sumit153: Olanzapine withdrawal

[sumit153]

Hello @Altostrata,

 

I was suffered from depression 4 years back. I took Paxil 12.5 evening and morning for 10 months. then i stopped it and after 2 months suffered from withdrawals. and i am completely cured after enduring withdrawals for 10 months.

 

In the last year August 2020, I suffered from fearfulness. For the last 10 months i am taking 20 mg olanzapine. Now i do not have any fearfulness. My family Mother Father and my friends are supporting for making the dose to 10m mg. I went to a new psychatrist and took suggestion and he observe the fearfulness is completely cured now. I think about medicines all the time. The new psychatrist made my dose to 10 mg. He has given me a new tablet also along with 10 mg olanzapine. Doctor told 60% people recovered from 3 to 6 months. Doctor advise me

 

1. Olanzapine 10 mg one time evening
2. sleeping and waking up should be in routine
3. Do exercise regularly
4. avoid sleeping in day
5. Take Juice and fruit

 

I drive and 9 am to 5 pm i go to office and i do not have any issue. My family and my colleague are supporting me to follow the above advice sr no 1 to 5

My age is 32 years old. I am fit and fine. Kindly seriously advice me should i follow step 1 to 5. Should i accept the advice of my family, friends and doctors (MBBS, MD psychiatry). Doctor told me that i can completely stop the medicine. Doctor make the dose 10 mg from 20 mg and given me one more new medicine. Kindly read all above details seriously and advise me, Should i follow expert doctor, family and friends suggestion. Thanks

Edited August 24, 2021 by manymoretodays
removed personal information, full name and location

[manymoretodays]

Hi sumit153,

I removed your personal information from your post above to preserve your privacy.

 

8 hours ago, sumit153 said:

I took Paxil 12.5 evening and morning for 10 months. then i stopped it and after 2 months suffered from withdrawals. and i am completely cured after enduring withdrawals for 10 months.

 

When did stop Paxil?  Please give the year, and spell out the month.  That's the first I've seen of Paxil mentioned. 

 

I've looked at all your posts sumit153.

You arrived here less than a month ago, with concerns around your medication side effects.

And 2 weeks after you discontinued clonazepam from a starting dose of 3 mg

 

Sounds like you were given maximum medication to deal with the withdrawal to me.

 

20 mg of olanzapine!!!  That's alot.  Along with 3 mg of clonazepam!!!! 

For fearfulness, or often called anxiety. 

Oh sumit, you were probably in WD from the Paxil.

 

Please see:

What is withdrawal syndrome?

Also review:

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

This site exists because doctors are unaware of the greater safety of gradual dosage reduction, usually advise tapers that are too fast, do not sufficiently recognize withdrawal syndrome, and do not know what to do if it occurs.

 

According to the medical journal literature on antidepressant withdrawal syndrome, anyone who has been taking a drug for a month or more is at risk.

 

The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs. While it is not a guarantee you will have trouble-free withdrawal, we believe this conservative tapering method will cause harm to the fewest number of people.

 

WHAT ARE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS?

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist (PDF)

 

Is it withdrawal or relapse? Or something else?

 

Delayed onset of withdrawal symptoms 

 

Anyway, if you ever would like to take a safer approach to tapering, why don't you let us know then.  None of us are going to endorse  a 50% taper of olanzapine or 25% taper now.  And help you continue with successive medications. 

It's also difficult to follow your information and you don't always attend to questions asked.

 

8 hours ago, sumit153 said:

Doctor told me that i can completely stop the medicine. Doctor make the dose 10 mg from 20 mg and given me one more new medicine.

 

Yes, the doctor will be glad to keep you medicated forever sumit153. 

 

Also, you don't need to tag, or post to the site founder, and one of the leading withdrawal experts.  That would be Altostrata.  Please have a little consideration.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

I'm just not sure if you are a good fit here sumit153.

Sorry.

 

mmt

 

And edited in, as I feel like such a meanie.  sumit153, if you were doing okay with the 15 mg olanzapine, and no other drugs........if it were me, I would hold there.  Review the olanzapine tapering topic as well.  I might work to do a smaller reduction, soon. 10%  of 15 mg would be a dose of 13.5 mg.   This would require you to understand and carry out tapering using non-standard doses.   As well as keep track of any new symptoms arising, that are due to WD.  We do have moderators and members who would be happy to help you with this.  We just want you to be safe buddy.

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by manymoretodays

[Altostrata]

@sumit153 did you read this? Tips for tapering off olanzapine

 

This site exists because people cannot get advice about tapering psychiatric drugs from their doctors. We cannot tell you whether to follow your doctor's advice or go off the drug. You will have to make that decision yourself.

 

Please let us know if you have questions after you read Tips for tapering off olanzapine

[rubywednesday]

@sumit153hi and welcome to SA.  I'm in the process of tapering off olanzapine and duloxetine, antidepressant. I'm finding it much harder to taper off the olanzapine than the duloxetine, I alternative the reductions.  I lie through my teeth to the doctors so I can keep getting my prescription, today the doctor prescribed different doses for alternate days of my antidepressant, crazy if you ask me but I didn't argue as I got enough of the medication for my taper.  Last year my doctor gave me a fast taper off quetiapine, the withdrawals were awful but it made me realise doctors haven't a clue when it comes to discontinuation syndrome.  Only you can decide the way forward, I wish you well in your journey and keep reading/researching.

 

Ruby x

[sumit153]

Hi @Altostrata,

 

I take 15 mg olanzapine daily. I want to taper it but I cannot get low strength tablets. Can I taper 15 mg olanzapine to dust. The problem is small reduction will lead to big medicine decrease in 15 mg tablet. Please suggest what should I do?

[ChessieCat]

Post #1 of this topic explains the various ways to get non standard doses:

 

tips-for-tapering-off-zyprexa-olanzapine

 

[sumit153]

Is tapering of heavy dose tablet to dust is possible without getting low strength tablets.

[Hopela]

5 hours ago, sumit153 said:

Is tapering of heavy dose tablet to dust is possible without getting low strength tablets.

Yes. Crush the tablet, then ideally either weigh it with precision scale or create a large volume suspension so that you can take fractions of it. Failing that you can create thin lines of crushed powder with a ruler and then take for example one tenth of it's length off (best to do with successive halvings of line due to uneven line thickness, thick in the middle and narrow at the ends, so removing 1/8 th by halving it 3 times can be a goal). Failing that you can cut the pill in half with a pill cutter, then cut off from one of the halfcircles for example one fifth, do not attempt it with a knife and be on the look out for brands with large diameter and flatter surfaces so the pill cutter can cut 1/5 th somewhat correctly. The latter methods may be too unprecise but are easy ways to get started. Receptor occupancy is less sensitive to small day to day variations at larger doses. You will have a long time before you need to condsider the benefits of a 2.5 mg tablet in the last stages, maybe you can get those later? The same goes with investing in a precision scale or wrapping your head around suspensions. If that seems impossible then the less precise methods can be a way to lower dosage. Your choice, just avoid cold turkeys and halvings (!) at all cost due to perceived complexity.