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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lazarus on December 2, 2005, at 18:48:55
I took Seroquel for a sleep disorder for about 3 years. I took a low dose, only 12.5 to 25 mg nightly.
I discovered recently that it is affecting me cognitively during the day, and want off.
Three weeks ago I stopped Seroquel cold turkey. Since then, I've been experiencing panic attacks, extreme self-consciousness, paranoia, and a general feeling of not being "right".
I'm sleeping well, but my interactions with people during the day are extremely uncomfortable. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you.
Lazarus
Posted by blueberry on December 6, 2005, at 17:35:08
In reply to Seroquel withdrawal, posted by Lazarus on December 2, 2005, at 18:48:55
Even though your doses were very low, 3 years is a long time after all. There were serotonin receptors being blocked and dopamine receptors being blocked...not a lot, but still some, and for a long time. The antihistimine effect is probably intertwined as well. Undoubtedly they all caused some subtle changes in the brain chemistry, not so much from the doses but from the accumulation of time.
What you could try is taking seroquel every other day. Go with that for a month. Then try it once every three days. Eventually stop, but only after giving the brain a good long chance to adjust. Undoing 3 years doesn't come easy for most of us.
Another option would be to restart seroquel at 12.5mg, and then every four days or so use a knife to shave a little off, perhaps maybe taking away .5mg to 1mg at a time. I know it's frustrating, but if you take your time and drop the dosage down in little eensy weensy steps, it can be a lot smoother.
Posted by Lazarus on December 7, 2005, at 19:14:25
In reply to Re: Seroquel withdrawal, posted by blueberry on December 6, 2005, at 17:35:08
Thank you for your advice. Going cold turkey after 3 years of Seroquel use did not prepare me for the psychological trauma I'm experiencing.
I am so afraid of this drug, at this point, that I don't even want to taper down my dosage; I just want off it completely. I know that with time my brain will readjust to being off the chemicals and eventually I'll be "normal" again. In the meantime I will just have to accept that the world will be an uncomfortable place for me for the next 3 to 6 months. By the way, I'm also stopping the AP Abilify, which is probably another reason why I don't feel "right".
APs are psychologically addicting and I can't wait until I'm off them completely.
Thank you again for your help; it is deeply appreciated.
Lazarus
This is the end of the thread.
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