Seroquel Support Group

Bets

Oh I am really pleased that you do get on well with your doctor. It does make for easier living and not feeling stressed having to attend the appointments. My pdoc is a very calm lady. So calm indeed that she would nearly fall over .    . Still , she has a way about her and I am not frustrated by it so its helpful in my recovery. Poor dear , you turned up a week earlier for your appointment.  Better than a week late.  I am from Ireland and the mental health services are getting slightly better but its still a problem. Budget cuts and lack of services especially counselling.

Gardener suggested a great idea for your Seroquel taper. How about a water titration. ??  Might be worth a try.

Gard

My GP has already suggested that I have Fibromyalgia.  Imagine that !!! . In 2014 I was sent to Rheumatology services and the doctor stated No I did not have it. He felt that " it may be due to the wide variety of medications that this lady has/is being prescribed "  ←  this is more likely the case.  Two years later , I continue with this pain and she has again referred me to Rheumatology for a second time. I am waiting for the appointment since  last December 2015. I feel that I have been for every test and scan in the book.

I agree - doctors really do not like to admit they don't have the answers. They are definitely lost when it comes to withdrawal and the shocking long lasting impression and symptoms that it leaves behind.

I really hope you get to grips with the water titration.  It sounds like a good plan. Lots and lots of good luck . 

Wow, Rose, I am so impressed that your rheumatologist actually believes meds can cause these problems!  I had a neurologist many years ago say he had seen psych meds cause neurological damage (after my psychiatrist denied it could be the drug). So there are a few doctors out there with something between their ears!

Plan to start the liquid tonight but am nervous even typing that! It's either cut more pills or do the liquid, so I guess it's time to get un-frozen and do something. Darn meds!

Rose and GARD:

I'm actually scared to try tritation. I never did figure it out correctly. Like it makes no sense to me (for Valium) that you put in 1 mg into 2 ml of milk, then take out .25 ml, drink it and save the rest. WTH is that all about?. Seems like you'll be dropping 1 mg per day.

Rose and GARD:

 

I'm actually scared to try tritation. I never did figure it out correctly. Like it makes no sense to me (for Valium) that you put in 1 mg into 2 ml of milk, then take out .25 ml, drink it and save the rest. WTH is that all about?. Seems like you'll be dropping 1 mg per day.

Bets, I think you have the numbers wrong. You would use at the very least 50ml of milk, 100ml would be better. Even 200ml. You want a very dilute solution.  The math guys on Microtapering thread will give you accurate numbers and even work out a whole titration plan for you. builder is there now. SG is usually there, too, but seems to be away right now. I call them the math gurus. They worked it all out for me when I was a confused, scared mess.

I have done my Librium taper by dissolving the capsule in 2ml of 80 proof vodka (then I have the L in solution so it will not settle out and I can see it more clearly than in milk) and then adding 98ml water to make 100ml of solution. Then every day I would remove a small part and pitch it out and drink the rest. I haven't tapered the L in awhile, so I'll just guess-timate my numbers. Day one:remove 2/10ml. Day two:remove 4/10ml. Day three:remove 6/10ml. So you can see I am reducing my dose my 2/10ml each day (the smallest marking on my syringe) from a total of 100ml. That is a very small cut. The math guys over on the micro-taper thread worked it out for me because I couldn't figure it out. builder and SG are very, very patient with people who ask the same questions again and again (like me).

With Q, it will not dissolve, so you have to make a suspension and shake it up and draw out quickly before the particles settle, but it's the same idea. Use a lot of liquid. The more dilute the liquid, the less little mistakes matter because there is so little med in the mistake. Anne, also on MT sometimes, uses a suspension successfully.

Hope that was helpful and not confusing!

Gard

GARD:

That's what becks told me to do. But I can't make a move until I see my pdoc (again!!) next week. But I am quite confident that he will tell me to hold on thee Q taper, and finish my Valium, which will take forever. Argth! But the vodka would be OK for me. Better than milk, as whole milk gives me gas pains.

Betsy

Bets, I never tried milk because I don't drink milk, but did fine with vodka.

I'm needing a hold of everything right now, so don't worry, we will all be here forever together.

And now I simply must stop procrastinating and practice suspending my Q.

Oh, there's the dryer beeping. Guess I can't do it now!

Gard

Hey, Benzogirl.

Now I'm here.

Today I was about getting hospitalized, because I was worried about my life.

My GP (and I) both knew that Cymbalta could do this to me in the beginning. And the only way to reduce the terrible thoughts was to reinstate Sobril for some days. I hate all this, but what do you do when desperate? I really want to taper Cymbalta from now. I have only used it for five days.

Seroquel: Tapering. From 200 mg to now: 150 mg.

Hey, thread, I'm taking a break from BB for a bit to attend to some other things. Hope this thread keeps going strong!

Gard

Gard

I hope you are ok . Best of luck with your taper 

Hey, Benzogirl.

 

Now I'm here.

Today I was about getting hospitalized, because I was worried about my life.

My GP (and I) both knew that Cymbalta could do this to me in the beginning. And the only way to reduce the terrible thoughts was to reinstate Sobril for some days. I hate all this, but what do you do when desperate? I really want to taper Cymbalta from now. I have only used it for five days.

Seroquel: Tapering. From 200 mg to now: 150 mg.

Hi and welcome:

If it were me, and I only took it for five days, I would just drop it. It takes a while for one to become dependent on that drug. The sooner the better, IMO. And if it were me, I would make it my first priority rather than the Seroquel. And great job reducing it by 50 mg! You can tackle the Q later. Just my 2 cents. And do you really want to take Sobril? Another benzo you have to taper from? May I ask, what dose of Cymbalta are you on? You don't have to tell me if you do not want to.

Betsy

30 mg Cymbalta.

I'm joining the thread for later, I need to stay on it for now because I had an "accident'" aka the pt handicapped me. so I'm hoping I can heal from that now and then I will tackle the seroquel later on.

I'm on 15 mgs since march or something.

Cutting those pills is almost impossible, especially if you get the tiny 25 mgs one! Also, the compound in insoluble in water and this makes liquid tritation problematic as well.

 

Sleep is the only reason I started it as well...

 

I'm sorry to hear you all are struggling with it, I know how it feels like, but I think when it comes to heal GABA receptors sleeping properly is essential, even if this involves using another psychodrug. Sleeping is essential to heal your body in general and of course, preserve your sanity!

 

http://www.tabletsmanual.com/img/online/seroquel_dosages.jpg

And I don't think this is true. Because while I do believe receptors heal, you end up kindling yourself which could be permanent. (i'm still on the we all heal track, but these are the things that are being researched and if you see the worst cases on here , well, then you need to really look into these pills before taking them)

Most protracted people do have multiple pills or were on benzo's very, very long.

I just don't want a newbie who is reading this believing that they need another pill to get out of this mess. Sleep returns. But you do not want to mess up your CNS further and causing (potential) irreversible damage.

Damage from a pill is not solved by another pill.

So I jumped off Seroquel yesterday. I am really chuffed with myself.  It is a huge time for me as I have been on and tapering meds since 2013. I know I will have an acute period now and I am wondering how long does it last ?

I tapered from 25mgs.  It was not easy but it was doable.  Every time I cut , my symptoms have ramped up for about a week or so and then I go back to baseline. I have been on plenty of meds since 2013 so there is no doubt that I may have kindled.

Baseline for me is : daily muscle and nerve pain 6/10. Sometimes it can be a little less.  Muscle stiffness. Tingling Bloating. Muscle twitching . Tiredness.

I am sleeping better and I have less night and early waking.  Less  cravings. I can think clearer and I am not as groggy first thing in the morning. My noise and light sensitivities are very much improved as is my anxiety . Depression has all but lifted. I still have some upset moments but this is connected to my pain.

I'm joining the thread for later, I need to stay on it for now because I had an "accident'" aka the pt handicapped me. so I'm hoping I can heal from that now and then I will tackle the seroquel later on.

 

I'm on 15 mgs since march or something.

15 mg  isn't bad. You'll get off that in no time. I hope you feel better and I'll see ya later. gator!

So I jumped off Seroquel yesterday. I am really chuffed with myself.  It is a huge time for me as I have been on and tapering meds since 2013. I know I will have an acute period now and I am wondering how long does it last ?

 

I tapered from 25mgs.  It was not easy but it was doable.  Every time I cut , my symptoms have ramped up for about a week or so and then I go back to baseline. I have been on plenty of meds since 2013 so there is no doubt that I may have kindled.

 

Baseline for me is : daily muscle and nerve pain 6/10. Sometimes it can be a little less.  Muscle stiffness. Tingling Bloating. Muscle twitching . Tiredness.

 

I am sleeping better and I have less night and early waking.  Less  cravings. I can think clearer and I am not as groggy first thing in the morning. My noise and light sensitivities are very much improved as is my anxiety . Depression has all but lifted. I still have some upset moments but this is connected to my pain.

Great job! Now you are truly free! I bet those symptoms go away. I am so proud of you for taking this step.

Betsy

30 mg Cymbalta.

Typical dose. Did you just stop taking it? Remember, the earlier it is, the better it is. Pls keep us updated.

Betsy

Rose and GARD:

 

I'm actually scared to try tritation. I never did figure it out correctly. Like it makes no sense to me (for Valium) that you put in 1 mg into 2 ml of milk, then take out .25 ml, drink it and save the rest. WTH is that all about?. Seems like you'll be dropping 1 mg per day.

 

Bets, I think you have the numbers wrong. You would use at the very least 50ml of milk, 100ml would be better. Even 200ml. You want a very dilute solution.  The math guys on Microtapering thread will give you accurate numbers and even work out a whole titration plan for you. builder is there now. SG is usually there, too, but seems to be away right now. I call them the math gurus. They worked it all out for me when I was a confused, scared mess.

 

I have done my Librium taper by dissolving the capsule in 2ml of 80 proof vodka (then I have the L in solution so it will not settle out and I can see it more clearly than in milk) and then adding 98ml water to make 100ml of solution. Then every day I would remove a small part and pitch it out and drink the rest. I haven't tapered the L in awhile, so I'll just guess-timate my numbers. Day one:remove 2/10ml. Day two:remove 4/10ml. Day three:remove 6/10ml. So you can see I am reducing my dose my 2/10ml each day (the smallest marking on my syringe) from a total of 100ml. That is a very small cut. The math guys over on the micro-taper thread worked it out for me because I couldn't figure it out. builder and SG are very, very patient with people who ask the same questions again and again (like me).

 

With Q, it will not dissolve, so you have to make a suspension and shake it up and draw out quickly before the particles settle, but it's the same idea. Use a lot of liquid. The more dilute the liquid, the less little mistakes matter because there is so little med in the mistake. Anne, also on MT sometimes, uses a suspension successfully.

 

Hope that was helpful and not confusing!

 

Gard

Gard:

Are you back yet? I guess no. Anyway, you explained that very well. I wrote to both builder and SG many times before, and they always say "save the rest for the next three days." That got me confused. I pestered them so much now they are sick to death of me.

Betsy

Thanks so much for your kindness.  I have been struggling today. First day and all that. Crying spells sick stomach muzzy headache. And the usual pain that has ramped up a wee bit.

I hope you are doing ok 

Hi Rose:

I'm sorry that you are feeling so poorly. :'(  But I am a bit confused from your signature. You say you have been on Seroquel twice, off it first 2014, and off it the 2nd time of July 23, 2015. That last cut was over a year ago. Maybe I am missing something? Also, I'm glad you got off that nasty Cymbalta. I hear it is a terrible drug and there is a class against suit against Lilly for this drug. I guess you got off it easier than they did. Many plaintiffs have been suffering for way too long, even when they were on no other meds and tapered it carefully. So you say you have crying spells, sick stomach and muzzy headaches? I think you can handle those crying spells, as I'm sure they will go away, but the others are bad enough to make anyone feel so lousy. What dose did you jump from? You are not on any other meds, right? How is you post taper going after all these months? Remember I care, because at some point you will need to care for me. But I care no matter what. I'm here for you, so vent away!!

Betsy

Oh thank you Betsy. Thanks so much.  I rarely talk about how I feel here at home as my daughter is still quite young and my dad is a sprightly 81 year old but they are the best 

My story :  I was taken off Cymbalta cold turkey by dare I say it , a thick trainee pdoc in 2013 This sent me into a downward spiral for 2 weeks and I went into hospital .  The saddest time . I still cry over this because it was so unnecessary and he told me I had to come off Cymbalta there and then . Horrific.  Of course , the pdoc in this hospital was considering a diagnosis of bipolar 2 disorder. Six weeks later , he decided that he made a wrong diagnosis and I was left wondering where do I go from here. This is when I was on Seroquel first for 3 weeks among other meds. Under the guidance and help of my local pdoc , I have managed to get off all those meds and here i am today. This particular doctor knew my story and really listened . She knew that mistakes had been made. I eventually got the diagnosis of PTSD and Anxiety. From there , I went onto do the counselling course for a year.

So I hope this is clearer.

2013 - Seroquel 75 mgs for 3 weeks.

2015 - Seroquel 25mgs - jumped 23 / August 2016.  I jumped off at 3.125 mgs. A crumb. No I am not on any other meds. That was my last one. 

I will be truly honest that I had a really rough experience post taper off Valium. Horror. I had to leave BBs early last year because I was suffering that much.  I could barely interact at that time on the forum. I found it so very difficult to concentrate or read. Benzo withdrawal is the beast of all beasts for me anyway. I was properly messed up from the Cymbalta cold turkey . :'(

So that's my story Betsy. Hope its all a bit less confusing.

And I will be there for you when the time comes or anytime . No matter what. You are a dear sweet person. 

Hi Rose:

That was so unnecessary and sad. You should sign up for that lawsuit. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to do a C/T off Cymbalta. It had be a horror show. And you also said you had trouble with Valium. Many do. I am not one of them, thankfully. I have no data to back this up, but from reading posts here and elsewhere, I found people sensitive to meds have trouble in general tapering drugs, no matter which one it is. Maybe this is your case? Either way, getting of Cymbalta and Q can be a bitch. History has proven that. Good thing you were only on the Q originally for just three weeks. Tell me about the 2nd time. How much were you on originally and what was your taper like? I know you jumped from just crumbs so that's what I plan to do as well. I can get off drugs pretty easily as I did several C/Ts (except benzos)and all went fine. But I believe I will also live in a horror show with the Seroquel. It bothers me so much that sometimes I have to do deep breathing and mindfulness to stop focusing on future tripping and try to relax. I'm doing fine with my benzo taper, but that doesn't mean it is like tapering off cereal. I tend to feel uptight a lot and now I have begun to get angry. This is not the me I know. I don't like this person. Have you tried non medication methods at all? I honestly thought deep breathing and mindfulness were a joke, but they are not. They really help me and I do both at the same time every day. I don't do yoga but I exercise a lot. I get no support what so ever from my family, like you, so BB and a couple of my anti med friends have been my savior. Pls keep in touch and take it hour by hour.

Your buddy in withdrawal,

Betsy :hug:

Had a moment to skim through the thread and have time to make quick comments.

Bets, I'd go to the microtaper thread and ask for very specific directions there about liquid titration. Give them all the details of where you're at and ask for a detailed plan. If you don't understand, ask again. I've seen people ask a dozen questions when they are trying to switch to liquid MT. Anne, builder, and SG are reliable. I haven't kept up with the newer members.

Rose, I'm so glad you jumped but sorry to hear you're not feeling well. This too shall pass and then you will be the pro here telling us all to hang in there!

Corsair, my problem with sleep was so severe and all other options available to me had failed, so it was take the Seroquel, die, or get locked up. So I would disagree that Seroquel is never the answer to anything. I knew the risks and I chose to take them because of the severity of my problem. So I replaced a life-threatening problem with a very difficult problem. I bought some time and lost some time. But I'm still here and I'm not locked up. I'm only speaking of my own experience. Each person has to make the decision for themselves whether or not they are in a desperate enough situation to try adding another medication.

Gotta run!

Gard