At the ER for med management & referral

So after calling everyone and their brother to try to see a pdoc before July 2nd (my scheduled appt with the pdoc @my therapists office) I finally got someone to shoot straight with me! After two days of exhausting phone calls leaving me with a pool of tears on my kitchen table as my daughters asking what's wrong I got an answer!! So there's a hospital where you can go into the ER, see the on call psych, get med management & then be referred to the transitional clinic where they charge a sliding scale (most likely $5 for me - it's income based) and the pdoc is only like a week or two out on appts! So I am here now, just checked in. I told them about the side effects of Seroquel (feeling like there's a cinderblock on my chest, feeling like I'm drowning, inability to swallow, the panic that accompanies those feelings and the hallucinations with an inability to fall asleep in the dark because of the hallucinations). I'm on 1,000mg of Seroquel and I take it all at once before bed yet it doesn't put me to sleep. I totally didn't expect to become so tolerant to the sedation effect so soon. I've been on it for roughly 2&1/2 months. It's not too crazy busy here today (thank God). We are having some wild thunderstorms so that may have encouraged most folks to stay home. Praying I don't have too long if a wait. If anyone is interested I'll revisit this post and keep you updated. Thanks so much for your support. I can't tell you how much this forum has changed my life. Knowing people understand no matter how many miles away you are - you are technically in my pocket (I always use my phone).

Sending you well wishes

I'm glad you managed to find some help at last, I hope you receive quality care, please do keep us updated

I'm in your pocket HQ!

So glad you found some help!!!!

So good to hear the news HQ. Hopefully you will be feeling better soon.

I can't imagine not being able to sleep on 1000mg of Seroquel. That dosage knocked me out cold for 14 hours straight even after being on it for almost two months.

Pease do let us know how you are.

YAY ! so Glad you found help now instead of having to wait and wait

That's great you're going to be referred to a sliding scale clinic with quick appointments. I still think it's crazy that you didn't get such a referral at your last visits to the ED. Glad you're finally getting the help you need!

Well, I got the referral but no one seemed to care about how the Seroquel was affecting me. Every night, cold sweats, feeling like Im drowning, the brick on my chest...so I'm stopping it. The psych there said it was for sleep. But all it does is **** with me before I finally fall asleep and then giving me hellacious nightmares. So tonight I quit Seroquel & Lamictal. All I've done is gain weight, and I've seen no improvement. I see my T tomorrow morning and I'll let him know that I quit.

Ahhhh don't quit Seroquel cold turkey... It is one of the meds that need to be tapered down under a doctors care , especially since you are on a big dose . Stopping lamical .. Only trouble you have there is if you ever go back on it you will have to go through the taper UP process again..

Of course all of this is just my opinion and what I personally gone through.

Good luck

I would have suggested to stay on the Lamictal which is weight neutral.
I have stopped Seroquel - pretty much - and only take 25mg at night, lol. I took 200mg on Friday night (my initial prescription) and it took all of Saturday to recover.

How are you now?

I went to sleep without feeling like I was dying last night. I woke up awake, not hungover feeling. I'm covered in chills off and on right now and I don't feel like I slept very well, but it was real sleep. I'm sure it's just going to take my brain a little while to readjust. Seroquel was ruining my life. I only had side effects and no distinguishable benefits. I'm going to my T in half an hour. I'm sure he will be less than thrilled but I'll see the pdoc at the transitional clinic 5/14. I think I'll be fine for a couple weeks. Im really hoping this extra 35lbs that came on this past 2months will start to fall away. I think that is the worst part. Hate yourself? Here, take these pills, gain weight, get constipated, feel like you're drowning when you're supposed to be falling asleep, feel hungover when you're supposed to be waking up. Blek!

Just a question... do you mean OCD with hypergraphic? hypo means less or under while hyper means excess or more

oops... hypergraphia, not hypergraphic... what goes around comes around!

Yes! That is what I mean

I broke down and took 400mg of Seroquel & 100mg Lamictal. I was seriously hurting, headache, bodyache, chills, rough, really rough. I've not heard that Lamictal is weight neutral. I've had a couple counselors say it causes weight gain and some say it's the Seroquel. But apparently being on both is lose/lose.

Seroquel is the weight gainer and your symptoms are withdrawls thats why Doctors need to taper you down.

Lamictal is weight neutral , I have never heard anyone complain about weight on it.

Hope you get to feeling better soon.

I know you're going through a very hard time and probably are not seeing things very clearly, but you're hurting yourself a great deal by stopping cold turkey, especially considering the massive dose of Seroquel you've been taking. I think on some level you know this. You've done this the day before seeing your T: of course, as you know, she will be very concerned. Are you wanting her to rescue you in some way? Because this is a very common wish in therapy.

I hope your new psychiatrist can help you find a combination of medications that will help you and not give you intolerable side effects.

No, I know he can't rescue me. In fact, he said totally understands why I want off of it all. He even agrees there's a possibility that the pdoc who "diagnosed me" (threw these crazy labels and high doses of toxic meds at me) then refused to do any follow up care could very well be wrong. I'm just ready for this to be over.

Your Seroquel dose is very high - please taper off slowly...

I started on Seroquel XR 2 weeks ago, only 50mg, teensy tiny dose, and every morning after taking it all my muscles felt stiff and tense. I was like a 90yo woman getting out of bed. My insurance doesn't cover mental health, but because I have mental health I don't qualify for sliding scales. I'd say sometimes the system is crazy - like you originally having to wait until July 2nd! Madness!

My Pdoc said stop taking it & I'm going in to see him today. Paying out of pocket, or should say my husbands pocket. He's at least reasonable in fees. Still waiting to find that balanced "cocktail" or whatever.

Your symptoms - Egad! Sounds like a heart attack. I'm really glad you got help & people on here are definitely giving you sound advice, taper off slow, etc. My advice - listen to their advice. I'm a relative newbie.

Oh & of course listen to your PDoc/T/MD... You know...their professional advice.
About Lamictal I've only heard good things, low side effects, etc. if you can take it. I got a rash on it.