For the moment you shouldn't take anything else, just stay hydrated. You should understand that all the drugs you mentioned can have serious side effects, tegretal is not at all a sleeeping pill. You should discuss the use of these drugs with your physician, whether they are all necessary and if yes understand why and when to take them.

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Detailed Answer:
Hello again! Thank you for coming back to this site for your health related questions.

I read your query as well as your exchanges with my colleagues.

It is true that Quetiapine is a medication which can lead to some weight gain. Your dosage is pretty small however if no other cause is found it could be a contributing factor. If you want to try to interrupt it though it is always advised to do it gradually, I am not sure why you necessarily want to risk to interrupt it cold turkey, since it's a low dose it won't be a long process anyway.

However one must consider other causes for that night time hunger and eating. You should keep track of the calories you get and spend, because our body has its necessities and if you eat insufficiently during the day, combined with the body demands in the face of the exercising as well, it may lead to that nighttime hunger. If you are on a severe diet, perhaps you might consider eating more during the day, also a light bedtime snack including proteins and complex carbohydrates in the evening in order to avoid the nighttime hunger. Nighttime eating is the worst one, it is always preferable to eat more during the day, at breakfast and lunch, when you have active hours ahead of you and will burn the taken calories, rather then resist during the day only to wake up and throw it all away during the night.

Also as suggested, hormonal issues such as thyroid dysfunction or blood sugar metabolic alterations can at times be at the root of weight gain.

I remain at your disposal for further questions.

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Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the feedback.

Natural sleep may be helped by some simple means, like:

- avoiding taking naps during the day
- avoid the use of caffeine or other stimulants in the evening
- regular sleeping hours
- a suitable bedroom environment, quiet, dark, adequate temperature
- associate your bed and bedroom with sleep, avoid watching TV, listening to music or reading in bed
- avoid stressing situations, conversations before going to bed

Of course if your insomnia is associated with an anxiety disorder, those measures may not be enough and you might eventually need treatment with antianxiety medication like SSRI class of drugs (like escitalopram already recommended by one of my colleagues).

I hope to have been of help.

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Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your appreciative words. I am glad you are making it through this difficult transition.

Quetiapine should be out of your system, its elimination lasts about 7 hours. There can be variations between individuals according to individual metabolic features, but after two days it is surely out of your system.

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Detailed Answer:
I am sorry about the symptoms you are experiencing. That is why neither me nor my two psychiatrist colleagues advised to stop quetiapine abruptly, because we feared the withdrawal symptoms coming from that, due to your body being used to the drug.

If these symptoms are difficult to handle I am afraid an anti-anxiety medication will be needed. For short term a benzodiazepine like alprazolam may be used. If you have chronic anxiety issues though, more long treatment with SSRI as already suggested is advised.

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Brief Answer:
Psychiatrist visit is needed.

Detailed Answer:
I am sorry you aren't feeling well. It is obvious you are under great distress and that you need help.

When you started this query you came to ask about a weight issue, but now it is becoming pretty clear that things are not that simple, that you do have a mood disorder which needs to be addressed. I do not think that quetiapine alone can be blamed, the weight issue is obviously only the tip of the iceberg and there must be a lot in your previous history you haven't mentioned. Furthermore neither me nor my two psychiatrist colleagues advised you to interrupt quetiapine right away, it was suggested to be done slowly and adding an antidepressive. So what I mean to say is that as much as I would like to help you it is hard when you do not provide the full history and do not follow our recommendations, mood disorders are a delicate matter and can't be taken lightly.

The statements you make about feeling depressed and suicidal do worry me. I believe that you should meet a psychiatrist as soon as possible, in order for a full history and evaluation of your treatment.

I still remain at your disposal for any questions, but my role is to inform and provide a second opinion, that doesn't substitute the fact that you need to consult a psychiatrist and be prescribed appropriate treatment.

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Detailed Answer:
Hello again!

The urge to harm yourself is another indicator of the distress you're in. You must seek help from a mental health care professional. I understand things are seeming desperate right now, but believe me you can feel better through psychotherapy and medication.
So please seek help from a psychiatrist, if you are unsure where to find one your primary care physician will be able to guide you. Do not delay it, the sooner you do that the better. I am with proper care you will get better only have to ask.

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