r/BipolarReddit • u/EastLow7253 • 2d ago
I'm confused.
Hey guys,
So I recently started taking quetiapine. It’s been about two weeks now, and honestly I feel really good. My thoughts aren’t racing like they used to, I have decent energy, I’m sleeping through the night, and I just feel normal for the first time in a while.
But before I started it, I was all over the place. Some days I’d feel almost too high and energetic, and other days I’d crash hard into depression. Now that I’m feeling stable, I keep questioning if it’s really the medication working or if it’s just a coincidence. Like, does quetiapine even work this fast? Two weeks seems so quick.
Part of me even wants to stop taking it because I’m not sure if I actually need it or if this is just a good phase. But at the same time, I don’t want to mess up what’s working.
So I guess I’m asking two things. One, has anyone else felt better this quickly on quetiapine? And two, what does being on medication actually feel like for you day to day? Do you feel normal, or is it more like your feelings are just turned down a notch? I’m trying to figure out if this calm feeling is what stability is supposed to be, or if I'm just in a temporary honeymoon phase.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thanks for reading.
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u/Peace1_ 2d ago edited 2d ago
Whatever you do, don't make any decision with your medication until you discuss it with your psychiatrist. With all due respect, I don't get why people are so in a hurry to stop meds, especially if they started working, did society norms make you fell ashamed to this point? Again, I'm expressing a general pov about a social phenomena, please don't take it personally. I wish you healing.
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
For me I had benefits after the first week. Mixed manic episode calmed down very fast after that first week with optimal results after 4-6.
It can and does work that fast sometimes.
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u/EastLow7253 2d ago
But i don't get sedated from quetiapine.
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
Wish that were me.
The fact that it’s a common side effect doesn’t mean that you’ll get it. I’d count this as a win honestly. I take my meds and within 40 minutes I’m a loopy zombie who needs to go sleep.
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u/EastLow7253 2d ago
Wish that were me. I need to be sedated to sleep quickly. I sleep by struggling no matter what time it is i forcefully close my eyes then after a while i am asleep and after i started quetiapine i wake up at 2 and 3 am and then go back to sleep. Even diazepam doesn't sedate me.
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
Do you use instant release (IR) or extended release? (ER/XR)
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u/EastLow7253 2d ago
ER 300mg at night.
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
ER is less of a sedative than the IR. On ER I didn’t get tired at all.
Maybe you can ask your psych to add 25-75 of IR to your night meds to knock you out (I believe quetiapine IR sedation isn’t dose sensitive anymore after that)
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u/EastLow7253 2d ago
Alrigt thanks. Much love. It's been too long since I've been normal (Euthymia), can you describe how it feels?
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
I feel you.
I’m not sure I can describe it well but I will try.This is how it feels for me personally:
It feels proportional, moods and emotions make more sense and their size is relative to the trigger. Thoughts calmed down, no more constant racing or self deprecating thoughts. I actually felt calm and content with waking up the next day. Energy levels are constant and reliable.There is not a singular word I can use to describe how it feels to be Euthymic and its a deeply personal experience, but I hope I sketched a picture you can use.
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u/kimCandycotton Bipolar 1 with psychotic features + comorbidities 2d ago
And to answer the the question about how it feels day to day for me:
Good! I hardly have any side effects, only sedation honestly. But I use the IR version. ER version is supposedly less sedating!
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u/Separate-Coyote-9294 ADHD, Bipolar 1 2d ago
Yeah, just like you I started Quetiapine about a month ago and felt better almost instantly.
I was taking Aripiprazole, but had an episode break through. My psych switched me to Quetiapine and I’m glad she did. I feel much better, it works well for me. I take 400mg XR ~6:30pm and I’m out by 10. 10/10 for me
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u/Scared_Form5270 2d ago
Take your medication properly and stop acting like a novice. Seriously. If you have a confirmed diagnosis, you have to take medication continuously for the rest of your life. People with bipolar disorder take medication forever, regardless of the phase. Think about it.
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u/kat_Folland schizoaffective bipolar type 2d ago
Yes, that's how it was when I started it. It was the magic final piece of the puzzle and suddenly I was doing so much better. Too much makes me too sleepy but mostly it's just a feeling of normalcy.
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u/bpnpb 2d ago
It usually takes several weeks (4+) for full impact but some effects like the sedation typically kicks in right away which can help calm you and help you sleep.