Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 971338

Shown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!

Posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

I was prescribed Seroquel and liked the sedating, knock-you-on-your-butt feeling so much that instead of just taking 25 mgs or 50 mgs, I was taking 3 at a time and sleeping the day away. I tried to stop doing this, but I just couldn't. I have gained 15 pounds that came on so fast I was actually shocked when I got on the scale after three weeks - of course my binge eating when I first started taking it didn't help.

Yesterday I almost got in a car wreck because I was too dopey from Seroquel and realized I was in trouble. So I flushed them down the toilet. I personally believe Seroquel is addictive.

Has anyone else gotten off Seroquel successfully? I simply can't do the gradual thing because having the pills I lose self-control and use too many. I'm afraid of how I'm going to feel but I can tough it out . . . any wisdom on how long the withdrawal takes?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by Phillipa on November 26, 2010, at 10:27:54

In reply to I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

I only lasted one day on seroquel as it left me unable to speak and almost fainted when tried to get up. So pdoc dc'd it immediately. I did not like the feeling at all to me it was horrible. I'd ask your doc how long to come off it. But you flushed it so none left. So defer to experts. I wouldn't drive now though. Phillipa

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by orbital on November 26, 2010, at 12:38:57

In reply to I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

How long were you on the Seroquel?

FWIW I tried Seroquel for sleep - I took 50mg-100mg for 3 months, and quit cold turkey as it didn't help me at all. My withdrawal was quite short lived, I felt wired/weird and uncomfortable for about a week, then it vanished overnight. Actually, I hadn't even realized it was withdrawal until 4 days into it, when I took a Sqel pill and the symptoms lifted - my doc at the time had mistakenly assured me that there was no need to taper off.

I can totally relate to your feeling of wanting to sleep the day away. I used to take certain meds to do just that. Always thought it was a symptom of my depression and.. yeah, that need did stop once my depression started to lift

Good luck :)

> I was prescribed Seroquel and liked the sedating, knock-you-on-your-butt feeling so much that instead of just taking 25 mgs or 50 mgs, I was taking 3 at a time and sleeping the day away. I tried to stop doing this, but I just couldn't. I have gained 15 pounds that came on so fast I was actually shocked when I got on the scale after three weeks - of course my binge eating when I first started taking it didn't help.
>
> Yesterday I almost got in a car wreck because I was too dopey from Seroquel and realized I was in trouble. So I flushed them down the toilet. I personally believe Seroquel is addictive.
>
> Has anyone else gotten off Seroquel successfully? I simply can't do the gradual thing because having the pills I lose self-control and use too many. I'm afraid of how I'm going to feel but I can tough it out . . . any wisdom on how long the withdrawal takes?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!

Posted by morgan miller on November 26, 2010, at 15:19:19

In reply to I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

Seroquel isn't really addictive it's just mind numbing and life sucking in many cases. Any psychoactive drug could be considered addictive in the sense that your body gets used to being on it therefore it may be difficult to get off of.

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by obsidian on November 26, 2010, at 21:38:53

In reply to I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

> I was prescribed Seroquel and liked the sedating, knock-you-on-your-butt feeling so much that instead of just taking 25 mgs or 50 mgs, I was taking 3 at a time and sleeping the day away. I tried to stop doing this, but I just couldn't. I have gained 15 pounds that came on so fast I was actually shocked when I got on the scale after three weeks - of course my binge eating when I first started taking it didn't help.
>
> Yesterday I almost got in a car wreck because I was too dopey from Seroquel and realized I was in trouble. So I flushed them down the toilet. I personally believe Seroquel is addictive.
>
> Has anyone else gotten off Seroquel successfully? I simply can't do the gradual thing because having the pills I lose self-control and use too many. I'm afraid of how I'm going to feel but I can tough it out . . . any wisdom on how long the withdrawal takes?

we all really are different. I hate seroquel.
I hate the sedation. I am only thankful for it when I need to knock myself out because of agitation, depression, whatever.
When I have stopped taking it, I've gotten a bit of a backlash effect, anxiety, agitation. I'm not sure how long it took for it to ease. I don't think it was more than a week? In the meantime, I hope you speak to your doc, and that you also find something to do with the uncomfortability- running helped me.
good luck,
sid

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » obsidian

Posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 13:07:30

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama, posted by obsidian on November 26, 2010, at 21:38:53

Well I experienced nausea and hot/cold flashing and of course, insomnia and marked crying and depression. But I had also dumped my Lamictal which I was taking at 200 mgs daily. So it being a mood stabilizer . . . I'm sure it was a combination of both that was affecting me.

I was unable to just kick it cold turkey and the half-life must be pretty darn brief - I got side effects quickly from withdrawal and called my Doctor - she gave me enough until we can meet again but told me to just stay off the Lamictal, which I found strange since going cold-turkey off of Lamicatal can cause seizures and is a very serious mistake.

I've been pretty close to the edge the past few nights - thank God for friends you can call in the middle of the night! It's hard to do, but I'm learning that if I need help I can ask for it. Obviously, flushing meds down the toilet is not a good idea and if I hadn't done that I wouldn't have had to bug my friends. So no more med flushing for me.

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!

Posted by Roslynn on November 28, 2010, at 15:31:00

In reply to I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by FluffMama on November 26, 2010, at 5:34:09

Hi,

I can sympathize. I have been trying to get off Seroquel for almost two years now. At one time I got down to 12mg. Right now I am back up to 100mg for sleep and inner-agitation.

If anyone has found a way to get off this drug please let me know.

Roslynn

> I was prescribed Seroquel and liked the sedating, knock-you-on-your-butt feeling so much that instead of just taking 25 mgs or 50 mgs, I was taking 3 at a time and sleeping the day away. I tried to stop doing this, but I just couldn't. I have gained 15 pounds that came on so fast I was actually shocked when I got on the scale after three weeks - of course my binge eating when I first started taking it didn't help.
>
> Yesterday I almost got in a car wreck because I was too dopey from Seroquel and realized I was in trouble. So I flushed them down the toilet. I personally believe Seroquel is addictive.
>
> Has anyone else gotten off Seroquel successfully? I simply can't do the gradual thing because having the pills I lose self-control and use too many. I'm afraid of how I'm going to feel but I can tough it out . . . any wisdom on how long the withdrawal takes?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!

Posted by morgan miller on November 28, 2010, at 16:56:37

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by Roslynn on November 28, 2010, at 15:31:00

>Hi,

>I can sympathize. I have been trying to get off Seroquel for almost two years now. At one time I got down to 12mg. Right now I am back up to 100mg for sleep and inner-agitation.

>If anyone has found a way to get off this drug please let me know.

>Roslynn

Would you be willing to replace it with something similar? Or do you just want to be off all APs?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by obsidian on November 28, 2010, at 19:29:28

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » obsidian, posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 13:07:30

wow, you had it with the lamictal too?
I'm sure it was a combo of going off both.
hope it gets better soon,
sid

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » Roslynn

Posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 22:20:44

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by Roslynn on November 28, 2010, at 15:31:00

> Hi,
>
> I can sympathize. I have been trying to get off Seroquel for almost two years now. At one time I got down to 12mg. Right now I am back up to 100mg for sleep and inner-agitation.
>
> If anyone has found a way to get off this drug please let me know.


***I had a great suggestion from a friend about substituting Trazedone for Seroquel as a sleep aid. It is a mild tri-cyclic antidepressant but doesn't carry risks like causing Diabetes and weight gain like Seroquel does. I may try this. As far as getting off the Seroquel, tapering off extremely slowly seems to be the only way I've read online to get off of it. I mean SUPER slowly! What are your main side effects that distress you when you have tried to get off of it in the past?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » morgan miller

Posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 22:22:54

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by morgan miller on November 26, 2010, at 15:19:19

> Seroquel isn't really addictive it's just mind numbing and life sucking in many cases. Any psychoactive drug could be considered addictive in the sense that your body gets used to being on it therefore it may be difficult to get off of.

Morgan the jury is still out yet about the addictive nature of Seroquel. Have you read this study about prison inmates and drug-seeking behavior seen only with Seroquel and not other anti-psychotic medication?


Quetiapine (Seroquel) Addiction?
Date Published:

Jan 01, 2007 03:00 AM

Author: EMIL R. PINTA, M.D.

Source: American Journal of Psychiatry 164:174


http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/164/1/174


The pharmaceutical formulary for the Ohio correctional system contains three second-generation antipsychotics, but quetiapine is not one of them. It may be prescribed with special authorization for patients with serious mental disorders who have not responded to formulary agents. However, inmates entering prison on quetiapine for other conditions, such as sleep and anxiety disorders, must have it tapered and discontinued.

The authors have treated a number of inmates who have engaged in drug-seeking and sometimes illegal behavior to obtain this medication. The following case is illustrative:

A 39-year-old incarcerated male with hepatitis C and a history of opiate abuse was treated for generalized anxiety disorder. When seen by the prison psychiatrist, he was receiving quetiapine 800 mg and clonidine 0.9 mg at bedtime.
The psychiatrist was concerned about the risks of prescribing an antipsychotic medication for a patient with hepatitis without a serious mental disorder. The patient refused to discuss other treatment alternatives stating, "I need my Seroquel." Efforts to enlist his cooperation for a quetiapine taper were unsuccessful. He abruptly left a treatment team meeting and informed staff that he would purchase quetiapine illegally from other inmates and had done this before.

We have treated other prisoners who have threatened legal action and even suicide when presented with discontinuation of quetiapine. We have not seen similar drug-seeking behavior with other second-generation antipsychotics of comparable efficacy. Emil R. Pinta, M.D. has worked as a prison consultant for 35 years and can only recall similar behavior to obtain controlled substances.

Hussain et al. suggest that quetiapine abuse may be more prevalent among prisoners because commonly abused drugs are less readily available (2). Another reason may be that quetiapine treats anxiety and sleeplessness associated with substance use withdrawalwith prisoners having high rates for these disorders (3). However, an internet search yielded a number of self-reports by individuals who believe they have become addicted to this agent (4). There is a popular rap song in which "seroquel" is included in a long list of addictive substances (5). In street jargon, quetiapine is known as "quell" and "Susie-Q."

Our experience indicates the need for additional studies to explore the addiction-potential of quetiapine. Quetiapine is an effective medication for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related illnesses. We believe clinicians should be extremely cautious when prescribing this medication for nonserious mental disorders and for individuals with histories of substance abuse.


 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » obsidian

Posted by Roslynn on November 29, 2010, at 13:58:43

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama, posted by obsidian on November 26, 2010, at 21:38:53

Hi Obsidian,

I was prescribed Seroquel to calm my agitated depression phases...however now I cannot get off the drug without horrible agitation returning..I do use it to "knock myself out" when I can't stand the emotions in my head. I thought I was the only one who did this...
>
> we all really are different. I hate seroquel.
> I hate the sedation. I am only thankful for it when I need to knock myself out because of agitation, depression, whatever.
> When I have stopped taking it, I've gotten a bit of a backlash effect, anxiety, agitation. I'm not sure how long it took for it to ease. I don't think it was more than a week? In the meantime, I hope you speak to your doc, and that you also find something to do with the uncomfortability- running helped me.
> good luck,
> sid

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » morgan miller

Posted by Roslynn on November 29, 2010, at 14:02:30

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted!, posted by morgan miller on November 28, 2010, at 16:56:37

Hi--I really want to get away from APs altogether...
tired of the weight gain, tremors, etc.

>
> Would you be willing to replace it with something similar? Or do you just want to be off all APs?

 

Lou's response- » Roslynn

Posted by Lou Pilder on November 29, 2010, at 15:00:05

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » morgan miller, posted by Roslynn on November 29, 2010, at 14:02:30

> Hi--I really want to get away from APs altogether...
> tired of the weight gain, tremors, etc.
>
> >
> > Would you be willing to replace it with something similar? Or do you just want to be off all APs?
>
> Roslynn,
You wrote,[...I..want to get away from APs...](Addicted)
I know of a way that leads to being free from addiction.
One way is by human achievement. I have not come here to destroy psychiatry and self-help. If pepole want to humanly overcome addiction and such through the efforts of man with drugs or without, I hope that they find it.
But my way is not that way. My way is by receiving power to overcome. This power is not of human origin.
This power can be given to you for it has been revealed to me when I had an encounter with a Rider on a White Horse and I asked who could receive the power and He said to me, "Why ask me, Lou, have you not known? The power is given to the faint: and to them that have no might their strengh is increased. And they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk, and not faint."
Lou

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by Roslynn on November 29, 2010, at 15:53:26

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » Roslynn, posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 22:20:44

Trazedone is a good suggestion, thank you.

I'm on 100mg Seroquel. I'm trying to reduce by splitting one pill and taking 3 pills plus that half pill (I take four 25mg pills/day). Unfortunately I can notice an increase in my depression and anxiety just from this small reduction. Also, Seroquel doesn't split cleanly..

>
> ***I had a great suggestion from a friend about substituting Trazedone for Seroquel as a sleep aid. It is a mild tri-cyclic antidepressant but doesn't carry risks like causing Diabetes and weight gain like Seroquel does. I may try this. As far as getting off the Seroquel, tapering off extremely slowly seems to be the only way I've read online to get off of it. I mean SUPER slowly! What are your main side effects that distress you when you have tried to get off of it in the past?

 

Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » FluffMama

Posted by emmanuel98 on November 29, 2010, at 19:51:58

In reply to Re: I flushed my Seroquel down the toilet - addicted! » obsidian, posted by FluffMama on November 28, 2010, at 13:07:30

I quit lamictal cold turkey too. Just because it wasn't working, not because of side effects (I had none. My p-doc was mad because abrupt discontinuation of lamictal can cause a seizure. It didn't and he told me to stay off it because if I went back on I'd have to ramp up slowly again.

 

Redirect: revelations

Posted by Dr. Bob on November 30, 2010, at 12:41:09

In reply to Lou's response- » Roslynn, posted by Lou Pilder on November 29, 2010, at 15:00:05

> it has been revealed to me when I had an encounter with a Rider on a White Horse

Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding xxx to Psycho-Babble Faith. Here's a link:

http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20100403/msgs/971921.html

That'll be considered a new thread, so if you'd like to be notified by email of follow-ups to it, you'll need to request that there. Thanks,

Bob


This is the end of the thread.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.