LibSocRants: 7 Months of Olanzapine - will I recover?

[LibSocRants]

Hey, my name is Cameron. It has now been two weeks since I stopped taking olanzapine after a 7 month course of 10 mg, with the last 9 weeks tapering down 2.5mg every three weeks. I'm now off the drugs, and am still experiencing the effects of emotional flatness, complete apathy, reduced creativity, reduced capacity to think, remember, and imagine things, complete loss of libido, and loss of interest in activities formerly enjoyed. I feel like my personality has been absolutely destroyed, and I'm just outraged at the fact that this was done with absolutely no informed consent on my part. It's just hideously immoral and I've been made to feel completely and utterly dead inside. I find myself regularly considering euthanasia because the effects as they currently stand are unbearable and I have no tangible experience that makes me want to live (granted, this would only be something I'd consider taking action on after having given it at least a year of time). Are there any chances that I will recover from this and get my brain function back? I feel like I'm in an extremely bleak situation.

[Gridley]

LibSocRants,

 

Yes, you will recover, but it will take a good bit of time.  The brain is remarkably able to repair itself, even after the damage these drugs do.  For more information, please Google "Survivingantidepressants.org neuroplasticity"

 

At SA, we recommend tapering at a maximum of 10% of current dose every four weeks.  You tapered at a rate much higher than that (25%+  every three weeks) and are now experiencing  withdrawal syndrome.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Brain Remodelling
 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

Do you have any Olanzapine left? Reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome.  The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis.  Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

Reinstatement isn’t a guarantee of diminished symptoms for everyone, but it’s the best tactic available.  We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose, in your case perhaps 1mg.  This link gives you information on how to make nonstandard doses of Olanzapine:

 

Tips for tapering off olanzapine (Zyprexa)

 

Please let us know if reinstatement is something you might want to consider to try to alleviate your symptoms.  If so, you would reinstate, wait to stabilize, which can take several months, then taper off the 1mg using the 10% method.

 

 

[Madeleine]

You will recover!!!     I was on 10 mg of zyprexa twice in my life and am now off it (now only on Zoloft which I’m tapering slowly. ).  And my brain recuperated from the zyprexa. 

 

I did taper slower lower than you.  When I got down to 2.5 I tapered it by quarters.  I cut a 2.5 mg into 4 pieces and cut down a quarter at a time.  The advice on this forum is to cut even slower than I did— no more than 10 per cent at a time— and that is a safe way to taper. 

 

Do do not give yourself a deadline to heal. You didn’t explain how you ended up on zyprexa. I bet the circumstances that led to it were brewing for some time.  Likewise it will see a bit of time to stabilize and feel betterr. 

 

You might have to reinsate st a low dose as suggested and then taper at a slower rate. 

 

But don’t  be pessimistic. Have faith and hope.  Things will improve!  In fact, if you approach this as a learning experience when you get better you will be stronger and in a better position than you had before this episode started. 

 

With th best wishes, 

 

m

[arwilliams]

If you are not experiencing extreme insomnia you will likely be fine(ignoring depression and suicidal tendencies).

 

When I attempt to come off of my 2.5 mg of Zyprexa I don't sleep at all for days.