Seroquel Withdrawal

I've been on seroquel (Quetiapine) for 7 Years , the first 2 years was good for me , few side effects except 'Anti-pychotic enduced Sexual Dysfuction'(very
low sex drive because of the medication) anti pyschotics are well know to do this, After seven years
of this med i am fed up with it, i have gain weight also . It is important to know if you are thinking of stopping the meds it can be very dangerous if you have been on it for a long time, most anti pychotics if stopped quickly can cause 'supersensitive' brain cells,
An expert in the effects of psychiatric drug treatments has stated in an upcoming scientific paper that withdrawal from psychiatric drugs can trigger psychotic reactions completely unrelated to any problem the person using the drug may have originally had. in the paper, psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff presents evidence supporting the view that “problems that occur after withdrawal of psychiatric drugs may often be related to the process of withdrawal of that medication, rather than the natural course of the underlying condition.”

So if you dare to ween your self of it do it very very gradually , about 50mg every 6-7 Months .
I currently on 300 mg a day for Schizophia

I was on Seroquel for 6 months.
Though the medicine worked well, I gain 50, yes 50 pounds in that amount of time.
I went from 100 pounds, where I have been for about 30 years to 150 pounds in 6 months.
I did not eat anymore than usual, and exercised the same.
I also developed hypertension, and extreme water retention.
It works great for insomnia, and bipolar, but I weaned myself off, and now I'm trying Effexor.
I would be very wary on taking this medicine.
Very very scary side effects.

I have been taking seroquel for five or six years for Schizophrenia. The seroquel caused such drowsiness that I became sleep dependent on it. I have been suffering from severe tardif dyscinatia for years from seroquel. It made my jaw so tight that I would have to squish a banana through my teeth to eat it! My psychiatrist knew the severe side effects and to my memory never suggested any anti side effect medication. My mental health worker eventually suggested cogentin to deal with the side effects. But to get a doctor to prescribe it to me was another thing. My family doctor was not willing and the doctor at mental health, I had to plead with before he would prescribe it. From the first dose my jaw completely loosened up so I could open it wide.
I have been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for the last two years to the point of crippling. I had noticed that if I skipped a dose of seroquel that I the next day could start having a better range of mobility, less pain and more strength.
My doctor and Rheumatologist have wanted me on methotrexate for the Advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, there are dangerous possible side effects such as liver damage and lung failure. The other night I didn't take my seroquel and stayed up all night thinking about my life. The next day, again I felt stronger physically. I haven't now taken seroquel for about four days and have next to no pain in my hands and wrists. I can now use hand weights and can almost raise my hands over my head. Something I couldn't do five days ago. However I can't sleep at night and have to nap when I get overly, overly tired. Today I am nauseated and my skin is very itchy.
My husband was on seroquel and noticed muscle stiffness right away. Doctors don't want to prescribe cogentin because medical journals say seroquel has little or no side effects. When patients come to their doctors with their problem with seroquel side effects, the doctors are unbelieving, because they would rather believe the medical journals. This leaves the seroquel sufferer in a difficult situation.
Cogentin didn't completely take away side effects. Four days off seroquel and the involuntary movements in my tongue are almost completely gone, my teeth don't feel like they are going to snap from clenching my jaw, I can breath better and have 99% less joint pain. Also, my memory is coming back and I am re-remembering events from early childhood.
Jessica Dawson jrdawson@telus.net

I took effexor for about a month and it completely desimated me. i was in a stupor,always stumbled as being intoxicated,slurred speech,could not motivate myself let alone think straight.I felt so depressed.I was incapacitated and very scared,and my wife was very concerned for my wellbeing and mental attitude,i felt very suicidal.I am now on seroquel and celexa,lamotrogine and clonazapan. i still get quite panicy and still have very bad bouts of depression at least twice a month.I've been doing this about 18 years and am very frustrated. I see a psyc. and go to councelling and have been on so many meds. that have had little or no effect.I feel i am just beating my head on a wall.This has screwed up my life so much.Lost my wonderul wife because it caused her so much stress for her to see me this way,plus the fact i am withdrawn and anti social.My dilemma is i don't want to be around people, but i fear being and dying alone. I feel ill all the time and the seroquel throws me for a loop as i am in a fog most of the day and it takes me forever to get up in the morning. I feel paralized and will fall back asleep many times(usually sleep 10-12 hrs a night,sometimes more.)When i do get up i cannot function. Its afternoon before i can finally move around to function on a very diminished level. Is it all worth it? I ask myself this every day. I have been on a psyc. ward a few times and do not want to go again. I cannot stand to be locked up like a caged animal. One last note ;they talked many times of electro shock therapy...Hell no! well that just gives me one more thing to obsess about.

i am stopping seroquel. i don't need it and it is bad for my liver disease. i feel restless and my head hurts. i am getting shaky.
my psych has cut me down. i just have anxiety.
i am a recovering addict.
it knocks me out at night and i feel like crap in the am.
this drug does not help my panic attacks.
i am learning on chemical ways to cope. diane
prevention connection@adelphia.net best of luck to you all

Thank you all for your sharing your experiences. I feel less alone in my medication experiences by reading about others.
I have been on Seroquel for a couple of years, with a short time off. I succeeded in getting off of it for a few months but it took a long time for the insomnia to go away.
I started taking it again when my insomnia became intractable. But it does not work well for my insomnia anymore. When I finally fall asleep after taking 200mg. of Seroquel I end up waking up every few hours and have a hard time getting back to sleep. So, for me, the seroquel is not working well for my insomnia anymore.
In the book "Toxic Psychiatry" the author asserts that these neuroleptics are actually like chemical lobotomies in that they suppress the prefrontal cortex and cause an apathetic, indifferent effect.
The author further posits that the brain damage they may cause can be permenant. That and the links to tardive dyskinesthia, diabetes, and breast cancer are alarming enough for me to want to stop.
I myself have noticed extreme agitation, which would seem to be the least likely side effect of Seroquel but it is there and it is making it difficult for me to get through the day.
Has anyone else experienced agitation as a side effect of Seroquel?

Was on Seroquel for 4 years for insomnia,anxiety, and mild/moderate depression.Worked great for about 4 years and eventually made it up to 200mg a night to sleep.In the last 6 months my vision became very blurry,cholesterol and triglycerides went throught the roof and my bad cholesterol will not come down even with a Statin.And I gained 40 lbs.even though I bicycle 40 miles 3 times a week not to mention retaining a lot fluid.So,time to quit this drug.Took 6 months but after tappering down I was off.Then came the nausea,hot flashes and you all now the drill.Had to go get some xanax because the anxiety was too much to deal with.I take it when I need it.Smoking a little weed does also help with waking up my brain.I feel a fog lifting off of me and my body becoming alive again.Hope this helps somebody.Fight the good fight and when you get to the top of the mountain-KEEP CLIMBING.

I can identify with your Seroquel experience, Veronica. I just recently stopped taking it because of the health concerns. In addition to diabetes, breast cancer and tardive dyskenisia, there is a possibility of cognitive decline occurring with atypical antipsychotic use.
The reason I started taking it in the first place was to help me sleep. My husband had left a bottle of it while he was out of town and I made the mistake of taking some. It really worked wonders at first but then, like you, I noticed myself waking up every couple of hours. And I too have been severely agitated. I have also noticed irregular heart beats and an extremely elevated body temperature.
I wish the manufacturer's would provide information on not only how to withdraw yourself but what to expect and how one might ameliorate the effects.
Some books that have been of some help to me include: The Antidepressant Solution by Glenmullen; Natural Prozac by Robertson; Your Drug May Be Your Problem by Breggin; America Fooled by an author I can't recall at the moment.

Veronica wrote:

Thank you all for your sharing your experiences. I feel less alone in my medication experiences by reading about others.
I have been on Seroquel for a couple of years, with a short time off. I succeeded in getting off of it for a few months but it took a long time for the insomnia to go away.
I started taking it again when my insomnia became intractable. But it does not work well for my insomnia anymore. When I finally fall asleep after taking 200mg. of Seroquel I end up waking up every few hours and have a hard time getting back to sleep. So, for me, the seroquel is not working well for my insomnia anymore.
In the book "Toxic Psychiatry" the author asserts that these neuroleptics are actually like chemical lobotomies in that they suppress the prefrontal cortex and cause an apathetic, indifferent effect.
The author further posits that the brain damage they may cause can be permenant. That and the links to tardive dyskinesthia, diabetes, and breast cancer are alarming enough for me to want to stop.
I myself have noticed extreme agitation, which would seem to be the least likely side effect of Seroquel but it is there and it is making it difficult for me to get through the day.
Has anyone else experienced agitation as a side effect of Seroquel?

It's so helpful to read about the side effects that other people have My doctor was convinced that seroquel was a miracle drug and really did not hear my concerns. I've been on seroquel for several months and the most obvious side effect' for me' has been weight gain. Literally every doctor visit' I weigh more! I've tried to convince my doctor' that 25 pounds' is a huge amount. I have also started to clench my teeth and jaws' so much' that I get headaches. The oddest side effect' is that I feel very irritated and very sensitive to noise' people' etc. So' long story short' I have a new doctor' who is slowly reducing my dosage! I'm don't mean to sound like I'm vain' but the weight gain is so awful. It's mostly around my tummy- I look pregnant! I also crave sugar so much. Thank you for sharing all your stories, It really is the folks taking these drugs who know the side effects!

I havae been on .50mg of Seroquel for about six days for insomnia and anxiety. It has helped for the insomnia but the anxiety actually seems worse. Does it take a while befoer it works for anxiety? How long. I sit at work and home and literaly shake from nervousness that was brought on by Lexapro after only two doses. Right now I am pretty anxious about taking meds at all. Should I continue to take it and wait for results?

So glad to find this page. I feel like I am not alone. I have piled on weight and am very upset about it. Very scared about withdrawal effect but feel I have to get off it for my health. Any ideas please?

I am on day two from withdrawal of Serequil, the stuff totally sedated me at night. Could never get going the next day. If I had any kind of work break, I slept. Zombie, listless. The main reason my MD Shrink prescribed was because of an altercation, where I was arrested for battery. I have always prided myself by staying in shape, and when I came to the rescue of a friend who was getting assaulted, everybody at the bar, was arrested. I've gained 25 Lbs. and eat like a pig after I take my meds. I told the shrink yesterday I through. She immediately warned, that I would probably have police problems again, and wanted me to take some other stuff. When I told her "No", I was in denial. Wow, How the hell could her 15 minutes a month, tell I'm in denial. Your comments have given me the strength to go on, without this fog-drug, in my system.

I have been on it for 5 days for insomina for bipolar II and severe insominia. My doctor wont prescribe any thing addictive. I feel awful and am already overweight. I have severe depression problems right now. I am now sleeping 11- 12 hours a day and this fog on my brain is awful. Coffee wont lift it. By the time it does lift it is time to take it again. I dont need any more weight gain. I have not got anything done in 5 days. I was getting some things done with the insominia before now I feel "stoned" all day. I know I am sleeping now, but at what cost...Maybe its time for a new doctor.. I wish there was something that didn't cause such harsh side affects... I feel so lost..I sleep good on ativan, but I know the addiction problems are there. I have pain in my legs after taking the seroquel before I fall asleep I wander if it is causing restless leg.. Thanks to all who have posted . I dont know if it worth it now.

Hello Seroquel forum! I have started too lowering the dosage, this time with a more serious doctor. I have been on 500mg since summer 2004. I have tried before, this spring and I went as low as 350mg if I remember right, only I had side effects too strong so went back to 500mg. My worst side-effects are related to an early childhood abuse...I was reliving it in full day in a very sensorial way. Very very disturbing I can tell you. It made me think of suicide and it had been years since my depression so ...that was my experience with withdrawal. Yet I have hope that this time it will be better, because I have a more active life now and I will go easier on how early to drop 50mg again. Maybe I will listen to the advice some1 gave above that I should give it maybe 5-6 months before lowering again. It does seem like a long time, coming from 500mg to 0mg it would take like 4-5 years...but as long as I'll get off it at the end.

I've had depression, anxiety, and OCD for 26 years and have tried a variety of medications. I've been on seroquel for about two months. At first, it worked effectively, giving me a full night's sleep. Up until 3 weeks ago, things seemed to be going fine. Then, with the end of the semester, problems re-emerged: partial insomnia (I can manage about 5 hours of sleep/night), drowsiness, and zombification. I tried going from 100 mg/night down to 75 for two days, thinking I would eliminate the drowsiness and see a return of clear thinking. It took about a day for anxiety/OCD to kick in. I talked with my doctor and am now up to 125 mg. I have no idea how this stuff works, but I am hoping that my body will adapt to this dosage. Anyway, are there withdrawal symptoms if one stops taking this often mind-numbing medication? For those of you who have tried and succeeded, how difficult is it to stop taking seroquel?

I just recently had to go off seroquel completley for that it made my heart rate high and at the time too high and the risks outweiged the the symptoms and withdrawall symptoms. The first day off it i just can't sleep even if i try to force myself. second day feel sick all day then the headache. Even though the sickyness subsides it seems your sleep is not normal. The first day i tried to sleep on my own everytime i got drowsy i got an electric shocks went through my head plus loud talking in my head so was afraid to sleep. sometimes felt like almost smelling nosebleed in my nose. Anyways 5 days cold turkey i feel much better can sleep once i do and not so sick although first face of sleep are realy odd bizare nightmare like dreams or even not dreams. The psych doc changed my medicine for the psych symptoms and hope this one wouln't rise my heart rate even though it's not normal low yet.

I've been on Seroquel for a year and a half now for Borderline.. though with my dr asking every time if I'm hearing or seeing things even though I never have makes me wonder. I was up to 500mg a night and even still I stopped being able to sleep. Well I can no longer afford it. My dr wants to me to go on Navane for awhile until I can afford Seroquel again.. even though I told her there's no way for me to afford it again. There is no way I'm taking Navane and I'm out of Seroquel so I'm stuck with suffering hardcore withdrawals. This is the second day and I feel like I'm dieing. I was dependant on Seroquel for sleep so I'm down to 2 hours a night. Keep getting icy hot shooting pains. All my muscles are tensed up and seizing. Can't eat anything but jello. Keep getting dizzy spells and ringing in my ears. Hope this doesn't last all too long :(

I've gradually weaned myself of Seroquel,again! This time for good.I was initially put on about 200 mg.for P.T.S.D & possible Bi-polar.The bi-polar was mis-diag.for 35 years & still is.Going off my last 25mg. of Seroquel even makes a big difference in my functioning,mentally & physically.It served a purpose in controlling my thinking for a few years while I recovered from childhood sexual abuse & other trauma which followed.Trying 50mg.Trazodone for sleep.

I was prescribed Seroquel to take with my anti-depressants because I had insomnia and anxiety along with my depression, and my daughter has bipolar disorder. It made me sleep great at first, but after 9 months it just makes me tired all the time. I have gained a lot of weight and have very sharp headaches that 'break' suddenly and then start getting worse again. A couple of times now, including last night, I forgot to take my Seroquel on time, and decided not to take it at 11pm or I wouldn't be able to get to work on time. Each time I don't sleep all night, and I feel restless and wired until I take the next dose and crash. I think I need to get off it; I'm starting to like the wired feeling of skipping it.

My daughter has been on seroquel for about four years for biopolar disorder. She was on lithium too. I stopped the lithium because it became toxic in her system. Over the years her health has gotten worse. She has side effects like this.Hard to swallow, flu like symptoms, severe nasuea, thyroid problems,eczima, rashes agitation headaches sugar cravings, vision problems, eyes hurting, severe depressin. I could go on and on. We saw the doctor today and I said I wanted her off the stuff. Her quality of life has worsened. She does sleep though. The doctor refuses to do so. She is taking 300mg now, but was on 600 for a very long time. She wants her to go back up and I said no. I am getting her a new doc. She is 17 years old and because of the setoquel she developed panic attacks over the side effects.I myself take 25mg at night to sleep but after reading about all the side effects i will stop too. I hope this has helped someone out there