I was recently diagnosed with bipolar type 2 (and GAD) and prescribed 200mgs of Lamictal daily. I'm on 25mgs/day now and working my way up over the next 2 months. I was also prescribed 100mgs of Seroquel nightly only if I find myself spiraling into a depression. I would like to do something about my anxiety also but they won't prescribe me anti-anxiety meds/tranquilizers because of my vulnerability towards addiction which is fine. I don't want an antidepressant either because I've read that they can cause restlessness and difficulty falling asleep which I have a major problem with already so I was thinking about asking if a low-dose of Seroquel would be helpful for my (constant) anxiety. Do you think it would be? But I have read that long-term use of Seroquel in low doses is bad and essentially ineffective for anxiety and the treatment of Bipolar. Anyone know about this? I've read that anything below 300mgs is ineffective for treatment of this disease and I'm only on 100mgs. But it sure knocks me out quick and I like that about it. I've also read that you build a tolerance to it?? And also wondering if Seroquel in low doses will still cause weight gain?? I appreciate any feed back about this and thank you in advance!

[Seaswept]

I'm on only 50mgs of Seroquel and it knocks me out too.
I've noticed it also helps with my anxiety. Maybe it has to build up in your system before you see any help with the anxiety. When my doc put me on it he said it would help but I didn't believe him (because I know more than him, lol) My doctor won't give me anti-anxieties anymore either, so I'm glad this helps a little bit.
I haven't gained weight on it so far.
Good luck!

[fergus]

I've been on both Seroquel and Seroquel Extended release. The regular seroquel I found was good for spot treatment of restlessness and anxiety and helped knock me out for bedtime.

Because I tend to have a more anxious/agitated bipolar the pdoc gave me a larger dose (currently 300mg but slowly going up to 600mg) of the Seroquel extended release. It works really well for me and the extended release doesn't knock me out right away so I can function much better during the day.

I've been lucky with not gaining lots of weight. My pdoc told me that if you're prone to seroquel weight gain it is independent of dose, e.g. you gain just as much weight on 50mg as 600mg.

[tnlibrarian]

I'm on Seroquel, both to help me sleep and because I have hallucinations. It has helped with both. My psych won't prescribe over 100 mg of sudden release Seroquel because she says it tends to make you too drowsy. Quite obviously that's not a good thing when you have three kids to care for. When I first started taking it I had a big increase in appetitie. I dealt with it by eating a lot of veggies and drinking a lot of water. After that I was fine. I've actually been able to lose weight while taking it. Everybody responds differently to a medication so don't think you're going to get the same side effects as another person. I think the potential side effects are not a reason to not try a med. If it might help it's worth trying.

Seroquel even at a low dose under 100 mg caused weight gain for me. Antipsychotics are actually major tranquilizers, kind of good to know. I noticed with all antipsychotics I have taken that I have built up a tolerance to low doses quite quickly. It only took me a month to be on a higher than recommended dose with one of them.

Antipsychotics, while they can increase appetite which leads to weight gain also cause metabolic disturbances which isn't all that uncommon.you need to weight the pros to the cons, like with anything else. Diabetes is a serious risk. Not saying not to choose these meds, just know all the risks and go from there.

Have you tried other tools to deal with the anxiety outside of
meds? My pdoc lent me an anxiety workbook, I worked through the while book and it helped me immensely, I can't say enough good things about this book.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/1572244135

A link in case you want to check it out, if you haven't seen it already.

Thanks for all of your replies so far! Anika, getting help is still very new to me. I have been seeing my T for a couple months now and we are just now going to be starting some CBT so I'm sure (hoping) it will help a lot. I'm definitely willing to put in the effort. Thanks for the book recommendation, I will surely check it out! Anika, did the low dose help with your anxiety and/or bipolar symptoms?

Honestly, no. I have Bipolar 1 with psychotic features. So my use of Seroquel was for mania and psychosis. While it did help to sedate me, it did not take the mania away. Best I can describe it is like a sedated mania. Feels like a wild horse that is physically tied down. I don't think I have the best luck with meds tho, so keep that in mind.

That so good that you are seeking out that help with your therapist!! I worked a lot on anxiety and panic attacks on my own, and in group therapy. I still get anxious but I know how to interupt a panic attack now, and I can keep a fairly good handle on anxiety. When I am manic that's a little harder, but it's definitely something that I think can be managed with therapy and skill outside of meds. Just takes a lot of patience and time. Yoga is something else you might want to look into. Mindfulness has shown great success for so many people too. The first person to mention mindfulness to me was my pdoc.

If you look up Jon Kabot Zinn, he has a lot of mindfulness videos on YouTube which are great. I like it because it's something I can practice anytime anywhere. It has helped with bipolar as well as anxiety and just plain perspective.

Thanks again, Anika! I have learned about mindfulness and I'm hoping I can figure out how to integrate it into my life. It's very hard when, no matter what your mood is, your thoughts are constantly racing from the obsessions that come with hypo, the worries that some with depression, and the constant anxiety. I would love to be able to stop thinking sometimes. It's like there's 50 people in my head, each screaming about something different, and pulling me in every direction. I would love to walk my dog, for example, and not think about when I get home, tomorrow, my bills, etc. Ugh, it's so frustrating to even think about! As for yoga, yes, I love it and I used to be really into it. I'm sure if I stop making excuses and get back into a yoga or other workout regimen, that it would help tremendously. I think I just solved my own problem with anxiety! Now the hard part... Integrating it into my day-to-day LOL... Thank you for your insight!

Anytime!

Well then you are already like 10 steps ahead of the game. I totally get the mind racing thing. What I really like about yoga, meditation, and mindfulness is that there is never a complete perfection, there is never a definitive line that's says you are trying vs. actually doing. It's all practice everytime. You achieved because you tried.

It's really hard to get ourselves into the habit of doing, or not doing. I struggle with that as well. I found that by going to a yoga studio that helped. Trying to do it on my own at home is so hard to get motivated. The mindfulness I practice whenever I notice my mind wandering where it shouldn't, past, future and in negative ways. I like it because I can practice it while doing the dishes or at the mall. One more good thing is the elastic band method, that you put on your wrist and snap when you notice the negativity or other undesired thoughts happening. Kind of snaps you to the present so you can redirect those thoughts.

Good luck!! I hope you find a way too incorporate these day to day. Even if you start small with 10 minutes a day, that is a great way to go. Slow and steady is easier to maintain than fast and furious.