![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Trotter on December 14, 2010, at 0:32:50
I currently take 2.5mg olanzapine to help me sleep and reduce anxiety. My doctor said I should consider quetiapine (Seroquel) because it may help me sleep better. I sort of like olanzapine because it sort of works, but I don't like the reduction in libido or the weight gain. Another problem I have with olanzapine is it interacts with Fluvoxamine (strong inhibitor of CYP1A2). Anyone have experience/knowledge about these two drugs? Does quetiapine have any common side effects that olanzapine doesn't? Is it more addictive or hard to withdraw from? Does it lower libido?
Posted by Christ_empowered on December 14, 2010, at 15:08:59
In reply to Quetiapine better than olanzapine?, posted by Trotter on December 14, 2010, at 0:32:50
Quetiapine may cause less weight gain than olanzapine. I think there's also less EPS across the board. It isn't "addictive" per se, but some people do have problems when they quit using it suddenly with rebound anxiety/psychosis/whatever.
I did read somewhere (Cochrane review, maybe?) that some people think that the way quetiapine binds to D2 receptors causes "receptor supersensitivty," as evidenced by the increasing doses of quetiapine required by some participants in some studies. I have read people on the internet complaining about needing ever-increasing doses of seroquel to get the job done for whatever their problem was that led to the initial prescription.
Quetiapine is lower potency than Olanzapine (think Thorazine versus perphenazine), so you'd need more in terms of dosage to get the same results and that would result in more sedation.Good luck.
Posted by bleauberry on December 14, 2010, at 16:21:54
In reply to Quetiapine better than olanzapine?, posted by Trotter on December 14, 2010, at 0:32:50
Since we all react differently, I think the only way to discover which med is best for you is to try seroquel and see. It wouldn't be hard. Stop zyprexa for a day and take seroquel instead. That way you can compare the sedative and/or anxiety differences. For sure seroquel will be more sedative as it is one of the planet's most potent antihistamines. As for libido, it would take a couple months on either drug to know the truth. Zyprexa does initially raise prolactin a little bit in the beginning, which will lower sex drive. But it usually returns to normal in a couple months. I don't know about seroquel, except that for me it would be too sedating to even think about sex. Kind of like an elephant tranquilizer.
A sidenote, I do not like the use of antipyschotics for anxiety or sleep. Their actions in the brain and body are too profound. Over the longterm they can make those issues worse. There are better ways to attack those symptoms. If you tried them all, well then ok, antipsychotics then make sense.
You just have to try them one at a time and see what happens. How these meds work or don't work for others, or comparing the side effects others experience, do not offer a reliable way to predict what they will do with you.
Posted by tepi on December 14, 2010, at 22:31:31
In reply to Quetiapine better than olanzapine?, posted by Trotter on December 14, 2010, at 0:32:50
> I currently take 2.5mg olanzapine to help me sleep and reduce anxiety. My doctor said I should consider quetiapine (Seroquel) because it may help me sleep better. I sort of like olanzapine because it sort of works, but I don't like the reduction in libido or the weight gain. Another problem I have with olanzapine is it interacts with Fluvoxamine (strong inhibitor of CYP1A2). Anyone have experience/knowledge about these two drugs? Does quetiapine have any common side effects that olanzapine doesn't? Is it more addictive or hard to withdraw from? Does it lower libido?
>
>I tried both some years ago and for me Quetiapine was so much better. I suffered a lot of weigth gain with olazanpine so I changed to Quetiapine.
Seroquel was better in many things , I slept better , I had a better anxiolityc effect with an smaller dose and I didnt suffer from any side effect , at leat at 25 or 50mg
Posted by ed_uk2010 on December 18, 2010, at 12:05:45
In reply to Quetiapine better than olanzapine?, posted by Trotter on December 14, 2010, at 0:32:50
>Quetiapine better than olanzapine?
An old English saying...
You'll have to 'suck it and see'
OK, people don't often say that anymore but it makes me smile. And it's true.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.