SAShKo I need to feel my pain and release my deep suppressed fear but i think Zyprexa and Abilify are my enemies in this?Plese shed some light!

[SAShKo]

Hello, people! I ask you that question in the topic title, so I am pretty sure what exactly is my problem and it is supressed deep fear and aslo not feeling the pain which i am sure is healthy to feel in my situation. But when i try to feel the pain or the fear i can't do it to the point i know i should. I am taking Zyprexa and Abilify for 3 years and for these 3 years i was strugling searching, trying to understand what is going on with me and what exactly is my problem. i read a lot of books and articles. watched a lot af videos and now i finally realized what i needed. But i think Zyprexa and Abilify are blocking my negative emotions. i am not sure this but i think it is true. That is my question. Do these drugs actually supress negative emotions like pain and fear?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Nomoreheadmeds]

Hi 'sashko' welcome to SA.Are you thinking of tapering these medications ? 

[SAShKo]

Hi, thank you.Yes i am but i need to be sure that they are actually stopping me to feel my negative stuff. Yes i am thinking about tapering off them!

[Nomoreheadmeds]

You will feel more and learn about how to deal with life without the meds.

[SAShKo]

: ) Thank you for that. i really need support, cause my parents are doctors (not psychiatric but still) and they trust these meds, but i don't!

[Nomoreheadmeds]

Do your parents understand about proper tapering of these meds like is suggested on this site ?

[SAShKo]

what do you mean? they know these pills have to stopped carefully if that is what you ask.

[SAShKo]

or you mean this "10% method" ? i actually just read that this is the main thing in this site

[SAShKo]

they don't really know about it. they will advice me to go to my psychiatrist. but i don't like her. i will read enough to understand everything i know about this 10% method and will most probably start it very soon.

[Nomoreheadmeds]

Its not wise to taper all at once.Put your medication history in your signature so anyone who reads your posts can see at a glance what you are doing.Someone will be along a moderator to assist you .

[brassmonkey]

Hi SAShKo--  welcome to the group.  I am sorry to hear that these drugs are causing you such trouble.  The quick answer to your question is YES they do block your feeling negative emotions.  In fact they can stop you from feeling any emotion what so ever, that's how they work.  So what you are or aren't feeling is pretty normal for someone taking them.  They are also very powerful and have to be tapered off of very carefully to avoid a lot of very unpleasant symptoms.  That is why we recommend the 10% taper, it slowly removes the drug and allows your brain to get use to the idea while causing minimal symptoms.  I wouldn't expect much help from your doctor in regards to tapering off, most doctors don't have any idea how it works.  This thread may help;

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

 

Tips for tapering off olanzapine (Zyprexa)

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Also would you please enter all of your drug history in a signature block, it will really help us to help you.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/    

[SAShKo]

Thank you brasmonkey for your answer to my question. I put down my history as my singature. After what you told me i am sure that i want to start tappering off my medication by this 10% method.actually i don't know how exactly. I mean, i read some articles in the forum and i got the most important things but regarding to my history what would you advice me?

[bluebalu86]

Здравей, и аз съм от България. Ако искаш може да си пишем на лични съобщения.

[Hopefull]

Zdravo!

[Petunia]

Hi SAShKo,

It looks like you already started reducing abilify from 15mg down to 7mg.  Why did you decide to cut this one first? Did you taper? How have you felt since you made this reduction?

 

Does taking the Zyprexa at night help with sleep?

 

These are both very similar drugs, so I can't see any clear benefit from tapering one before the other, although it looks like zyprexa has a lot more side effects, including weight gain and you are taking a high dose of it. We recommend only tapering one drug at a time. 

 

Here are our abilify tips:

 

Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

[SAShKo]

Hi SAShKo,

It looks like you already started reducing abilify from 15mg down to 7mg.  Why did you decide to cut this one first? Did you taper? How have you felt since you made this reduction?

 

Does taking the Zyprexa at night help with sleep?

 

These are both very similar drugs, so I can't see any clear benefit from tapering one before the other, although it looks like zyprexa has a lot more side effects, including weight gain and you are taking a high dose of it. We recommend only tapering one drug at a time. 

 

Here are our abilify tips:

 

Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

I decided to reduce Abilify because i noticed that in the morning after i take it i feel like i am sedated very badly. so i told my psychiatrist and she reduced it to half a dose.this problem passed.i feel normally i guess . when i sometimes forget to take zyprexa in the evening i ám having trouble falling asleep.   so you think it will be safe to start tapering them both at the same time? how do i start? 

[SAShKo]

Zdravo!

Zdravo! Are you Serbian? : -)

[SAShKo]

 

Hi SAShKo,

It looks like you already started reducing abilify from 15mg down to 7mg.  Why did you decide to cut this one first? Did you taper? How have you felt since you made this reduction?

 

Does taking the Zyprexa at night help with sleep?

 

These are both very similar drugs, so I can't see any clear benefit from tapering one before the other, although it looks like zyprexa has a lot more side effects, including weight gain and you are taking a high dose of it. We recommend only tapering one drug at a time. 

 

Here are our abilify tips:

 

Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

I decided to reduce Abilify because i noticed that in the morning after i take it i feel like i am sedated very badly. so i told my psychiatrist and she reduced it to half a dose.this problem passed.i feel normally i guess . when i sometimes forget to take zyprexa in the evening i ám having trouble falling asleep.   so you think it will be safe to start tapering them both at the same time? how do i start?

Oh, i just saw that you wrote you are not a doctor. thanks anyway for your reply. i will probably search for a doctor here in the link in your singnature.

Thank you!

[brassmonkey]

There are no Doctors here.  That is why we can't give medical advice.  We do, however, have the experience of helping thousands of people safely get off of these drugs which we are very happy to share.  All the members of the moderation staff have learned what WD is all about by going through it themselves  and our leader, Alto, is one of the worlds foremost authorities on the WD process.  You're in very good hands here.

[bluebalu86]

Doctors don't know anything. If you listen to them you'll keep getting worse and worse. 

[SAShKo]

There are no Doctors here.  That is why we can't give medical advice.  We do, however, have the experience of helping thousands of people safely get off of these drugs which we are very happy to share.  All the members of the moderation staff have learned what WD is all about by going through it themselves  and our leader, Alto, is one of the worlds foremost authorities on the WD process.  You're in very good hands here.

That is very very i don't know the word. very calming to hear! Okay i trust you. i don't like my psychiatrist too, so what is your advice about me tapering off abilify and zyprexa. i am ready to start even form tomorrow morning. 

[brassmonkey]

I'm so glad I could give you give you some reassurance.  This is a pretty scary business and learning that you can't trust the people you have been taught to trust is very unsettling.  If you look back through the posts below there are several threads listed that have very good information about how to taper off of these meds.  Read through those, then we can workout a tapering plan.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, SASh.

 

Do not taper two drugs at once. I agree with Petunia, since you've started reducing Abilify, why not continue? Also, it seems you are dependent on Zyprexa for sleep.

 

Please read the links Petunia and brassmonkey posted for you.

 

If you've ever had symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations or hearing voices, you will need to be very careful in your tapering not to trigger them again. If this happens and you go to a hospital, they will give you more drugs to stop them.

[Blackstar]

Another person hooked on Zyprexa for sleep.  What a shocker.  

 

As brassmonkey mentioned, yes, antipsychotics really zap you, both good and bad feelings.  

 

As Altostrata said, If you want to go off the meds follow the tapering advice on this board as not to trigger a psychotic episode, severe anxiety and mood swings from hell - these symptoms will hit you like a freight train if you suddenly discontinue 20mg Zyprexa.  

 

Having said that, even if you do taper properly and manage to bypass the above-mentioned hell, there is a good chance you will still be left with more broad physiological issues such as not being able to fall asleep normally, stay asleep for more than a few hours, feel exhausted all the time and not be able to eat, just to mention a few.  These problems persist for, as of now, an unknown length of time, and are worse than they sound.  

 

I wish you luck.  

[Altostrata]

No, not everyone has post-discontinuation syndrome.

[Blackstar]

You're right, not everyone does.  I for example find it weird that many people have to taper their antidepressants, as I've always gone cold turkey with them and generally after a few weeks even the really bad ones (snri's) cease to give me any problems.  However, I've never seen anyone on the internet or otherwise say they've been on Olanzapine for a significant amount of time and gone off it without some sort of serious long term effect or without relying on some other medication to help with sleep/appetite.  

 

Have you, Altostrata? Because if you have, please provide the links, and I'll gladly stop telling people that Olanzapine will **** them up.  

 

 

Blackstar