation that even a low dose of seroquel is useless against, or maybe even a high dose for that matter.
>
> Maybe a higher dose can work. I personally think it is foolish, risky, and begging for new problems that never previously existed, to prescribe an anitpsychotic for anxiety when something safer, simpler, and faster, and with decades of time in track records, and dirt cheap, could have been used. Like lorazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, or clonazepam.
>
> Just my opinion, but I think antipsychotics should be reserved for cases where benzos are not manageable to do the trick. Benzos first. Antipsychotics last. Not vica versa.
>
> Whatever. My doc prescribed seroquel for me during my intense anxiety period when withdrawing from prozac and zyprexa and switching over to lexapro. It was a scary time. Seroquel was of little help unless I took 50mg every 3 hours. But even then, it wasn't really antianxiety, it was more just drugged into a stupor.
Coming from someone who is trying to get off of an inordinate dose of Valium and eventually lower a Seroquel level for a somatoform disorder that I have yet to find someone else even come close to, long term benzodiazepine use, especially at a higher dose will eventually develop tolerance, its only a matter of time.
100mg of Seroquel is not a typically high dose and I would be the last person to advocate antipsychotics because I'm medication sensitive but it really cuts anxiety that no other drug does and is the safest alternative among atypicals other than clozaril with its caveats when benzodiazepines have not worked short term and SSRIs/SNRIs/etc have not either.
This is the end of the thread.
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