use of seroquel in the elderly

Medications in the elderly is tricky, just as it is in children. The geriatric population tends to be more sensitive to medications and often require closer monitoring. Is your grandmother being seen by a doctor who specializes in geriatric patients? If not, that may be something to think about. The only medication you listed that I could imagine might be an issue is the Seroquel, the other medications shouldn't really cause a behavioral/mood issue.

Risperdal is a so-called "blacklisted" drug because of the high incidence of fatalities in the elderly. It is not approved nor appropriate for a use in an "agitated" eighty year old patient. The Department of Geriatrics at Johns Hopkins University conducted a dedicated seminar at Mount Sinai Hospital geriatrics department three years ago warning against inappropriate use of risperdal in the elderly.

Combining Ambien and Seroquel can cause central nervous system and respiratory depressant effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients. Please discuss with your doctor for alternate medications. In the meantime, I would strongly caution you not to drive or operate heavy machinery while on these medications as you might injure yourself or others. Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

I would think that almost all psychiatric providers that I am aware of in using antipsychotics as mood stabilizers use one at a working dose. The risk of tardive is not a reason for people not to use antipsychotics. Its just that its safer to take one at a working dose and also that happens to be more effective as well. When I took standard antipsychotics throughout the years I was prescribed one at a standard effective dose. That seems to be general working procedure from what I know.

seroquel is an anti-psychotic that really isn't for the purpose of treating anxiety....although from what I've seen in someone I know taking it is a reduction in the 'racy mind' symptom...and helps to induce sleep. rmjm is the link to diabetes from long term high doses?

s an atypical AP but it also possesses a stabilization property. Since it was one of the oldest produced atypicals and perhaps the oldest even, most pdocs start by it along with an anxiolytic. so i would go for it so long that she doesn't complain from it. as to side effects, like the others some weight gain of course. for mixed states, i found seroquel very effective by all means, it stops it immediately.

When I was at the psych. hospital in 1991 a good number of the people of the age range of 50+ had tardive dyskinesia. I knew very little about the condition then and I was told it was because of the amount of medication they had been on in the past when I finally got an "honest" answer from a psychiatrist there but even for their knowledge then that was untruthful. In reality it was the statistical probability of it ("5% per person per year with the typical antipsychotics, 2.

Often times one just needs to stay on the meds and weather through the first week or so of possible discomfort until the body catches up to the medication. But if your discomfort does not improve in reasonable time, call your doctor for advice. You can also get information from your pharmasist.

I was admitted Tuesday evening into the hospital due to suicidal thoughts and depression follow by a severe up and then a severe down again all in a couple of days. I stayed in the hospital until friday evening. The doctor started me on Lamictal and Seroquel. Well I am out now and still rapid cycling but its coming down from every few hour mood swings to every day mood swings.

My main worry is if it could be Tardives dyskinesia or beneign essential blepharospasm due to the use of Seroquel for 10 days with other meds. How great is the risk of taking it for 10 days? I think the dosage was 25 - 50 mg. a day. Would it be likely to show up this long after using it? I have been tapering off the Vistaril and Trazadone the past 2-3 weeks. Also, I know that lack of sleep, stress & anxiety, & fibromyalgia also can cause muscle twitching.

You may want to try getting him a couple of hobbies, just things to keep him busy, he may just be sleeping out of boredom. Everyone needs a reason to get up in the morning, I think it would help if your father had more things he could look forward to every day. Take care....

increased sleepiness or unexplained lethargy, weakness, decreased or slowed heart rate, cold sensations, stomach pains, or FEELING LIGHT HEADED or have fainted either before or after taking Metformin she could be showing some of the symptoms of lactic acidosis. This is a dangerous syndrome and requires immediate medical attention. Contact her doctor and inform him/her of your mother's situation asap.

I have long been questioning why am i taking so much seroquel (150mg) and only 1mg apexidone (egyptian brand for risperidone) which made me try to reduce the first by all means but in vain, until i discovered that my 1mg of the 2nd equals 100 of the 1st. So by taking 150mg seroquel i am in fact taking 1.5mg of risperidone only. I was trying hard to reduce my seroquel by 50mg meaning trying to reduce my apexidone by 0.5mg which is nonsense.

Hi Emily, Thank you for your reply. Seroquel (quetiapine) is an anti-psychotic medication that originally was approved for use on Schizophrenia but has shown to work for both Bipolar-Manic episode and Bipolar-Depressive episodes. It is quickly becoming a very common prescribed medication for those with Bipolar. With this medication now becoming a common and approved use I was recommending that it be added on it's own.

m a little afraid of the seroquel. i develpoed a bad twitching in the right side of my face from the abilify. and it was only 1mg. hope someone has some answers.

Given these considerations, SEROQUEL should be prescribed in a manner that is most likely to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who appear to suffer from a chronic illness that (1) is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs, and (2) for whom alternative, equally effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate.

You may have acquired cataracts from another cause than the Seroquel but if you did its not from the onset of diabetes. Its a seperate cause and there are many other antipsychotics, the 3 newest with the least risk of weight gain being Abilify, Fanapt and Saphris. As well there are many other mood stabilizers that are not antipsychotics. Here is a full list: http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/moodstabilizers.htm Speak to your psychiatrist about this.

Thanks. In fact when I stopped the seroquel I had maybe 5-6 days of improvement on my depression, motivation and energy. But after 6-7 days the symptoms returned but with less intensity. With seroquel I was on bed almost all day crying and suffering. Now I still have lack of energy and mild depression, but the crying and time in bed have diminished a bit.

I am aware that these are supposed to be used short term, they are not addictive but now 4 months on I am still taking them, my mood is much more settled but im not completley right yet, I have tried a few times to try and go to sleep but I am wide awake tossing and turning and I end up taking one in the middle of the night anyway. I have had the whole bath thing, no stimulents, relaxation techniques etc.. I just seem to have lost the ability to go to sleep.

I find since I've been on seroquel/ lamictal that I haven't had a manic outbreak in over 2 years. I use to take seroquel alone & had several outbreaks one after another. For me the combination works!

If she is taking that much of it there is 325 mg. of aspirin in each pill. That is alot of aspirin to consume even for a younger person. It could cause bleeding problems in the stomach and intestines as well as excessive bruising. I agree with Molly in regards to asking a doctor to change her medication to something long acting or even just Oxycodone with no other additives such as aspirin or acetomenophin. It is available in 5mg and 10mg doses. Good luck.

I was on Seroquel for a year and I did not experience any weight gain, just extreme sleep. I took one and went to sleep for 12 hours; but at the time I was not sleeping at all so it regulated my sleeping pattern. The medicine I am on now is Trileptal; and have been on it for 6 years. It works well and only makes me drowsy when I take all at bed time. I feel that it has maintained me well. I am up to 1200mgs. As for feeling fine, you know that comes and goes.

Occasionally I will use Echinacea for my dog (the vet knows I do on the odd occasion, say if she has a skin wound, or something, and says it's ok) But I'm unsure about which herbs are/are not -ok for dogs, so am not very experimental. I do know the herbs mentioned on the site I gave you a link to are specifics for incontinence and urinary problems...but like I said I don't have the experience of using them for dogs, so don't know the correct dosage.

If it were me, i would take up to 30 mg of diazepam instead of the seroquel.....and read the post above concerning one individuals experience with seroquel......lots of natural things that do work also. Check out the amino acid protocol and the Thomas Recipe posted at bottom right of page.

d be more convinced that the tic is occurring as a side effect of the SeroquelXR. Am feeling better than I have in 25 years on this drug combination; but the eye tic is bothering me and am concerned about the Seroquel causing it. How long should an individual take Seroquel XR for sleep quality...what is the time period thought to be safe.

Use of seroquel in the elderly

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