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Rico: Zyprexa tapering


Rico

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  • Moderator
58 minutes ago, Rico said:

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

 

I am not a moderator but it appears that you have a history of fairly fast tapers which are then followed by hospitalizations. It might help to stabilize on your current medications for a few months and then start a slow taper (no more than 10% per month) off of medication if that's your goal. Your CNS has been through a lot and might benefit from no further changes for some time.

 

Pre- October 2022: Wellbutrin, Escitalopram, CitalopramSertraline, Adderall IR, Vyvanse, Propranolol, Buspar, Ativan, and Latuda

Oct 13, 2022 - Oct 24, 2022 and Oct 31, 2022 - Present: Zyprexa (2.5 mg). Jan 14, 2023 -> Began transition to liquid suspension. Jan 29, 2023 = 2.375mg -> Feb 12, 2023 = 2.25mg -> Feb 27, 2023 = 2.14mg -> Mar 12, 2023 = 2.025mg -> Mar 27, 2023 = 1.93mg -> Apr 10, 2023 = 1.82mg -> Apr 23, 2023 = 1.74mg -> May 7, 2023 = 1.64mg -> May 21, 2023 = 1.56mg -> June 4, 2023 = 1.48mg -> June 19, 2023 = 1.4mg -> July 2, 2023 = 1.33mg -> July 16, 2023 = 1.26mg -> July 31, 2023 = 1.2mg -> Aug 13, 2023 = 1.14mg -> Aug 27, 2023 = 1.08mg -> Sep 13, 2023 = 1.02mg -> Jan 22, 2024 = 0.97mg -> Feb 4, 2024 = 0.92mg -> Feb 19, 2024 = 0.87mg -> Mar 3, 2024 = 0.83mg -> Mar 17, 2024 = 0.78mg

Oct 14, 2022 - Present: Prozac (40mg) upped from 20mg on Nov 1, 2022.

Oct 31, 2022 - Present: Gabapentin (300mg 3x day) -> May 3, 2023 = 300mg 2x day -> Oct 1, 2023 = 570mg -> Oct 15, 2023 = 540mg -> Oct 29, 2023 = 510mg -> Nov 13, 2023 = 484mg -> Nov 27, 2023 = 460mg -> Dec 9, 2023 = 436mg -> Dec 24, 2023 = 414mg -> Jan 7, 2024 = 400mg

 

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Thank you for your prompt reply.

 

The most recent hospitalisation occurred after I started the Abilify injection. I made the decision myself to try it out instead of Lithium after a relationship breakup before NYE. 

 

Thanks,
Rico.

1997 - Diagnosed Bipolar 1 after stressful life events and hospitalised, discharged on multiple drugs.

1997 - 2014: Polypharmacy treatment, predominantly Zyprexa, Epilim and Lithium (at high doses), ~30 hospitalisations.

2015: Back to cocktail of Zypreza, Epilim, Lithium and dealing with aftermath of injection

2016: Decided to withdraw from psychiatric drugs due to side effects.

2017: Withdrew from Zyprexa, Epilim and just placed on lithium (~1800mg)

2017, 2018: Multiple failed withdrawals from lithium and hospitalisations involving short term antipsychotic use.

2019: More failed lithium withdrawals resulting in hospitalisation

April 2019: Started seeing new psychiatrist who suggested replacing Lithium with Latuda, hospitalised within 5 days.

April to July: tapered lithium down to 600mg and new psychiatrist is supporting me to get off lithium completely.

Aug 25 2019: Discontinued Lithium, completely drug free. March 2020: Hospitalised, Abilify/Lithium for a short time. Drug free since July 2020.  February 2021: Hospitalised, Lithium 750mg

May 2022: Last dose of Abilify Depot, Lithium 1250 -> tapered to 750mg by July 2022.

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  • Moderator
8 hours ago, Rico said:

Hi all,

 

I am currently taking an Abilify depot, with my last injection on the 2/2/2023 having started the first depot on 5/1/2023.

 

I have ran out of lines in my signature to provide an update, so here it is:

 

2023: Hospitalised in January - Abilify Maintena (400mg), Lithium 900mg, tapered down to 500mg (18/2).

 

I don't want to take this drug anymore, but my psychiatrist told me yesterday that I have a "serious mental illness" and should stay on the depot. The next injection is due on 3/3/2023, and I am not sure if I want to take it or not.

 

Both the Abilify and Lithium have made me ill, especially the Abilify depot where I don't feel well for 5 or so days after the injection is administered. 

 

I would love to live a life without drugs, but I have the diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Affective Disorder hanging over me.

 

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Rico. 


Hi mate,

 

I would say never mind the diagnosis, plenty of time to quarrel with the bobble heads once you are stable.

 

Is your depot shot ordered?  The quack I was saddled with by my parents against my valid objections kept trying to get me on those, a la "you can have the large Coke for just $3 extra".

 

I only tried "abilify" for a week, interestingly the change was suggested and applied during a period of high stress with a violent and abusive neighbour who had fixated on me after realised I had called the cops on his wife bashing.  I would do the same again, she moved out the next day after my call and he found out, because I had discussed it with the other neighbours.

The "abilify" seemed helpful for a day or two because suddenly I had a lot more energy.  But when you are not safe in your own home, or at least feeling safe, more "activation" is not what you want.  I began having trouble sleeping, and had to come back off the drug.  Side note:  benzos had a paradoxical effect at that time.  I had a script for oxazepam for occasional anxiety, which worsened from them then!  I had been on risperodone before that, and went back on olanzapine after.

Any prescriber who supports changing drugs that were previously stable enough during crucial life stressors can take a long walk off a short pier, IMO.  Evidently they do not have your best interests at heart.

I moved away from that place and found a better community only a few miles away.  I would say that was a healing change, although I did suffer a few months of post traumatic stress after the move I was welcomed and supported.

 

Anyways, yep you need to find some measure of stability first I would say.  I cannot advise which drug might bring that about for a time, but it does not sound like the "abilify" is much good.
 

It also sounds like you might have unresolved trauma going on.  I would prioritise finding a sympathetic trauma informed clinical psychologist who you feel comfortable with.  When I sought that, I was supported through my taper as well.

 

I couldn't have got off the drugs without the trauma therapy, and I couldn't have done the trauma therapy without getting off the drugs.  Among many other things, as a consequence of the major childhood trouble being "set straight" in my organism, I no longer suffer generalised anxiety.  If am ever anxious now I can tell you exactly why!

 

Be well, brother.

Edited by hayduke

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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  • Moderator Emeritus
18 hours ago, Rico said:

I would love to live a life without drugs, but I have the diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Affective Disorder hanging over me.

 

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

 

 

It's unclear what you mean by you "have the diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Affective Disorder hanging over" you. If you define yourself as "Bipolar 1" (whatever that is), you likely will never get off these drugs. I had the same diag-nonsense, among other nonsense labels. Un-patienting yourself is a necessary part of coming off these drugs. If you think you are "mentally ill," there's nothing we can do for you here. If you think of yourself as someone who needs to learn better coping skills, then you'll be able to chart a path toward getting off these drugs and handling stressors without needing to be numbed down. 

 

While trauma can certainly play a role, other things can, too - have you been tested for any vitamin deficiencies such as low vitamin D or B12? You may also want to look into the Ketogenic diet, as going very low carb, high fat, and moderate protein has been effective for some people in regulating mood (see Dr. Chris Palmer's book Brain Energy). There are many paths to get off these drugs and live drug free, but for the past 7 years that you've been a member here, you've had a number of crisis states that lead to drug changes. Please note we have a very small staff here and as an online forum, are limited in what we can do. 

 

Rico, please re-read your thread. I know it's 15 webpages, but it may help to pinpoint places where you started, stopped, and then ended back on these drugs. At some point, your stress overwhelmed your coping skills. This is a repeated pattern. If you can break this pattern and learn better coping skills, work on your diet and any vitamin deficiencies, and deal with your traumas, you may find your mind/body strengthened to the point where you don't end up back on these drugs. 

 

Right now, you need to stabilize to the point where you're able to transfer from the injection to pills so you can eventually taper. And while you're in process of doing so, work on building up your coping skills and getting your body as healthy as possible. 

 

 

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Hi Shep,

 

Thanks for your reply. The Abilify injection that I have been on for 2 months is causing awful insomnia and making me feel terrible. I am not going to take another one of these injections. 

 

As for the lithium, I am on a very low dose which I will hold for a month or 2 before tapering. That causes me bad side effects too. 

 

I am so confused right now...do I have a Bipolar 1 diagnosis? Can I live drug free? I am so scared that I am going to crash and burn again if I stop medications, but I can't live with these awful side effects. 

 

I am interested in the non-drug coping techniques, and I have a psychologist who is willing to help me learn strategies for sitting with my feelings rather than run to medications and hospitals. I don't know...I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, not sure where to start. 

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Rico.

1997 - Diagnosed Bipolar 1 after stressful life events and hospitalised, discharged on multiple drugs.

1997 - 2014: Polypharmacy treatment, predominantly Zyprexa, Epilim and Lithium (at high doses), ~30 hospitalisations.

2015: Back to cocktail of Zypreza, Epilim, Lithium and dealing with aftermath of injection

2016: Decided to withdraw from psychiatric drugs due to side effects.

2017: Withdrew from Zyprexa, Epilim and just placed on lithium (~1800mg)

2017, 2018: Multiple failed withdrawals from lithium and hospitalisations involving short term antipsychotic use.

2019: More failed lithium withdrawals resulting in hospitalisation

April 2019: Started seeing new psychiatrist who suggested replacing Lithium with Latuda, hospitalised within 5 days.

April to July: tapered lithium down to 600mg and new psychiatrist is supporting me to get off lithium completely.

Aug 25 2019: Discontinued Lithium, completely drug free. March 2020: Hospitalised, Abilify/Lithium for a short time. Drug free since July 2020.  February 2021: Hospitalised, Lithium 750mg

May 2022: Last dose of Abilify Depot, Lithium 1250 -> tapered to 750mg by July 2022.

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  • Moderator
3 hours ago, Rico said:

I am so confused right now...do I have a Bipolar 1 diagnosis? Can I live drug free? I am so scared that I am going to crash and burn again if I stop medications, but I can't live with these awful side effects. 

 

I am interested in the non-drug coping techniques, and I have a psychologist who is willing to help me learn strategies for sitting with my feelings rather than run to medications and hospitals. I don't know...I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, not sure where to start. 

 

Things really changed when I read Your Drug May Be Your Problem.  Breggin is contentious on some thing but that book shook my mindset out of a ton of things brow beaten into me.

 

Why not browse the Mad In America web site for a start, and start making a list of interesting books that might be liberating for you to read?

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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