gb2012: Quetiapine withdrawal

[gb2012]

Hi, I’m new to the forum and I am hoping you can help me. I have spent the last 3m tapering down from 400mg of Quetiapine and took my last dose last week. I’m really struggling,the last 3 weeks have been horrendous! Very little sleep,extreme anxiety and panic, feeling generally distressed as well as nausea and dizziness. It is absolutely brutal! My mental health team and psych’s answer is to start taking them again! No way is that happening! Iam trying to hang on and endure, has anyone else experienced this and if so roughly how long did it last? 

[SkyBlue]

Hi gb and welcome. 

 

If 3m is 3 months, that's quite a short period to come off such a powerful drug, and it is no doubt why you are having such severe symptoms. 

 

We generally find the best way to come off safely is by going about 10% of the current dose per month. 

I know the feeling of not wanting to go back on, but it might be worth a try to learn about "reinstatement" -- going back on a very low dose of the drug and then coming off very slowly. 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/ (first page especially)

 

How long had you been on the drug?

To help us out, please fill out a "drug signature" using these instructions: 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Again, welcome. 

[gb2012]

Hi,

thanks so much for the info. I was on Quetiapine for 6yrs. I followed my psychiatrist’s tapering plan but it looks like that was too fast. I really don’t want to take any more of this medication, I’m going to try and endure.....but if I can’t tolerate the withdrawal I might need to consider reinstating a small dose. The greater plan is to get off of all my medication,lithium and lofepramine eventually. Quetiapine was the first one I had tapered, and it has been so tough.

[Carmie]

Hi gb, 

 

How are you doing? That really was a quick taper. It’s taken me many years to get down from 300mg of Quetiapine to 7.5mg and it’s going to take me many, many more to get off it altogether.

 

How are you faring? 

 

Sending hugs🤗

[gb2012]

Hi Carmine,

your right it was a quick taper....too quick and absolutely brutal. Unfortunately I have found myself back in psych ward and I am now back on Quetiapine. I’m still not giving up on getting off of Quetiapine but this time it will be an extremely slow taper over a long time.

[Carmie]

14 hours ago, gb2012 said:

Hi Carmine,

your right it was a quick taper....too quick and absolutely brutal. Unfortunately I have found myself back in psych ward and I am now back on Quetiapine. I’m still not giving up on getting off of Quetiapine but this time it will be an extremely slow taper over a long time.

 

Im sorry that you ended up back in the psych ward gb, 

 

Yes, make sure when you taper the quetiapine this time to go slowly. Make sure you’re stable though before you start tapering again. 

 

Sending hugs🤗

[gb2012]

Thanks Carmine

I am definitely going to take a much slower tapering path and I will not underestimate the importance of being in a good stable position before starting reducing Quetiapine. Good luck with the rest of your tapering.

 

🤗

[Carmie]

On 9/13/2018 at 9:52 PM, gb2012 said:

Thanks Carmine

I am definitely going to take a much slower tapering path and I will not underestimate the importance of being in a good stable position before starting reducing Quetiapine. Good luck with the rest of your tapering.

 

🤗

 

Hi gb, 

 

Just checking in to see how you’re doing💚