Posted by yxibow on July 15, 2009, at 10:01:09
In reply to seroquel, posted by blahblahblah on July 14, 2009, at 23:57:23
> hey, my pdoc prescribed me seroquel today to help with my emotional and aggressive episodes, irritation, and anxiety. can someone please give me anything they know about this. i'm particularly worried about weight gain and loss of sex drive. thanks all.
Well, everyone's reaction is going to be different to Seroquel... I don't see a real diagnosis here, just a set of symptoms, which sometimes is all that is seen to start with...
But it can be a powerful anxiolytic when other options haven't worked.
Weight gain is an issue with at least three atypicals, it can be significant, and the important thing is to watch intake.Hunger creeps up on you, I know personally.
An exercise program, even modest, would help, and cutting down the food you would normally eat to compensate for the possible metabolic slowdown.
As for sex drive, its not particularly known as a medication that affects this -- yes, some APs affect "prolactin levels" but Seroquel is not heavy on this.
That's a more common way of sex drive loss in APs.Its theoretical I suppose to say that cutting dopamine can reduce certain sensations and feelings, I believe what is called "blunting" of affect.
This actually is often a desired outcome with the medication's original purpose, to regulate schizophrenic and other psychotic spectrum disorders.
But for affective disorders it sometimes can come off as a bit of dull senses and cloudiness. Still this can be something that can be gotten used to and its not necessarily a deal breaker if the medication is important to you.
As for other EPS (side effects) for Seroquel, it is probably among the lowest for movement issues -- it may cause pseudoparkinsonism (shaky hands); akathisia (a feeling of a need to walk/run when sitting still) in my experience hasn't been there but that's individual.Except for weight gain its probably the lowest AP in terms of liability/long term problems.
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:906803
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090709/msgs/906850.html