Getting off of Seroquel

Hi, @anniegk — I apologize for not responding earlier, but somehow I missed getting a notification about your post! I'm wondering about how your taper off of Quetiapine (Seroquel) has been going.

I'd like to invite @derryman @IndianaScott @loveallmyboys @whereveryougothereyouare @tib85 @giacamosgirl58 @majic @hwilson7 @resolve @ronlin1948 @ginak523 and @cathy615 into this discussion to share their thoughts and experiences with Quetiapine (Seroquel)and tapering, if that applies. @gailb and @gman007 may also have some thoughts about the journey going off this medication and the side effects you've experienced.

You mentioned taking Quetiapine (Seroquel) in addition to Remeron (Mirtazapine) and then deciding to try and get off the Seroquel. Curious about what made you want to discontinue the medication? Were you having unpleasant side effects?

I just stopped it cold turkey and feel much better ! Thank you for responding .

Seroquel was a great drug for reg depression, however I’ve tapered down from 150mg to 25 mg now, maybe in about a month I will be off. I tried old turkey, but I got brain zaps and hypnic jerks at night. My doc has me on trazadone now. I haven’t noticed any change in my heart issue though. I was hoping that it would get better. Idiopathic heart failure is my diagnosis. Apparently it may have been caused by a virus or some other factors. It is fairly common in the cardiomyopathy community

Did your doctor ever think that Seroquel caused problems with your heart @tib85?

I am also tapering off of Seroquel I was on 200mg xr and 200mg at bedtime. I started tapering down the Seroquel at bedtime at 50 mg increments every two weeks. Then I started tapering the Seroquel xr at from 200mg to 150 mg every two months . I am now on 50 mg of Seroquel xr. I also take .5 mg of clonazepam twice a day. I have had some episodes of insomnia so I am now taking 3mg of melatonin at night to help me sleep. The problem is that there isn't a lower dosage after the 50mg of Seroquel xr. Which makes it difficult to taper without any negative side effects. ( for example rebound insomnia). So I guess we are both having the same problem.

I think that you should take your time to taper off of Seroquel xr. My psychiatrist suggested a slow taper for this drug. Three weeks is too shore to come off of this medication.

Has anyone successfully “gotten off” seroquel?

I’ve been taking it for 5 years (100mgXR). I tried my own slow taper, cutting down by 25mg every 3 weeks. Once off, I ended up in psychiatric care for 2 weeks, and put right back on it. I also got a new diagnosis of “Schizophrenic” as a result of the stay.

I’m going to see my Psychiatrist in November and I’m going to ask about a supervised-taper of sorts.

The effects I don’t want to deal with anymore:
-Dead libido
-Yawning/Tremors from waking until around 6 hours later
-General feeling of malaise

Is it possible to be completely free of mood stabilizers? Or, are there any proven medications that don’t come with typical side-effects?

Some background:
My first manic episode was at 31 years of age. I was diagnosed as manic bipolar after being mostly awake for 6 days straight. (I would nod off and not realize I had gone to sleep.) I also quit drinking heavily, cold-turkey, 2 weeks prior.

Thanks for any input!

Hello, @tiffanyvillier - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

As you mentioned a diagnosis of manic bipolar and also schizophrenia, I'd also like to introduce you to @liz223 @amberpep @gailb @gummal @parus @hoffman who have either mentioned schizophrenia or bipolar and may have some thoughts for you about successfully getting off quetiapine (Seroquel), your experience tapering where you ended up in psychiatric care, the side effects you don't want to deal with anymore, and your proposed supervised taper.

@tiffanyvillier - have you tried other medications previously for your diagnoses? If so, what were they, and how did they work for you?

Try asking your pharmacist to make a liquid solution of Seroquel. Then you titrate down in very small decrements.

I have gotten off 600mg Seroquel but not the XR. It was being used to help me sleep probably anti anxiety as well. It was tough and took about 6 months but I have been off it about 6 months now. Tons of nausea when I went off it but my doctor explained it absolutely is normal because it does work on some sort of anti nausea brain receptors. I got down to 25mg then stopped. I’m still completing a benzodiazepine taper but I am glad I got off the Seroquel as it fogged my thinking.