BurntButterscotch: Olanzapine - I think I’m a mess now.

[BurntButterscotch]

Hi everyone. I think I’m a complete mess! 
to start this intro off I was prescribed Olanzapine while in a crisis center. I had experienced a panic attack about 3 weeks earlier and subsequently lost extreme amounts of sleep and self admitted after some severe intrusive thoughts I’ve never had before. They gave me 10mg of zyprexa while I was there for sleep, and I actually never slept once while there either.  I was released 3 days later and picked up my prescription and self lowered my dose to 5mg, still no sleep. I continued on this dose for 3 days and subsequently lowered to 2.5 after visiting outpatient Dr and telling her I still had no sleep and the dosage was way to strong for me. I stayed at this dose for the next 8 days and decided I wanted off the Olanzapine anyways so I kept reducing without any advice. I lowered to 1.875 for the next 5 days and then to 1.25 for 6 days. During this time I slept for 6 of the days at 6-8 hours. I got into a naturopath and she told me at this point I could discontinue use but at this point I had read some info about tapering (not great info) and decided to take .625mg for 3 days and then stopped. So essentially I was tapering the entire time since starting the medication.

 

I started getting emotions back while on 1.25mg and had days of anxiety and crying. Days 1-4 after stopping I  had extremely restless broken sleep that total about 2-4 hours per night. Day 5 I slept 0 hours and happened to have an appointment the next day where they suggested I go back to 2.5mg to get some sleep and only use as needed for the next couple of weeks until my supplements hopefully start showing some improvement. 
 

Im lost now though. Im finding out this medication is damaging and can cause so many issues. I don’t even know where to start or how to go about any of this. I’m terrified I’ll be stuck. I don’t understand the math of tapering without a scale. I’m just feeling stressed about it all. 

Edited March 7 by FireflyFyte
Updated title

[FireflyFyte]

Hi BurntButterscotch,

 

Welcome to SA. Please summarize your drug history in your signature by following the instructions at How to Summarize Your Drug History in Your Signature. You may need to be on a computer to complete this.

 

9 hours ago, BurntButterscotch said:

Day 5 I slept 0 hours and happened to have an appointment the next day where they suggested I go back to 2.5mg to get some sleep and only use as needed for the next couple of weeks until my supplements hopefully start showing some improvement

 

Are you currently taking 2.5mg of Olanzapine?

 

You can find information on tapering Olanzapine at Tips for tapering off Zyprexa (olanzapine)

 

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[BurntButterscotch]

14 minutes ago, FireflyFyte said:

@FireflyFyte 

I input all my signature info last night but I guess it did not save. 

 

 

Are you currently taking 2.5mg of Olanzapine?

Well I took 2.5 2 night ago, then 1.8 1 night ago then 1.25 last night. Since she told me to take it as needed I was looking for the smallest dose I could sleep on, hi unfortunately got no sleep last night. Maybe 30 minutes total all night.

 

[FireflyFyte]

2 hours ago, BurntButterscotch said:

Well I took 2.5 2 night ago, then 1.8 1 night ago then 1.25 last night. Since she told me to take it as needed I was looking for the smallest dose I could sleep on, hi unfortunately got no sleep last night. Maybe 30 minutes total all night.

 

You are making a lot of rapid changes which does not allow time for your system to stabilize. I would hold at 1.25mg and see if your sleep improves. It is also important to practice good sleep hygiene and we have some recommendations at Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia.

[BurntButterscotch]

56 minutes ago, FireflyFyte said:

 

You are making a lot of rapid changes which does not allow time for your system to stabilize. I would hold at 1.25mg and see if your sleep improves. It is also important to practice good sleep hygiene and we have some recommendations at Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia.

I figured that was the case after I started doing some research. I was treating the meds as a “take as needed” so didn’t think the dosage matter. I was started on the meds because I had a panic attack took Effexor for 2 days with awful reactions and 2 days later stopped sleeping. I lost all ability to sleep and went 3 weeks with such little sleep. So now I’m afraid that I’ll be stuck on the zyprexa even though in the 3/4 weeks I’ve been on it I’ve felt all the gorrible side effects (emotional numbness, intense appetite, terrible vision changes, constipation). I want off this medication but not sure how to approach it at this point. 

[FireflyFyte]

20 hours ago, BurntButterscotch said:

So now I’m afraid that I’ll be stuck on the zyprexa even though in the 3/4 weeks I’ve been on it I’ve felt all the gorrible side effects (emotional numbness, intense appetite, terrible vision changes, constipation). I want off this medication but not sure how to approach it at this point. 

 

Being on it for 3-4 weeks is long enough to cause withdrawals from the medication. I would encourage you to stay at 1.25mg, every day, and see if you stabilize. If you do, then you can begin a slow taper of no more than 10% of the previous dose per month.

[BurntButterscotch]

4 hours ago, FireflyFyte said:

 

Being on it for 3-4 weeks is long enough to cause withdrawals from the medication. I would encourage you to stay at 1.25mg, every day, and see if you stabilize. If you do, then you can begin a slow taper of no more than 10% of the previous dose per month.

I appreciate the information @FireflyFyte. I read an article that says the longer you’re on it the more at risk you are for super sensitivity psychosis. With the long taper wouldn’t I be putting myself at more risk? I understand the 10% is the standard recommendation here, but I just wondered how that factored in. 

[FireflyFyte]

18 minutes ago, BurntButterscotch said:

I read an article that says the longer you’re on it the more at risk you are for super sensitivity psychosis. With the long taper wouldn’t I be putting myself at more risk? I understand the 10% is the standard recommendation here, but I just wondered how that factored in. 

 

Can you link the article in question?

The other factor to consider is that some people have been triggered into psychosis due to withdrawal from anti-psychotics which is part of why it's important to taper slowly.

[BurntButterscotch]

@FireflyFyte it was this one. 
https://psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/antipsychotic-withdrawal-syndrome-tapering/#google_vignette

[FireflyFyte]

The article references psychosis as a result of an abrupt stoppage of the antipsychotic not due to continued use. Slowly tapering should diminish the chance of psychosis.