HIya guys. I'm posting this in here rather than support, cos I'm not after support, just people's experiences really.
I'm currently taking sertraline 150mg per day for my depression and it takes the edge off it. I've found though that it doesn't help with anxiety, so I told my psychiatrist that this morning and she's prescribed me two new drugs.
One is seroquil, which I know is used for schizophrenia and manic depression, but apparently it's also good for anxiety. I'm on 25mg 3 times a day.
The other is diazepam, which obviously is addictive. The idea is that the seroquil is my first line of defence against the anxiety, to help me cope and look after Harlan, but the diazepam is like a back-up plan, if things are too bad to cope. That's 2mg 3 times a day as needed.
She said they're low doses and she can increase them if necessary, but has given me a week's supply to see what I think and we'll go from there.
Does anyone have experience of these drugs? I appreciate diazepam isn't prescribed very often but I'm sure I've heard the name seroquil being tossed around here.
I'd just like to know what to expect!! (Yes, I know it's different for everyone ) )
My husband has had diazepam for, erm, a couple of years now on a regular prescription and is far from addicted, he takes them two or three times a week (though not several throughout the day, if that makes sense) and for him they've been superb. Occassionally, the GPs have been iffy about doing a repeat prescription because of - as you know - the addictive nature, but a quick call to the psychiatrist sorts that out. Although they can be addictive, doesn't mean they will be addictive. The diazepam really does help my other half (he doesn't have a regular med, per se, just diazepam and sleeping pills for when he needs them) and are very helpful to him at times when our toddler is being stressful, especially as the diazepam works relatively quickly but continues to work for a while.
x
18.11 28.4 6.5 22.31
My heart just needs his smile, that i can't forget, like so melancholy a kiss.
Well hopefully I'll only be taking them occasionally, like your husband. I *think* they're only really addictive if you take them regularly for a long time... but if the seroquil works then they should just be a last resort.
I do think that if you were taking two (or even three) times a day, every single day, then yes, getting addicted is far more likely to happen. But my husband has had them for a couple of years and is no where near addicted, and thankfully his psychiatrists have fully supported him having meds that actually help him. That's really good for you though, if you're seeing them as a last resort as opposed to first thing to hand (as it were), then i'm sure you'll be ok :)
18.11 28.4 6.5 22.31
My heart just needs his smile, that i can't forget, like so melancholy a kiss.
I have been taking diazepam over the past 2 years and I'm deff not addicted. I get mine from abroad as no Dr here wants to prescribe me something that works. I only take them if I'm so anxious that I cant do anything so thats not every week I don't allow myself to take them more than one day in a row and have found them really helpful. I just think it's a shame I have to spend time when I'm abroad making sure I get my hands on enough to take back.
Diazepam is ok as long as you dont take it every day, in my opinion. I have it to take it when i need it, not even once a week.
I have found the best medication is trazodone. Its an antidepressant, with an anti-anxiety bit in it as well. You cant get addicted to it and after all the different meds ive tried ive found it really helpful. However it can make you sleepy so might not be the best for you.
Kanga - I took mirtazapine cos it was a mild sedative as well as antidepressant, so it calmed me down, but it made me sleep all the time! Trazodone sounds similar.
Yesterday I took a seroquil, and slept from 4.30pm to 1am when Rusty woke me up! He said he was on the verge of panicking cos I wouldn't wake up, but eventually I did. Won't be taking that when I'm doing the night feeds then!!
I took two seroquil during the day today and felt sleepy, but stayed awake and functioned fairly well. Didn't find they did a lot for my anxiety, but I resisted taking the diazepam and went in a room on my own in the day unit and slept for a bit instead.
i was on diazepam for 4 years and it worked well. I was not addicted to that one, it was the other benzo (which he put me back on...well..I put myself back on [with his agreement] to taper off slowly, but nvm, sorry) One of my AP's is serquel and it didnt stop the voices on its own but added with a second AP it works much better. I take3 a day of the seroquelut can take up to 6 a 2 3x's a day of the er AP and 4 at bedtime. t really seems im on the right meds now, plus of course the others (ADs and MS). Im VERY worried tho cos the seroquel says weight gain and while i usually get no se's i believe i am gaining weight...no...i KNOW i have gained, the scales and my clothes say so, so i have gone on a diet.
But it works; the volumes been truned down on the voices. It helps with the anxiety only minimally, the benzo is best for me for that. Im now able to leave the house and not worry (so much) that they are following me.
Unfortunately, nothing is helping with the sudden, black, scary urges...
I hope that helps and i hope it wor for you.
OH , just remembered, the first pill (seroquel) i took i got a migraine, skipped a day and then tried (warily) again and no headache. nothing. And it says take with food but i havent needed to.
Good luck with it
let us know ok?
romp
Ive been on seroquil for anxiety also. Problem for me was that i kept Od'ing on it cus it sedated me so much that they took me off it as it was a little dangerous.
I take Diazepam every day. I didnt used to. Id kinda use it when needed but then i ended up doing somethingn stupid again and well......Anyhow, i take it every day now. It helps alot although i still get anxiety quite badly and for no apparent reason. I do think that im possibly getting addicted to it because when i stop taking it i have pretty severe panics etc.
Diazepam should only really be prescribed on a short term basis and on a take as needed basis. I really wouldnt suggest taking it each day as i do >.<.
Mirtazapine just made me eat lots but i did love its orangy taste nom nom.
I have Seroquel (Quetiapine). Have recently had it upped so now have 200 at night and then upto a further 200 for the day to take how I find it useful. I love the fact that it helps me to sleep as until I started taking it, several weeks ago now, I had been having big problems for sleep for a year and a half. It has been prescribed to me to help reduce anxiety, impulsiveness and my urges to sh. I'm going to make a go of using it properly this time so will let you know if I find it works.
"Everything is possible through Christ, who gives me strength". Phillipians 4:13
Matt - lol@ mirtazapine, I could eat sugar straight out the bag when I was on that! I used to get through at least one of those really big Cadbury caramel bars every day cos I was craving sugar so much... eeek! I put on about a stone and slept all the time (except when I was eatin mountains of junk food!) lol.
I'm possibly gonna take a diazepam tonight, I feel quite anxious about coping with Harlan tonight cos he's being fussy and I already took a seroquel a couple of hours ago.
Ok, I took a diaz this morning as well as seroquel and was zonked out - completely zombified! It calmed me enough that I could get to the day unit though, so that's good.
I just took the dog for an hours walk when I got back from the unit and I feel quite good for having done that! He was really well behaved and played catch with a frisbee during most of the walk. Got covered in mud and was panting like anything, so hopefully he'll be quiet this evening!
I'm trying to only use the diaz as a last resort - I'm on a low dose and I'm allowed it 3 times a day, but I've only taken it twice in the week I've had it.
As for the seroquel, I'm supposed to take it 3 times a day, but as you said, it is sedating and when I got to the day unit today I felt doped up to the eyeballs and could hardly stay awake!
) )
