AP Switching: Aripiprozole to Quetiapine

Okay - gotcha. One question, Vishva - is the Rispiradone primarily for the OCD? Do you have compulsive tics that go along with the OCD?

How's the switch going so far? (ja, okay. More than one question, lol)

Seroquel is fairly fast acting, it seemed.

I think the Risperidone was for multiple reasons.
* It helps sleeping
* Intrusive thoughts became more manageable
* It is also as an augmentation for Lexapro

Yes, there were some compulsive actions I couldn't stop. Like, when walking down a street, I feel like I have dropped something and I feel an urge to go back and check the ground, and double check everything in my pockets.

When I'm working on the computer, I have this urge to be a perfectionist in my work, and often were double-checking it is was a single space, or double spaces or actually a tab. I have to check these multiple times. I think I have overcome this recently. I don't remember feeling this way for the past few days.

It is very uncomfortable for me if my cloths are not properly adjusted around my body or touching at a stretched angle. So I also have this urge to fix it often. I think this is more of an Asperger thing than pure OCD.

When I was about 4~5, I had a compulsive hand washing thing. I was given a placebo to convince me that it killed all germs, but that didn't work at that time.

I'm very uncomfortable when touched by a stranger. When walking down a crowded street, I have to be extra careful and vigilant to not get my body in contact with a stranger. If someone accidentally touches me, I get very upset, and it feels itchy where they have touched. And I can't touch that area with any other part of my body. As soon as I get home or office, I thoroughly wash that area. This is something I'm still straggling with.

I have been struggling with this sub-clinical OCD as long as I can remember. I'm used to it. It is tiresome. I have overcome them halfway. Was not focusing on my OCD for a while; just living with it for the moment.

Right now I'm having a very mild headache. I feel so thirsty. Today I was not as drowsy as yesterday or day before. I think the sedation subsides at higher doses.

Last night I went up-to 100mg, and today also staying at 100mg. I'm sticking to the titration plan PDoc gave me. Tomorrow and onward is 200mg target dose.

I want to believe Seroquel will enable me to stop smoking.

Physically I feel like everything is padded, like I don't feel the hard surfaces as it is. It is the sensation of outside word at skin. It is weird and hard to explain. Not bad, neither good, but I'm slightly worried if this persists or get worse.

I also feel that tired feeling you get when on Cymbalta.

Mentally, I already feel so much quietness in my head. My thoughts are clear. I don't feel worried all the time. It is like I have a firm grip of things around me. Emotions are dull, but that is kind a good. I don't feel like a zombie at all . I feel I can enjoy small things around me. I'm not frustrated or angry or agitated. This is good.

The only worry I have now is the metabolic side effects I have to watch out for. PDoc didn't tell me I have to get blood tests regularly. But I will get them done anyways before next visit.

No offence, but..

Neuroleptics is the outdated term. Those are now called first generation anti-psychotics.

Abilify is the only third generation anti-psychotic.

Regarding your OCD, I suppose you've tried Exposure Therapy. It really helped my son when he was being plagued by OCD-like, repetitive worries when he was around 10. In fact, exposure therapy was the only time any sort of 'talk' therapy has worked - but thing was, he was truly tired of it by then and wanted rid of it.



If you have success, let me know for certain as I've tried everything myself to stop (except quitting, of course ) Tried Buproprian for smoking cessation but it just made me very short tempered.



I'd give yourself time to adjust. Even though Seroquel is a faster acting med compared with many of that class, the effects of coming off the Rispiradone may not have had their final say. I don't think any of the AP switches are anywhere near a 1-to-1, even in the best case.

Can't ask it to do any more than that!

No, I haven't tried exposure therapy. I'm scared about the idea of that, specially when it comes to contamination anxiety.

I agree with Wild Coyote, anti epileptics might be better. It's awful that your child has been put on antipsychotics at 16. Seroquel is bad for severe weight gain, craving unhealthy foods, and will make your son very sleepy. 800mg knocked me out for about 10 hours a night (I am female and 5ft 1 though). I put on half my body weight with Seroquel and it made me obese. It can also cause diabetes and heart disease. So I would suggest something other than an antipsychotic. Abilify is not so bad for these things but it is a newer drug so the long term side effects are not really known.
Most atypical antipsychotics have side effects like Seroquel.

Best of luck with it all.

All true, but I hear atypical antipsychotics more often and that picks up Abilify too. I know there's a mechanistic reason for giving Abilify its own class, but for all practical purposes its just another one of the AAP's that may or may not work and may or may not have the same or different side effects as any of the rest.

You should consider it. The term 'Exposure' does seem to have a disquieting ring to it with implications of some hooded and cloaked beastie lumbering behind you at a lido, "Hello, a bit of aquaphobia, I see. Well, hows about a little dip, then? Shall we? heh-heh", lol.


No, its not like that at all! I'd wondered about that myself, but I sat through sessions with my son and watched the process. Its quite safe. The key is getting a therapist whose demeanor meshes well with you and that may take several tries. Not all therapists are created equal. Just remember that the therapy itself has a very good track record. Its the implementation that is key.



Also, it helps to be sick and tired of having the compulsions and intrusive thoughts running your life.


Thanks, Rose. Ja, 16 and we've seen them much, much younger. I do wonder about the long term effects. What will these kids look like years in the future. I shudder when I think of the possible toxicological effects after years of use beginning in early childhood. I shudder.

There's no way of knowing, not even close to doing any meaningful medium term studies. Many, if not most, haven't been around long enough. Its uncharted territory from here out.


Yes, Abilify does seem to be the best out of the bunch. Our child had been on it nigh three years, and I recall overhearing, almost in passing from at least one doctor, they didn't think it a keen idea to keep them on it for too long and we can't help but wonder if at least some of the problems he's been experiencing are possibly due to unknown effects on some portion of the executive function.

But there's just no way of knowing...

I'm sorry if I'm hijacking the thread. If so, let's move this discussion to a separate thread.

I too have had very bad aquaphobia when I was very small. As a child I was even scared to death seeing the depth of a bucket of water. My parents have helped me get over it.

I'm the king of thread-jacking, so don't worry it. That would've made a crackin' username - King ThreadJacks - wouldn't it?

Jack-of-All-Threads, then? No?

But, now that you mention it, this one has been all over the place, literally - but I've learned so much in the process. I still refer back to it regularly - wealth of information in the form of hard-learned experience from people willing to take the time to share it.

But all things must come to an end.