Posted by RobertPalsing on May 29, 2004, at 21:28:24
In reply to Re: seroquel withdrawal syndromes?, posted by shadows721 on May 29, 2004, at 17:26:13
Listen:
You cannot go cold turkey off of these medications. It is very dangerous and the withdrawal effects will very likely make you feel worse than before you started. I have done it. Do not do it. This is one of those "thank God for psychobabble" things. If you are hoping to discontinue with the antipsychotic class of meds altogether and must get off your current one, have your doctor replace your current one with a similar one, and then begin tapering it.
Stopping antipsychotics is (from my experience) an all together terrifying and life changing experience. I had never experienced more fear or intense joy, more emotional pain or bliss, all on opposite tokens of the same pill. As good as they can make you feel, they can make you feel just as bad.
Odds are, if you have felt good at some point during your treatment but have had trouble with antipsychotics recently, you do not need medicine that strong. I was incorrectly prescribed APs and suffered from their withdrawal more than any other mental illness of my own doing. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers are generally less volatile drugs to ingest, and will be safer in the long run.
Please save yourself the pain and take as much care in stopping a med as you would starting it. You wouldn't begin your med at full dose would you?
Good luck, take care.
"Bob"
poster:RobertPalsing
thread:84158
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040527/msgs/351992.html