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Weaning off of Seroquel

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Posted 9/17/2006 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dreamgirl's daughter,

Welcome to HW! -- I hope you'll join us often and get lots of support. -- This is a great site -- has saved me (mainly from the "blues"!) over and over again, and I really hope you find it helpful coming here. I recognise your mum's name too -- thanks for posting this Dreamgirl!

Thanks too for this useful info. -- I'm glad Seroquel helps you sleep -- but that does seem like *a lot* of sleep... . Hm ... I normally get this way when I'm depressed, but Venlafaxine exaccerbated this and I was a virtual zombie for a year, so I do know that some meds can also have this effect. Have you talked to your psychiatrist about it? -- If Seroquel's working well for you otherwise you might not have to change meds, but some tweaking might be in order. I think it's great that you get out and do things during the day -- that's the first thing to go when I get that way -- or it could be my laziness!! ;) As I say, though, I think that's a lot of sleep and something that you should discuss with your pdoc to see if there are any options that could help with this.

If you ever want to start your own thread, please do -- just click on the "New Topic" button at the top of the page. It'd be really nice to hear more about you and get to know you here.

Really great to meet you.

Rosie x
Posted 9/18/2006 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
Dreamgirl...how many mg of Seroquel are you currently taking, and what other meds? My daughter, when she was on seroquel, went to sleep right away, slept the whole night...usually slept for a good 11 or 12 hours. Now that she has been switched to Geodon (which doesn't have the same sleep factors as sq - she also takes a 25 mg benadryl each night to help with the sleeping), she sleeps about 9 to 10 hours...which by 6 p.m. the next night, depending on the type of day she has had at school, she is either so manic that I pray for her night meds to kick in, or so sleepy and out of it cause she was just so overstimulated during the day. But I would be curious to see which meds you are taking along with the seroquel, and the dose of the seroquel.
Posted 9/24/2006 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
I take Serquel now...The stuff is like crack!! Evil stuff...I wish something else would work for me
Posted 9/26/2006 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
I am new to this, but I have suffered from depression for years and about a year ago was dx with bipolar and put on seroquel. I am on a big dose, 400 mg a night! I hated it at first but now for the first time in my life I feel good. My doc says he does not plan on taking me off. I was wondering I sweat easily and thought I was just starting perimenopause, but then I heard cymbalta also a depression drug causes severe sweating and was wondering if anyone had ever experienced that? It may be my high dose or perimenopause. I also suffered severe horrible migraines for 9 years since my daughter was born, I still get them but since the seroquel they are no where as intense. Can someone tell me why you are being weaned off seroquel? I appreciate all info. and this site is soooo amazing!
Posted 9/26/2006 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Yak,

Welcome to HW! Hope you find lots of help and support here.

Some meds can cause more sweating, and it is listed as one of the "less common" side effects for Seroquel on the following page: http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/SER1402.HTM

Looks like it's not a problem unless you get this with any of the following: muscle stiffness, confusion, irregular or rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, and high fever. The guidelines I've seen on this page and elsewhere say that you should contact your doc immediately if these things crop up. I don't know how bad your sweating is, but I think by excessive sweating they probably mean feverish sweating. If you've told your doc about this (and it might be worth printing off this info or taking the info sheet that you gotr with your meds with you to discuss this if you're uncertain) and he's happy that there's no danger, then I think, pain as the sweating is, it's a side effect worth having to keep this pesky bp in order! Also, it may well settle down -- how long have you been on it?

People get weaned off meds for all sorts of reasons -- all comes down to the fact that meds work differently for different people (I know, this sucks!) and a med that works brilliantly for one person can have little effect or negative effects for another. Sounds like Seroquel is doing you a lot of good (despite the sweating!).

Lovely to meet you. Hope to see much more of you here!

Rosie x

Posted 8/30/2008 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Seroquel for a while and had no side effects at all.

It worked well for me at first then as all of the medications I have taken to help me sleep it stopped working.

I was prescribed an increase in my dosage but that only worked for a little while as well.

I stopped taking it on my own since it no longer worked and never had any problems.

Then again I have never had to be weaned off of any medication.

 

Posted 8/30/2008 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi mnunez,

Welcome to HealingWell and the bipolar board. It's good to have you. We'd love to have you start a New Topic and introduce yourself. It's great to meet new people around here. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you're looking for here.

Thanks!
serafena
Posted 9/8/2008 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
Double post. Please see thread titled "Sleepless in Palm Beach County."

serafena

Post Edited By Moderator (serafena) : 9/8/2008 9:41:49 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/9/2008 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hopeless in PB County -- I deleted your double post.

serafena
Posted 3/16/2009 12:35 AM (GMT 0)

hey i was taking 300mg a day. i've just been told i'm coming off it, without any idea of going back on anything else. honestly i'm terrified... the last two days i've been taking 150mg. i feel fine. i'm worried about getting anxious and paranoid but so far nothing. i didn't have any side-effects really, except i always felt really horrible when i was taking them at night. i already feel more awake, but reading this thread you all seem to have been on much lower doses and that's got me even more worried. i was a total insomniac before i started taking them and obviously i had other issues. i don't really felt i've been given any advice. i haven't even seen my gp! i need advice... i am glad i'm coming off it, i really am, i know it doesn't sound like it, i'm just a little freaked out.

Posted 3/16/2009 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi tilly22,

Let me understand... Did your doctor tell you to come off the seroquel? Why? If you feel fine, go with that, not with what you read on the internet. Everyone's body is different. Have you got an appointment to see your psych?

serafena
Posted 3/16/2009 11:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there, I'm bipolar 1, I'm new to this forum, glad I found this part. my doc put me on Seroquel, only been on it for several weeks and hate it! I dont fall asleep, i actually pass out with 45 minutes of taking it. i cant even get up to put on my pajamas, or brush my teeth, i just drop where I am, cant move my legs, cant move period! worse, I cant wake up before 9am, cant. After reading all your problems with it, i'm glad i'm quiting this awful drug. Visiting with my shrink 2morrow, sure to find something better. Hopefully

Post Edited By Moderator (olivia of course) : 3/17/2009 10:55:53 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/17/2009 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Just started this med last night. Still woke up at 1: 30 am. Very dissapointed. Even forgot to brake it in half even. Promised to try it for a week even after hearing bad things about it in the hospital. we will see.
Lakewinds
Posted 3/17/2009 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Magnolia_Marples,

Welcome to HealingWell and to the bipolar board. This is definitely not the drug for you! I'm glad to hear you're moving on to something else because that is definitely not the way this drug is supposed to work.

There are lots of people who have a bad time with Seroquel, but so many people take it and do fine with it.

serafena
Posted 3/17/2009 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Magnolia_Marples,

I too wanted to welcome you to the HW Forums. The dose you are taking may be too much for you. Hopefully you will find seroquel working for you in the long run.

lakewinds,

Some meds take a few days to a few weeks to take their full effects. Also, remember everyone reacts differently to meds. What puts one person to sleep may not do anything, or keep the other person awake. Please give it a few more nights before contacting your pdoc about your options with meds.

Olivia :-)
Posted 10/10/2009 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
hi,
I am going through some pretty severe withdrawal symptoms from seroquel. Dehydration, increased core temperature, insomnia, fatigue, depression, anxiety and some muscle twitching. Has anyone else ever expreienced any of these symptoms and can anyone possibly share how they coped??? I am having a realy hard time. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thank you ! :)

Haresh
Posted 10/10/2009 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi depapax78,

Have you talked to your doc about minimizing some of these side effects? Are you replacing seroquel with anything else? Did you stop cold-turkey or are you tapering off?

serafena
Posted 10/11/2009 7:11 AM (GMT 0)
I stopped cold turkey. I haven't talked to my doc regarding replacing seroquel with anything else. I know i dont need seroquel. I was given it when i was hospitilized. I shouldn't have taken it. its the worst drug ever! I am planning on talking to my outpatient pdoc on monday for 25 mg pills but not sure what to say exactly.

haresh
Posted 10/11/2009 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
Depapax,

Unfortunately, stopping cold turkey is what has caused these symptoms for you. Seroquel needs to be weaned down first. Definitely give your doc a call.

serafena
Posted 11/25/2009 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
I weaned myself off seroquel. Now I can't sleep. I was on 800 mg and w/in a month and a half I was down to 200 mg. I suffered from many withdrawal side effects but then i purchased these Liver Detox pills and most of them stopped. The problem I am having now is I cannot stay asleep for more than an hour w/out waking up. The last time I had a decent nights sleep was before I was put on this drug. Yes, its that bad. If anyone out there can PLEASE help me from their personal experiences with seroquel withdrawal, I would greatly appreciate it. I've tried both Ambien 10mg and the natural supplement 5-HTP and neither of them helps. (Also, I'm not really supposed to be taking 5 Htp since I am currently on Lithium but I tried it just once cause i was desperate.) I am going to see my doctor on Friday and explain everything to him and perhaps ask him for valium because I read it has been prescribed for really bad insomnia. Because of this sleep issue, I wake up depressed and irritable. I have no energy and stay home most days during the week. Before I was put on seroquel, when i would wake up, 1-2 cups of Tea would give me enough caffeine to start my day. After the seroquel withdrawal experience which was horrific to say the least, I cannot get my day going without 1-2 cups of coffee because i feel so tired and exhausted after I wake up. FYI- my diagnosis is Bipolar II and I do not have any psychotic symptoms or hallucinations or delusions of grandeur nor ever had any of these. When I was in the Psych ER this past August, I knocked over a pitcher of water when I became upset and an hour later the doctor ordered me Seroquel 200mg. I remember when they gave it to me, I felt like I couldn't hardly breathe and was going to pass out or something. (orthostatic hypotension?) I spoke with a freind of mine who is also bipolar and has been on seroquel but a lower dose and she told me that she was surprised that they gave me such a high dose my first time around. 2 days later i was transfered to a private psych hospital in manhattan and the doctor upped my dose of seroquel to 200mg twice a day(400mg.) He was a quack doc and really screwed me over. Anyway Im sorry for blabbering on and would appreciate if anyone has any suggestions regarding a sleep rememdy/prescription that has worked for them after they stopped seroquel and had similar sleep issues. Thank you and god bless.....
Posted 1/21/2010 5:43 AM (GMT 0)
I recently weaned myself off seroquel. I was taking 400-600mg per night and I went down to 200mg, and then I would take half and then one quarter and then I stopped. I have been totally off of it for 3 weeks. I saw my psych last week and he said the drug should be out of my system. I took it for probably 7-8 years, and went off of it only once before. I want off it because I am worried about it causing diabetes and because it costs so much. I don't want to be tied to the drug forever. At night I take one clonzepam .5 and two xanax at night, 1.0 total. Since I have gone off seroquel I cannot sleep at night hardly at all. I feel like I am in a very light sleep and I get hardly any REM sleep. I also feel like I am 'alive' again, but I am 'weirded out.' My heart seems to race and I am always WIDE AWAKE. The good thing is I don't feel like I can't get up in the morning like I always did when I was taking seroquel. I felt drugged all day long and tired. However I am worried now about high blood pressure and high heart rate, but they are both normal. I don't have twitching like I did with trazadone (oh my, did I EVER have body twitches with THAT drug), and everything seems clearer. I told my doc about not sleeping and he prescribed me some ambien which I take once in awhile when I am so exhausted from lack of sleep, and it works perfectly. I took seroquel because I am bulemic and I guess it had something to do with sleeping, relaxing, depression and bi-polar OCD tendancies. I am also taking benadryl at night to help me sleep but it makes me feel nauseous.
I don't really know if this helps anyone and I don't know if the results of going off the seroquel are in my head or not since my doc said that it should be out of my system. I just hope I don't have to go back to it. I have gained/lost/gained 40 lbs since taking the drug and now I feel more energized for exercise and daily life. I am just a little afraid of feeling so 'clear.' Hopefully I will eventually sleep like a normal person.

-Summer
Posted 1/21/2010 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi summer,

Welcome to HealingWell and the bipolar board. Good work weaning off the seroquel. Doesn't your doc want to put you on a different mood stabilizer, or are you avoiding them? Hope you slept okay last night.

serafena
Posted 2/16/2010 12:06 AM (GMT 0)
Can't remember how long I've been taking Seroquel but I do know it's been less than a year. I started on 150 mg and ended up on 300 mg. The doctor that put me on this stuff wasn't a doctor at all, he was my doctors assistant(and husband) and saw my doctors patients that my doctor couldn't see.

This 'doctor' started me on Seroquel and it was ALL downhill. Not much sooner after

I started taking Seroquel, he told me that I was diabetic. I read up on my disease and also on Seroquel. I found out that Seroquel causes many diabetic symptoms. I told my 'doctor' that I know that diabetes runs in my family but I was concerned about what I read about Seroquel...

He rolled his eyes and told me I have diabetes and that was that. I soon started seeing red lights and decided to see another doctor and someone for my diabetes.

Now that I have my diabetes under control, my next step was to get OFF this Seroquel.

Since I found out about my diabetes, I've lost 22 pounds and counting and started having 'high' feelings that last all day....this has been going on for almost two week now and I think that it's the dosage;too much for me.

I'm seeing a 'new' doctor that is helping me wean off Seroquel. She wanted me to start with what I felt comfortable with and suggested 250 mg  for one week and go from there. I decided to cut my 300 mg in half and start with 150 mg.

It's been 2 days since I started and it's freaking me out. I find myself feeling a constent high and I try to keep from freaking out. I have to keep my feet on the ground....

When will this end and will I ever feel better??? I want my 'old' self back and feel better!!!

Please share all that you want.... I'm sorry to write so much but I felt some history was needed to be shared. Thanksturn

Posted 2/16/2010 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi want2beme,

Welcome to the HealingWell bipolar forum. You don't mention how long you've been diagnosed bipolar. Have you been on other medications before?

I'm not surprised you're feeling "high" as you wean off the seroquel, as it's quite sedating. Hang in there and your mood will most likely normalize again soon. Give yourself a good week each time you tweak your meds.

Congrats on getting your diabetes under control and losing the weight. That's good news.

Glad to have you,
serafena
Posted 4/23/2010 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
I'm replying to an old post -- but I've seen several threads on this same subject, a couple pleading for replies. One individual mentioned having horrible side effects when weaning (or missing) off of Seroquel (I couldn't find that same thread so I am replying here). I experienced the same side effect. I ended up in the ER because I was sure I was dying. Besides the insomnia and rapid heartbeat, I had these horrible thoughts of impending death, an overwhelming fear that I would die if I were to go back to sleep. The ER pdoc asked me if I had somehow altered my seroquel usage and I mentioned to him I had missed taking it for several days. Apparently this is a some fairly rare side-effect from seroquel withdrawal. I'm doing a slow take-down from the 300mg I was taking and so far that appears to work. I still have strange symptoms in my chest -- feels like some kind of anxiety-induced heartbeating. My breaths are also slowed but not terribly so. In any event, just wanted to let you know you are not alone. I've also heard that a taking a small dosage of valium for weaning off of seroquel works as well. Good luck and best wishes.

Keith

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