Seroquel XR for my anxiety - anyone else on this?

[mellon]

Hello All,

I've just joined this forum after endless googling of my symptons and seeking a better understanding of my anxiety issues. It does feel slighly strange but enormously reassuring to have all of my fears and behaviours expressed by many other people

I've been diagnosed wih GAD but my anxiety has all been centred around my health and the feeling that I have a termial illness. After a year of scans, blood tests, xrays and a stress ekg, and trying Zoloft my doctor referred me to a Psychiatrist. The psych advised that I was too anxious to be on anti depressants so has put me on Seroquel XR 150mg a day. He is a nice guy and explained that this med will help me sort out whether I have physical symptons that need further investigation or whether the symptons I have are being caused by my anxiety.

I am now on day 5 and my anxiety is still quite intense. It usually affects me most in the morning and late afternoon to early evening. For example, this afternoon I became convinced that I have a brian tumour which is causing headaches, pins and needles and an out of body sensation. Needless to say these could also be side effects of the Seroquel. I take the Seroquel at night and it makes me sleepy in a drunken kind of way but doesn't put me to sleep. I wake up on and off through the night feeling that I am having a panic attack but in a weird detached kind of way.

I had high hopes that this med would fix my anxiety and while it's early days I am concerned about the feelings I have now.

Is anyone else on the forum taking this med and could they share their experiences good and bad or if there are already posts on this topic please advise?
Many thanks

[sixpack]

remember meds don't CURE or FIX anxiety.  they are but one tool.  Meds work best when used in conjunction with therapy.  A psychiatrist is not usually the one that does therapy any more.  they are usually just the med source.  Therapy is most often given by psychologists or MS counselors.  Other things you should add to your arsenal are exercise program, eating well, joining life via hobbies, volunteering etc (this helps by keeping your mind distracted from the endless fretting), yoga, meditation, self-help books etc, etc.

this is a long term commitment.  Working through anxiety is not a 1, 2, 3 then you are done....

[gcalex]

Sixpack is right but anxiety and depression are now being marketed as chemical imbalances to be cured with other chemicals.  So it's understandable why people believe that, particularly younger and more impressionable people not used to questioning what they hear. 

[mellon]

Thanks Sixpack and gcalex - I totally agree that meds are not the only solution. I have resisted taking meds for over a year now but other therapies including meditation, hypnotherapy, accupuncture and counselling have not worked. My psych is trying to bring my anxiety down to a level that I can better respond to therapy. His plan is to refer me to a pyschologist in the coming fortnight if he thinks that my anxiety won't derail the sessions.

My fear is that I am untreatable but will continue to live a half life, where I have good moments (2-4 weeks) and very bad moments daily for about 6 weeks at a time.  I am continuing to work and participate in all previous activities but I do it with half my brain - if that makes sense. Work distracts me quite a bit but it's the early morning and late night panics that are hardest to deal with.

I'm now on day 6 and my anxiety levels are pretty high today - I will be seeing doc soon and discussing whether this med is right for me.

Cheers
Mel

[sixpack]

you are NOT untreatable.

everybody can get better when all the tools are used     the main thing is KNOWING this is a long term commitment.  we also have to KNOW that life isn't easy.  there are all kinds of challenges we face all of the time.  the trick is dealing with our stresses adequately and knowing that BEASTY will try and take advantage during those times.