Axel: One month with Seroquel - what's gonna happen?

[Axel]

Two months ago I was diagnosed bipolar and I've been on quetiapine (Seroquel) for 3 weeks, I'm about to leave it so I'll reduce the dose from 50 mg to 25 ¿What's gonna happen to me? ¿Will I'll be the same? ¿The side effects last forever?

 

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a peer owned and run forum of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  You have come to the right place.  It is a good thing you are going to get off the Seroquel after only being on it 3 weeks.  These drugs are much harder to get off of for people who have been on for years.  

 

Can you please give us specific information about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some information about how these drugs actually work.   Since you have been on it only 3 weeks, I doubt that this drug has remodeled your brain yet, although your brain is well on it's way to becoming dependent on the drug.  

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

We at SA us a harm reduction approach.  Most of us have been on the drugs for years, and we use a 10% monthly exponential taper.  But since you have only been on it 3 weeks, you won't have to do that.  However, I would still advise a cautious, and conservative approach.  Once the nervous system has been destabilized, it can take many months to recover.  

 

This link explains how to taper drugs if we have been on them less than a month, which you have: 

 

Tapering If You've Been on the Drug Less Than a Month

 

Are you taking regular Seroquel or Seroquel XR (extended release)?  

 

If you are taking regular Seroquel: 

 

I would suggest that you try tapering like this:  reduce it by 25% for a week, and see how that goes.  Cut a tablet in half, and cut another tablet in fourths.  Take a half and a fourth each day for a week.  If you don't have any withdrawal symptoms, then the following week, just take a half a tablet each day, and so on.  

 

If you are taking XR, we can address that in a future post. 

 

Also, as we are recovering, we suggest keeping things slow, simple, and stable. 

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms, which hopefully you will not have:  

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.  The side effects will eventually go away, but it may take a while.  What side effects are you having? 

Edited October 11, 2021 by getofflex