Sandra88: looking for tapering help, ? polypharmacy or frequent new trials of drug(s)

[Sandra88]

Please help. I am on 100mg of Seroquel Immediate Release. In the past I have tried to taper it down, but I was unsuccessful. I did not know what I was doing so I had to go back to the 100mg again.  Four days ago, I started tapering again. I am splitting the pill with a pill cutter. Taking 3/4qu of the splitted pill which is 75mg. I take 75mg one day and take the whole 100 mg the next day. So, one day I took 75mg and the next day I took 100mg. Apparently, I am doing something wrong because I am experiencing horrible withdrawals. So, I really don’t know how to do this. I ordered two mini scales to weight mg. I got them today. I really don't know if I should go back entirely to the 100mg everyday again until I found the right information to do this more effectively. I don’t care how long, months, or even years it takes to taper this medication down. All I wanted to do is to do it successfully.

 

I am also concerned about the Pill being Film Coated tablets which they do not recommend breaking down because of the composition of the medication. I noticed that when I take 75mg it kicks faster and the effect last less than when I am taking the 100mg. 

I don’t know if the withdraw is because I am splitting a coated pill or I because am cutting back to much or both

 

Please if anybody has any recommendations on how to do the tapering down, I will greatly appreciated. I just don’t have a clue how to do this. What are my options. How much and all that

Please help.

Edited May 31, 2023 by manymoretodays
altered titile

[Carmie]

Hi Sandra, 

 

Welcome to SA. Thanks for popping over to my thread. I’ll keep the information related to your particular 

taper here on your thread so that you’ve got it all in one place. Feel free though, like you have, to pop 

over to other people’s threads too. You can ask about other people’s experiences and also have an interchange of encouragement. We are a peer support group. 
 

As I mentioned on my thread, you can’t do alternative day tapering, you can’t do 100mg one day and then 75mg the next day. It destabilises your brain. You have to stay on the same dose every single day. Seeing you’ve only started a few days ago, please stay at 100mg until you stabilise again. After that we can have

a look at a tapering schedule. One should never taper more than 10% every month or so. At the moment

I can only taper around 1.5% or so every six or seven weeks. I’ve been tapering for many, many years and

will be tapering for many, many more. 
 

Don’t worry about the film coated tablet, I’ve been able to taper from 300mg to 3.45mg now by first of all cutting it and then by water titrating it. I’ve been water titrating for a long time now. I just crush the tablet

with a mortar and pestle and add water. 
 

Can you please put in your drug signature with dates and doses of meds you’ve been on in the last couple

of years. Just go to the top of this Introductions And Updates page and go to the: “ Please start a topic about yourself in this forum,” thread. In the first paragraph you’ll see a link as to how to do a signature. Thank you.

 

 Sending hugs🤗

[Sandra88]

 

You are an angel thank you!!

I had to go back to the 100mg doses again because the withdrawal was SO, SO INCREDIBLE BAD!! I need to recuperate and start all over again!! I will have to do Micro tapering. My nervous system is EXTREMELY sensitive. I need to start with 3mg or even lower and stay in that doses for several weeks at a time. I dont know what is the right doses for me yet.  This is going to take years but I don't care. I am willing to do it. I need to continue reading and learning about this. Seroquel can be compared to Benzos; it is an absolute nightmare . Tomorrow I will take care of your recommendations tomorrow for sure. I need to learn about titrating correctly. I am SO, SO PETRIFY of getting it wrong again. I really don't know how to do Micro Taper such an small doses either, I don't have any idea. i bought a mini scale that measure grams. I am imaging that the g on the scale is grams. I am a newbie, need to continue learning about this. I did not know what I was doing and the type of monster that I was dealing with so. You absolutely right I was doing it wrong

 

Your Website is Amazing, there is hope I know!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

PS. Please forgive me I am not a computer savvy by any means. I am a Dinosaur when it comes to computers.  Any email that does have "Go to this Post" is considered an email-alert yet? To respond to any email coming from here, I just click where it says go this post yet? If the email does not have Go to this post I am not suppose to answer yet? Those are the email-alert?

 

Thank you for being so patient with me

 

 

[Sandra88]

Hi everyone!

I’ ve been taking Psychiatric Medications since I was 19 years old. I love animals, family and friends!  I am an Advaita Vedanta (Non-Duality) Practitioner. I found this practice two years ago, when I was looking for alternative ways to help myself with my Mental Health. I highly recommend it.

 

I am here to learn, help and share my journey on tapering down Seroquel. I was prescribed Seroquel because of Insomnia. Prior to that I was taking Trazodone and I was sleeping well on it but due to a major event that happened in my life the trazodone stopped working so the Psychiatry put me on 100mg Seroquel. The side effects of Seroquel don’t outweigh its “benefits” I prefer to take trazodone than Seroquel which is less harmful than Seroquel. 

 

I have been trying to taper down Seroquel on two different occasions but have been unsuccessful each time. Each time, I went through unbearable withdrawals that destabilized me to the point that I could not function in any way.  Leaving me with no other option than to go back to the original dose. My last tapering lasted only three days and it was four days ago. I did not know what I was doing.  

 

I have to get acquainted with everything that involves tapering this medication before I even attempt to taper it again. I need to get it right next time. My nerves system is EXTREMALY SENSITIVE that I would have to start with no more than 3% or even less than that and stay on it for several weeks at it time. The way I was doing the tapering was by alternating the doses, one day I was taking 75mg and the next day I was taking the whole100mg.  So yet, I was doing it wrong, totally guessing.

 

I have to be honest I am PETRIFY to even attempt the tapering again because of what I already went through with this process. I need to learn how to do Micro-tapering, how I can get the exact percentage of medication right. How to get that percentage precisely and accurately. What to use to break the pill precisely. Maybe even try Water Titration. I don’t have a clue what is the ratio of water for percentage of this medication. All that. I am not good at math, don’t like math.

You might be thinking that I am complicating things by thinking that I need to be too precise but believe me the withdrawals were so debilitating so now I am trying to learn everything that I can in precise detail that way I can get it right next time. I have been very overwhelmed with all this ordeal.

 

Thank you all for your openness and understanding. Recommendations and inputs will greatly appreciate.

 

Thank you all!!

[Onmyway]

Hi @Sandra88, I've merged your new intro post here. We all get only one introduction topic. Please use that to ask questions and update us on your progress. Do not start new intro topics.

 

This link has many relevant topics to read before you start tapering including how to make liquids and calculate dosages. If you have more specific questions, pls ask here. 

OMW

 

[Carmie]

Hi Sandra, 

 

How are you doing now? Please stay at the same dose until you stabilise and please never skip doses again. Once you stabilise you can start to taper really slowly, no more than 10% of the previous dose each time. You then hold it for a month or more. It might be a good idea to go even slower, especially if you’ve struggled with tapering in the past. You can do it this time, you just have to go really slow. Each small drop is a move in the right direction. 
 

I’m water titrating the Seroquel so I can do small drops. If you decide to do that though, it’s best to do a slow crossover instead of just jumping straight to liquid. We can give you more info on that if that’s what you decide
 

For now though, don’t taper until you’re stable again, sending hugs your way🤗

[Carmie]

P.s. Did you get a chance to have a look at the link on tapering Onmyway sent you?💛

[Sandra88]

Hi Carmie I just read your message sorry I was not ignoring you. I have been so so busy. I went back to the same 100mg still on it. Can you explain in more detail about titration and slow crossover instead of jumping straight to liquid? I don't have a clue what are you talking about here

"I’m water titrating the Seroquel so I can do small drops. If you decide to do that though, it’s best to do a slow crossover instead of just jumping straight to liquid. We can give you more info on that if that’s what you decide"

I have not have time to read anything yet but I will. I have been super busy. I dont have my computer is at the shop being repaired. Very slow using my ph. to answer emails. Thank you for caring. How are you doing? How have you been?

Blessings!!

 

[Carmie]

Hi Sandra, I was just thinking you’re probably better off getting a scale to start off with as you’re still on quite a high dose of Seroquel. You’d be drinking a ton of liquid to try and taper that amount. I only started water titrating with the 25mg tablet. 
 

I’ve never used a scale. I didn’t know much about tapering at the time when I was on the higher doses as I wasn’t on this site and I just kept cutting the tablets into quarters but I went through such severe withdrawals because you can’t get 10% or lower by cutting the tablet into quarters. I think the best thing for you to do would be to get a scale. Check out the thread entitled “Using a scale to weigh and measure doses,” in the tapering section. If you end up needing some help I’ll get someone who is more familiar with that method to help you. 

As mentioned though please don’t start tapering until you’re a bit more stable, wishing you all the best💛

 

[Sandra88]

Yes I am SO, SO SO Thankful to everyone involved here. I don't know what I would have done without the guidance and dedication of every one here specially the Moderators!! This Website has so. so much HELP, so much to offer. Thanks to all of you!!. I am SUCESFULLY tapering down Seroquel 100mg. Slowly but surely. Tapering 5% every six weeks. It is going to take me TWO 1/2 years to do it but I do not care. I have to do it!!! I had withdraw symptoms at the beginning of this process but they were tolerable. This time and from the beginning of this tapering I decided that I was going to taper down every six weeks no less than that so It has been working for me . 

 

I am tapering this medication with the help of a mini-scale. The instructions that I found in the "CALCULATE DOSE WEIGHTS USING A SCALE- Excel Spreadsheet" downloads were so IMPORTANT, CRUTIAL. SO HELPFUL to begin this process!! 

 

Grateful for all the help here!!

 

Blessings and success to all of you on your tapering 

 

 

[manymoretodays]

Sandra88, @Sandra88

This is your Introduction topic, please post here rather than starting new Introduction topics.  Thank you.

Just one Introduction per member.

Thanks for getting your signature somewhat done.

Could you go back please and note current doses of all your current medications please?

Signature instructions with example, and link to, to get yours a bit more complete

 

Are you really on Trazodone, Lexapro, Effexor, Seroquel, Hydroxyzine, Xanax, AND Zyprexa presently?? 

I mean that is a insane(for lack of a better term) drug combination!!!!

 

Once your signature is clearer would you also put all of your current drugs in the interaction checker:  Drug Interaction Checker, Drugs.com and then link us to those results, or copy and paste them in a reply.  Thank you.

 

Why did you decide to taper Seroquel first?

 

We need more information from you.  We really do.  Then we can offer more help. 

 

When did you start the Seroquel taper, and from what dose?  What dose are you on now?

The harm reduction taper of 10% is based on each previous dose, not just the starting dose and here is the link to that:

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering quetiapine(Seroquel)

 

I'm glad you are happy with the site and have gotten some help via ?PM(private messaging on site), and from Grateful as well.  Yes, she is great and one of our mentors.  Carmie too.  Everyone wants to help with your taper(s), and hopefully make it all run smoothly.  And support you.

 

I worry however......looking at what could be your current drug list, and hope you will post in your topic here as well, as tell us more about yourself and your current drugs and tapering so we might best help.  Good that you are self propelled and motivated too.  I just don't wish for you to get into difficulty without perhaps fully understanding yet........and I say this from my own first experiences with tapering, as well as having observed others and moderated here for some time.  It's never quite as simple as some of us think....... once exposed to more information about tapering and withdrawal at first glance.  I hope that all makes sense.  Welcome aboard.

 

So, that being said, hope you will update.  Right here.  And give us more information, let us get to know you, and continue on with us.  Sharing your information.  Asking questions here.  Learning more as you go.  Allowing for more suggestions as well.

 

And best.  Love, peace, healing, and growth,

manymoretodays(mmt)

 

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by manymoretodays
strike out due to misreading previous post, she's grateful for our site and has not been working with mentor grateful- as I alluded to, I'm not multitasking well

[Emonda]

Hi Sandra88,

I understand you have a question about scales. What are you currently using? I know many here use a Gemini-20 scale.

 

There is some good info here: