Olanzapine to Quetiapine

[NicJK]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has switched from Olanzapine to Quetiapine? How did the switch go and do you prefer Quetiapine? I am having issues with Olanzapine and would like to make the switch but I'm very nervous to try

[Varvarita]

Hi Dear NicJK! As far as i remember from your previous posts, you are already on a comparatively low dosage of Olanzapine. I switched to Quetiapine twice and i failed twice, i felt absolutely lethargic on it. And i had little cramps on it.

Yet I tried switching to Quetiapine twice as all doctors love it, it is considered the mildest in terms of extrapyramidal side effects and you don’t need to take Akineton(biperiden) with it. It’s a sleeping pill off-label and they say it’s the best in terms of bipolar depression phase as it may work as a light antidepressant.

But it’s error and trial, i guess…

I absolutely loved Aripiprazole, as it didn’t sedate me and it didn’t flatten my feelings.

But i know many people are absolutely happy with Quetiapine. But i also read a lot of people complaining about sugar cravings on it, the first two hours after they take the drug so it was important for them to go to bed directly after taking their Quetiapine not to end up eating the whole jar of cookies

Good luck!

[NicJK in reply to Varvarita]

Hi Varvarita , I hope all is well with you 🙂. You are correct in remembering that I am on a low dose of Olanzapine. When you tried to switch to Seroquel were you on Olanzapine first? Did you switch from Olanzapine to Ariprazole? I'm so glad you have found a med that works well for you! thank you

[Varvarita in reply to NicJK]

First time i was switching from Aripiprazole to Quetiapine, and i was very suicidal and i was also psychotic and depressed, second time i was much better in general and i was fighting with my anxiety and insomnia (no psychotic symptoms) and switching from Olanzapine to Quetiapine made me instantly lethargic and gave me suicidal ideation. But i stillenjoyed its “sleeping” pill effect though

[roz2203]

I switched from Olanzapine to Quetiapine, because Olanzapine was making me gain a lot of weight. I like Quetiapine the most because my food cravings aren’t as bad. Plus taking it at night let’s get a really good nights sleep. I’m on 200 mg., that’s a low dose. Sometimes I even take a half a pill so I won’t be so sleepy on the days I work. Hope this helps.

[NicJK in reply to roz2203]

Hi roz2203 thanks so much tor sharing your experience. Do you remember how many mg of Olanzapine you switched from? And do you plan to stay on Quetiapine forever? I am hoping that I’ll be able to sleep on Quetiapine because I’ve heard that Olanzapine is more sedating. I have been on Olanzapine for a year so my body is really used to it

[Kat_at_APP Volunteer]

Hello - yes I have also switched from Olanzapine to Quetiapine and had a positive experience. I found it slightly easier to manage my weight on Q, and as others have mentioned it’s useful for bipolar disorder too. Best to chat it through with your prescribing doctor - worth checking what sort of dosage they want to start with, as different doses can have different effects. Best wishes

Kat

[NicJK in reply to Kat_at_APP]

Hi Kat_at_APP I appreciate you sharing your experience! Do you remember how many mg of Olanzapine you switched from? And how many mg of Quetiapine are you on now? Do you plan to stay on Quetiapine indefinitely? Part of the reason I want to switch is because Quetiapine is safer to be on long term than Olanzapine. Thank you x