Horrible Seroquel Withdrawals - Desperately need advice.

I am trying to get off of Seroquel and am having a difficult time with sleep.  I jumped at 25mgs at night, and was fine the 1st week, but going into the second, the zero sleep started.  I have had to get off of it because it is causing borderline Diabetes, serious muscle cramping an hour after taken then throughout the night, low thyroid function etc.... 

 

I would like to hear from anyone who has been tapering off of Seroquel, and whether going at the standard

10% every 4 weeks has been OK with sleep.  Were you able to sleep, cutting 10% every 4 weeks or even every 2 weeks?

 

How best do I come off of this and be able to sleep?  I am not one who can go with no sleep for more than a few days or I

loose my mind....  I've been in tears wondering what to do to help myself.  Nothing has helped with sleep.  Absolutely nothing....  :'(

 

And if no sleep will happen with tapering, if that is the case, then I guess I might as well just stay off of it right?

 

 

Hi

First I am sorry you are having such a bad time.

I agree the metabolic effects of Seroquel are intolerable but so is poor sleep.

I tapered Seroquel from 100 to 25 slowly and jumped.

The result was a few days of mild contentment followed by a week of intense anxiety like akathasia.

I was told outside BB reinstating at only 3 mg would help which I did for a few days and stopped.

Things were ok for a bit and now am suffering again from WD with anxiety, joint pains and poor sleep.

I am having times of being completely unreal and struggling with food and sleepy by day.

 

I too would be grateful for advice on the weird feelings.  If my sleep remains so poor I will use phenergan again. 

I hope that helps. Please keep sharing how you get on.  Your plan seems sensible but I can’t advise per se.

There is a surviving Seroquel group which I will look at. Clearly withdrawal is worse than wevexpected.

Dick  Best wishes.

Hello,

 

Thank you so much for answering. 

I am so sorry you are having a hard time as well.

 

May I ask why you have decided not to do the 10% cuts, and decided to quit at 3mg?

 

I think I will see if my doctor can prescribe phenegran, and see if it helps with sleep. 

Hopefully it will be stronger than Benedryl.  I dunno.

 

Yes, clearly the withdrawal from this is way worse than had been anticipated.....  :'(

 

Best wishes to you as well Dick.

 

Regards,

Shamay

I was given an attachment by someone who got it from survivingantidepressants.com

It said after a few weeks off I would be very sensitive to reinstatement and my psychologist surprised me by saying 3-5 mg.

Promethazine can be bought at chemists in the uk.

I know I should have stuck to ten percent originally but my family doc and shrink said I could jump off it. 

Thanks and good luck. It may take many months to recover.

Dick

 

 

Thank you Dick for answering my questions.  I really appreciate it. 

 

I am going to see about the Promethazine, and hope that it knocks me out.  Do you get

a good night of sleep right now taking it even going through withdrawals?

 

Best of luck to you as well.

 

Regards,

Tink

Thanks

I dont take phenergan at the moment as pregabalin was helping me sleep.

Phenergan (promethazine ) did give me good nights on 10mg when reducing zero -am going back to it.

 

My sleep is poor at the moment due to pain in new hip.  Morning hallucinations are unpleasant.

Have to get up and talk to neighbour or friend.

Withdrawal is unpleasant --( I took 3 weeks to get from 25 to 12.5 ) Last 12.5 only was a month ago almost and 9 days since the 3 mg. I am sorry I omitted that in my previous post-I had withdrawal but still too fast. I am reluctant to reinstate at this stage.

Apols for any error in previous post. Have redone my signature.

Dick

1 mg of melatonin helps me, altho no panacea. Anymore more than 1 mg has the opposite effect tho. I hope you can find a sleep solution. Life can get pretty miserable when you are unable to sleep for long periods of time. 

Thanks ANTI B

Good advice

D

1 mg of melatonin helps me, altho no panacea. Anymore more than 1 mg has the opposite effect tho. I hope you can find a sleep solution. Life can get pretty miserable when you are unable to sleep for long periods of time. 

 

Thank you AntiBenzo7 for the advice.  I have tried taking 3mg of Melatonin, but it doesn't help.  Maybe I will try cutting it in 1/2.

 

 

And thank you.  Yes, getting no sleep for long periods of time is miserable.   

 

Tink

Thanks

I dont take phenergan at the moment as pregabalin was helping me sleep.

Phenergan (promethazine ) did give me good nights on 10mg when reducing zero -am going back to it.

 

My sleep is poor at the moment due to pain in new hip.  Morning hallucinations are unpleasant.

Have to get up and talk to neighbour or friend.

Withdrawal is unpleasant --( I took 3 weeks to get from 25 to 12.5 ) Last 12.5 only was a month ago almost and 9 days since the 3 mg. I am sorry I omitted that in my previous post-I had withdrawal but still too fast. I am reluctant to reinstate at this stage.

Apols for any error in previous post. Have redone my signature.

Dick

 

Oh I see.  Thank you Dick. 

 

Also, was wondering if you and I could check in with each other, perhaps as moral support here and there? 

I don't want to go through this alone. 

 

Tink

Tink

We are allowed to swap experiences and support each other but NOT allowed to give advice under the rules.

Nevertheless I expect a cheerful PM in the morning-))please,

And I shall be taking 10mg of promethazine---fed up with the birds racket at 4 am-)))

Bless em

D

Tink

We are allowed to swap experiences and support each other but NOT allowed to give advice under the rules.

Nevertheless I expect a cheerful PM in the morning-))please,

And I shall be taking 10mg of promethazine---fed up with the birds racket at 4 am-)))

Bless em

D

 

Okedoke, I understand about the advice.  I look forward to chatting in the mornings.

 

Good luck with the promethazine, I hope it helps with sleep. 

 

Tink

I think I tapered Seroquel at a rate of 10% per month. Went down from about 12.5 mg to 1.5 mg.

 

The insomnia during Seroquel WD is terrible. I also became psychotic.

 

Phenergan (phenotiazine) helps insomnia, but it is also an AP.

 

I remember it was helpful at doses like 10 mg to 5 mg or less.

 

There are some supplements you could find useful during Seroquel WD: mag glycinate, lemon balm, hops, l-theanine.

 

I personally find taurine sedating. It helps me fall asleep. No idea why they put it in energy drinks.

 

Good luck. It's very difficult to get off Seroquel. But doable. Stopped it in the beginning of 2016. Never even thought about taking it again. Yes, one of the side effects may be diabetes. Just read that it causes chronic trouble sleeping...

I think I tapered Seroquel at a rate of 10% per month. Went down from about 12.5 mg to 1.5 mg.

 

The insomnia during Seroquel WD is terrible. I also became psychotic.

 

Phenergan (phenotiazine) helps insomnia, but it is also an AP.

 

I remember it was helpful at doses like 10 mg to 5 mg or less.

 

There are some supplements you could find useful during Seroquel WD: mag glycinate, lemon balm, hops, l-theanine.

 

I personally find taurine sedating. It helps me fall asleep. No idea why they put it in energy drinks.

 

Good luck. It's very difficult to get off Seroquel. But doable. Stopped it in the beginning of 2016. Never even thought about taking it again. Yes, one of the side effects may be diabetes. Just read that it causes chronic trouble sleeping...

 

Hi Estee,

 

Thank you for replying.  What does AP mean? 

 

Can you tell me how long your withdrawals lasted?  And how long until the sleep returned?

 

I just picked up some Hydroxazine yesterday and it kind of worked.  I am also considering L-Theanine as I have

read it helps.

 

 

Thank you,

Tink

Oh also,

 

I tried reinstating at day 15 I think it was, and it didn't work.  The pain in my arms and legs got significantly worse and couldn't

tolerate it sadly....  So, I guess I am stuck jumping off at 25mgs.  Ugh. 

 

I guess at this point, I'll just have to grind out the no sleeps darn it. 

I replaced my 25 mg seroquel with 7.5mg Remeron.  Slept like a baby that night.

Remeron does not mess with your dopamine receptors and seroquel does!!!

 

What they both have in common at these low levels is they both have a TON of H1 histamine blockers!

H1 histamine blockers cause the sleep.  Remeron will sneak up on you so fast that you will never remember getting sleepy.

I remember one night I went to bed with a glass of water in my hands and in the morning nine hours later I woke up with the same glass of water still in my hand! Wow that was deep sleep and I didn't even spill a drop of water:o

 

I tapered the remeron with a Gemini scale and I was off in 4 weeks.

Sometimes the best strategy is to replace one drug with a lesser drug.  Typically dopamine receptors take the longest to heal and some people say even longer to heal than GABA receptors. 

Remeron may give you the time you need to heal from that dreaded drug Seroquel!

 

What you're going through is similar to what cocaine addicts experience and feel.

 

Many doctors trying to heal dopamine receptors in situations like that use gabapentin and Remeron in combination and then taper those drugs off after a long long time.

Do your research that's why we have Google to fall back on.  Good luck

 

My personal opinion on Remeron is I'd consider it a very mild drug in doses of 7.5 mg and under but that's just my personal opinion.

I remember after not sleeping for five days I pretty much felt like I was going to die completely with daytime hallucinations and nausea,  the Remeron was a godsend!  It also made me very hungry so expect to gain some weight.  If I would have had a bag of sugar in front of me I think I would've stuck a straw in it and just sucked it down until the whole bag was empty, I've never experienced carb-cravings like that in my life! 

Also remember most drugs that hit the H1 receptor tend to Peter-out after about 6 to 8 months.

Good luck and I wish you well

Hi Birdman,

 

Wow, thank you for all of the information.  I really appreciate it. 

 

I have an appointment with a new primary care doctor tomorrow as my current one is not

a nice person.  I have also acquired a new psych doc as the same clinic.  So hopefully between

the two, I will get come ease with the no sleeps....  *Fingers crossed* 

 

I am going to try and stay away from psych meds, because they all seem to cause me troubles,

and go sideways at some point.  I guess I just wasn't meant for those types of meds...    so perhaps

will see if they can give me something non psych med, non narcotic for sleep.  We shall see.

 

Thanks again for your info, and for the kind words.  This stuff is never easy.

 

Cheers,

Tink

Bird man I could hug  you. And Estee.

You post is a mirror image of my issues. Off Seroquel but poor sleep and early morning intrusive suicidal thoughts NOT plans. The remeron gives me about 4-5 hours sleep at 15 mg.

Tink and I are in Seroquel WD big time and AP Tink means antipsychotic.

I add phenergan every third night.

Greatly helpful thread, even in anguish we can support each other.

Dick

Seroquel must be avoided unless  manic or psychotic imho.  Not a good antidepressant it just flattens you!

 

Bird man I could hug  you. And Estee.

You post is a mirror image of my issues. Off Seroquel but poor sleep and early morning intrusive suicidal thoughts NOT plans. The remeron gives me about 4-5 hours sleep at 15 mg.

Tink and I are in Seroquel WD big time and AP Tink means antipsychotic.

I add phenergan every third night.

Greatly helpful thread, even in anguish we can support each other.

Dick

Seroquel must be avoided unless  manic or psychotic imho.  Not a good antidepressant it just flattens you!

 

 

 

I had intense side effects when I took seroquel for roughly a month -- somewhere around month 3 and 4 after discontinuing K. 

 

I had musculoskeletal pain that was unbearable.  I also absolutely could not control my eating whilst on seroquel.  I also had severe restlessness after the seroquel would begin to wear off during the day.  It has a very short half-life.

Hi all

It’s a very dangerous drug.  I had a large steroid injection into my shoulder yesterday, not for the first time, ——- and got to sleep at 430 am. Surely it reacted even though I am two weeks clean now.

 

Would anyone contribute if I started a “Seroquel is dangerous” thread on here.?  Would you all be prepared to give your frank experiences and keep the thread alive? This week two more folk have started it for sleep or benzo Withdrawal.  If successful I could send the thread to Professor Read or Joanna Moncrieff to use if the mods allowed of course.

 

What do you think ?

Just a thought. 

Hope you are all coping ok today..

Best wishes

Dick

Bird man I could hug  you. And Estee.

You post is a mirror image of my issues. Off Seroquel but poor sleep and early morning intrusive suicidal thoughts NOT plans. The remeron gives me about 4-5 hours sleep at 15 mg.

Tink and I are in Seroquel WD big time and AP Tink means antipsychotic.

I add phenergan every third night.

Greatly helpful thread, even in anguish we can support each other.

Dick

Seroquel must be avoided unless  manic or psychotic imho.  Not a good antidepressant it just flattens you!

 

 

 

I had intense side effects when I took seroquel for roughly a month -- somewhere around month 3 and 4 after discontinuing K. 

 

I had musculoskeletal pain that was unbearable.  I also absolutely could not control my eating whilst on seroquel.  I also had severe restlessness after the seroquel would begin to wear off during the day.  It has a very short half-life.

 

 

Thank you for posting Purpleheart,

 

I am so sorry you had to go through that.  It is a horrible horrible drug to be sure.... 

 

Regards,

Tink

Hi Fourtylongyears,

 

Sure, I'd be wiling to contribute when I can..... 

 

I've fallen into a deep depression today however....

 

I went to see a new primary care doc yesterday to help with the no sleeps, and she basically called me a prescription drug abuser.

Humiliated me, shamed me, wouldn't let me get a word in, argued with me, told me she wasn't even

sure I was in Seroquel withdrawals and that it might be something else i.e. implying I was coming off

of something else?  So I'm pretty down in a hole right now.....  :'(

 

I hope you are hanging in there. 

 

Hugs,

Tink

If my doc said any such thing I would report her to the Medical council.

That is just the sort of doc who is too cocky to listen and learn.

I am sorry you had that experience. We know just how horrible Sero withdrawal is.

Chin up

Dick

Thank you. 

 

Yes, I have gone down to the office today, and file a complaint with the office manager.  It will

be escalated to the office administrator, and I will be sitting down with her.  Then I'll be going

to the medical board.... 

 

I do feel a bit better for having air my grievances.

 

Tink

Excellent Tink