Hi, I'm Carolynne

April 18, 2026

I'm currently tapering off quetiapine/seroquel. I'm on a cocktail of psychiatric drugs - 20yrs for some. Just kept being given adjuncts. Was on Lithium for 11yrs but tapered and then stopped completely in Jan.'26. Over the past 4weeks I have tapered from 150mg quetiapine to 100mg to 50mg and am due for last dose tomorrow (Sunday). I'm finding it really, really difficult. I'm worried that the withdrawal is turning into a rebound of my original Major Depressive Disorder. I'm hoping for some support and ideas/suggestions that have been helpful for other members of the community. Thanks in anticipation, C

8 Replies

Roy EApr 18

LighthousePristiq · active

Hi Carolynne, do you mean you reduced 150mg to 100mg over 4 weeks, then another 4 weeks from 100mg to 50? or you have gone from 150mg to 50mg in 4 weeks total? For me I had to cut down fairly slowly as there were significant side effects, mainly feeling genuinely unwell physically and mentally drained, along with severe histamine reactions, essentially like the worst hay fever I've ever had. It's quite a fast drop if you went from 150mg to 50mg in 4 weeks, if I was doing it, I would lower it using 25mg tablets, and reduce from 150mg to 125mg for 1 month, then lower further from there. Is there a reason you need to come off so fast? I'm not sure if they have 25mg in the UK, but if they do, I would see if you are able to get some of them. Also the 150mg and below tends to be the most difficult period for people, are you in a financial position to ask for compounded Seroquel? I really feel from 50mg to zero, it should be done much more slowly, but that would involve compounding most likely. If the UK has 25mg tablets, then you could possibly ask for a script of 5mg capsules, and lower by 5mg each month. So 45mg, made up of a 25mg tablet and 4 x 5mg capsules, then the next month 40, 35, 30.

Pristiq — 30mg — 17 Years — holding | Seroquel — 400mg — 17 Years — holding | Valium — 2mg once or twice a week — 10 years — supporting others | other — Modafinil 200mg — 3 Months — supporting others | with clinician

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CatinaApr 18

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Carolynne, glad to have you here. Welcome! Were you completely stable when you started your Seroquel taper? You had finished your Lithium taper just a few months before. As @Roy E kindly pointed out, your taper is very rapid. It's no wonder you're having a difficult time. You said you're working with a clinician. Are they understanding of the need to taper slowly and Hyperbolically? If it were me I would hold my dose for a while until things settled then taper by a lesser amount or hold for longer periods of time in between tapers. Another option for people is to do a slight updose to see if it relieves symptoms. Have a look at the Learn section to find out more about tapering, withdrawal, and how to differentiate withdrawal from relapse. Many times withdrawal symptoms are mistaken as relapse. We look forward to supporting you through your taper. Here are some helpful links you may want to review: Seroquel Drug Profile: https://taper.community/drugs/seroquel Depression: https://taper.community/thread/c981af8f-22d3-43c0-8342-11303c5a442c Things to Avoid During Withdrawal: https://taper.community/thread/57d0fb51-6e6e-4517-9d3d-1dd2f2e3880c Catina ❤️

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

JulesStaffApr 19

Community Anchor

Hi Carolynne, and welcome. I, too, was on a cocktail of psych drugs for over 20 years, Seroquel included. With tapering for over 2 years, I'm happy to say I'm psych drug free for 7 years. I think the withdrawal you're feeling is coming from tapering too fast. Poco á poco (little by little) is the name of the tapering game. I would hold on further tapering until you feel more stabilized and then resume.

CarolynneApr 22

WelcomerEffexor · holding

Thankyou so much for giving me such a detailed reply. It has taken some days for me to get to this stage of messaging. It has been brutal. I know now that going from 150mg to 100mg for 2 weeks, and then from 100mg to 50mg for the next 2weeks was totally unsustainable. But still I tried, still I believed what the psychiatrist was telling me. I gave myself over to him, I trusted him . I trusted his professional judgement. Guess what? He left the hospital in under a month - not even long enough for my follow up visit. Psychiatrists do not want to work in the UK. The pay is crap and the caseload are absolutely ridiculous. Quite a few of them end up taking sick leave on the grounds of their own mental health. I got to have a really good (10min) phone appointment with my GP. He instantly realised that the taper that was set for me was very wrong. He's helping me with a much better taper. I just want to thank you Roy - and Catina. Without both of your input, I promise you that I probably wouldn't be writing this today. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart. Cx

CarolynneApr 22

WelcomerEffexor · holding

And also to Jules too. X

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CatinaApr 22

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Carolynne, you're so welcome! Reading your message made my day. I'm so happy we could help you! That's what we're here for. I'm glad that you have a supportive GP who is helping you taper much more slowly and safely. It's a rude awakening when we realize that not all psychiatrists are smart when it comes to deprescribing their drugs. Please continue to update us on how you're doing. Your body will thank you for slowing things down! ❤️

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CatinaApr 22

Community AnchorEffexor

"And also to Jules too. X" — @Carolynne

Yes, she's an amazing support on here!

JulesStaffApr 22

Community Anchor

I'm happy you have a more manageable taper schedule. Unfortunately, as you discovered, not all psych docs know how to taper safely. It should be mandatory training for them. If they put you on something that messes with the brain so much, they should also know how to get you off them safely. Hang in there, you've got this! Hugs 🤗

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