Hi, I was just wondering whether anyone has experience of both Lithium and Quetiapine as a mood stabiliser. I'm wondering which one is better. My psychiatrist has suggested Lithium in the past but the regular blood tests put me off, however, if it is a better drug compared to Quetiapine then I will reconsider.
Thanks x
When life gets you down do you know what you've gotta do?
I try to avoid Quetiapine/Seroquel as much as possible because it is a known weight gainer. Everyone I know who has been on it has gained weight and not just a little bit either. For me, I gained a lot of weight which sent my self-esteem plummeting and I ended up hurting myself more even though my mood was more stable. Lithium you have to go for a lot of blood tests but if needles don't bug you than it's really not that big a deal. Once you get on a stable dose the blood tests get a little farther apart, at least they did for me.
Every med has it's positives and negatives. Every med has a long list of side effects and you aren't guaranteed to get any of them. What works great for one person might be terrible for another. In the end, if you pick one, give it a fair chance and don't like it you can always try the other.
It's the children the world almost breaks that grow up to save it.
-Frank Warren
I try to avoid Quetiapine/Seroquel as much as possible because it is a known weight gainer. Everyone I know who has been on it has gained weight and not just a little bit either. For me, I gained a lot of weight which sent my self-esteem plummeting and I ended up hurting myself more even though my mood was more stable. Lithium you have to go for a lot of blood tests but if needles don't bug you than it's really not that big a deal. Once you get on a stable dose the blood tests get a little farther apart, at least they did for me.
Every med has it's positives and negatives. Every med has a long list of side effects and you aren't guaranteed to get any of them. What works great for one person might be terrible for another. In the end, if you pick one, give it a fair chance and don't like it you can always try the other.
Quetipine doesnt make everyone gain weight, first time I went on it I was still loosing weight
No, you're right. It doesn't make everyone gain weight but it does make a lot of people gain weight. It's important to be aware of the possibility of it happening so you can keep an eye on your weight and try to make healthier choices. For some, it doesn't matter how healthy they eat or how much exercise they do they still gain weight. Gaining a few pounds isn't the worst thing in the world if it gets your mood under control for many people but for some it can cause a whole different problem.
It comes down to weighing the risks. If you're mood is causing a lot of problems for you then you need to do something about it. If I'm remembering right Seroquel starts working fairly quickly which is a bonus. I was given it in a crisis to get things under control quick before things escalated to a point where I wouldn't come back. Lithium can take longer to get it regulated in your system, find the right balance etc.
Whatever you choose I hope it helps you.
It's the children the world almost breaks that grow up to save it.
-Frank Warren
I lost a significant amount of weight whilst on Quetiapine and had no problems doing so.(It was needed for me to be healthy)
I found Lithium to be a very effective mood stabilizer, more so than Quetiapine, particularly for mood swings that are longer term e.g. weeks and months rather than days. It didn't take me long to get used to the regular blood tests and after a while they didn't bother me at all.
I've taken both as mood stabilisers at the same time. I'm just on lithium now and it's very effective. I gained a lot of weight on seroquel and it was/is hard to shift . For me, seroquel helped with my depressive states and lithium with mania but the seroquel wasn't enough for the depression so I take a small dose of it now with lamictal and lithium. I prefer lithium. My mom takes seroquel too and she's gained a moderate amount of weight since starting it.
Be kind - everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle
Thanks everyone for your replies. They have all been very helpful. I've read the patient information leaflets for both Quetiapine and Lithium and I'm leaning towards Lithium more than Quetiapine. Obviously at the end of the day it's up to the psychiatrist as to what he chooses to prescribe but I'm hoping that I can have some input. He was the one that first mentioned Lithium to me so I suppose he thinks it would help me. I am worried about the blood tests and the fact that Lithium takes longer to take effect than Quetiapine but overall I think Lithium would be better for me. I know not everyone gains weight with Quetiapine but I would be constantly worried about gaining weight. I'm not happy with the way I look at the moment so I don't think it would be good for me to take Quetiapine as I'd be constantly worried I was putting on weight.
Thanks again for the replies.
When life gets you down do you know what you've gotta do?
Hi razorbladekisses. I just wanted to add one more thing about the seroquel. I can't take antidepressants at all, even with a mood stabiliser as I go manic or into a mixed episode quickly and sharply. Seroquel works very well as an antidepressant for me if I'm very depressed and given that the alternative for me is pretty much be nursed in hospital till I get better I would definitely take the seroquel. I didn't mean to be so negative about it above because it does work for me and I would take it again if I needed it, just not as a long term mood stabiliser. Good luck with your choice :)
Be kind - everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle
Thanks for replying BlackPearl. Please don't feel like you have to apologise, we are all entitled to our opinion. Thank you for sharing your experience of Quetiapine/Seroquel.
I don't think I mentioned the fact that I don't hear voices, hallucinate or suffer with manic and/or mixed episodes. The main reason the psychiatrist gave for wanting to add Lithium was because I can be absolutely fine/OK for a few months then all of a sudden I crash and I feel extremely low and desperate for a few months then I'll go back to being fine/OK and then the cycle repeats itself again.
When life gets you down do you know what you've gotta do?
lithium causes kidney damage so I wouldn't take it. I like Seroquel very good med you have to let it build up in your system it will make you feel really sleepy the next morning at first but once you take it for a while you know longer feel sleepy during the day. And you have to take Seroquel at night bec it makes you tired. It helped with my depression and didn't cause weight gain.
Thanks for replying. I don't remember reading anything about kidney damage so I will have to look into it in more detail before making a decision. I currently have some kind of kidney problem so it may not be a good idea to take it if it will cause me further problems. I'm concerned about weight gain on Quetiapine. I know it doesn't happen to everyone but a lot of people seem to have put on weight.
When life gets you down do you know what you've gotta do?
I'm on quetiapine and I don't think my weight has changed much. Even if weight gain is a side effect, you could maybe ask your psych about ways to deal with that. It's good that you are looking at positives and negatives in both meds. Whatever you end up taking, I hope it helps. That's the main thing, how it helps with your mental health and if side effects (if you get any) are worth it.
And you have to take Seroquel at night bec it makes you tired.
No you don't. When I was on it (and on a fairly high dose) I had to have my doses staged throughout the day from morning to evening to maintain the effects and so on, although the largest dose was at night. It helped me for a while but I took myself off it as I have had significant seizures and this med can lower your seizure threshold (although this is rare and usually because a person, like myself, is already prone to these issues). It did also cause me to put on a lot of weight which I still haven't managed to shift. However over the time when I was very unwell I think it contributed to keeping me alive, it did even things out and calm things down enough for me to engage with services and I think was one of the factors that allowed me to cope in the community as oppose to in hospital and/or sectioned.
'Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.'
['There is only one thing we say to death. Not today'.']
'We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell. Oscar Wilde
Its hard to dance with the devil on your back. Sydney Carter
Every one is different so no wrong or right answer. You just got to try it for yourself and see what happens maybe you will get weight gain and maybe you wont. It depends on when you have to take it. Seroquel knocked me out if I were to take it during the day I would be asleep not awake so I always took it at night. Every one is different. Good luck.
I have been on Quetiapine in the past, but it wasn't a med that worked for me.
I have been on Lithium for about 8 years. I take 1g a day at night. After the initial blood tests to sort out your therapeutic dose, you should have a blood test every 3 months to check your levels etc.. I personally don't find it a hassle, especially if the med is working for you.
Good luck with however you decide.
X
ive been on seroquel for 7 years and it has been a wonder drug for the manics. i gained a little weight but not much.
yes its sedating when you start it...infact the lower doses (under 100-150mg) are more ssedating than the higher doses. the sedation gets better the longer you take it... i only takke it at night..but it has been good.
ive not been on lithium so i cant tell you about that.
have you been offered any other mood stabiliser apart from lithium? like depakote (i put on loads of weight in 3 months so i came off it), or lamotrigine (for the lows)
Thanks for all the replies. They have been very helpful.
In the past I have taken Depakote but it made my hair fall out so it was stopped. I have also tried Aripiprazole and was on it quite sometime but because I didn't have any psychotic symptoms my current psychiatrist stopped it.
When life gets you down do you know what you've gotta do?
. For me, seroquel helped with my depressive states and lithium with mania but the seroquel wasn't enough for the depression so I take a small dose of it now with lamictal and lithium. I prefer lithium. My mom takes seroquel too and she's gained a moderate amount of weight since starting it.
