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louiseellen low dose Zyprexa


louiseellen

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I am taking 1.25 mgs. of Zyprexa to counter the loss of appetite and some difficulty with early morning sleep during a Ativan taper.  I was put on this a few months ago.  At first it worked giving me a good long night sleep and an appetite.  It is no longer working. In fact I think that I have a daily increase of anxiety due to this drug.  I have experiemented with not taking it and I think the anxiety and jitteriness from the Ativan taper is reduced.  I am afraid though that as the amount of drug in my system reduces I will become generally more anxious.  I would like to know from people with experience what is advised.  The doctor says that I can just stop taking it since the dose is so low.  I don't want to have Zyprexa withdrawal symptoms.  Two doctors told me there are no withdrawal symptoms when stopping zyprexa but I don't think the doctors always know what really happens.  Thank you in advance for any input.

Ativan taper.  About to start water titration.  Have been dry cutting every two weeks 1/4 of a .5 mg pill.  This has been too difficult given physical and emotional symptoms.  Zyprexa 1.25 mgs. now intermittent because I think it is making me more symptomatic and no longer working for mild sleep problems and appetite loss due to Ativan withdrawal. 

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welcome 'louiseellen' youve come to the right place.someone will be along to offer advice soon.

I wish you well

Sertraline 100mg amytrip 60mg diazepam 4mg (and when needed) since late 90's.Reduced all meds over 6 wks (too short) last doses 13 wks ago.Still having withdrawals.I would have done it differently

5th august 2015 reinstated 5mg amytripiline.increased to 10mg amtrip 9th sept 2015.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello Lousileen and welcome to SA.

 

The point of taper is not to replace one drug with the other. Using one drug to deal with symptoms of too fast withdrawing from one drug is just that.

 

If I were you, i would immediately stop tapering Ativan. It is possible to taper with minimal and controlable symptoms. That is our goal here. And we can do that if we go slow so that the symptoms don't get too intense. This is one by reducing by 10 % of your current dose after 30 days of holds in between.

 

Zyprexa is a heavy duty drug. Since you have been taking it for a few months it will have to be tapered. Taking psychotropic medication intermittently is very destabiliisng for the brain. It is less harmful to take them regularly, the same dose at the same time off day. Once you are stable, that is the symptoms wane, you can start tapering. maybe you will be able to go faster than 10 % every 30 days with Zyprexa but better start carefully and monitor your symptoms.

 

Can you give us more details of your drug history? All the psychotropic drugs we ever took will influence how we fare with the current tapers. Those of us who have been on the drugs for longer, with changing drugs and their doses and stopping them abruptly will have a more difficult time.

 

To understand better what is going on, please read through these links:

 

What is withdrawal syndrome?

  

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 It would be very helpful if you would add a signature block with the details what you have taken and how you quit.

 Please put your withdrawal history in your signature     

 

We also have a subsection for tapering benzos so you might start a threda there to get advice on how to deal with Ativan:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/

Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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