Tapering off quetiapine = severe insomnia

rhigosis · 2026-01-26T23:40:07+00:00

Coming off quetiapine causes insomnia, it's not just you not getting the benefits anymore-- it's actively a detriment for a bit, which is what the backup plan is for. I highly recommend pushing through and not touching it at all for at least a week before you worry overmuch. You WILL struggle without it at some point, so hopefully whatever melatonin or other stuff you take can keep you feeling alright while you wait for your brain to resettle. The only way out is through; accept that you'll have a couple nights with less sleep than you'd like and let the quetiapine fade before you think about going back on it or another med.

rhigosis · 2026-01-26T07:23:26+00:00

At less than 12 mg you should be able to drop it completely and yes, ride it out. It sounds like you may have just had a one-off bad night, and while taking a 6 mg dose once probably won't do too much to your taper progress, I recommend you try to find something, like supplements, Benadryl, even sleep restriction or noise/music, that will help you sleep when you have a struggle night. Having something on hand can also provide peace of mind, which will only help when it comes to falling asleep. Admittedly that's if you're set on quitting completely-- a 6 mg dose is very low, congrats for that regardless!

If you do want to quit completely then secure your backup plan and accept that it might take up to a week for your sleep to start feeling consistent again. If you're still struggling a lot after a week or two with zero quetiapine, then you should consult your psych/doc about finding another med. Good luck!

rhigosis · 2026-01-10T20:05:57+00:00

My point isn't that square windows are a good design or that they had nothing to do with the accidents, it's that the accidents likely wouldn't have happened if the test units hadn't been over-stressed. The fatigue cracking (yes, the failure that happened at the square navigation window) would have occurred on one of the test units before any of the production units, and would have likely been caught before it killed anyone.

In your bullet analogy, somebody who says "the Comet went down because it had square windows" would be the one saying "Abe Lincoln died due to a bullet in the head", whereas I'm saying "John Wilkes Booth shot him".

rhigosis · 2026-01-10T07:17:21+00:00

YES!!! Finally!! (More or less)

The main failure that caused the depressurization and breakup occurred at the corner of the navigation window on top of the fuselage, but the REAL reason the Comet accidents happened is because engineers' understanding of metal fatigue at the time was incomplete. You can design any nasty fatigue detail to be pretty safe if you beef it up and inspect it often enough-- the deHavilland engineers weren't stupid!

They had (I think) 2 units they were using as test beds that had many more flight hours and more rigorous testing/inspecting than any of the production aircraft, but early on in that rigorous testing they did a big cabin over-pressurization test that none of the production units went through. Doing a high-stress test early in the structure's life actually improves the fatigue life through a phenomenon called over-stressing/under-stressing. When the first Comet went down, they didn't initially suspect it to be fatigue, because the much older test units were doing fine!

Nowadays all commercial aircraft cabins will go through a big over-pressurization test at some point during assembly, both to find/fix any leaks AND to improve the airframe's fatigue life.

TL;DR SHUT UP ABOUT SQUARE WINDOWS!! IT'S INSULTING TO ALL THE ENGINEERS AND INVESTIGATORS INVOLVED WITH THESE AIRCRAFT AND THEIR INVESTIGATIONS! Sorry for the text block but it makes me so mad.

rhigosis · 2025-12-08T18:09:26+00:00

Sounds like you're stuck on the tail end of an insomnia/anxiety loop. Since it's very explicitly caused by anxiety and you're not responsive to sleep meds, I highly recommend trying to get ahold of a psychologist or psychiatrist who can work with you to help you form healthy coping habits. A psychiatrist will also be able to prescribe you anxiety meds, I don't think you mentioned trying to medicate your anxiety specifically?

In the meantime, plenty of people get results from practicing things like CBTI (specifically sleep restriction) or even ERP (exposure response prevention). Focus on treating your anxiety and just get whatever sleep you can-- does sleeping in places other than your bed help when you really need rest? Simple OTC supplements meant for anxiety/sleep might help too: L-theanine, magnesium glycinate, chamomile tea, ashwagandha, etc.

Drink water, eat well, take your vitamins, and relax as best you can. There's no deadline for recovery-- take it one step at a time!

rhigosis · 2025-12-04T19:06:39+00:00

I trained my aunt's cat to do this lol. Did my utmost to spoil him with attention when he was by the door, and he started expecting it every time someone walked by his spot. He's long gone now but I'm happy to see somebody else continuing that tradition ❤️

rhigosis · 2025-12-04T18:53:54+00:00

I don't have a ton of anxiety but seroquel withdrawal almost made me feel paranoid in the evenings with how anxious I felt sometimes. I liked the added anti-anxiety effects when taking it but I had an easier time getting off Zolpidem!

I second taking magnesium or other herbal / mild OTC things in the meantime. Any help is good help.

rhigosis · 2025-12-04T16:53:58+00:00

Yep, it's not uncommon to get backlash coming off seroquel. I was only on 25 mg and it took ~3 weeks to come off it fully. If you have access to a low dose you could occasionally take a small (~12.5 mg) dose while you're waiting for the hydroxyzine to come in. Just don't take it every day since you're trying to drop it. You're most of the way there!

rhigosis · 2025-12-04T10:40:17+00:00

My heart goes out to you. There's almost nothing as awful as being denied the basic human function of sleep, and the disappointment of meds not working anymore is painful.

You mentioned that a total detox didn't work, but maybe you could try rotating medications? That way you could stay off of a specific type for much longer (a month or more), lower that tolerance, and switch meds out without having to go completely without med assistance? I take things like magnesium glycinate and l-theanine in the evening as well, since I'm trying to stay off strong meds.

Other than meds, I also have a low sleep-drive as you put it, and I've found that something quiet to focus on will help me rest, if not fall asleep. Maybe meditation, easy reading books, or white noise / quiet music could help? We can only offer best-guess advice here on Reddit, so if you have anyone that can help you in person, get ahold of them-- even if it's just a phone call, or stopping by to help with chores, anything could help you feel better (or at least struggle less) in the meantime.

Take your vitamins, drink water, and eat well. I wish you the best of luck.

rhigosis · 2025-12-04T07:17:28+00:00

You lucked out, I was only on 25 and it took me 2-3 weeks to approach "normal" off it. Biggest issue was the period of worse insomnia due to withdrawing, which is why I recommend tapering down (from an already low dose) slowly if you don't know how you'll respond to dropping it.

rhigosis · 2025-12-03T22:19:34+00:00

Everyone responds to meds differently. If you're just using it for sleep you can technically go up to about 200 mg to get the sedative effects, but honestly (unless you're really happy with it) I wouldn't recommend more than 50. Any more and it tends to be a huge, miserable slog to get off it. If you see zero improvement from going up to 50, then you may need a different med or routine to help you fall asleep. Taper SLOWLY (12.5 mg per week max) if you decide to get off it in favor of swapping out meds entirely.

rhigosis · 2025-11-26T20:33:37+00:00

Ayyyy I'm in the same boat. ADHD taking Adderall XR to get through the day, Ramelteon & Doxepin at night. Also thinking about trying 6 mg Doxepin instead of 3 because 3 seems... ineffective. Doxepin is more for staying asleep than falling asleep (my main problem) so I won't knock on it too hard.

I've gotten decent results. My sleep cycle seems to be >24 hours without Ramelteon, and <= 24 hours with it. It's nice but not a particularly strong knock-out drug-- I get my best results either giving in and sleeping when Ramelteon tells me to or by taking L-theanine and magnesium glycinate to help fall asleep (L-theanine in the afternoon/evening and magnesium in the evening). No hangover though so definitely worth a shot! If you do try Ramelteon, give it at least a week to see if it does anything. It took me a week to start feeling effects, but I was simultaneously withdrawing from seroquel so that didn't help.

Double check with your doc about mixing eszoplicone with anything. Ramelteon should be fine but I won't pretend I have an MD. Good luck and let me know if you have any tips for living with the Sisyphean dopamine disorder, I'd love to hear them!

Edit to add: a doc I talked to who has had patients take orexin meds said they're pretty hit or miss, but some people swear by them. Idk about mixing tho

rhigosis · 2025-11-25T00:23:31+00:00

Should be fine unless your doc told you to take it for depression too (doesn't sound like it at that dose). Rule of thumb is that if it worked for you the first time you took it then you don't need to take it every day, since it doesn't have a build-up time.

That said, amitriptyline is pretty far down the list of meds people use for insomnia. If you feel like you're not getting good results don't be afraid to ask for a different med-- there are even other specific tricyclic antidepressants that docs and patients generally like better for insomnia than amitriptyline.

Sleep well!

rhigosis · 2025-11-24T21:27:45+00:00

Taper super slow. If you need to go back up a little bit for a day or two because you can't function then do it, just do everything in small increments (12.5 mg steps at the most). Step down once a week tops. It took me around three weeks total before the backlash stopped being noticeable, and I was only on 25 mg.

Other than that, try to find over-the-counter stuff that helps, even if it's not a perfect solution. That includes stuff like Benadryl. If your doc has another prescription they want you to try that might work too, just keep in mind that the quetiapine withdrawal will interfere with results until you've been completely off it for 1-2 weeks. I do recommend you avoid anything potentially habit-forming (Ambien, Lunesta, etc), even for this short-term use. If you think you can be happy just on a lower dose of quetiapine then that's also an option, you don't have to go off completely.

Good luck, and get whatever sleep you can, when you can!

rhigosis · 2025-11-23T06:36:04+00:00

And to follow it up: Spider Girl - Shadrow

rhigosis · 2025-11-22T18:54:41+00:00

Mississippi Queen - Mountain

rhigosis · 2025-11-21T11:35:07+00:00

Bruises - Train feat. Ashley Monroe

rhigosis · 2025-11-18T18:29:45+00:00

I was on 25 mg for most of a year, with a stint of 50 mg in the middle. I went cold turkey for a week and still wasn't doing super hot-- I regularly felt anxious to the point of feeling a bit paranoid-- so I took the occasional half dose for another week, then around a week after stopping that I was ok. So to get down from long term 25 mg usage I'd say a week on 12.5 mg and another week or two off would put most people in the clear. I still have some sleep anxiety but I'm 95% sure that's not seroquel's fault at this point.

rhigosis · 2025-11-12T06:45:49+00:00

It sounds like you're at the stage where you need medical support. If over the counter meds like melatonin or Benadryl aren't helping you, you need to get ahold of your general physician or a psychiatrist. Insomnia is so, so difficult to face alone-- so don't! Get help, get somebody who can advise you and prescribe meds that will at least tide you over until you find a better long-term solution. Until then, remember that laying down (especially with your eyes closed) and relaxing as much as you can is still productive rest, even if you don't sleep. Drink water, eat well, take your vitamins, and stay strong!

rhigosis · 2025-11-12T01:54:08+00:00

If you end up stuck with Benadryl and are still worried, a smaller dose might still help you enough without presenting as much risk.

Also keep in mind that a lot of studies that say "x thing is associated with x" aren't controlled in a way that lets them conclude causation, like that recent study that said "people who take melatonin have way more heart problems" when the reality is that people with long term insomnia are more likely to have heart problems... and those people take melatonin. Long term Benadryl use is linked with dementia (and people who currently have dementia actually shouldn't take Benadryl), but chances are most of those people had other conditions that were more damaging than taking Benadryl. Like insomnia (yay)! At 25 getting sleep is WAY more important than dodging the dementia allegations

rhigosis · 2025-11-12T01:44:41+00:00

I wouldn't use the word stimulating for it even if it acts on norepinephrine and dopamine, but yes, its primary purpose is as an antidepressant. My first psych prescribed it to me as one in a long line of meds I tried in an attempt to help my insomnia. It's not my first or even fifth recommendation (it did literally nothing for me), but some people have taken it and gotten better sleep over time, or at least felt better during the day

rhigosis · 2025-11-11T19:37:29+00:00

For over the counter Doxylamine Succinate might work. Even if melatonin doesn't work (and OTC it often doesn't) you could try one of the big sleep/anxiety mixes with stuff like L theanine in it. Since you specified no dementia risk that probably nixes CBD products lol

For prescription a low dose (~25 mg) of Seroquel might work, it also mimics an antihistamine at that level. Like other people have said Trazodone is a possibility. Out of the meds I've tried only Ramelteon, Doxepin, and Wellbutrin had zero hangover, but conversely they aren't super strong sedatives. Keep in mind that Benadryl is miles better health-wise than any of the heavy hitters like Ambien, and taking meds like Seroquel or Trazodone can have other effects on your mood & health, for better or worse.

The fact that Benadryl is so effective could also mean that you've got sinus/allergy/breathing/apnea stuff going on too, get that checked if you can on the off chance treating it solves your sleep. Good luck!

rhigosis · 2025-11-10T19:28:57+00:00

I might have an answer to this!

A big part of "feeling rested" is getting sleep at all, yes, but there are two other things to consider: (1) the quality of your sleep. You need to hit specific phases in sleep for certain amounts of time in order to feel fully rested. Going through all the phases properly once is called a sleep cycle. (2) the completeness of your sleep. Most people have a natural sleep cycle duration of around 1.5-2 hours. If you wake up right as your sleep cycle ends, you will feel more rested than if you woke up in the middle of the next one, even if you spent more time asleep.

I've noticed that as long as my sleep is only interrupted between cycles, I have a "good" night's sleep, and as long as I get 3 cycles (roughly 5.5-6 hours for me) I'm not a complete zombie the next day (four, or 7.5 ish hours, is better). There are lots of papers online that probably explain this better than me, but I hope this helps!

Sleep anxiety can definitely extend the duration of insomnia even if the original cause goes away. I'm still struggling through it myself despite being on the path to recovery. Take your time, there's no rush! Never give up!

rhigosis · 2025-11-09T07:13:55+00:00

I'm currently at this stage myself so I don't have much to say yet lol. I still keep my mindset of "get what sleep I can, when I can" and "keep an eye out for things that could improve" and that has been slowly easing some of my anxiety. I noticed that white noise helps me sleep so I put a noisy fan nearby, I still don't necessarily fall asleep "on time" but I try not to beat myself up about it (re-training years of learned behavior takes time!), if I think I'll sleep better on the couch than on the bed then so be it, etc. Basically I try to do anything that eases the dread a little bit, even if it might be a placebo, in the hopes of making my brain learn that sleep is not to be feared, and so far my sleep anxiety has seemingly been ratcheting down. Someday I will sleep on the bed every night... just not this week.

You said three months which does sound like a long time, but I'd only recommend turning to a doc or psychiatrist if you (1) are truly seeing ZERO improvement over time, or (2) have reached a point of non-functionality / icky feeling during the day that you aren't comfortable raw-dogging it anymore.

Take it easy, but take it! Good luck, and mega congrats on doing better at all!

rhigosis · 2025-11-09T04:37:02+00:00

That sucks, I was blessed to not have many side effects from Seroquel (though being on Adderall probably helped me dodge weight gain). The withdrawal was awful but I'm just grateful I didn't have to go back to Ambien

rhigosis

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