The Road Back Program   HOME   MEDICATIONS   PROGRAM   SUPPLEMENTS   ABOUT US   CONTACT

Seroquel Quetiapine Withdrawal

If you are new to The Road Back and want more information before you begin, click here and you will have free access to the bestseller, How to Get Off Psychoactive Drugs Safely.

 If You Are Already In Seroquel Withdrawal click here

Seroquel Quetiapine Withdrawal. Seroquel Quetiapine Withdrawal step by step procedures. How to avoid Seroquel withdrawal.

Seroquel Quetiapine Withdrawal

 Seroquel Withdrawal Symptoms, Quetiapine Side Effects, Withdrawal Help Seroquel Withdrawal Symptoms ( quetiapine )

 If your physician referred you to The Road Back and you are not sure which supplements you need for Seroquel withdrawal, click here and you will go to a page that has links to the correct supplement package. If you wish to remain on Seroquel but eliminate current Seroquel withdrawal side effects, click here. If you want to taper off the Seroquel and you are not sure where to start, you can click here and read the bestselling book, How to Get Off Psychoactive Drugs Safely or send Jim Harper an email at Jim@theroadback.org and he will guide you through the process of Seroquel withdrawal.

 As is the case for most psychoactive medications, using them for several weeks or longer may lead to physical dependence. This is especially true for Seroquel. Withdrawal from Seroquel is called Seroquel discontinuation syndrome, but in the real world it is Seroquel withdrawal. Seroquel should never be stopped abruptly and should only be tapered very slowly.

 Even when slowing the tapering off of Seroquel, there can still be some significant Seroquel withdrawals, which may be more severe if the prescription was for a very long time, such as years. Our Seroquel tapering page goes into how Seroquel can and should be tapered as well as what you can do to help avoid Seroquel withdrawal symptoms. A list of just some of the reported Seroquel withdrawal symptoms includes the following.

 Seroquel Withdrawal

 Seroquel withdrawal symptoms may include:

 Suicidal ideation or behavior

 Seroquel Withdrawal

Psychosis

 Rebound mania

 Psychotic symptoms that did not exist prior to taking antipsychotics

 Insomnia

 Hypersensitivity to light, sound, temperature, all sensory perceptions

 Vomiting

 Headaches

 Racing heart, tachycardia, hypertension

 Unusual mood swings that can change rapidly

 Loss of appetite

 Nausea

 Dizziness

 Anxiety

 Agitation

 Loss of concentration, can’t focus

 Depression

 Excessive sweating

 Dysphoric unease with life

 Some limited reports of withdrawal dyskinesia

 The Road Back over the past 25 years has helped countless of people off Seroquel successfully. In 2022, it seems most people being prescribed Seroquel only have insomnia or some other minor symptoms they asked their doctor about. If you were prescribed Seroquel for suicidal ideation or psychosis, make sure you consult with your physician before starting the reduction of Seroquel. Tapering Seroquel too quickly can cause psychosis and suicidal thoughts, so again please, taper Seroquel very gradually.

 Everyone has a different set of withdrawal symptoms, there is no one size fits all description of “this is what to expect from a Seroquel withdrawal.” However, the most consistent symptoms we have seen at The Road Back are Seroquel withdrawal rebound psychosis, rebound mania, insomnia, and loss of appetite. Suddenly not sleeping, not eating, and acting manic when enduring Seroquel withdrawal is a sure sign that things are most likely going too fast and that the rate of withdrawal needs to be slowed down.

 Also, the last reduction of Seroquel needs to be even slower than all previous reductions and allow more time before stopping the last dosage.

 There are instances where people who did not have mental health problems experienced withdrawal psychosis when stopping Seroquel. No need to put yourself in harm's way; reduce Seroquel slowly and gradually. Slow and gradual wins this race.

 The Road Back can guide you through a successful Seroquel withdrawal and get you back to life again.

 There is Hope and There is a Solution

 The Road Back Seroquel Withdrawal

 This page provides information on Seroquel withdrawal symptoms, quetiapine side effects, what it is prescribed for, and discusses treatment options.

 Does Seroquel Work Long-Term?

 Seroquel may be lifesaving in certain circumstances. There can also be a time to come off Seroquel and that is where we come in. The long-term usage of Seroquel is still questionable. In the February 2021, edition of Psychological Medicine showed these results: After following schizophrenia and schizoaffective psychosis for patients for 20 years, those who stopped taking the medication within the first two years were six times as likely to recover than those who continued the antipsychotic.

 “Even when the confound by indication for prescribing antipsychotic medication is controlled for, participants with schizophrenia and affective psychosis do better than their medicated cohorts.”

 “These and previous data indicate that after 2 years, antipsychotics no longer reduce psychotic symptoms and participants not on antipsychotic perform better.” ~Harrow, Jobe & Tong, Journal of Psychological Medicine.

 There could be several reasons the long-term efficacy of Seroquel does not warrant continual usage of the medication. It could be after prolonged Seroquel exposure the dopamine receptors in your brain no longer function correctly, it could be the prolonged over expression of the JNK gene has sent your body completely out of balance. The list goes on and on.

 There are some people that do better on Seroquel, that is a given. The Road Back is not on some mission to get everyone in the world to stop taking a psychoactive medication, especially an antipsychotic. We are here to assist those wanting to discontinue their medication with their doctor’s approval.

 Seroquel Withdrawal Help

 If you are taking Seroquel you may benefit from knowing more about Seroquel withdrawal, side effects, and other important information. Seroquel is typically prescribed at the time a person is in a mental health crisis. Too little attention may be given to understanding whether the crisis was a temporary situation. This can lead to unfortunate experiences by a person staying on a high dose of Seroquel or other medications for a very long time. A diagnosis may need to be adjusted, which may mean a change in the prescription. However, it is not always easy to find a physician who is well-versed in how to safely reduce Seroquel. Our doctors have much hands-on history with this population, which is often required to navigate this delicate terrain. You should inform your physician about methods of tapering medications such as strategies, timelines, and other points that your doctor may not have been aware of. We encourage you to share this information with your doctor for consideration.

 PLEASE REMEMBER:

 Never abruptly stop Seroquel as the shock to the body could be overwhelming. Gentle, gradual, monitored tapering under the guidance of a trusted prescriber is safest.

 Seroquel ( quetiapine ) is an atypical antipsychotic medication that is FDA approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and mixed bipolar episodes in adults. It can be prescribed for schizophrenia for children over the age of 12. Bipolar may include either acute manic or depressive episodes. Extended-release Seroquel XR is used for the same reasons in adults but only used in adolescents demonstrating schizophrenia or the manic bipolar I disorder features — not depressive episodes. Seroquel belongs to a relatively new family of drugs called atypical antipsychotic medications. When severe symptoms of either mania or depression occur, there may not be a lot of time to research available treatments that are offered. However, later there may come a time that a person may decide to go a different direction in treatment. This drug may have considerable side-effects including emotional dulling,9 that may naturally prompt someone to consider other alternatives.

 What Is Seroquel ( quetiapine ) Used for?

 Aside from the FDA-approved guidelines, there are several off-label uses for Seroquel which are being explored such as for insomnia, PTSD, OCD, substance abuse and addiction, delirium, anxiety, depression — especially in those who have stopped getting benefit from SSRIs — and personality disorders. We find a lot of people taking Seroquel specifically as a sleep aid, usually at a low dose of 25-150 mg.

 At present, these off-label uses are being cautiously examined due to a lack of established dosing parameters and their effects on metabolic side effects, extrapyramidal adverse effects, and potential safety concerns.

 Discontinuing/Quitting Seroquel ( quetiapine )Based on 22 years of experience, we suggest that Seroquel withdrawal be done at a rate of 10% reductions every 2 weeks. When you get to the last 10% reduction, only reduce the Seroquel by 5%, wait 2 weeks and then reduce the last 5%.The end of the Seroquel taper is the most important. The two reductions of 5% is key.

 Now, if you begin to feel a return of symptoms within the next two weeks after stopping the last dose of Seroquel, go back to the 10% amount immediately.

 Remain at 10% of your original dosage for the next 30 days. Then cut the 10% dosage in half and stay at the 5% amount for 30 more days.

 Very important: If you came off the Seroquel and within 2 weeks began to have a return of symptoms go back up to the 10% amount again quickly.

 The Road Back uses nutritional supplements to help stop or eliminate Seroquel withdrawal symptoms. These nutritional supplements were formulated by our founder, Jim Harper, after conducting hundreds of DNA tests on people that were taking a psychoactive medication. Special attention was paid to ensure there is no drug-supplement interaction.

 In 1999, The Road Back could get 50% percent of the people off their medication by using a slow and gradual withdrawal of the Seroquel. However, that 50% still suffered and the vast majority had to go back on the Seroquel due to the withdrawal side effects. Jim took 5 years to develop these supplements and over the last 15 years he has changed the formulas several times as more information became available. Frankly, the best information came from 19 million people just lie you who used this program and emailed their questions and successes.

 When using these nutritional supplements to help with Seroquel withdrawal, you begin the first week and only take the supplements, you do not reduce the Seroquel at all.

 Two items to mention in a separate paragraph. If you currently smoke cigarettes do not stop smoking until off the Seroquel for at least 45-days. If you drink coffee, do not stop drinking the normal amount you drink until at least 45-days off the Seroquel.

 Jim Harper toured several inpatient drug rehab facilities over the years and one observation he noticed immediately. The facility would not allow their patients to smoke. They wondered why they were having such a failure in the facility. Seroquel uses a specific metabolism route to breakdown and clear the body. Cigarettes and coffee use this same metabolism route.

 Cigarettes open this route more and coffee slows down the metabolism process of anything trying to use this route. So, if you quit smoking and you are taking Seroquel, the Seroquel will no longer clear as rapidly and you will have 15% more drug stay in your system for more time. To top it off, if you stop smoking and still drink the same amount of coffee each day the coffee will act as though you just consumed 4 to 6 times more than you have. Cigarettes increase the metabolism rate and coffee slows it down.

 Plus, I've seen people stop smoking and stop drinking coffee and they tend to have a psychosis all their own.

 The reduction of the Seroquel is really the easy part. A 10% reduction every 2 weeks until you have one 10%dosage left. Don't reduce by the 10% for the last reduction, reduce by 5%. Wait 2 weeks and then reduce the last 5%.In 1999, Jim Harper published how to reduce this type of medication. His published method is now the standard for psychoactive medications as published by the drug manufacturers and approved by the F.D.A.

 Reduce the medication slowly and gradually. If withdrawal symptoms become too severe, go back up to the last dosage you were doing fine at and get stabilized again. When you resume the taper off the medication taper at a more gradual rate.

 The nutritional supplements you will use for Seroquel withdrawal:

 JNK Formula Complete - This supplement will help take care of a majority of Seroquel withdrawal symptoms. You take 1 capsule in the morning and 1 capsule in the afternoon.

 Neuro Day - Take this supplement along with the JNK Formula Complete. It helps with daytime anxiety and helps promote a calm but not drowsy feel.

 Neuro Night - You take this supplement about 15-minutes before bedtime to help with a restful night of sleep. Take 1 or 2 capsules.

 Omega 3 Supreme - This is a very pure omega 3 fish oil that is high in EPA. You only need 1 softgel of this daily. You should take any time before 4pm.The program is a simple as described above. You can also send an email to Jim Harper and he can guide you through, help adjust anything as needed. Use the Contact Us link on the top navigation of this website and Jim will reply.

 Keep this close to your during your journey: There is Hope and There is a Solution All of Jim Harper's book, How to Get Off Psychoactive Drugs Safely is found on this website. Just click The Program on the top navigation bar.

 It is a good idea to keep a journal during your progress. How you felt that day, any changes you made to diet, exercise, stress at work or in your life. Ideally, you would not make any changes to your diet or exercise during the Seroquel withdrawal steps.

 Seroquel ( quetiapine ) Side Effects

 There can be a wide range of side effects from Seroquel, from mild to moderate to severe. Not everyone experiences significant side effects such as the ones listed here.Side effects can include these common ones:

 Orthostatic Hypotension: A sudden drop in blood pressure, especially after rising from a sitting or lying position, may also feel like fainting momentarily

 Vertigo/dizziness

 Nausea

 Constipation

 Swollen throat or sinuses, stuffy nose

 An increased appetite

 Weight gain

 Drowsiness/fatigue/exhaustion

 Dryness of the mouth

 Stomach or abdominal pain

 Back pain

 Inability to urinate, painful urination

 Low sodium levels

 Nightmares

 Disturbed sleep

 Rashes

 Lightheadedness

 Less common, but more severe adverse effects should be carefully monitored and could include:

 Suicidality (ideation and behavior) especially noted in younger patients under age 25Tardive Dyskinesia

 Tachycardia, pounding heart

 Movement disorders, involuntary repeating movements of limbs, face, tongue, etc.

 Intense pain in the abdomen

 Tremors, shaking

 Painful persistent erection

 Cataracts in eyes

 Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: potentially life-threatening severe rash, allergic-like reaction, including fever, unconsciousness, raised welts, loss of consciousness, difficulty speaking, coma, sores in the mouth and mucous tissue, requires emergency transport to ICU or burn unit

 Slowed heartbeat

 Sleep apnea

 Diabetes

 Low white blood cell count

 Breast inflammation, enlarged breasts, either sex

 Breast discharge in either sex

 Impotence

 Abnormal liver function or liver failure

 Seizures

 Stroke, especially in elderly

 Pancreatitis

 Amnesia

 Hepatitis

 Swelling of the hands/feet/legs etc. fluid retention

 Hypothyroidism, low thyroid function

 Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

 DRESS syndrome (drug rash increased eosinophilia — white blood cells, systemic) a potentially fatal drug reaction that needs immediate attention if a rash appears with fever or other flu-like symptoms

 Parkinsonism, i.e., drug-induced symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s Disease such as unusually slowed movement, shuffling walk, slowed motor controls.

 Enlargement of heart muscle tissue Another set of side effects to be aware of, and which may require monitoring during the night-time.

 Sleepwalking or other normal activities during sleep, i.e., sleep-driving, sleep shopping, etc., of which the person has no memory.

 High blood sugar, possibly extreme and associated with diabetic acidosis, coma, or death, have all been reported in patients treated with Seroquel.

 References

1. Ghetani R “Quetiapine (Seroquel): an antipsychotic medicine Everything you need to know about quetiapine Net Doctor UK [INTERNET] 2019 May 20 [cited 2020 Dec 17]

2. Tracy N “History of Schizophrenia” HealthyPlace [INTERNET] [cited 2020 Dec 17]

3. “Seroquel vs. Ambien” RXList.com [cited 2020 Dec 17]

4. Carny, A C. “Efficacy of quetiapine off-label uses: data synthesis.” PubMed, J. Psychosoc Nurse Ment Health Serv [INTERNET] 2013 Aug [cited 2020 Dec 17]

5. Diamond A “Consequences of Variations in Genes that affect Dopamine in Prefrontal Cortex” NCBI, 2007 Sep 17 [cited 2020 Dec 17]

6. Rappaport M, Hopkins HK, Hall K, Belleza T, Silverman J. Are there schizophrenics for whom drugs may be unnecessary or contraindicated? Int Pharmacopsychiatry. 1978;13(2):100-11. doi: 10.1159/000468327. PMID: 352976. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

7. FDA Access Data SEROQUEL® (quetiapine fumarate) tablets, for oral use [cited 2021 Feb 22]

8. FDA Access Data SEROQUEL XR® (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets, for
oral use [cited 2021 Feb 22]

9. Mad in America Stuck on Seroquel August 21, 2014 [cited 2021 Feb 22]

10. Stip, E. “Happy birthday neuroleptics!” Eur Psychiatry 17 (2002):115-9. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

11. The Case Against Antipsychotics A Review of Their Long-term Effects Robert Whitaker July 2016 [cited 2021 Feb 22]

12. Harrow M, Jobe TH, Tong L. Twenty-year effects of antipsychotics in schizophrenia and affective psychotic disorders. Psychol Med. 2021 Feb 8:1-11. doi: 10.1017/S0033291720004778. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33550993. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

13.Mad in America Recovery Rate Six Times Higher For Those Who Stop Antipsychotics Within Two Years By Peter Simons February 22, 2021 [cited 2021 Feb 22]

14. Harrow, M. “Factors involved in outcome and recovery in schizophrenia patients not on antipsychotic medications.” J Nerv Ment Dis 195 (2007):406-414. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

15. Chouinard G, Samaha AN, Chouinard VA, Peretti CS, Kanahara N, Takase M, Iyo M. Antipsychotic-Induced Dopamine Supersensitivity Psychosis: Pharmacology, Criteria, and Therapy. Psychother Psychosom. 2017;86(4):189-219. doi: 10.1159/000477313. Epub 2017 Jun 24. PMID: 28647739. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

16. Fallon P, Dursun S, Deakin B. Drug-induced supersensitivity psychosis revisited: characteristics of relapse in treatment-compliant patients. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012 Feb;2(1):13-22. doi: 10.1177/2045125311431105. PMID: 23983951; PMCID: PMC3736929. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

17. Daly EJ, Trivedi MH. A review of quetiapine in combination with antidepressant therapy in patients with depression. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2007;3(6):855-867. doi:10.2147/ndt.s1862. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

18. Rowe DL. Off-label prescription of quetiapine in psychiatric disorders. Expert Rev Neurother. 2007 Jul;7(7):841-52. doi: 10.1586/14737175.7.7.841. PMID: 17610391. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

19. Monahan K, Cuzens-Sutton J, Siskind D, Kisely S. Quetiapine withdrawal: A systematic review. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. October 2020. doi:10.1177/0004867420965693. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

20. Cosci F, Chouinard G: Acute and Persistent Withdrawal Syndromes Following Discontinuation of Psychotropic Medications. Psychother Psychosom 2020;89:283-306. doi: 10.1159/000506868. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

21. Product Monograph PART III: CONSUMER INFORMATION SEROQUEL® quetiapine fumarate immediate-release tablets. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

22. Moncrieff J. Does antipsychotic withdrawal provoke psychosis? Review of the literature on rapid onset psychosis (supersensitivity psychosis) and withdrawal-related relapse. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2006 Jul;114(1):3-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00787.x. PMID: 16774655. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

23. Moncrieff J, Gupta S, Horowitz MA. Barriers to stopping neuroleptic (antipsychotic) treatment in people with schizophrenia, psychosis or bipolar disorder. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2020;10:2045125320937910. Published 2020 Jul 6. doi:10.1177/2045125320937910. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

24. Gefvert O, Bergström M, Långström B, Lundberg T, Lindström L, Yates R. Time course of central nervous dopamine-D2 and 5-HT2 receptor blockade and plasma drug concentrations after discontinuation of quetiapine (Seroquel) in patients with schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1998 Jan;135(2):119-26. doi: 10.1007/s002130050492. PMID: 9497016. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

25. Gandhi S, McArthur E, Reiss JP, et al. Atypical antipsychotic medications and hyponatremia in older adults: a population-based cohort study. Can J Kidney Health Dis. 2016;3:21. Published 2016 Apr 11. doi:10.1186/s40697-016-0111-z. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

26. WebMD Quetiapine FUMARATE ER Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

27. MedSafe New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority Update: Quetiapine and cardiomyopathy – an emerging safety signal Prescriber Update 32(4): 31 December 2011. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

28. A. Shaner, Delusions, superstitious conditioning and chaotic dopamine neurodynamics,
Medical Hypotheses, Volume 52, Issue 2, 1999, Pages 119-123, ISSN 0306-9877. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

29. Kleisiaris CF, Sfakianakis C, Papathanasiou IV. Health care practices in ancient Greece: The Hippocratic ideal.J Med Ethics Hist Med. 2014;7:6. Published 2014 Mar 15. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

30. FDA Access Label Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) tablets. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

31. Xing B, Li YC, Gao WJ. Norepinephrine versus dopamine and their interaction in modulating synaptic function in the prefrontal cortex. Brain Res. 2016;1641(Pt B):217-233. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2016.01.005. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

32. FDA Access Data SEROQUEL (quetiapine fumarate) TABLETS. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

33. Environmental Exposures and Depression: Biological Mechanisms and Epidemiological Evidence Annual Review of Public Health Vol. 40:239-259 (Volume publication date April 2019) First published as a Review in Advance on 2019 Jan 11 [cited 2021 Feb 22]

34. Collaborative on Mental Health and the Environment Mental Health and Environmental Exposures from the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative, November 2008. [cited 2021 Feb 22]

35. Farina M, Aschner M, da Rocha JBT. The catecholaminergic neurotransmitter system in methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity. Adv Neurotoxicol. 2017;1:47-81. doi:10.1016/bs.ant.2017.07.002 [cited 2021 Feb 22]