Coming off quetiapine. How to get to sleep?

[captaincake]

As the title says really. I'm having to come off quetiapine because of the totally uncontrollable weight gain. I don't think it's the right drug for me anyway just something perinatal shoved me on. The only thing is that it does help me get to sleep. Has anyone been through similar? I was wondering if I could buy nytol to help me in the short term coming off but would it actually help?

[NotAJammyDodger]

Hi Captain I started taking mine (100mg IR tablet) every other night and slowly reduced the number of ocassions I was taking it for sleep. I did this over the course of about 6-8 weeks - to break the habit of expecting to fall asleep with 30 minutes of popping a pill and to get used to falling asleep naturally.

Initially, I found it hard but tried out reading in bed for a few hours, using an aromatherapy unit etc to get me relaxed for bed. I still struggle though - every 8 weeks or so I get a night when I am wide awake throughout the night.

I still take it ocassionally on a PRN basis (last time was about 6 months ago) if I am totally knackered from lack of sleep but can't get off to sleep. However, I also have diazepam on a PRN basis so sometimes might take that ocassionally to help me relax.

Nytol never really did much for me and am guessing that after a few weeks tolerance will set in so it won't work anyway. In the short term, you could ask your GP for some sleeping tablets as a backup for ad hoc use / sparingly only if things get really bad (as GP / PDoc won't probably prescribe on a regular basis - hence Quetiapine is used off label for sleep).

[captaincake]

Thank you so much for your response. I have diazepam prn too so could use that for an especially bad night. Tonight is my first night of nothing. I used the headspace app, got off quite easily and slept for about 5-6 hours! My new cpn is arranging a medication review so if it doesn't carry on I'll ask for a prn sleeping tablet. I think the relief of finally getting rid of the perinatal team (yesterday) has relaxed me.

[NotAJammyDodger]

Glad to here your feeling more relaxed .
I love the Headspace App too and andy puddicombe voice is so relaxing.
The other thing that help me is listening to rain and thunderstorms. Got one of those apps with a timer and usually I can drift off nicely with it playing in the background!

[MeltchettsLovelyMoustache]

Watching with interest, I've been on it for 8 years so am completely dependent on it so for sleep, and have never successfully managed sleeping without it, even after 4 days awake. I'm only on 100mg now and want off it altogether but not easy with 4 month old baby.

[NotAJammyDodger]

Hi Melchetts Q is great at sending you out like a light isn't it. Well done you for reducing after so many years. Sleep with a 4 month old must be a nightmare to manage with or without Q. I know when I took it an earthquake wouldn't wake me. Fortunately, DH would wake up!

Certainly, I think if I had just stopped taking it, rather than allowing / giving myself permission to take for a few days a week and then reducing the number of days I wouldn't have psychologically managed it and the 'stress' of not taking it would have kept me awake!! Best of luck.

[captaincake]

That sounds very difficult melchetts could you try reducing very slowly 25mg at a time? I'm lucky I've only been on it since January but in that time have put on 2 stone :-( so far the headspace app has helped far more than I thought it would and I've only been a bit more awake than usual. I'm also no more agigitated and have more energy in the day. I know it's early days but it looks like all it was doing was making me fat and knackered all day. I really think knowing that the perinatal team can't continue to fuck up everything and treat me like shit anymore has relaxed me big time. They are truly horrible :-( when I started with them I just had mild pnd, a lack of sleep and a bad gp. It's going to take me so long to get over what they've done and I'm overwhelmed about knowing what to do to ever achieve that :-( still, this is the first step...

[mammabmamma]

Hi,

I use Promethazine Hydrochloride, or more commonly known as Phenergen.

It's actually an antihistamine, but it has sleepy/sedating properties. It's non addictive, not harsh, and you can buy it over the counter. Just ask your GP or pharmacist if it's ok for you to take :-)