I'm in the first month of my second attempt tapering off seroquel. I've been on it 13 years and was prescribed it for insomnia resulting from withdrawal from valium, which was a horrible 8-month ordeal. My first attempt to quit seroquel ended in failure 2 years ago when I arrived at 60 mg from a starting point of about 100, and began to suffer quite bad withdrawal, as I didn't know about hyperbolic tapering or that I could get liquid seroquel from a compounding chemist quite easily to cope at the lower levels. Amazingly I only discovered this while browsing YouTube a month ago! Videos posted by Dr Josef Witt-Doerring from taperclinic.com were very helpful indeed. My doctors and psychiatrist know nothing about safe tapering, but have only given useless and dangerous advice, based on linear reductions. I'm very optimistic about success this time, but maybe I could also give advice that could help others like me, I'd be very happy if I could do that. I'm 70 now, but better late than never, right?
Hi @renee j, welcome to Taper Community!
I'm so glad you're armed with more information this time. Knowledge is power, and I know you'll be successful this time with tapering the correct way. It's a shame that doctors are so clueless when it comes to this.
We look forward to having you here, and we appreciate your willingness and desire to help others in the same situation!
Catina 💜
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.
Hi, I've reduced my quetiapine this year aswell, I've gone from 400 to 100, I'm holding now and getting used to 100 before i go any further. Nice to meet you and it would be great to speak with you along this journey off of quetiapine 🫂
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Hi, good to hear from you too! When I was first put on quetiapine in 2013 my dose was about 200, and over the years I had no real trouble getting it down to 100, where you are too, well done! The trouble started when I got below about 70, the insomnia got out of hand and I just felt grotty all day. The reason was, as I have just realised, was that because my reductions were done by 12.5 mg (half the smallest pill), this ended up at about a 25% cut rate, way way too large, 5-10% of the present dose is the accepted safe amount to keep withdrawal symptoms bearable. Also I was going too fast, in my case every 10 or 15 days. I found a great compounding chemist who told me to use a combination of commercial pills along with a suspension liquid of 5mg quetiapine/ 1 ml suspension fluid to make up the dose. This will keeps costs down, for me at any rate, to about $NZ 200 for a 3 month supply. That will slowly get lower as your dose decreases. You have to get a prescription of course from your co-operative GP first. I hope you are able to get the liquid suspension, for me it is essential despite costing a bit. Health insurance, which I don't have now, may help. I am looking to get down to 64mg daily in 3 weeks time, I'm 10 days in to the first month, and though I had a few problems after 3 or 4 days, I am 100% today. Sorry if I have gone on too long, but please let me know if you need to know anything or just how you are getting on with things.
I went to 75mg one day and it was horrific. So I'm happy on 100 for now. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. Getting a prescription and working out 10% reductions will be something for me in the future. For now I've learnt how to cope with withdrawals and when to know the reduction is too much and to increase slightly and wait for healing before tapering again. I'm hoping to find a doctor who understands when I need one. I'm glad you're taking your time and progressing nicely.
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Just curious, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you been on 100, and are you more or less symptom-free right now? I'm doing a 7% cut rate and not out of the woods yet, with the insomnia making an appearance from time to time. So your drop to 75 had me a bit concerned as that's 25%. Are you using a pill-cutter? you could reduce to 12.5% that way at any rate. You've been on this stuff for a long, long time like me, so your nervous system has adapted a lot more than most, so we gotta go slow, right? The lower levels of the drug mean the taper gets a lot harder, like the manual says. Hang in there, I can see you're doing a lot more than many to find things that help, good for you. Do keep me posted, all the best.
So, I was on 400 or more for about 22 years, cut to 300 last Dec 2025, no withdrawals, just felt better, stayed that way for a few months to make sure I was ok, dropped to 200 in April this year, still no withdrawals, so thought I'd drop to 100 in May because I needed to be less sedated to care for my parents. This is when I felt a bit different and my body and brain had strange sensations going on, like acidic stomach mainly. But it was ok nothing I didn't mind dealing with so long as it meant I could get off this stuff. Especially as I haven't had any mental illness at all since tapering from 400, I'm so happy that I don't need this medicine for anything.
So, the doctor agreed I am fine, no mental illness, even under the stress this year and prescribed 50mg times 2 a day. Knowing I would want to keep reducing the dose. I'm still waiting for a medication review with the mental health team, there's a 45 week wait.
One day I decided to cut a 50mg in half and take one 50 and one half of a 50, so 75mg. 2 months after dropping to 100
I hardly slept, but it felt great not being forced to sleep under heavy sedation, bring able to get out of bed without having to wait to get over sedation before moving. But the next day was horrific at work, the rage I felt in my head, I didn't get angry with anyone but the emotion was terrifying, my brain felt as if it was grazed like it had been scuffed on concrete. I didn't think I'd be able to drive home. I felt like I'd rather be dead than feel like this, I couldn't do it. I managed my shift, and managed to get home and I took the other half of the tablet straight away
But i think it took me about a month to recover from that day
I've been looking for help all over the internet. Alternative to meds centre in America is very helpful. A couple of girls on Instagram also. Then Dr Mark Horowitz was amazing with his story and research on YouTube and finally I landed here in the taper community and it just gets better
No one understands, doctors, colleagues, friends, family, they just don't get it bless them, it's not their fault, they don't know, nobody really knows. So to find people that do know is a blessing because I felt so isolated in this experience and as if I was getting very sick and no one at all believed me.
I'm not symptom free yet, I did in 6 months what I should have done in 14 months, so I'm going to wait until next year before I move to the next lowest dose. Possibly a 50, a 25 and half a 25, so 87.5,mg a day
Yes I was using a pill cutter. I've also got a crusher, I'm going to get some CK 20 scales, I've got a scalpel for cutting.
What is the combination of commercial pills the chemist advised you about?
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Well, first of all I've been having a look into the rather unique chemistry of Q ( pardon the street slang but it saves typing it all out) and until you reach a dose of around 100mg, reducing has next to no effect on uncoupling the synaptic receptors so hardly any withdrawal symptoms. So I think most people who don't know this, probably 99% of us, reduce very quickly with no problems and assume, quite naturally, that the last 100 will be the same. The real business begins about now, and you have to be pretty determined to stick it out for some time to be successful. A real danger of going too fast now, and everybody wants to go quick, fair enough, is the risk of getting a horrible condition called Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome. If you try to cold turkey, or even go really fast without stabilising first, you can produce a massive electrical storm in the nervous system causing actual neuronal damage which can last a lot longer to heal than the actual reduction process, and can't be made better by increasing how much Q you take trying to reverse the process. Most people recover given time but it's likely to be a while. So, slow and steady, slow and steady, and stay well. When I had to get off valium too years ago, and was it brutal, I had to use scales but found it difficult to make accurate cuts having to sweep up all that dusty powder and divide it up. Just to explain about pill and liquid combos, say my new dose is 69mg. As the smallest pill is 25mg, I take 2.5 25mg pills, coming to 62.5mg, (I use the cutter to get the .5) and make up the remaining 6.5 mg in fluid. As there are 5mg pill to 1ml compounded fluid in my particular suspension, divide 6.5 by 5 to give 1.3 ml to squirt onto your tongue with the 1 ml syringe they send with the bottle and wash it down with a bit of water. The syringe is handily gradiated (is that the right word) into 100 divisions so getting teeny-tiny doses at the end is easy. If all that maths isn't your thing the pharmicist will help, mine did at any rate. Don't worry about the road rage thing, I got it too. Sadly I'm a bit fiery-tempered by nature, so had to employ lots of deep breathing and mindfulness which did the trick. Catch you later, R. ( sorry if I've gone on a bit)
Thank you for the warning and advice about getting below 100, I've met you at the right time ☺️
The smallest we can get in the UK is 25mg/5ml, which will divide into 5mg/1ml, so hopefully I'll find someone that can prescribe me that in the future. It's great to know I can use a cutter and syringe, that seems a lot easier than scales.
I don't know if gradiated is a word, but I like it ☺️
I've been using cold therapy for my mood, just cold water over my arms in the day, or cold water from the shower at home. Also ice, this is good for rage. It really calms me down.
Apparently lavender is good for bringing down angry feelings as well but I havent tried that yet
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Truly glad I can offer helpful advice, nothing worse in this situation than to feel surrounded by hopeless psychiatrists who should know what a layperson like me has had to find out for themselves, and not so difficult to do either. After all, they are dealing with drug addicted patients every day and potentially ruining their lives, a bit of a disgrace if you ask me. I don't hold the GPs so responsible, they have to know about a lot of other things like dealing with broken limbs and whooping cough in kids etc but as for the other guys, well words fail me.
I'm surprised 1 ml syringes aren't available as one can find them here in little old NZ, as well in the US. The compounding chemists should have plenty of them. But not to worry at this time. You realise that ordinary chemists don't do compounding, don't you, but they can find them for you. In my city of Auckland (2 million pop) there are at least 4 or 5.
Cold therapy sounds good, I may try it when we get out of this freezing cold weather. Anyway, take care and stay well. R.
I wonder, is it possible to see a photo of the solution and syringe that you use ? So I can undestand better, I find it easier to learn by looking than reading.
It took me months to find the help here, the best thing I could find was the alternative to meds centre in America. If money was no object I would have loved to just check in there and stay as long as it took. But as I don't have the money all I could do was learn from their techniques.
There is someone in London who can help me when the time is right but I only know this because I have arrived here
Stay cosy, I forgot it's winter on the other side of the world
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Sorry, I don't think we can send photos
Not to worry
I'll figure it out, no rush
🫂💕
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
We're able to post photos here. You can copy and paste an image into your post or click on the Image icon above the Reply window to include one that has been already uploaded to your computer. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to help further. 👍
The Image icon is on the far right:
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.
Hi, Catina,
My husband and I tried to insert a photo as per both your instructions but both times we got this...
ie no actual image. Please advise. NB the photo was only about 400x300 pixels.
Thanks,
Renee J.
I can see the image. It doesn't appear until after you make the post. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!
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.
Hi Horizon, as you can see there's been a bit of drama here, we got 2 good photos of bottle and syringe with a small matchbox to give an idea of scale, and a close-up of the syringe so you can see all the 100 possible doses. When we tried to post them all we got were 2 lines of digits, so contacted Catina for help. When we posted to Catina the photo emerged, who knew?? I measured the barrel itself: 9.5 cm long and 0.5 diameter. So.again, let's roll!
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.
Thanks Catina, despite a little confusion at the beginning we got there, and as a result have learnt a new computer skill, which with my general lack of computer skills will come in very handy. By the way, reading through a lot of entries from people who can't get proper advice on tapering to the extent they are trying to taper off way too quickly with massive cuts, then failing because the withdrawal symptoms got unbearable, is making for very sobering reading. I am sticking my oar in, so to speak, from time to time, but it seems to be a drop in the ocean, however if I can help even one fellow-sufferer it's worth it, isn't it.
"if I can help even one fellow-sufferer it's worth it, isn't it."
— @renee j
Yes, it is. That's how I feel. I've been through my own nightmare with all of this and feel moved to help others. So many people need help! We're glad to have you whenever you're able to contribute. 🩵
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.
Thank you so much for the photos I really appreciate the effort you went to.
I can see what I'll need to do now and it seems less scary and more easy to stay in control with the little doses. My mind is clearer and I understand what is needed.
I'm mathphobic though and get easily confused with numbers. But I'm sure whoever I find to work with me will help with that.
If not I guess I can ask here for help
Let's hope the mental health team is clued up on tapering when I eventually get my medication review. It's a 45 week wait, and I've been waiting since March.
Thank you for being here ☺️
I hope I can help you also in the future
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
HI Horizon, hope you are getting this, I seem to have posts from a number of other people, not just you but a mass forum doesn't bother me. Could you just let me know if you're in this unexpected loop. Not boasting here but at uni I got all the pure maths stage one papers and so have no worries there, but I know I'm probably a bit of a rare one in that department, so if you get a bit confused always feel free to ask eh. 45 weeks ? Things where you are sound as bad as what we have to endure with the health system here, we've had several deaths in the ED dept lately, with people waiting 10 or more hours before meeting their Maker unexpectedly.
Hello, I'm getting your messages no problem on this thread but I'm not getting any from a forum although I can find the forums and read through
Thanks for the offer of help with the maths if I get confused when it comes to the time. I must be careful.
I hope you're keeping well today and can ride any waves you may be feeling
Keep going 🫂💕
Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician
Thanks Horizon, I'm really good, 3 weeks in and no waves (trying not to tempt Fate here though lol). Hyperbolic tapering, yay!! Looking forward to the next cut, hopefully this lasts, I'm expecting the usual ups-and-downs of course, no worries. If you feel able to give it a go I'm sure it will help you, so hang in there, eh.
Seroquel — 69 mg — 13 years — actively tapering
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