Medication

[ThePetPerson]

Edit: No longer wanted.

[Luna-]

Hi PetPerson

Quetiapine's brand name is Seroquel. It's an (atypical, second-generation) anti-psychotic (don't be alarmed by the term) which has many uses. It was developed for use in the treatment of schizophrenia, then found to be good for bipolar disorder too. It's used at higher doses in mania and psychosis. At lower doses, it is used for depression, anxiety, insomnia (and probably other things I can't remember right now). It's sedating, so it's useful as a non-addictive sleep aid.

I was put on 300mg for a bipolar depressive episode and I'm still on it, now at 100mg. My dose goes up and down depending on my mood state. I wasn't psychotic when it was started and you don't have to be, to have it prescribed and to benefit from it. The term "anti-psychotic" is a bit scary as it appears to denote "craziness", but this isn't necessarily the case, plenty of "non-crazy" people have it prescribed too.

It is good to know about the potential side-effects of Seroquel so you know what to watch out for. They can sound alarming, as some of them can be serious. Weight gain and sleepiness are probably the most common. If there is significant weight gain, that can lead to other more serious problems.

I don't know any of your dad's history, so if you've mentioned it elsewhere, I apologise. Does he have a diagnosis? Is he on any other medication? I don't know if I've given you what you wanted to know (?) but if you want to know any more, just ask. I read about any and all medication I get put onto.

Seroquel has been fantastic for me and I'm very glad my pdoc suggested it. I'll probably be taking it for some time to come. Of course, YMMV.

[malign]

Is it possible for you to play mother, a little, Pet?

Can you just take over and say, "Okay, Dad, I see you got a prescription. I can go [or Let's go] get it filled for you," and then, when you have it, be the one to say, "It's time to take your medicine, Dad"?

I know it's a lot to ask, but if you take charge and just treat him as a patient, he might forget his objections and take it. At least it's something to try, rather than sit back helplessly.

And this is an unusual situation. Usually I would say that you can't change someone else, only yourself. But in this case, both your and your siblings' well-being depends on your Dad being healthy; it might be worth a try.

[ThePetPerson]

Edit: No longer wanted.

[malign]

Sweety, I was thinking of not even mentioning what the medicine is for.

A doctor came and gave him medicine; he should take it. That's how I would approach it. You don't have to convince him there's something wrong with him, or that the medicine will stop the hallucinations. He would probably fight a direct approach.

My suggestion was to just approach it like a mom or a nurse: you have medicine, you're supposed to take it. If you keep it business-like and as if it's obvious, you might avoid getting into an argument with him. Certainly, don't try to push him.

You might also consider telling someone, like the visiting doctor, about what happened with your brother. If he's going to start punishing his kids for things that aren't there, it might be time for him to get some help.