If you take or have taken Quetiapine XL, did you have any side effects, and can you remember how long you'd been on it before your pysch increased it?
How long did it take to get the right level for you, and how did you know it was the right level?
Sorry for all the questions. I've been on it for 2 weeks now and think it needs increasing as 2 hours before I'm due my tablets I get really shaky and cant concentrate on anything other than NEEDING my tablets.
I took it for 6 months but am now on aripiprazole instead, I started on 300mg and then went straight up to 600mg. I found the drug very sedating most mornings I wouldn't wake up until noon, plus it gave me hypotension at first (feeling faint when you stand up). But other than that it was a good drug to be on, gained a bit of weight but nothing massive.
600mg was the right level for me, made the hallucinations manageable. One thing I must recommend is that you do not suddenly stop this medication as the withdrawal is horrible, I had hot & cold sweats, no appetite, anxiety, etc!
Just follow your doctors advice and go with it is what I say :)
Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money.
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
When I was on it last time I was on 100mg for a week, then 200mg for a month or so, then I went up to 300mg. Basically the pharmacy were a bit weirs about prescribing me 200mg right away so yeah.
The world is just illusion always trying to change me.
You will find wonder wherever you can, and spread joy whenever you are able.
I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, divide within me. - Frankenstein.
My partner is on 600mg of XL and she went straight onto that dose but this was because she was on 600mg of normal quetiapine before hand, albeit in a split dose. Most psychs give you 2 weeks before they increase dose minimum. She [partner] experienced no unwanted side effects on the XL but was overly sleepy and lacked concentration on the normal quetiapine hence the change of medication to XL.
I started on 12mg 3 times a day and moved up to about 300mg in about a weeks time. It was brutal but I was involuntarily sectioned at the time so it was done in hospital.
The side effects I had was mostly drowsiness, I was constantly tired and I hated that more than anything and after 9 months on it I finally had to get off it and reclaim my life.
However other than that I had no side effects, including zero weight gain (actually lost weight while on it). For mood stablization I didn't find it too helpful but for depression and psychotic symptoms I did. I definitely benefited from it, and it pulled me out of a very dark place and got me functioning again.
I've went on this almost a week ago. The first night was 50mg, second night 100mg and third night 200mg and well, It's killing me. I am so tired and I've started eating like a horse again...but I feel a lot less agitated being on this than when I was on aripriprazol.
I'm just hoping this tiredness wears off cause my days have become so unproductive as i've been in bed.
Life can be beautiful if you let it.
Step back, breathe and take it in
I started on 50mg, then up to 100mg, then 150mg, then 200mg that was each day, and then stuck at 200mg a day for 4 days then a review with doc, to see how side effects are.
I personally have had a few unwanted side effects, tiredness (sleeping most the day and night) feeling really dizzy. and anything really annoys me. even people talking annoys me, i am also a bit shakey too. But thats how it effected me, it might be different for you. I think the dose depends on how u manage the side effects and whether it is helping. Hope this helped :)
for the first 2 years it's was increased being doubled every 2-4months i was on 250mg untill the other day, my locum psych told me to take 300mg one night then 400mg onwards...and venlafaxin with it too
