Hi, I'm Melissa H

September 21, 2026

My 82 yr old husband has Alzheimer’s and was prescribed 25mg of quetiapine daily for delusions and sundowning. He has only been on the drug 5 weeks. The side effects he is experiencing (extreme lethargy, ambulation issues, irritability) are making his life harder than before he started taking it. Since he’s only been taking it 5 weeks, what kind of tapering schedule would be best for him.?

7 Replies

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CatinaSep 21

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Melissa H, welcome! I'm sorry to hear about your husband's struggles. He's fortunate to have such a caring and supportive wife. Is his doctor in agreement that the risks are outweighing the benefits of this drug? Will he/she support a taper off of it? I assume his doctor is aware of the issues that it is causing your dear husband? Even though 5 weeks hasn't been too long, it's still long enough for his brain to have adapted to its presence. This is not official medical advice, but a suggestion would be to start with a conservative reduction such as 10% and wait a few weeks and pay close attention to how he responds. @Based, do you have any suggestions for what tapering schedule would be best in this delicate situation? I will also tag other @Seroquel members so they can off their input as well. https://taper.community/drugs/seroquel https://taper.community/resources/blog/quetiapine-seroquel-withdrawal-guide https://taper.community/thread/ecea5d5c-ab7a-43f4-80b2-994bbee9fbf8

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.28 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.

GerdaSep 21

WelcomerSeroquel · active

The tapering goes well so far. From 50 mg Quetiapine to 22 mg without problems. From now on we are planning to reduce 1 mg a day ( a tapering plan by the Regenboog apotheek) and stabelise a few days if necessary. To obtain 1 mg Quetiapine we make a suspension.

Seroquel — 25 — 9months — actively tapering | Nortriptyline — 75 — 9months — researching taper | with clinician

Melissa HSep 22

Catina, Thank you for your compassion and input. Yes, my husband’s PCP is on board with tapering, however I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss it in detail at length. His next appt is still 4 weeks out and frankly, I’d rather not wait that much longer to begin the process. Your insight and opinion is appreciated. Thank you, Gerda. It’s good to hear your approach and that it’s going well.

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CatinaSep 22

Community AnchorEffexor

"Thank you for your compassion and input. Yes, my husband’s PCP is on board with tapering, however I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss it in detail at length. His next appt is still 4 weeks out and frankly, I’d rather not wait that much longer to begin the process. Your in..." — @Melissa H

You're very welcome Melissa. Dr. Mark Horowitz says to "go as fast as you can, but as slow as you need to." Balance is surely needed, especially with the delicate situation with your husband. Please let us know how your dear husband is doing. We'll be thinking about both of you. 🩷

StuartSep 22

LighthouseEffexor · supporting

Hi @Melissa H, welcome! Seems like there's already some grea help and tips here. I'll just add in this from MedStopper's site regarding quetiapine. Suggested Taper: "If used daily for more than 3-4 weeks. Reduce dose by 25% every week (i.e. week 1-75%, week 2-50%, week 3-25%) and this can be extended or decreased (10% dose reductions) if needed. If intolerable withdrawal symptoms occur (usually 1-3 days after a dose change), go back to the previously tolerated dose until symptoms resolve and plan for a more gradual taper with the patient. Dose reduction may need to slow down as one gets to smaller doses (i.e. 25% of the original dose). Overall, the rate of discontinuation needs to be controlled by the person taking the medication." Possible Symptoms When Tapering & Stopping: "agitation, activation, insomnia, rebound psychosis, withdrawal-emergent abnormal movements, nausea, feeling of discomfort, sweating, vomiting, insomnia – these symptoms vary somewhat depending on the specific antipsychotic"

Historic experience tapering off: Citalopram 20mg | Zyprexa 2.5mg | Effexor 75mg | Valium 20mg

Melissa HSep 23

Very helpful, Stuart! Thank you. Knowimg the signs of tapering symptoms, especially in someone who lacks a memory for self-awareness, has got to make this process safer.

StuartSep 23

LighthouseEffexor · supporting

Absolutely @Melissa H and no problem, sound like you are trying to be as informed and understanding as possible which will be a big help for him 👍

Historic experience tapering off: Citalopram 20mg | Zyprexa 2.5mg | Effexor 75mg | Valium 20mg

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