Hello Vincent! I don't have an answer to your question. But I just wanted to share with you that a little over 3 years ago my sister's husband was put on Seroquel for social anxiety and insomnia. He was already on Lexapro for depression. Within the first 2 to 3 months he became a little more stable. Then another month or two would pass and the doctor would increase his dosage of seroquel believing that was the answer. I'm sorry I don't know the exact dosage. Time went by and he was stable, no more panic attacks, was able to sleep, gained back his appetite and things were looking up. So we thought. After 6 months he gained 35 pounds. He might have been stable but this medicine turned him into a different person. He stopped exercising, he started to become a couch potato and he barely talked. It's like he was in his own little world. Months passed and things weren't getting any better. He started to complain about his lack of focus and he was becoming noticeably clumsy. He starting noticing his memory wasn't sharp and mentioned this to his doctor as well. So that's when the doctor started to prescribe him even more medication. The doctor then put him on Adderall. Months passed and things get worse. He's gained another 20 or so pounds and now he is complaining that his anxiety is worse and he is having obsessive compulsive behavior. The doctor then put him on Klonopin and another anti-depressant called Cymbalta. That didn't help. He finally had to quit work. He would lay in bed for weeks. He wouldn't leave the house. He wouldn't shower for days. He questioned the doctor about the medication explained that he wasn't seeing any improvement that he was actually more depressed than his first visit with him. The doctor recommend that he remain on the medication and that he should seek more time with his therapist. He explained that without therapy the medication isn't going to do the job on its own. Therapy didn't do him any good because I believe he was in such a fog and his memory was getting worse. He wasn't seeing any improvement. Then after a while he started to develop shortness of breath and was noticing that his pulse rate was extremely high. The doctor believed this was due to his anxiety and increased the dosage of Klonopin and prescribed him Propanol for his heart. It was about a few months that passed and he became very depressed and one night decided to swallow almost his entire bottle of Klonopin. My sister had the ambulance called, he had his stomach pumped and he was committed to a mental ward. Well this was about a few months ago. While he was in the hospital he got a check up and had blood work taken. He discovered that he was suffering from Hypothyroidism. A month ago he became so short of breath that he had to call an ambulance. He was treated at the hospital and the doctors ran several tests and came to the conclusion that he's been suffering from asthma. That's about all I can tell up to this point. I can't say for sure what caused his downfall. I would love to say Seroquel but the doctor drugged him with more than that. If I were to show you a picture of him three years ago and if you were to take a look at him now you wouldn't recognize the same person. We're talking about a man that was in good health and wonderful shape three years ago. he started to develop mild anxiety and was having a hard time in large crowds. but this was due to stress and the depression he was suffering due to the loss of his father who died of cancer. If has a choice now, he says he would have never seen a Psychiatrist. He regrets putting his trust in him. Not saying a Psychiatrist and Anti-Depressants are not for everyone, but they certainly put a dent in his life.
