Discontinuing 25mg Quetiapine After Less Than 2 Weeks
For quetiapine 25mg taken for under 2 weeks, you can stop immediately without tapering, as this low dose and short duration carries minimal risk of withdrawal symptoms. 1, 2
Why Immediate Discontinuation is Safe in Your Case
- Quetiapine has a short half-life of approximately 6-7 hours, meaning it clears from your system rapidly 1, 3
- The duration of less than 2 weeks is insufficient for significant neuroadaptation to occur that would necessitate gradual tapering 4
- The 25mg dose is extremely low - well below the therapeutic range of 150-750mg/day used for schizophrenia, and represents only 3-8% of typical treatment doses 1
- Withdrawal symptoms from antipsychotics are primarily a concern with chronic use (months to years), not short-term exposure of days to weeks 4
What to Expect After Stopping
Most patients experience no withdrawal symptoms at this dose and duration. If any symptoms occur, they are typically:
- Mild insomnia or sleep disturbance (most common) 2
- Transient anxiety or restlessness 2
- These symptoms, if present, typically resolve within 2-4 days without intervention 2
If You Prefer Extra Caution
If you are particularly concerned about any symptoms, you may take 25mg every other day for 4-6 days, then stop completely. 5, 6 This provides psychological reassurance while still representing a rapid discontinuation appropriate for your short exposure.
Key Differences from Long-Term Use
The tapering protocols you may find online apply to patients who have taken antipsychotics for months or years, where:
- Dopaminergic hypersensitivity develops over chronic exposure, requiring gradual dose reductions over months 4
- Hyperbolic tapering schedules (reducing by quarters or halves of the current dose) are recommended to minimize D2 receptor blockade changes 4
- Final doses may need to be as small as 1/40th of therapeutic doses before complete cessation 4
None of these concerns apply to your situation of under 2 weeks at 25mg.
Critical Safety Note
Abrupt discontinuation of medications is dangerous for benzodiazepines and certain other drugs, but quetiapine at your dose and duration does not carry these risks. 5 The nausea and vomiting you wish to avoid are not characteristic withdrawal symptoms from short-term low-dose quetiapine use 1, 2