quetiapine vs lithium

I am not familiar with Quetiapine meds but if they are a spin off of lithium carbonate your friend would suffer a hypothyroid situation. With a hypothyroid inbalance and a psychotic meds her symptoms would be pretty much what you are describing. I suppose getting a complete panel (you only list a T3) which provides some info but not the whole picture TSH testing and those numbers would be very beneficial to determine her condition.

I have been on seroquel (quetiapine) 100 mg at night for a couple years. I also take Eskalith (Lithium Carbonate ER). My Lithium level was .8 (normal) a month ago. With the change to daylight savings time, the last three nights I woke up around 4:30 am wired (which is better than sleeping til 3 pm ( which I often did on the days I didn't work.) I usually went to sleep around 12:30. I had been taking Nuvigil for energy (no stimulants). Lately I've been working 10 hour days too.

Citalopram 40mgs (3yrs), Quetiapine 50-100mgs (2.5 yrs), Reboxetine 12mgs (18months), Lamotrigine 150mgs (6months) and Lithium 400 at night (one week...so unlikely to be relevant). Anyone got any useful thoughts??

Update. Hi. My dissociative moments have receded and I've ha a week or so of being in agood mood and really productive; more so than for over a year. I increased my bedtime dose of quetiapine but found I was feeling "wired" with irritability and anger in the afternoons/evenings. My sleeps are short (five to six hours at the moment despite the increased quetiapine). In view of this, I've re-added a morning dose of quetiapine and now things seem better..

I was just wondering what the best drug to take is on an as and when basis. I take lithium too. Sometimes even on antipsychotics and lithium I get breakthrough symptoms. What I want is to be able to just take something when I need it; alongside the lithium of course. Any suggestions? I know antipsychotics build up over a period of time so it is probably not useful to take these prn.

I'm in the Uk and currently taking Quetiapine, Depakote and Lamotrigine. The Quetiapine for me was prescribed for rage and agitation, I don't feel any anti depressant properties from it, but it has saved my life. Lamotrigine was prescribed 7 weeks ago and I feel a lot better, I am doing things that I didn't think I'd ever feel I could do again. Nobody has ever specified what type of Bp I have, I have symptoms from across the spectrum, I have mixed episodes.

doc feels that a mood stabiliser is needed and talked about either Lamictal or Lithium... I was scared by the sound of Lithium so went for Lamictal but now I read how many weeks it'll take to build up to a useful dose and I'm not sure I can wait that long.... any thoughts?

tried lithium only one pill but i had to stop for some reasons. But I know people who take lithium and very much convinced about it. Pdocs all over the world nowadays try to revert to lithium again. Although you read about the side effects of lithium but those using it say it's safe if well monitored. I remember to have corresponded lately with a famous USA pdoc about some bipolar theory (another story) he said we are going back to lithium.

I have been on 200mg Sertraline and 250mg Quetiapine for about 18 months, (and countless other meds before this over the years) but after being stable for about 12 months my Psychiatrist suggested reducing my Sertraline to 150mg. Almost immediately my anxiety got worse, so my gp said to increase it again and we would try again in a few months. A couple of times over the last few months I have had the strangest feelings, like nothing I've had before - and I feel like this at the minute.

i never heard of advair or minoxidil, it seems meds to treat other things than psych also the others seem strange. since you seem to suffer from other symptoms, my modest advise is to seek a hospital support, a GP is of no help here. you went toxic on lithium, meaning you didn't monitor the dose. so either you don't have time to check or change the meds without doc consent. suppose i tell you quetiapine helps me in my rapid cycling, would you try it.

There are other medications in the same class as Abilify that may be less expensive (atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, etc.). Have you tried any of those? Lithium is also really cheap. Have you tried it? It does come with side effects, but it is the classic drug for bipolar I. If other things don't work, you should check out these resources to help with the cost of Abilify: http://www.patientassistance.

Im a 33yr old female, 120lbs, smoker, social drinker, overall healthy. My doc has me on 4X150mg capsules of Lithium and my hands are crazy shaking, I read hand shakes are "normal" however does it go away, Ive just up'd my dose of Lithium last week to the 4 capsules and it was then I noticed my hands shook even more, I can even really put on eye makeup...Any suggestions??? Ive noticed a big change for the good within myself being on this med, but this hand thing is driving me nuts.

I really had no other side effects from either med. Lithium is more for mania and prozac for depression. I take a Lithium/Wellbutrin combo and it is awsome for me. Controls both sides pretty darn good! It is really trial and error with any med, it might or might not effect your libido. Just have to try and see. If it does, switch again! I know tegretol kills it too. So you might do better on Lithium or Prozac.

Well, I am on Lithium and I like it. I take 1200 mg and I think it is starting to work for me, although slowly. I do see some improvements. The only side effect I seem to have his thirstiness. I am always drinking water. But that's good since the dangerous side effect is kidney damage, so water is important. Also I have some minor hand tremors but nothing bad. One thing I like about lithium is it is an old drug. It has been used for bipolar since the 1960s.

Yes--when I change doses or lithium, quetiapine, or lamictal I get the same thing. It did go away after a few extremely frustrating weeks. Tell your pdoc, but mainly keep and eye on it. Did you change dosage?

The detox where I'm from uses lithium for every person coming off of alcohol. The combo of lithium and ativan is supposed to help prevent seizures and shakes. You probably already know this but, it may be safer for your bf to go to an inpatient detox.

My GP switched me over to Zeldox, as I was gaining weight rapidly on Quetiapine, however the side effects from Zeldox, such as not being able to sleep, vomitting, feeling like my throat was closing, shakes, dizziness, severe heart palpatations, I got off the Zeldox and went back on the Quetiapine. What is the ingrediant in Zeldox that would cause these hyper side effects?

I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder. i take lithium ER 450mg BID, Mirapex 1mg for RLS, and zoloft 100mg to treat depression. I can usually fall asleep, however i wake and stay up for a few hours every night. i have tried benedryl,klonopin,trazadone,serequil, and elavil for relief however every one of these meds has a paradoxical effect on me. Any suggestions?

Hello there, having read all your posts i am amazed how alike we all are. im bipolar but have only been diagnosed the last 7 years, i had been treated for depression before this from the age of 16, i am now 53. My story is much like all of yours, bouts of manic episodes followed by major deppression afterwards. I too have attempted suicide many times & been hospitalised a few times.

Patients with a pre-existing history of bipolar disorder should be monitored closely while receiving interferon therapy, and, whenever possible, treated prophylactically with a mood stabilizer such as olanzapine or quetiapine (lithium or valproic acid can also be considered, with close follow-up).

I am currently on 200mg Quetiapine and 30mg Cipralex in the morning. 100mg Quetiapine at noon, and 300mg Quetiapine at night, along with 50mg Clonazapam. I tried taking Zeldox, as I gained a lot of weight from the Quetiapine, but the Dr. made it an add on and kept me on the Quetiapine as well. I had very bad side effects, and got off the Zeldox immediately. I told my doctor about it, and she changed the Zeldox, which was 80mg daily to Abilify, which I take 10mg in the morning and 10mg at noon.

Quetiapine vs lithium

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