Medicating Mom: Seroquel feedback?

[nyartgal]

Hi all! I have posted a couple of times lately about my uBPD/NPD mom who had a stroke about a month ago. Thanks for all of you super helpful responses so far!

She was back in the hospital (a different one) this week because of her heart rate. Her behavior has been extremely difficult, angry and belligerent---not to me, but to everyone else. It is very stressful for her sweet husband and the aides. I told the doctors that the Zyprexa wasn't working and they switched her to Seroquel. Does anyone have experience with this drug? I understand it has many possible side effects including weight gain, and is hard to wean off. That said, those may be worth it if the drug works---we need her to be calmer and stop hitting people and trying to run out the front door in her underwear!

Grateful for any anecdotal info from your experience! Thanks in advance. 

[GaGrl]

My mother died a month ago, age 95, and she had been on Seroquel for about a year prior to her death. In Mom's case, I had been helping her do telehealth appointments with her PCP during Covid-19, and I was able to help Mom make a list of what she wanted to talk to the doctor about. Last spring, Mom was still quite mobile and generally in good shape, still showering herself, able to dress herself, etc. -- but she was having terrible sleep disturbances. Her doc suggested Seroquel prior to bedtime, at a low dose -- I think only about 25 mg. It is a psychiatric drug often prescribed for dementia patients, and sleep issues are common with aging and early dementia.

As Mom went through her fall, orthopedic surgery, pneumonia, rehab, and then home health and hospice, the sleep issues continued, and home health and then home hospice increased the dosage. Ativan (for anxiety) and Haldol (for hallucinations) were added also.

I think Seroquel is pretty common and one of the milder meds. It's sure worth a try to see if it helps your mother. I'm sure she is frustrated, and I can attest that people around the patient get frustrated also. I know I did.

[kells76]

I took it back in the day (eating disorder treatment). There may have been slight weight gain, but (a) I was in ED treatment with a pretty regimented meal plan, so that could have moderated any effect, and (b) at least for me, it was not huge. Others may have different experiences.

What I do remember is that tapering off of it, if it's the med I remember, was kind of wild. You know how old movies on film could sometimes "jump" a frame? Like the "baseline" of what you were watching kind of "bumped" and you were like "oh, I missed a frame"? I definitely experienced that when coming off of it. Like  "bump" or "jump" in visuals that seemed like "I missed a second". So keep an eye out for that. I think there's even a name for that symptom, I just don't remember it.

If Mom isn't driving then it's probably less of a safety issue, more of "how to help her not freak out if it happens" issue. Once you get used to it it is manageable, it's not like vertigo or anything, and it doesn't last forever.

[GaGrl]

I was cautioned about stopping any of my mom's psychiatric meds without her doctor and hospice team knowing. Apparently there can be some weird withdrawal effects. We never went to less, though -- it was always an increase.

[kells76]

Sorry, forgot to add the benefits: yes, it knocked me out solid for sleep within ~30 min.