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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ricker on December 13, 2008, at 17:23:18
Not sure what that means, but 6 hr seems pretty short? Seeing how I'm just starting on Seroquel, should I be taking the xr version? Does the standard dose begin to wear off after just 6 hours?
Posted by JadeKelly on December 13, 2008, at 21:01:14
In reply to Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by ricker on December 13, 2008, at 17:23:18
> Not sure what that means, but 6 hr seems pretty short? Seeing how I'm just starting on Seroquel, should I be taking the xr version? Does the standard dose begin to wear off after just 6 hours?
Hi Rick,
my son takes 100mg Seroquel in morn and 200mg in eve, this is to reduce fatigue in school. That indicates to me that given some time the blood levels even out at least for the most part, and the s/e's can be managed separately. I wouldn't worry about an effective dose wearing off. We know we can't go below 300mg per day. It doesn't seem to matter when he gets it. If you are having symptoms, from our experience its not the timing, its the dose.
Hope that helps,
~Jade
Posted by ricker on December 13, 2008, at 23:01:34
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by JadeKelly on December 13, 2008, at 21:01:14
Thanks Jade. Looking forward to Seroquel :)
I hope your son is doing well.Take care, Rick
Posted by Phillipa on December 13, 2008, at 23:41:55
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by ricker on December 13, 2008, at 23:01:34
Ricker your's is for bipolar right so twice a day to maintain blood levels would be best. Good luck what did you say your dose was? Love Phillipa
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on December 14, 2008, at 1:21:57
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life? » ricker, posted by Phillipa on December 13, 2008, at 23:41:55
mmmm here some info: If you take 100mg, in 6 hours half wears off, that 50mg, then another 6 hours, then it's out. It takes offically 12 hours to get out of the system. Some idiot online put 6, made it confusing, so i researched it more. Got some awnsers. That's why i do not ever take 100mg at night, because i can't "wake up" in the morning, take it at 11:00pm lasts till 11:00am, then i'm happy it's out. That's what you call a "mood darkner".I hate it when they put "half-life", it's confusing.
Maybe "Duration", sounds alot more "understandable".
Say you take 25mg...6 hours 14.5mg, after another 6 hours, its out. All you do is mathimatically caluculate it.
rj
Posted by ricker on December 14, 2008, at 13:00:42
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life? » ricker, posted by Phillipa on December 13, 2008, at 23:41:55
> Ricker your's is for bipolar right so twice a day to maintain blood levels would be best. Good luck what did you say your dose was? Love Phillipa
Okay, now I'm confused. I take 100mg at night for BP2, this is my 3rd day, so how will the drug help me the following afternoon when 75% of it has cleared? Maybe I should ask for the XR version? I also take lithium so maybe that makes a difference. I hope my doc knows more than me!
Rick
Posted by Racer on December 14, 2008, at 14:17:30
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by ricker on December 14, 2008, at 13:00:42
Your doctor does know more about the meds than you do, but should certainly be sharing that knowledge with you when it's about your treatment...
Ask your doctor whether the XR would be a better option, or why he's choosing the IR version. It may be that he's looking to find out if you respond to this drug well, and will then start looking at optimal formulation.
On the other hand, despite the whole calculus of half-lives and steady states, even the IR formulations do reach steady state in your blood stream. That's the goal -- once you hit steady state, you should have a smooth ride. I forget the rule of calculating that, but I usually hear "about a week" when I ask that question. It might matter if you're just curious, but for practical purposes -- it'll reach steady state in about a week...
Good luck, and I hope it works well for you.
Posted by ricker on December 14, 2008, at 17:27:07
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life? » ricker, posted by Racer on December 14, 2008, at 14:17:30
Posted by Phillipa on December 14, 2008, at 18:11:09
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by ricker on December 14, 2008, at 13:00:42
Ricker also your pharmacist can explain the half-life and what it means. When I have questions that's who I always call. Love Phillipa
Posted by Jeroen on December 15, 2008, at 5:50:41
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by ricker on December 14, 2008, at 13:00:42
Seroquel = 12 hr halflife
Seroquel XR = 24 hours lifespan
Posted by mav27 on December 15, 2008, at 7:33:11
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on December 14, 2008, at 1:21:57
That isn't how things work. After 6 hours half is gone so you have 50mg... that 50mg then goes through the 6 hour half life so after 12 hours you will have 25mg left in your body and so on. On average it takes about 5 times the half life for a drug to completely leave the body.
>
> mmmm here some info: If you take 100mg, in 6 hours half wears off, that 50mg, then another 6 hours, then it's out. It takes offically 12 hours to get out of the system. Some idiot online put 6, made it confusing, so i researched it more. Got some awnsers. That's why i do not ever take 100mg at night, because i can't "wake up" in the morning, take it at 11:00pm lasts till 11:00am, then i'm happy it's out. That's what you call a "mood darkner".
>
> I hate it when they put "half-life", it's confusing.
>
> Maybe "Duration", sounds alot more "understandable".
>
> Say you take 25mg...6 hours 14.5mg, after another 6 hours, its out. All you do is mathimatically caluculate it.
>
> rj
Posted by ricker on December 15, 2008, at 17:37:40
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life? » rjlockhart04-08, posted by mav27 on December 15, 2008, at 7:33:11
Yes, I know it's only been 4 days, but I know when my body does not agree with a med. I went to 150 mg. ---- lay in bed for 3-4 hrs after taking my dose... sleep is not refreshing.... tinnitus is severe.... I am feeling tense, slightly agitated and a bit nervous. I do not like how this drug is making me feel. I have been taking meds for 20+ years and for those that can relate, you understand when I say, "I know this drug is not for me". I'm not saying Seroquel is a terrible drug, works wonders for many, just not for me.
I will be going back on Zyprexa. I now realize the weight issue is trivial given the smooth and positive response I had.
I can hardly wait untill 8pm, I get to suck on my Zydis! Ya baby!!!!! Oh I'm sooo tired.
Posted by Phillipa on December 15, 2008, at 19:47:42
In reply to Goodbye Seroquel, posted by ricker on December 15, 2008, at 17:37:40
I only lasted one night on it so don't feel bad. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on December 16, 2008, at 2:49:16
In reply to Goodbye Seroquel, posted by ricker on December 15, 2008, at 17:37:40
> Yes, I know it's only been 4 days, but I know when my body does not agree with a med. I went to 150 mg. ---- lay in bed for 3-4 hrs after taking my dose... sleep is not refreshing.... tinnitus is severe.... I am feeling tense, slightly agitated and a bit nervous. I do not like how this drug is making me feel. I have been taking meds for 20+ years and for those that can relate, you understand when I say, "I know this drug is not for me". I'm not saying Seroquel is a terrible drug, works wonders for many, just not for me.
> I will be going back on Zyprexa. I now realize the weight issue is trivial given the smooth and positive response I had.
> I can hardly wait untill 8pm, I get to suck on my Zydis! Ya baby!!!!! Oh I'm sooo tired.
I can see you have some side effects that certainly aren't pleasant and may very well be something you want to discontinue, but it can also happen by going up too fast on a medication as well.
4 days and already at 150mg except under severe hospital cases isn't normally a schedule of starting Seroquel, which is usually gently gone up from 25mg and rushing a medication uptake can really cause a lot of problems, believe me (or dropping -- don't drop an AP cold, besides the withdrawal dyskinesia, which is almost always a passing phase but uncomfortable, extreme anxiety can occur and I've been there)
As for the half life, its not taken twice a day by most people -- you couldn't stay awake. The 6 hour half life isn't all of it, its the plasma steady state which by evidence based psychiatry has been shown that only a single night dose is necessary.Seroquel XR is more or less a patent extension, its not regarded as a necessary agent in place of regular Seroquel. I mean I take Seroquel for other reasons, I suppose I'm curious what it would do differently but I can't say it would change the plasma level any different than a steady state of Seroquel itself.
Anyhow, however you choose a AP, its something that can't really be even judged in the first several weeks. As a pure tranquilizer, I mean, I suppose Haldol could knock someone out who is aggressive, but there isn't such a thing as a one-off dose of APs for sure.Great improvements may not even occur with atypicals for several months. I'm not saying that you wouldn't gradually feel better, I'm talking about getting back a great deal of functionality which takes time.
-- best wishes
Jay
Posted by ricker on December 16, 2008, at 17:05:46
In reply to Re: Goodbye Seroquel » ricker, posted by yxibow on December 16, 2008, at 2:49:16
Posted by Zyprexa on December 19, 2008, at 14:53:24
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on December 14, 2008, at 1:21:57
I just wanted to correct rj on half life. You take 100mg pill, 6 hours later you have 50mg, anouther 6 hours and you have 25mg, anouther 6 hours you have 12.5mg. And so on.
Posted by yxibow on December 19, 2008, at 22:54:13
In reply to Re: Seroquel - 6 hr. half life? » rjlockhart04-08, posted by Zyprexa on December 19, 2008, at 14:53:24
> I just wanted to correct rj on half life. You take 100mg pill, 6 hours later you have 50mg, anouther 6 hours and you have 25mg, anouther 6 hours you have 12.5mg. And so on.
Its typically not completely linear, but on average is, so the approximation is that a drug will be considered cleared from the system by multiplying the half life by 5.
This is the end of the thread.
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