Ideas to aide withdrawal from seroquel/Quietiapine?

Does anyone have any suggestions to try that might help with Seroquel withdrawal issues, especially the intractable insomnia? I have tried Benedryl, Kava, passion flower, valerian, melatonin already. Any new ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Herbal remedies don't work, and prescription ones (I tried Ambien and Klonopin) only provide a few hours of sleep, besides being addictive and causing side effects of their own. Time will help some. After almost four months, I still wake up every few hours, but I usually get back to sleep.

Here's the two best Web sites I know of:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/M...

http://mindfreedom.org/kb/psychiatric-drugs/q...

Lisa wrote:

Herbal remedies don't work, and prescription ones (I tried Ambien and Klonopin) only provide a few hours of sleep, besides being addictive and causing side effects of their own. Time will help some. After almost four months, I still wake up every few hours, but I usually get back to sleep.
Here's the two best Web sites I know of:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/M...
http://mindfreedom.org/kb/psychiatric-drugs/q...

Thanks Lisa

Brigid,

I like Lisa have been off Seroquel for around the same amount of time--I still have problems with sleep. I started recording my dreams this summer and have found a therapist which specializes in dream work to help me with them.

The best short term solution I can reccomend is to fogive your insomnia for keeping you up and try as best as you can to not worry about the effects of not sleeping well- fear of insomnia seems to breed insomnia.

water exercise during the day regularly, stretching and doing yoga type relzxation several times during the day helps me. stay away from all forms of caffiene including chocolate.

stretch, stretch and stretch again

Getting into a good nutritional patterna and rhythm helps me too.

staying away from people that tend to make me mad-especially towards bedtime is helpful

nothing stimulating whatsoever including bright lights(computer monitors) tv;s etc before bed

a dark, cool quiet sleeping environment

rule out any metabolic, medical sleep problems--thyroid, sleep apnea, etc..

support from other insomniacs like us

getting to the bottom of insomnia that can be alleviated by long term psychotherapy with someone very competent, that you can learn to trust

Bill wrote:

Brigid,
I like Lisa have been off Seroquel for around the same amount of time--I still have problems with sleep. I started recording my dreams this summer and have found a therapist which specializes in dream work to help me with them.
The best short term solution I can reccomend is to fogive your insomnia for keeping you up and try as best as you can to not worry about the effects of not sleeping well- fear of insomnia seems to breed insomnia.
water exercise during the day regularly, stretching and doing yoga type relzxation several times during the day helps me. stay away from all forms of caffiene including chocolate.
stretch, stretch and stretch again
Getting into a good nutritional patterna and rhythm helps me too.
staying away from people that tend to make me mad-especially towards bedtime is helpful
nothing stimulating whatsoever including bright lights(computer monitors) tv;s etc before bed
a dark, cool quiet sleeping environment
rule out any metabolic, medical sleep problems--thyroid, sleep apnea, etc..
support from other insomniacs like us
getting to the bottom of insomnia that can be alleviated by long term psychotherapy with someone very competent, that you can learn to trust

Thanks Bill.

Brigid wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions to try that might help with Seroquel withdrawal issues, especially the intractable insomnia? I have tried Benedryl, Kava, passion flower, valerian, melatonin already. Any new ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I have been a pharmacutical addict for 50 years. If you really want to get off Seroquel be honest with a Dr. and ask for a s-l-o-w withdrawal. I like to get it over with and "bite the bullet"
but Seroquel is a different kind of animal and with the exception of a 15 year Methadone habit I did the turkey to, SEROQUEL was the Mac! Not even the Darvon helped. The only thing that DID help a lot was walking and eating healthy. Drink as much water as you can hold and then drink some more. Trust me, it will get better every day. Good luck!!!

BIKRAM YOGA. Is the only thing that has helped me get off Seroquel and Ambien. I was on these drugs for three years and tried to kick several times with no luck.

I went cold turkey and after not sleeping for about 5 days I tried Bikram Yoga. Look it up online. I sleep like a baby most every night now.

petra wrote:

BIKRAM YOGA. Is the only thing that has helped me get off Seroquel and Ambien. I was on these drugs for three years and tried to kick several times with no luck.
I went cold turkey and after not sleeping for about 5 days I tried Bikram Yoga. Look it up online. I sleep like a baby most every night now.

Petra,
I can see the benefits of yoga and would like to practice this...but due to over maxed on anti-whatever drugs I am 55 lbs. over weight. If I try this type of yoga...the poses look so intimidating...would a beginner, be able to deal a little better with the withdrawal symptoms?
Judy

I would like to offer some thoughts; covering withdrawl, prescribed seroquel, side effects and benefits.
In some cases, there are those who just can not sleep, are manic, or have other huge adversities that just dont mix with sleep.
There are those of us who might need help for a little while and those who will need to be on top of their meds for a life time.
Sleep is so important, sleep hygiene is needed, as much as food or water.
Yoga can help people who are atheletic, or who are obese, young or old. Yoga benefits the mind, the heart, the soul, flexability, pain reduction, strength buildind stamina and balance overall.
If you are a first timer, and dont feel comfortable buy or rent a video from Gayam try beginners yoga, or stress relief yoga. GO to a variety of classes, it is a process, I have done it for 25 years and many teachers were a dissappointment and others were wonderful, yoga can be a sweaty workout which can release toxins or it can be a meditation. Keep reading about it and there is a yoga class for all, even those in wheelchairs. It is a natural pain reliever, helps sleep, and builds self esteem
I was on 100 seroquel per night when my daughter and son had life threatening crisis and I could not sleep, needed to be there for them, I was on antidepressants 100 zoloft, 10 ambien, lunesta and 100 seroquil.
I began to experience huge weight gain, increased appetite, heart palpatations that woke me up, nightmares, Huge TMJ issues, clenching, headaches that were 2 weeks long, tight legs,
I went off the sleeping pills first, slowly, then the zoloft slowly, then the seroquel cold turkey.
I first felt joint pain in all areas, no appetite, nausea, hot feeling, bloating, full stomach, no food in it. then diarrea, loss of energy, no relief with the yoga,
I think in a few months I should feel the benefits of going off it. oddly I can sleep at night, just try to keep it dark and quiet, no wine, no caffiene, just remain calm and sleep comes, i do wake up, dont care, go to sleep again
No feeling of hang over in morning, but definite decline in energy and staminal level.
can eat anything not hungry yet fullstomach and belly
hope this helps.
take care

Judy wrote:

<quoted text>
Petra,
I can see the benefits of yoga and would like to practice this...but due to over maxed on anti-whatever drugs I am 55 lbs. over weight. If I try this type of yoga...the poses look so intimidating...would a beginner, be able to deal a little better with the withdrawal symptoms?
Judy

can I contact you? I do Bikram daily, am BP & take SO many meds that I dont know what is going on-help. Thanks, Cheryl

I have been on it for close to 4 years for insomnia. Only for that reason. My small town doctor put me on it. For the past year i can sleep without it, but when i don't take it i get sick and throw up and end up in the hospital because i can't keep anything down. I started lowering my dose over months down to 50mg, anything below that i get sick. 100mg is safe, 150 i feel fine. I'm sick of taking it and my doctor doesn't know what to do. I can't seem to wean off of it. Its expensive when insurance will not pay for it, plus im worried about all of the talk about diabetes problems with it.

i don't know how long i have been taking this drug, but i will tell you this. i gained 50 lbs, then i started having heart palpitations, aches and pains, low blood sugar, and most of all constant trips to the porcelain thrown which i had to pee in constantly. now i am trying to quit this terrible drug, but i stay awake all the night trying to snatch an hour of sleep. no sleep won't hurt u...? i beg to differ. sleep deprevation can be the worst thing in the world for you. ask michael jackson.

i am weaning off seorquel soon. my dr gave me a med to help me sleep.
i will not take it long cause i am an addict, and have abused benzos in the past.

i will just take them my first few nights of detox.

i weaned off neurontin and the detox was tough had to get some ativan for the raceiness.

i am hoping seorquel detox won't be to bad

I am trying to get off seroquel but it is oh so hard. I am suffering. I was on 800 mg (400 mg x twice a day) when i was in the hospital. I was admitted for anxiety. the doctor started me on 400 mg seroquel and it helped me sleep at night. I was in the worst hospital I have ever been in.(Gracie Square-upper east side.) My diagnosis is Bipolar II. Anyway, like i said I was admitted because of my anxiety. He had no reason to give me seroquel as my mood was stable. So when i left i started cutting the seroquel dosage to 600 mg. Then I cut it to 400 and then 200. But now I Need help getting off the 200. I reduced it to 100 but I really need 100 mg pills instead of cutting the 400 mg pill into fours. I cannot afford but I will have to see a psychopharmacologist. First I will try a neurologist. If anyone has any suggestions I would be forever grateful to them. THank you everyone!:)

Had no idea serequel was addictive. I was put on it in small doses 100 mg to help sleep and with anxiety. It worked, but now I need at least 200 to sleep plus 6mg Lunesta. I've been trying to get off of it and even with 50 mg still in me I cannot sleep. I must sleep or I cannot function.
Has anyone found a medication that will help with sleep that's not in the same family?

I weaned myself off of Seroquel. The doctor who put me on, it for sleep, said it was o-kay. Even though the doctor believed that there would be no withdrawal, I knew better. So with no help from the doctor I reduced the med in increments, taking reduced doses for 2 wks until every other day and then discontinuation. I went thru hell for over 2 months and now wake up every night more often then before. Seroquel is an anti-psychotic and should only be prescribed with appropropriate diagnosis. It is "NOT" a sleeping aid. A person can become addicted to anything (opiates and the like are not the only ones). When a med is taken that alters/changes/ blocks metabolic function and it is suddenly stopped - you will pay the piper. If I would have had an informed MD none of it would have happened. Ativan would have been my choice for weining off of the Seroquel. If you attempt to replace the Seroquel with Ambien; well it didn't work for me. Now I am on Ambien nightly and believe a definite rebound affect is occuring. There is a light at the end of the tunnel (I know it). Sleeping rituals are key. Tea, meditation - all that jazz (what works for one might not work for another. Sleep well.

I have been off seroquel for about a week now. On top of the insomnia getting worse my legs back and arms will not stop itching. It is so bad that i scratch until i'm about raw. I have tried all kinds of anti-itch stuff and nothing is helping. Has anyone else experienced this problem, it's driving me crazy.

Getting off seroquel myself due to the typical 50 plus weight gain, cholesterol n trigs roofing, scare of diabetes. I took seroquel for sleeping purposes for 5 years moving low doses up n down. Dr gave me the chance to switch to other meds ending in PAM but I was concerned with the addiction since I have that kind of personality. Finally Dr put me on Geodon but it did not work for me cause it gave me a catch a cold feeling.

Right at the time of this letter I'm going thru a nasty withdraw n confused cause again, I don't know if it is the Geodon or the withdrawal for seroquel.

For u all to know, I, before coming back to seroquel, I am taking unison, unison is a non addictive over the counter sleep aid n is helping my sleep.

Good luck you all

i have had terrible insomnia for about 2 months after quitting seroquel cold turkey. someone said it causes short term memory loss, and somewhere i read it was very bad for seniors. the first 2 days, i slept 10 hours each night. the constant peeing came back. that part is terrible...
if you are addicted to seroquel, you have to back off from it slowly, not abruptly quitting. i tried cutting dosage down to 50 mgs. and that seemed to help. but then later i had to go back on 100 mgs to get the sleep i wanted. sometimes, i have a hangover like i have been drinking. and i have had atrial fibrilation, and something like squeezing in my heart...and i think that is angina. i am not sure. lawsuits concerning seroquel>...read up on them...