Clonepin? Or Seroquel?

KathyF1

My DH is on Clonepin. As I understand, it’s kind of like Xanax. His main issue is his agitation about wanting to go home to his parents every day. (Parents long gone). He begs for hours every day to “go home”. The Clonepin helps to some degree but it’s not a miracle drug. Would Seroquel be a better option?

M1

don’t know until you try, but I would say yes. Klonopin is pretty short acting, and it’s a benzodiazepine, which can have paradoxical effects in the elderly as well as a fall risk. Worth asking for a Seroquel trial, for sure

harshedbuzz

@KathyF1

Klonopin is a benzo. These are best used short-term (less than 2 weeks) or occasionally for situational anxiety. More than that and you risk those issues M1 mention as well as a built-up tolerance to medication which would render it less effective over time.

Seorquel (or another antitypical antipsychotic), perhaps with an SSRI, might be useful. Seroquel was a godsend for us.

HB

midge333

We tried xanax on my wife and it didn't help. Seroquel was very helpful.

If your DH has been on klonopin for a while, when discontinued, it may need to be tapered to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

LisaLH

They put my dad on Seroquel for behavior and it has worked wonders. We tried a few other things and this one worked the best and didn't make him a zombie.

KathyF1

Thank you all for your advice! Doctor agreed to prescribe Seroquel. I’ll taper off the Klonepin. Can you all tell me what I can hope for with Seroquel? Main problem remains his desire to go “home” every day. Will Seroquel calm him down?

M1

Yes it ought to. You can increase dose fairly quickly-that is every 3-4 days- usually in 12.5 mg increments (half of a 25 mg tablet). You can also increase dose frequency from once daily to twice, three, or even four times daily depending on how he responds. Hope it helps.

KathyF1

Helps tremendously M1, thank you!