Update: Abilify to Seroquel? Uh, no thanks...

I'm posting an update because there are some wonderful souls here.

The last time I posted a thread (I think) was after one single dose of Abilify. It tried to kill me! A 15 mg dose ruined two and a half days of my life. Nauseous, and just... off. So I took no more after that.

I was also prescribed Trazodone to help me sleep - 50 mg cut in half; so, 25 mg. It didn't help me get but a couple hours of fitful sleep, so I was going to quit that too. My wife convinced me to try the full dose, but agreed that I didn't have to take the Abilify. The full dose of Trazodone gives me about 4-6 hours sleep.

One of us (I think my wife because I don't like talking on the phone) called the clinic to tell them about my experience with Abilify. Well, they finally got me on the phone to find out what was going on. They asked if I would be willing to take a half dose. I said, "Heck no!" and I told them I was taking the full dose of Trazodone and that it kinda sucks for what it was prescribed for.

Today I got another call from the clinic asking how I was doing, and if I would be willing to try Seroquel (spelling?), or if I'd rather be referred to the psychiatric nurse practitioner. If you've been following my adventures you'll recall that, as a poor person that lives in a country that can't afford to make sure everyone has medical care (God bless the U.S.A.), we found a clinic that can afford to help on a sliding scale. But, I saw a general nurse practitioner, who said that we are "obviously dealing with a mood disorder" and prescribed the aforementioned killer, Abilify.

I agreed to be referred. I'm waiting for a call about an appointment.

Here's the rub: after 20 years living (if you can call it that) unmedicated, and then having such a horrid experience with Abilify, I am reluctant in the extreme to try again.

I'm really just venting here. I don't remember such adverse reactions two decades ago when I was taking things like lithium, tegretol, paxil, (I don't know how to spell any of this garbage) and whatever meds that I can no longer remember the name of.

I do think that I have been in a killer Mixed State for a while now, and I read that they prescribe atypical antipsychotics for just such a reason. I'm worried about Seroquel.

Can anyone relate to this over-long post? Can you give me some anecdotal information? Um... help?

Mate, I can't relate as I take Abilify without any problems. I do hope you find a reasonable solution quickly.

That’s all right. I seem to be the only person in the universe to have had such a reaction to it.

Seroquel has work for sleep for me, but it gives me RLS which I take propanolol for. It also made me irritable taking it in large doses or during the day. That said seroquel works for some poeple. Also, all of these drugs have numbers to treat of 5+, you may have to try a bunch to get one that really works. I had to try 4 to get to seroquel and a fifth to get to Latuda, and I had to try two different mood stabilizers, too.

ALSO: I had two extreme reactions: both Risperdal and Zyprexa gave me total insomnia. Risperdal I took two weeks to figure out with my pdoc, and Zyprexa I dropped after 2 days. This stuff can be really random.

Abilify made me freaking nuts !!!!!

Seroquil made me gain to much weight.

Trazadone can be increased to help you sleep better since it proving help for you. My husband takes it just for sleep he has no MI , 300mg a night.

Bipolar is a pain in the assss to find the right meds to help. But you will find stability.

I’ve been taking Latuda for over a year now and it is great for stability.

Keep trying

I didn't have any problems on Abilify. I do hear Seroquel works really well for sleep but it can be hard to wake up in the morning. I think seeing a psychiatric nurse practitioner is a good idea. I have found that GPs don't know much about psych meds.

Thank you. I always appreciate the insight you provide on the forums.

This is the crux, isn’t it? I have spent so long believing that I can just... overcome any problems that I have. I have been assured that I cannot.

And now I’m looking at jumping on that crummy merry-go-round of medication.

I just want to feel... i don’t know... quiet inside. But, I don’t know what that even feels like. I wan’t a medication that I can’t tell that I am taking. I want to be one of those folks that can say, “I feel good. Maybe I don’t need medication.” I know my wife wouldn’t let me stop, anyway, so why not feel like that and keep taking it?

I have a bad reaction to Abilify at higher than 2-6 mg.

I would love some Seroquel, as I am also "mixed" right now. however, I cannot have it at all because it has the potential to prolong the heart's QTc interval... and I am already on a med which does this. My EKG showed us my QTc interval prolongation was already close to maxed out. When this is the case, the risk of adding another med with the QTc interval prolongation potential is: potentially "sudden death."

IF you are prescribed both trazodone and Seroquel, please know that both of these meds have the potential to prolong your heart's QTc interval. To be as safe as possible, you might ask for an EKG while on trazodone and see if it's safe to also take Seroquel.

EKGs are/should be standard when 2 meds with this potential are going to be combined. Please discuss with your NP and with your pharmacist if your NP does not order an EKG for you. My pdoc and my pharmacist will not allow 2 meds with this same potential to be prescribed together.

Your NP should be able to explain more. Again, you can also ask a pharmacist re: his/her opinion on this.

I hate to write anything that may discourage you; yet, if you do go forward with treatment, I'd want to share this info out of concern for your safety/welfare.

Seroquel without trazodone may or may not put you at risk. A baseline EKG can be helpful in determining safety.

A baseline EKG can be helpful.
An EKG when you are using one of these meds should be ordered before adding another med in this category.

I hope this is clear enough for you to understand. it's not my best day today. I am also not a medical professional. I am interested in how you are doing.

Be Safe and Be Well!


WC

Welll...here are my experiences with the meds mentioned in this thread. Of course, I know that you know that everyone's experiences with medications can be different from everyone else's. That said...
Abilify was like swallowing water for me. Took it for about 6 weeks and had no effect from it. No problems, no benefits.

I had a frightening experience with Trazodone; pdoc said it sounded like an allergic reaction. The 2nd night I took the recommended dose of the stuff I experience what felt like a horrible overdose. I saw colorful flashing lights when I closed my eyes; the lights would not stop. Then I began to have difficulty breathing and felt like I was blacking out. I sat up in bed, taking shallow breaths, to try to avoid losing consciousness. Eventually the beast passed. I won't touch that stuff again. BUT I am sure that my reaction was odd.

Seroquel. I was started on 350mg Seroquel some years ago. It made me sleep well. I gained 125 lbs. the first 2 years I was on it. Besides sleep, Seroquel did not help me in any way. Nothing. They keep insisting the Seroquel helps with anxiety. Well, for me, it does not. Finally, a pdoc lowered the dose way down to 75mg., just for sleep. I want to go off the stuff eventually. I now take 50 mg. every night and it does help me sleep, more or less. At 50mg., I don't find that I have a morning hang-over.But keep in mind that the dosage for insomnia can be as low as 12mg. or 25 mg.

Seroquel is *THE* hot drug in psychiatry nowadays. It's being prescribed for everything from psychosis to anxiety to sleep issues to you-name-it. I'm still not comprehending why an anti-psychotic is being prescribed for insomnia . To me, that seems like burning the house down to get rid of the ants.

I do believe I understand what you mean by wanting to feel "quiet inside". Lamictal has helped that happen, for me. Gabapentin has helped ease anxiety, somewhat. And now I'll use the current dirtiest word in the field of psychiatry - Klonopin. There is no medication, of all the approximately 40 meds I've been on over the decades, that has truly helped me the way Klonopin does.

My initial suggestion for you is to ask about Lamictal.

I am "mixed" right now and am taking gabapentin for this. It's not been ideal for me; yet, it is helpful most days/nights. I am better off with it than without it.

I will be adding Lamictal in the next few days.

I agree with Laurie, I hate to see antipsychotics used for insomnia. Sometimes, people need sleep desperately and nothing else works. Antipsychotics should be a last resort for insomnia, in my own very humble opinion.

I also use klonopin. I can get depressed on this if the dose is too high.


WC

See, I am too vain and old to gain a lot of weight. I know the argument from many a PDOC is “weight is the least of your problems”, but I don’t care.

I’ll look into Lamictal.

I’m just afraid that this is not going to turn out well.

Thank you for your input!

Are they thinking Seroquil XR or straight Seroquil ?

My daughter has insomnia problems but takes straight Seroquil 50-100 mg a night and sleep great 90% of the time and it quiets her mind.

She took the XR and kept passing out in the mornings. Was scary. She is grown and has a job so that wasn’t acceptable.

Yes follow WC’s advice on EKG’s very important for safety.

The Med Merry Go Around sucksss until you starting feeling better.

One thing is Bipolar always cycles , only consistent think the bytch does.

I’ve been on Seroquel for 4 yrs with no weight gain. I like it - it keeps the chatter in my head down to a low dull roar.
Lamictal was like eating sugar pills - no effect at all.
Abilify was activating - I did not do well on it at all.
Epilim has caused me weight gain but because it’s the only thing that has any impact on my mixed moods (usually actively suicidal) I persevere with it.