Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Seroquel update

Two weeks ago, I spoke with my psychiatrist and we agreed that it would be a good idea if I could do without Seroquel.It's been about a week now since I stopped.
Not surprisingly, the biggest impact has been on my sleep. Typically, I go to bed around 10, sleep for an hour-and-a-half, perhaps two, and then am awake for most of the night. I'll catch a few hours more, perhaps in the early morning or in a short nap during the day. In all, though, I've averaged less than five hours per day since I started reducing and then stopped the medication.
That said, I feel better than I probably ought to feel. The tiredness that I feel is quite different from the daytime grogginess brought on by Seroquel. I have been able to think reasonably clearly and get the most important stuff done each day. My mood is good.
I'm under no illusion that there is no risk here. I've changed medication regimens before, seeing significant improvements for weeks and even months, only to spin back into trouble. I'll be careful and, most importantly, honest with myself and my family about how I'm doing.
Nevertheless, with all that's coming out regarding Seroquel's side effects and how AstraZeneca has not been totally forthcoming regarding the company's test results, I feel much safer without the drug.
By the way, I keep a collection of links regarding Seroquel on delicious.com. You can find the links here. I update the list almost daily. The Furious Seasons blog has done some very good reporting on Seroquel and AZ.

1 comment:

Laura said...

I've been on Risperdal for about 2 years and began weaning off it about 10 weeks ago. I'm having a helluva time. I'm glad that you're doing well getting off your medication.