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Suggest The Ideal Dosage For Quetiapine Taken For Bipolar Disorder
Question: SIR- I STARTED TAKING 1 MG CLONAZEPAM INSTEAD OF 2 MG FROM LAST NIGHT WITH 200 MG QUETIAPIN PLAIN AND I COULD SLEEP 8 TO 9 HOURS. I WANT TO QUIT CLONAZEPAM OR OTHER TRINQUILIZERS. I WANT ONLY TO BE ON QUETIAPIN PLAIN . CAN I INCREASE MY QUETIAPIN PLAIN DOSE FROM 200 MG TO 250 MG OR NOT? IF NO WHY? IF YES ,THEN HOW? PLEASE GUIDE ME. IF NO , THEN MAY I TAKE 10 MG TO 25 MG LIBRIUM WITH QUETIAPIN 200 MG. EXCEPT ABOVE I M NOT SUFFERING FROM ANY DISEASE BUT FROM CYCLONIC BIPOLAR DISORDER OR SLIGHT DEPRESSION. MY SELF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER AND DEPRESSION ON PSYCH CENTER GAVE ME 6 AND 26 NUMBERS OUT OF 100 RESPECTIVELY.
Brief Answer:
Continue at same dose for one week.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
I appreciate that you were able to reduce your Clonazepam from 2mg to 1mg and you could sleep for 8-9 hours.
Right now, I would suggest you to continue with same dose (that is 200mg quetiapine and 1mg Clonazepam). If you are able to sleep better and have no anxiety symptoms at this for 1 week atleast, this would be mean that your body is tolerating this dose and there would be no need to increase the dose of quetiapine or take Librium.
If you develop anxiety and sleeplessness, then you can increase dose of quetiapine from 200 to 250mg. Quetiapine is available in 50mg dose. You can take one tablet of 200mg and one tablet of 50mg together.
There is no use of taking Librium in my opinion.
Hope this answers your query.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Continue at same dose for one week.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
I appreciate that you were able to reduce your Clonazepam from 2mg to 1mg and you could sleep for 8-9 hours.
Right now, I would suggest you to continue with same dose (that is 200mg quetiapine and 1mg Clonazepam). If you are able to sleep better and have no anxiety symptoms at this for 1 week atleast, this would be mean that your body is tolerating this dose and there would be no need to increase the dose of quetiapine or take Librium.
If you develop anxiety and sleeplessness, then you can increase dose of quetiapine from 200 to 250mg. Quetiapine is available in 50mg dose. You can take one tablet of 200mg and one tablet of 50mg together.
There is no use of taking Librium in my opinion.
Hope this answers your query.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Sir. .quetiapine gains weight as I know.i may be wrong. I have been on clonazepam 2mg since 1998. can I be tolerant to clonazepam or due to quetiapine plain I could reduce the dose of clonazepam. Sir may I gradually reduce it 0.25 mg clonazepam after every ten days. if I feel any anxiety ,at that time what should I do?
Brief Answer:
Quetiapine cause weight gain.
Detailed Answer:
Yes quetiapine can cause weight gain. But it must be keeping your mood stable.
Since you are taking Clonazepam from 1998, it should preferably be reduced first.
Clonazepam can cause tolerance but as 1mg Clonazepam has worked for you, I do not think that this is the issue for you.
Reducing Clonazepam by 0.25mg every ten days is a good strategy.
If you feel anxious anytime, you can shift back to that dose of Clonazepam at which you were normal. Then consider reducing the dose more slowly.
If have any doubt at any point of time, I am available to help you here.
Regards.
Dr. Shubham Mehta, MD(Psychiatry).
Quetiapine cause weight gain.
Detailed Answer:
Yes quetiapine can cause weight gain. But it must be keeping your mood stable.
Since you are taking Clonazepam from 1998, it should preferably be reduced first.
Clonazepam can cause tolerance but as 1mg Clonazepam has worked for you, I do not think that this is the issue for you.
Reducing Clonazepam by 0.25mg every ten days is a good strategy.
If you feel anxious anytime, you can shift back to that dose of Clonazepam at which you were normal. Then consider reducing the dose more slowly.
If have any doubt at any point of time, I am available to help you here.
Regards.
Dr. Shubham Mehta, MD(Psychiatry).
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Sir ...last question -"what u suggest to maintain the weight? Exercise or any medications? howmuch dose of quetiapine plain can be used per day?"
Brief Answer:
Exercises.
Detailed Answer:
I would suggest exercises. Simple brisk walk of 30minutes per day can help to maintain weight.
Quetiapine upto the doses of 400mg can be taken in a day.
Hope I have answered your questions satisfactorily.
Kindly close the discussion if you have no more queries and give your valuable feedback.
In future, you can also contact me directly through my profile, if you have more queries.
Take care.
Thanks.
Exercises.
Detailed Answer:
I would suggest exercises. Simple brisk walk of 30minutes per day can help to maintain weight.
Quetiapine upto the doses of 400mg can be taken in a day.
Hope I have answered your questions satisfactorily.
Kindly close the discussion if you have no more queries and give your valuable feedback.
In future, you can also contact me directly through my profile, if you have more queries.
Take care.
Thanks.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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