When you suddenly stop using Seroquel, you may experience withdrawal symptoms that can either be severe or mild. Going through these Seroquel withdrawal symptoms is not easy, especially for those with severe symptoms.
For example, you may experience vomiting, restlessness, or nausea. In addition, some patients have experienced withdrawal dyskinesia or abnormal movements. In this article, you can learn more about Seroquel, its side effects, and its withdrawal symptoms. You will also get to find out about the different treatments for Seroquel addiction.
Seroquel is a psychotropic form of medication used in treating schizophrenia for adults and for children who are 13 years or older. Seroquel is also used in treating bipolar disorder or major depression. 1
Seroquel belongs to the antipsychotics drug class. The drug is categorized as an atypical antipsychotic or second-generation antipsychotics. It functions by altering the activity of some natural substances in your brain. The drug is also called Quetiapine, and it is approved for sale by the FDA under the prescription of a medical professional.
Seroquel is not regarded as a controlled substance, although there is a potential for the drug to be abused or misused. According to studies, Seroquel is the most abused antipsychotic drug. The possibility of abusing Seroquel is high when the drug is used without a prescription. Despite doctors’ warnings, most people take Quetiapine in higher amounts and for more extended periods than necessary.
On the highway, Seroquel is known as Susie Q, Squirrel, Quell, and Baby Heroin, and many people misuse the drug by crushing and inhaling it. Others will mix Seroquel with water and administer it intravenously. This use method increases the likelihood of Seroquel abuse. In these situations, the risk of overdosing is often higher.
Seroquel is highly suitable for treating patients with schizophrenia.2 It helps to rebalance serotonin and dopamine, which improves one’s behavior, mood, and thinking. The FDA has approved quetiapine for treating acute bipolar disorder, which causes manic or depressive episodes. It also serves as an adjunctive treatment for depressive disorders, making it highly suitable for use as an antidepressant. Some people take Seroquel for sleep while others take it for anxiety.
Quetiapine3 is sometimes prescribed as an off-label drug that can treat delusional parasitosis, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and delirium, which may occur in an ICU. However, before your doctor can prescribe this drug off-label, there should be a justification for such an action.
Quetiapine can also be used to treat borderline personality disorder, insomnia, intermittent explosive disorder, paranoid disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, etc. As earlier mentioned, Seroquel, which is the brand name, is also called Quetiapine Systemic.
Seroquel is addictive and has been abused by people who believe that they cannot carry out their everyday function without the drug. The palm beach4 post reported that the Florida State Juvenile Department increased its purchase of Seroquel over other drugs like Ibuprofen in 2007. The use of Seroquel to treat post-traumatic stress disorder has risen by almost 700% between 2001 and 2015.
The United States Military spending on the purchase of Quetiapine has also increased by nearly 700%, according to NBC News5 . In 2011, The American Conservative also pointed out a high rate of Seroquel and opioid abuse in the military.6 This report hinted that about 25% to 35% of soldiers in the United States Army suffer from addiction.
Some people may be unaware that they are addicted to a particular drug. They may feel the need to always have the drug in their system without knowing that they may be addicted to it. Most people addicted to Seroquel tend to believe that they control their actions or behaviors, and such denial has led to more adverse effects of the drug. There are telltale signs of Seroquel addiction:
The use of Seroquel can cause you to experience some adverse side effects even if you take the correct dosage according to your doctor’s prescription. Seroquel side effects can be categorized into short-term, long-term, or overdose effects.
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty thinking
Weight gain
Constipation
Mood swings and irritability
Dizziness
Muscle weakness
Headaches
Dry mouth
Unusual dreams
Dropped or irregular menstruation
Reduced sexual interest or poor sexual performance
Increase in breast tissue in males (gynecomastia)
Increased blood sugar
Changes in blood pressure
Weight gain
Cataracts
Issues with the thyroid
Difficulty swallowing
Suicidal behaviors and thoughts
Seizures
Cardiac issues
Increased body temperature
Tardive dyskinesia (the involuntary movement of the tongue or facial expressions)
Seroquel overdose has several unpleasant side effects which may put your life at severe risk if not adequately managed or given immediate attention by a physician. Here are some of the side effects of Seroquel overdose:
Profound sedation/drowsiness
Orthostatic hypertension/blood pressure drop
Rapid heart rate
Loss of consciousness/fainting or dizziness
Seizures
Coma
Death
Many people take Seroquel for different reasons. While some people take Seroquel for sleep,8 others take Seroquel for anxiety and treat other health conditions like bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, etc. The sudden withdrawal from Seroquel usage after addiction may cause you to develop some withdrawal symptoms. Here are some of the Seroquel Withdrawal symptoms you may experience once you suddenly quit taking Seroquel:
Seroquel withdrawal symptoms can last between a few hours to several weeks. Some people may experience post-withdrawal symptoms. The Seroquel withdrawal timeline can be grouped into new withdrawal, rebound withdrawal, and persistent post-withdrawal. For new withdrawal, symptoms may be experienced between the first and fourth days after the last usage. The symptoms may last for a week.
However, some symptoms may last up to six weeks. For the rebound withdrawal, symptoms may begin one to four days after the last usage. Rebound symptoms may not be associated with Seroquel withdrawal but may be part of the symptoms that Seroquel was initially treating. Any symptoms that exceed six weeks of the last usage are categorized under the persistent post-withdrawal.
The following factors address the severity of Seroquel withdrawal symptoms:
The severity of withdrawal symptoms is affected by the age of the individual. Younger people may experience lesser Seroquel withdrawal symptoms than older people.
People with a longer history of Seroquel abuse may experience longer and more severe withdrawal symptoms than those with shorter Seroquel history.
People diagnosed with a mental health disorder and who struggle with Seroquel addiction may experience longer and more severe symptoms than those with no previous disorder.
Individuals with no support from close friends and family may take longer to recover since they fight for recovery all by themselves.
The following methods can be used in treating Seroquel addiction:
Tapering off Seroquel is an effective way of helping you avoid the side effects of withdrawal. However, Seroquel tapering should be done by a medical professional for effective dosage management. The factors that are likely to affect the severity of the symptoms in your case and your medical history must be considered for this treatment to be effective.
Seroquel detoxification is also very effective in helping those struggling with Seroquel addiction quit the use of the drug. A safe detoxification program has to be put together by your physician so you can get rid of the drug from your body.
Other therapies that can be used in the treatment of Seroquel addiction including family therapy, maintenance medication, vocational rehabilitation, counseling, relapse prevention program, etc.
If you or a loved one needs help, please call us at
623-523-4748 and our team at Blueprints For Recovery in Arizona will help.
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