Desperate to be free from dependence on Seroquel for sleep

Try low dose Mirtazapine…..it was a miracle for me.

@csmiller, I moved your message to this existing discussion where you were connecting with others:
– Desperate to be free from dependence on Seroquel for sleep https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/desperate-to-be-free-from-dependence-on-seroquel-for-sleep/

And here is a link to the other discussion you started:
- How do you deal with depression & too little or too much sleep? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/depression-anxiety-sleep-current-medications/

Have you talked to your doctor about options for you based on some of the suggestions from fellow members?

my daughter (and me) have had mental health issues for many years. she takes Seroquel for sleep, 800mg. sometimes she sleeps for 24 hours or more and is generally lazy. i will look at the video later but if anyone has any suggestions to help get her off this drug? what can i tell her about the negativity that it has on her life?

I also suffer from bipolar 1,I started seroquel like a month ago,I've missed two doses and I didn't sleep,I've also tried trazadone,that didn't help,I don't want to be dependent of this medicine to sleep,I really hope you find something that helps,let me know if you do

How about just, "thanks for your thoughts". Asking for help in your desperation, and then being judgmental of the thoughts/advice of those trying to help is not very gracious. And the comment was accurate, that is a very heavy duty drug, and you've been taking a lot, not sure what doctor thought that giving you this much off label for sleep was a good idea, likely a psychiatrist - it's what they do, they push pills. You've got to taper slowly, to break your dependence, and it will be a bitch, possibly the hardest thing you've ever done. You think you sleep like shit now? Wait until you taper that which you and your doctor have IRRESPONSIBLY got you dependent on. Find a taper schedule and get busy, don't expect your doctor to be of any help here; they're really good at prescribing but they don't know shit about deprescribing. There is no way around it, only through the withdrawal. No other drug will help you with this. In fact, being dependent on this heavy hitter, you shouldn't be looking to take other unproven drugs to help you discontinue or to help you sleep. They ALL result in dependence, tolerance and a withdrawal that ranges from mild to severe, and can only be attenuated by slowing the taper. They all have the ability to change sleep architecture and to make it harder to achieve SWS. I know you're in distress, and I'm sorry for that, I know the feeling, try to be nice to those who are just trying to help. I'd look at what you're taking for your bipolar and the possibility to make adjustments there.

Good for you not wanting to depend on drugs for sleep. Have you considered a sleep study to learn whether you have poor sleep regime. I recently listened to a sleep specialists on radio who stated many people do not make good sleep preparations and develop good sleep habits vs. having a sleep disorder. As we age we have greater chances of developing sleep issues too.

I have been doing some reading on here & I read a post of someone saying that Seroquel can induce diabetes, a while back my wife was diagnosed with diabetes and she tried to get the Seroquel to help her sleep & they claimed that it causes the diabetes to go up, I've been looking for other meds she can use, she has even tried trazadone & that failed since it didn't work, I would just like to know if that is true with Seroquel.

Hi folks! I’m on a C-Pap machine and it no longer helps me sleep but you need to keep it for five years before it becomes yours.
(Medicare requirement) otherwise you get charged around $600.00 out of pocket purchase.
I have a roommate who takes trazadone for falling and staying asleep. Works great for him.
My machine is only used to stop me from snoring like a chainsaw. ( my roommate appreciates it). But the hose wrapping around my neck is uncontrollable but I still use it because it’s Bluetooth enabled and my doctor can see how I’m doing from his computer.
So to keep me sleeping at bedtime I was given a 300mg dose of seroquel at bedtime.
It works but from what I’m reading here seroquel is not for sleep? I also take 100mg of Wellbutrin. I geta half mg of klonopin in the morning and a 1mg at 4:00 pm

During a 20 day inpatient stay at our local hospital I received no klonopin. Stopped me cold turkey! Gave me adavan X2 daily 1 mg each.. That didn’t work and I was suffering from very strong withdrawal symptoms from lack of klonopin. I’m back on it now that I’m home but I cannot get off the klonopin. I’m addicted to it. Same with Seroquel . I can’t get off that either.” Either one is a must have or I go insane. I become someone I don’t like. So my psychiatrist keeps me on both and I’m constantly falling asleep watching TV or sitting on my recliner.

I don’t socialize with anyone else now. These 2 meds are killing me slowly. I constantly have “brain fog “ and nauseated and barely eat half a breakfast.
Plus I’m disgusted because when I left the hospital I weigh 186 lbs down from 212 lbs when admitted.
My weight today was 195 lbs I’m heading back to 212 I believe . Does seroquel increase weight? I’m at a loss on what to do. By the way. I also have diabetes type 2

I have the same problem and honestly, I still take seroquel for other things (unipolar depression adjunct) but there was a time I did not need it. What I did need was ramelteon AND trazadone. It helped a lot.

Unfortunately, and I’m speaking about myself, benzodiazepines like klonopin, adavan, Xanax, and other benzodiazepines are extremely difficult and may be even be dangerous to get off of. It sometimes takes up to a year to wean off. Withdrawal symptoms are a nightmare. In my opinion, they should be removed from the pharmacies who fills them through your doctor.

Don’t start them is my advice as I’ve been on klonopin (Clonazapan) for years and I’m not able to wean off of. Adavan (lorazepan) is a little bit easier to wean off of. I can't speak about Xanax as I've never been on it.

I take 150 mg of Seroquel at bedtime for sleep and it is working. It makes me fall asleep during the day as well. I need to taper down. I’m also on lamictal in the morning and I don’t know what it’s for.
I recently had a genetics test and results will be discussed at my next psychiatrist appointment. Some say it doesn’t work. Others swear by it so we’ll see how it goes. I’ve also gone from 186 to 207 lbs in 4 months.