Getting off of Seroquel

Hello,

I am also decreasing my seroquel but have never had a manic episode so not sure how this information and the risks would feel different for you. I am feeling a lot better now that I am on week 3 of 75 mg if seroquel (down from 100) but the withdrawals at first were brutal. I felt like I couldn’t stop talking, was very anxious, and had racing thoughts. I saw a naturopath about it and these were her suggestions:

“In reviewing strategies to help with Seroquel wean I came across an
alternate wean schedule:

Once under 100mg decrease dose by 10mg every 2 weeks.
Under 20 decrease by 5mg for 1-2 weeks.
At 5mg dose every other day for 2 weeks and then every 3 days for 2
weeks. Then off.

This schedule would make your wean go slower, but it may mean less side
effects when you go down each level. It's possible to see if the
compounding pharmacy can make the smaller doses. This may be something
to consider.

I also found that any strong stimulants for the adrenals are
contraindicated during Seroquel wean. This would be adrenal glandular,
and even some ginsengs. Instead, it is best to focus on supportive
nutrients and calming herbs.
Vitamin C and B complex (especially B5 + B6) are cornerstones. You'd aim
to get vitamin C 2000mg (divided doses, 1000mg twice per day) and
consider a good quality B Complex that provides 100mg B6 and 300mg B5
(the AOR Advanced B Complex has these amounts in 3 caps, you may be able
to find it at the health food store, order it online, or let me know and
I can put it in with our next AOR order).

We also have a remedy called Passifloraplex that is used to help with
calming. You can take drops daily or just dose as needed if you feel
anxiety or overstimulation.”

I’m not sure how to get that wean cycle- my pills only come in 25 mg but I will speak to my pharmacist and psychiatrist to see what the other options are so that I can follow this wean schedule. I am also going to try a B-complex and upping my vitamin C to her recommended dose.

Hopefully this helps us both decrease our dosages now that we are under 100 mg.

Take care

@longtermchanges
I believe your body will be the true measure of the effectiveness of your taper.
Personally I don’t think it’s going to work for you, at least not without withdrawal symptoms. But apparently you are fine with having them.
I wish you the best,
Jake

Folks need to stop worrying that a taper is going too slow. That’s the best thing. Tapering is not a race. It’s all about getting through one with the least amount of withdrawals.

Hi. I haven’t posted on this site yet, but was noticing your peace on Seroguel. I just started taking it because I wasn’t sleeping. I was assured by my psychiatrist and also by looking in the text by Stephen Stahl that this drug is not habit-forming.

Your peace and others in this line of conversation discuss the difficulty in tapering or pulling back from use. My question is who am I to believe! Shall I believe my doctors and experts psychopharmacologist or people who actually take the drug and have the effects and difficulty weaning.

I also wondered why one would want to taper off them what are some of the reasons that we have and can share with others.
Thanks a lot,
L

Hi L,

I am very thankful for all the good that Seroquel has done for me, particularly with anxiety, OCD, sleep, and psychotic depression. I think it is an amazing drug and certainly got me through some tough times.

I have been in remission of the OCD and psychotic depression for over a decade. I still cope with the warning signs of depression from time to time but I am very good at recognizing them now and can do what I need to take care of myself. I also take Wellbutrin for this.

I was taking a lot for my diagnosis (300 mg originally and 200 for a long time after that) and have taken it for a long time. Now that I am feeling better I am noticing the side effects that come with the drug. I am sluggish in the morning, it effects my memory, and generally slows me down. When I take less, I am able to wake up early and be more 'present'. When I was unwell these side effects would have been meaningless to me because I felt so awful, I barely noticed them. There was no way I was getting out of bed in the morning, let alone getting out of bed early. These reasons, along with plans to become pregnant, are the main reason I am discontinuing Seroquel. If I still had OCD symptoms of any kind, I would stay on.

I think every person experiences the side effects of a drug differently so you will just have to see what works for you. There are a lot of options for sleep aides that are not anti-psychotics but maybe your doctor chose this one for you for a reason.

Personally I have found that doctors aren't particularly aware of side effects or withdrawal symptoms outside of physical symptoms when it comes to prescribed meds but I am clearly neuro-atypical so perhaps it has a different effect on me.

Hope you are getting some sleep!

I am definitely not trying to race to taper. Just trying to figure out how to get the suggested dosages. Apparently a pharmacy in town does the compounding so I should be able to obtain the dosages I am looking for.

Believe the folks here on Connect. Most doctors hand these drugs out like candy. Seroquel is an anti physchotic yet it’s handed out for a myriad of things. Do your research on any drug your doctor prescribes before taking.

@budapest00 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support.

I'm wondering if you ever found what you are looking for? It's important to always ween off of medications under a provider's/doctor'/s supervision. This is especially true when a bi-polar diagnosis is part of the situation. May I ask if you have a trusted provider or someone that can help you receive adequate care?

This is my 1st post on mayoclinic; I'm just venting on the first topic I found on seroquel.

My psychiatrist had *refused to reduce my dosage from 200mg seroquel on our first outpatient followup appointment?

- At the time I thought it was causing cold intolerance, that would have me waking up in uncomfortable positions from tossing around if my shoulders weren't covered; otherwise with nightsweats. (I no longer think the seroquel caused nightsweats, have done general cancer screening twice that suggested I have leukocytesis, but this would require bone marrow biopsy to confirm leukemia.) That's besides the point

-> My psychiatrist explained that she wouldn't reduce my dosage because I sounded agitated; that the medication was for bipolar disorder.
*But I'm a total peace lover & have never been in a fight, wouldn't hurt a fly

So I played it cool, as a 27year old adult I brought my father to my next appointment.

I don't know why my father flipped sides on me during this next appointment, agreeing with my psychiatrist saying I just need to take the medication.

It seemed like there not even trying to reel-me-in at all. There is absolutely no evidence or history of bipolarism they can place upon me; except that I sounded agitated in this context of being told no.

I have never had trouble sleeping in the past. But ever since I quit seroquel I havent been able to sleep for more than 4 hours at a time.

That was almost a month ago, I really thought I'd bounce back by now.

I just don't understand why my father was so cruel as to side with my psychiatrist, telling me I can go to a different psychiatrist if I want different medication.

^While that is true, I will never trust a psychiatrist ever again. I do infact think I need the medication now, it was very effective.

It just seemed totally unreasonable, I'd almost have to rationalize that my psychiatrist has some prejudice against me. To outright refuse to reduce dosage of medication twice, with unsubstantiated claims - there is enough stigma for bipolar disorder that my psychiatrist should have been proud that I was comfortable reducing dosage.

I have met plenty of actual bipolar people, the kind of people that get really excited for sports &really upset when the ball is dropped.

It's just the way my psychiatrist looked me in the eyes; and my father nodded his head yes. I don't know what to do, melatonin doesn't even make me wink & over-the-counter medications don't seem like a long-term option.

Good evening @osha9 and welcome to Connect. As mentors, we are here for you and want to help you develop a plan that enhances your life. For you right now, sleep is the focus of your disappointment. Sleep is also the key to being able to manage your symptoms.

You probably know that we are a group of patients and caregivers who have chosen to help members with medical issues and concerns. We are not medically trained and can only share our own experiences. And that is what I want to do for you tonight.

From what I can gather from your post you may benefit from learning about and practicing mindfulness and meditation to improve the control of your relationship issues with your father as well as with your clinician. To start with, I would suggest you practice mindful speech especially when you are just talking to yourself.

1. Are your words kind?
2. Are your words true?
3. Are your words necessary?

I have been practicing mindfulness for several years. I am very happy with the progress I have made in controlling my reactions to negative situations.

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris