Bipolar - Seroquel and it's side effects!

Emmychi

Recently I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

At 27 years of age, I have gone the past 12 years suffering with severe depression and odd mood swings and anxiety.
I had been prescribed 20mg Lexapro for my depression which I found only made my "mood swings" a lot worse. Last week, (after years of going through numerous counselling sessions and appointments with public psychiatrists..) I have finally been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Over the past week I have been told to reduce my Lexapro to 5mg (with the intention of stopping completely) And have been prescribed 50mg Seroquel.
As I am very unfamiliar with this medication I am looking for some insights on it before I start taking it. The side effects of Lexapro affected me straight away and I'm concerned I will experience worse side effects on Seroquel.
Being a very self conscious woman, my main concern is weight gain. Has anyone had a similar experience?

drugstore cowboy

I'm on slow release Seroquel and it's a live safer. It definitely has me less anxious, manic etc and it has killed my insomnia.
If you watch your diet and exercise there will be no real weight gain. 50mg is only a starter dose but will help your nerves and promote good sleep.

I was pretty zoned out my first week on it but it's working out fine for me now. Things aren't perfect but the help it's given me is staggering.

Emmychi

Thank you for you're post @drugstore cowboy! It's good to know that it works. I'm nervous about going on new medication, especially something as serious as this.
I was looking for more forums and chat rooms to do with mental health but there is very little out there.

Hopefully I works as well for me as it does for you!

Euphoria Intensifies

The anxiety and depression thread on this forum is great IMO Emmychi, you should give it a look. It's pretty much a catch-all mental health thread with a nice community feel.

I've been on 50mg quetiapine since March (not for bipolar, but for helping with BPD mood swings). I've found it pretty good and generally found that the side effects are minimal, especially after the first few weeks. I haven't put on weight with it either.

alaskayoung

I'm on 50mg of Seroquel daily at the moment too, simply for sleep, and haven't experienced any side effects. If you watch your diet and exercise you won't gain any weight. Even if it increases your appetite a little, you can't put on any weight without overeating! 50mg is just the starter dose so you'll probably be titrated up to the therapeutic dose over the next few weeks. I've never been on the full dose myself so can't offer you my experience on that but if you feel for some reason that Seroquel is not the right medication for you over the next few weeks, there are many other mood stabilisers you can try until you find the right fit. I was given the choice between Seroquel and Lamictal to take as a mood stabiliser and chose Lamictal as it's known to be weight neutral but there are advantages and disadvantages to all drugs but don't be afraid to ask your Dr questions so you find what's best for you.

comet1972

I have been put on the maximum dose of 800mg serequel (I was on 300mg) for dysphoria and it is the only thing that works for this. Now that the dysphoria is gone, I am on 400mg level, and this will be reduced again over coming weeks. I am on other anti psychotics but it is the serequel that I find works wonders for me.
by any chance, does anyone with bi polar have any experience of dysphoria? I have been admitted to hospital many times with it, but have yet to come across anyone with it. I would be delighted to hear of anyone with any experience with it. I would explain it as extreme stress in the body that is cause from external stressors. And it is of such extremes that hospitalization is required.