Seroquel for mixed state

Anyone take Seroquel as a "rescue" medication for mixed state?

I have taken seroquel before but switched due to the weight I was gaining. My current cocktail is Trileptal, Latuda, Cymbalta and Klonopin.

My pdoc of 10 years recently retired and new pdoc has left my meds as is but he has suggested that he could prescribe Seroquel as a "rescue" med to take when I start to feel that horrible agitation/depression of a mixed episode.

Anyone have experience with this?

hi. not seroquel, but low dose risperdal, as-needed. i take it rarely, but it does help. my only concern there would be that seroquel is -very- sedating, especially if you don't take it regularly.

a lot of people have good things to say about zyprexa on a strictly as-needed basis.

Thanks SC. That’s my thought. Seroqul knocked me out when I was on it before. It was great for helping me sleep through the night. But, I can’t imagine taking it during the day. I’d be a zombie.

I think Seroquel and Seroquel XR have been great for my past mixed states. They're also very good for my mania, depression and anxiety. I consider Seroquel XR to be the star of my medication cocktail for these reasons.

When I first started taking Seroquel XR it was an adjunct antipsychotic to Geodon because Geodon didn't work sufficiently to curb my mania even at a high dose. Later, my pdoc slowly weaned me off Geodon. As my Geodon dose decreased, my Seroquel XR dose increased. I've been doing fairly well with Seroquel XR taking over the antipsychotic main position. As said, it also has had the benefit of being helpful for depression, which Geodon really wasn't for me. My doses of Seroquel XR have ranged from 450 mg to 600 mg since stopping Geodon.

My psychiatrist also gives me 50 mg regular Seroquel pills to use as emergency prns. When needed, usually for hypo/mania or related agitation, I take it during the daytime, up to 100 mg on top of my Seroquel XR. It is usually quite helpful. But if my elevated or mixed moods persist, my psychiatrist usually increases my Seroquel XR, and then I only use the regular Seroquel pills if the increase of the XR is still not enough in between appointments. I have also taken doses like 50 mg of the XR in the morning as well as the much higher dose at night. Regular Seroquel as a MORNING prn seems to be better for me than morning XR as a prn. Regular Seroquel is quicker acting, and I get over the sedation quicker. I do, however, prefer Seroquel XR over regular Seroquel as a regular daily medication (taken only once per day in the evening). I find Seroquel XR has fewer side effects than regular Seroquel (taken only at night) over time. I'm no psychopharmacologist, but I believe regular Seroquel's "spike" brings about more extreme hunger than the milder and longer-lasting one of Seroquel XR.

It used to be that Seroquel XR was only available in brand name, but that has recently changed. Nowadays the price of generic Seroquel XR is more competitive with the generic Seroquel price.

Thanks, Bird. As a PRN how quickly does it make you feel better?

I get relief from one pill of seroquel as a prn.

How much do you take, Guiness? Does it kick in pretty fast?

If I can catch the episode early, the prn really can stop it in its tracks. I think the amount needed may vary by person, episode strength, and/or other factors. Usually my pdoc likes me to start with 50 mg regular Seroquel. He says I can take up to 75 or 100 prn in a day. If your pdoc does prescribe a prn, do ask him/her for their recommended parameters for use. If I need the prn for more than a couple days, or if my episode worsens or doesn't improve despite, my pdoc wants me to call him. Then he usually increases my daily Seroquel XR (a regular med in my mix) and tells me to stop the prns and call him in another couple of days.

I have to say that the above arrangement has probably been the main reason I've avoided the hospital for the last 8 years. That, and my pdoc is great at giving me emergency appointments. Prior to that I had several hospitalizations.

I my psychiatrist!

50-100mg