Freeby60: this month is the 24th anniversary of getting on ADs - 24 years!

[Freeby60]

I’m so happy to share that my ANA numbers, which were luckily a mild positive, are negative based on bloodwork this past week. Seroquel was clearly a driver of that DILE diagnosis. The Lexapro reductions seem to cause a bit of a small spike in tongue movements so I wait for those to pass after each each drop up to a week and a half if it goes a bit long. So, 3-4 weeks to 0.0, I’m guessing. When it isn’t immediately after a cut the TD symptoms are extremely light. Not completely gone but greatly reduced. @Altostrata 

[Altostrata]

Good to hear your bloodwork is normalizing and drug-related movements diminishing @Freeby60 

 

How much of everything are you taking now, at what times o'clock?

[Freeby60]

On 8/15/2022 at 6:10 PM, Altostrata said:

Good to hear your bloodwork is normalizing and drug-related movements diminishing @Freeby60 

 

How much of everything are you taking now, at what times o'clock?

I wish the drug-related movements would remain diminished. They still seem to increase after a Lexapro decrease, as minute as they are! Related or not, it was after my first reduction of Lexapro from 20 mg to 10 mg that brought me here in 2016, and also coincided with the onset of my mouth movements. My PDoc’s diagnosis of TD, which he gave me when he could offer me Ingrezza, was about a year later and not a few years before I was prescribed Seroquel. 
 

Here is my current schedule:

 

AM

8:30 - 0.13ml/0.13mg Lexapro (down from 0.15ml/0.15mg);

Duloxetine 60mg;

Clonazepam 0.5 mg;

Probiotic.

 

PM

6:30 - Multi-vitamin, Omegas, Magnesium 

9:30 - 12.5 mg Seroquel 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

35 minutes ago, Freeby60 said:

Multi-vitamin

 

You might consider taking this in the morning because some of the vitamins, eg Vit D is a daytime vitamin and can affect sleep is taken later in the day and B vitamins can be activating so might also affect sleep.

 

37 minutes ago, Freeby60 said:

Magnesium

 

If you are taking this for its calming affect it is better to take several doses throughout the day.  It also needs to be taken 2 hours apart from calcium which cancels the calming effect.

[Altostrata]

@Freeby60 your movement symptoms increased after your last reduction of Lexapro? How long did it take for them to settle down?

[Freeby60]

22 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

You might consider taking this in the morning because some of the vitamins, eg Vit D is a daytime vitamin and can affect sleep is taken later in the day and B vitamins can be activating so might also affect sleep.

 

 

If you are taking this for its calming affect it is better to take several doses throughout the day.  It also needs to be taken 2 hours apart from calcium which cancels the calming effect.

I will switch the multi, although I have zero problems with sleeping. Seroquel was prescribed for panic attacks at night while in the hospital.

 

 I take magnesium for constipation, first, and for the calming effects second.

[Freeby60]

15 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

@Freeby60 your movement symptoms increased after your last reduction of Lexapro? How long did it take for them to settle down?

Almost a full week. 

[Altostrata]

Did the movement symptoms peak after a few days and then diminish over a few days? Are they worse at any times of day?

 

Are they tolerable? Would you like to try reducing escitalopram by 0.01mg?

[Freeby60]

2 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Did the movement symptoms peak after a few days and then diminish over a few days? Are they worse at any times of day?

 

Are they tolerable? Would you like to try reducing escitalopram by 0.01mg?

Yes, the movement symptoms peak after a few days and then diminish over a few days.

 

So far I’ve been more aware of movements symptoms in the evenings.

 

They are tolerable. So far they appear to be confined to my tongue. No jaw or soft palate involvement now. 
 

The syringe I’ve been using is a standard issue pharmacy one. It doesn’t have lines below 0.1 mg so I am eyeballing it. Being as precise as I can, reducing by 0.01mg makes sense. And I assume I hold until I feel stable or did you have something else in mind?

[Altostrata]

Those are withdrawal symptoms. The clonazepam you take at 8:30 a.m. may suppress them until it wears off later. Suggest you move 0.25mg clonazepam from the morning to 4:30 p.m. This may enable you to go off escitalopram faster.

[Freeby60]

10 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Those are withdrawal symptoms. The clonazepam you take at 8:30 a.m. may suppress them until it wears off later. Suggest you move 0.25mg clonazepam from the morning to 4:30 p.m. This may enable you to go off escitalopram faster.

I will give that a try. Thanks.

[Freeby60]

October 2nd I took my last dose of Lexapro! Jumped off at .018 mgs. 36 hours and all is well.

[ChessieCat]

Woohoo!!!  Very exciting.

[Freeby60]

14 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Woohoo!!!  Very exciting.

Thank you @ChessieCat!! It sure is

[Altostrata]

Great news, @Freeby60 Your sleep is good? What do you want to taper next?

[Freeby60]

11 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Great news, @Freeby60 Your sleep is good? What do you want to taper next?

Yes it is! I’m sleeping fine. What do you think about continuing to reduce the Seroquel? It’s easy and Interestingly, my primary doesn’t want me on Ser. I guess the bad rep finally trickled down on this one Med. Everything else she’s cool with (nuts). But if you think I should do it differently lmk. Thanks!

[Altostrata]

9 hours ago, Freeby60 said:

What do you think about continuing to reduce the Seroquel?

 

Yes, absolutely. How about in a week, give the Lexapro discontinuation time to settle?

[Freeby60]

15 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

Yes, absolutely. How about in a week, give the Lexapro discontinuation time to settle?

Sounds like a plan! Thanks.

[Freeby60]

On 10/5/2022 at 7:40 PM, Altostrata said:

 

Yes, absolutely. How about in a week, give the Lexapro discontinuation time to settle?

Hello! I’m finding that even by the end of the week after a -0.5 mg of Seroq taper that my tongue continues to move side to side fairly rapidly. Does this indicate I should slow down? Hold?

 

Thank you!

[Altostrata]

Hi, @Freeby60 How long does it take for that symptom to fade out?

[Freeby60]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Hi, @Freeby60 How long does it take for that symptom to fade out?

Usually it is gone within a few days, but it seems to go about a week now.

[Freeby60]

On 10/25/2022 at 6:00 PM, Freeby60 said:

Usually it is gone within a few days, but it seems to go about a week now.

Day 9 seems to be when it subsides

[Altostrata]

@Freeby60 What was the amount of your last reduction?

[Freeby60]

10 hours ago, Altostrata said:

@Freeby60 What was the amount of your last reduction?

0.5 mg

[Altostrata]

I think that 0.25mg reductions instead might be a good idea, after your system settles down from the last reduction.

[Freeby60]

10 hours ago, Altostrata said:

I think that 0.25mg reductions instead might be a good idea, after your system settles down from the last reduction.

Okay- will do! Thanks 😊 

[Freeby60]

Hello!

 

I have been tapering Seroquel by half a mg per week or less and am now down to 0.9 ml/mg. I have no increase in symptoms of TD after a cut and TD is so mild as to be nonexistent. 
 

My question is at what mg do I jump off and do my happy dance? 
 

Here is my current Med sched

 

AM

8:30 

Duloxetine 60mg;

Clonazepam 0.5 mg;

Probiotic.

 

PM

6:30 - Omegas, Magnesium 

10:00 - 0.9 mg Seroquel 

 

Thank you!

 

 

[Altostrata]

Congratulations, @Freeby60 How much was your last reduction, when was it?

[Freeby60]

8 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Congratulations, @Freeby60 How much was your last reduction, when was it?

Thank you! Last reduction was Tuesday, June 27th, @ 1/2 ml/mg drop.

[Freeby60]

On 7/4/2023 at 6:04 PM, Freeby60 said:

Thank you! Last reduction was Tuesday, June 27th, @ 1/2 ml/mg drop.

@Altostrata

[Altostrata]

How do you feel since that 0.5mg decrease 3 days ago?

 

You're down to 0.9mg Seroquel? Best to decrease by maximum 0.1mg now.

 

[Freeby60]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

How do you feel since that 0.5mg decrease 3 days ago?

 

You're down to 0.9mg Seroquel? Best to decrease by maximum 0.1mg now.

 

I feel fine. I took a full month off in December because I didn’t like that my mouth movement never seemed to cease between drops all of a sudden and the symptoms I can feel stopped completely and have not returned. Since then .5mg drops have been easiest I’ve had. 
 

I will make 0.1mg cuts going forward. 

[Altostrata]

How have the mouth movements changed?

[Freeby60]

2 hours ago, Altostrata said:

How have the mouth movements changed?

I feel and see them rarely and not enough to note. I no longer feel any spasms in my palate, munch on my tongue when I sleep, or wake up with pain. My husband says he sees my tongue moves side to side but with less intensity and is visible to him every few days which is less than usual. Frankly, without my husbands feedback I would say they were gone.

[Altostrata]

Oh, that's very good news!

[Freeby60]

Hello! It’s been several months since I’ve posted. I am down to 0.55mg of Seroquel. I was at 0.5mg but after making that cut of 1/20th of a mg from 0.55mg to 0.5mg 4 days ago I’ve been having tingling on my face. Predominately on the left side but also around my nose and lips, too. After an increase of these symptoms I went back to 0.5mg assuming it was wd. Day one after reinstating it seemed to be gone. However, day two it has returned. It has been prevalent in the evening. There is no rash or drooping as with shingles or Bell’s palsy. Wondering if this is something anyone else has experienced with withdrawal of Seroquel or other meds?