Quitiapine

Jack in WN

Has anyone had bad reactions to Quitiapine (Anger and Agressiveness) My DW has bee on 100 mg three times a day for several months but the last couple of weeks the agressive behavior has increased dramatically.

Dio

My DH was given the lowest dose of quetiapine early on during his hospital stay, and it worked for maybe 2 months but eventually it stopped helping. I think it just depends on the right dosage and what stage the PWD is at. I know from this forum and other discussion boards that quetiapine is a lifesaver, given the right dosage and perhaps in combination with another medication. Interestingly, when I read the side effects of these meds, they often include the very symptoms they're attempting to treat. Go figure.

Faith,Hope,Love

Hi Jack.  My DH takes 100mg twice a day.  I haven't noticed any aggressive behavior.  The only thing I've noticed is that we've increased the dosage 3 times and it seems his body acclimates to the increase after a few weeks.  Maybe it's something that needs to be discussed with her neurologist.

M1

Jack, people can certainly have adverse reactions to any of the antipsychotics--but if it were drug related, I would think it would have happened sooner.  It would be unusual for her to tolerate the drug at this dose for several months and then all of a sudden start to have a problem with it.  You may want to think about other triggers, are there other meds that have changed?  Could she have a UTI (always high on everyone's list to look for when behavior changes)?

towhee

Anytime there is a sudden behavior change it is a good idea to check for medical causes. Things that in younger people would not cause a problem can create very noticeable changes in the elderly with dementia.

ImMaggieMae

Jack, everyone seems to react differently to these drugs, but most people who’ve posted about them here seem to have very good results, at least for a while. My husband was on it for about a month and it worked well initially but then had to be raised. A doctor in ER switched him to Risperidone that worked better for him. He was never aggressive, but had a lots of agitation and repetitive behaviors. I would contact the doctor who prescribed it and see if the dosage can be increased or if another medication would work better. It’s also good for them to look at possible interactions with any other meds he is taking.