Useruser: can seroquel suddenly and randomly stop working?

[Useruser]

I have had the weirdest situation recently happen. I was taking 200mg of seroquel but it seems it has completely stopped working and no matter how much I take, I am still getting withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal is very difficult. Has anyone else experienced seroquel/ quetiapine completely stop working randomly? Like your body just doesn't register it anymore, you rapidly got immune to its effects?

Edited November 11, 2024 by FireflyFyte
updated title

[FireflyFyte]

Hi Useruser,

 

Welcome to SA. Please summarize your drug history in your signature by following the instructions at How to Summarize Your Drug History in Your Signature. You may need to be on a computer to complete this.

 

A few questions -

 

1.  How long have you been taking seroquel?
2. Were you always taking 200mg?
3. Do you take your dose consistently?

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[Useruser]

Hello, thank you I have added it to my signature. I have been taking seroquel at 200mg for a year and a half. Yes I was always taking it consistently until 3 weeks ago when my doc and I decided to go down to 175. I held at 175 for 2 weeks no issue until the medication seemed to totally stop working, so I went back up to 200 for 6 days. It's now been 6 days back on 200 and the medication seems like it's not working at all anymore, like it has completely ceased working and it's making me feel the full brunt of the withdrawal. The two weeks of 175 were a breeze in comparison but now I'm back up to 200 again and I feel like the med is not doing a darn thing. Is it in the realm of possibility for seroquel to completely stop working like really fast, over the course of a couple days? Did I screw up my body's metabolism of this drug by going to 175 for two weeks then back up to 200? This drug has a short half life so upon going back to 200 it should have brought me back to normal quickly but it didnt.

[FireflyFyte]

35 minutes ago, Useruser said:

It's now been 6 days back on 200 and the medication seems like it's not working at all anymore, like it has completely ceased working and it's making me feel the full brunt of the withdrawal

 

Can you describe what you mean by "ceased working"? What symptoms of withdrawal are you experiencing?

[Useruser]

Horrendous depression feeling and a massive headache like my head is being pinched by a vise, also dizziness. It seems similar to other serotonin specific AD withdrawal I've had in the past.

[FireflyFyte]

Going up and down in dosage can cause our systems to become destabilized. 

 

While dropping from 200mg to 175mg is around a 6% drop, which is lower than our general guidance of dropping no more than 10% of the previous dose per month, some people need to make smaller drops such as 2% or 3%.

 

You may need more time staying at 200mg before you start to feel an ease of symptoms. How are you feeling today?

[Useruser]

Still like absolute garbage. It genuinely feels like the whole 200mg I have been taking for the past year and a half has like zero effect anymore. I guess this is a rare thing but can happen with serotonergic medications. Something with the nervous system or immune system not allowing them to work anymore. I have been back on 200mg for 8 days already so my body should be back to steady state pharmacokinetics but it just seems like I'm taking sugar pills, like they arent doing anything anymore. I was wondering if anyone here has had this experience. Other people on reddit have reported that quetiapine completely stopped working for them.

[Useruser]

Actually now I am thinking it's this specific manufacturer that I'm having issues with. Lupin pharmaceuticals. They seem to have a zillion complaints against them for all sorts of quality control issues. I am seeing other people say that they are feeling like their lupin brand quet is of very poor quality and "seemed to suddenly stop working" just like my experience.

[FireflyFyte]

8 hours ago, Useruser said:

Actually now I am thinking it's this specific manufacturer that I'm having issues with. Lupin pharmaceuticals. They seem to have a zillion complaints against them for all sorts of quality control issues. I am seeing other people say that they are feeling like their lupin brand quet is of very poor quality and "seemed to suddenly stop working" just like my experience.

 

Changing manufacturers can cause issues. Do you know when you started taking the one made by Lupin?