etownse: tapering Zyprexa / olanzapine

[etownse]

I am currently tapering off Olanzapine.  I have been in this process for a year or so.  My last drop was .015 grams.  This has been the roughest drop.  I’ve been at this dose for 3 weeks.  The last 2 weeks, I have had severe anxiety off and on and some depression.  I am not sure if I should reinstate or not.  If I do, I’m not sure what to go back to.  I am also on 40 mg of fluoxetine.

[etownse]

Help with Zyprexa tapering

 

I desperately need some advice on my recent tapering.

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[Kiasofia]

Welcome @etownse

How often have you been making reductions? By how much? What date was your last drop? Are you on 0.015 mg now? You wrote grams. So need to clarify.

 

Can you edit your signature so there is one line per year and add the information inn bold:

• 2018 Oct started Symbyax 6-25, 5 mg Klonopin as needed Nov Symbyax 6-50
• 2019 Jan changed to Symbyax 3-25, 40 mg Prozac,
• 2019 June switched to 2.5 mg. Zyprexa, 40 mg Prozac
• 2020 Jan began tapering 2.5 mg Zyprexa (how often and by how much)
• 2021  Zyprexa date/dose/date/dose/date/dose/ date of last reduction and mg Zyprexa, 40 mg. Prozac

 

How was the tapering going up until now? What withdrawal symptoms were you having?

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

When we have a few more details, we will be in a better position to offer support and suggestions.

 

This is your Introductory topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here!

 

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by Kiasofia

[ChessieCat]

Hi etownse and welcome to SA,

 

I moved the new Introduction topic to your existing topic.  Each member has only one Introduction topic.  Your Introduction topic is the best place to ask questions specific to your situation and where you can journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means that you do not have to repeat your story.  Please do not create a new Introduction topic.  Thank you.

 

Kiasofia has very recently responded to your first post.  Please answer the questions and change your drug signature as requested.

 

Direct link:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

[hayduke]

Hello @etownse.  Sorry you're being kicked around by this drug.  You're on a very low dosage.  How are you measuring that out?

 

Along with the other mods' requests for more detailed history on your olanzapine taper, what was your previous dose and how long were you at that dosage for?

 

I think in your position it would probably help to go up to something like 0.016mg and see if it improves in a few days.

 

[etownse]

My tapering has been going pretty well until now.  When I made the last drop, I was fine for a week and a half.  Then I started getting anxiety.  The third week the anxiety increased and some shakiness and panic occurred.  So far, I have only had one bad night of sleep.  

[etownse]

I am cutting, shaving the pill and weighing.  My dose before this was .016g.  I stayed at that dose for 2 weeks.

[Kiasofia]

Hi @etownse

 

I see @hayduke wrote mg and you wrote g. Are you on 0.015 grams of zyprexa (15mg) (I assume not) Is the how much the pill weighs maybe or did you mean to write mg? Please clarify.

 

In the last line of your signature: can you add the dates and dosages of the drops you have been making the last few months?

 

date/dose/ date/dose/ date/dose

[etownse]

The pill I’m weighing weighs .015 grams.

[hayduke]

Hello @etownse

 

The tablet weight is not the same as the mass of the active ingredient (i.e the drug)

 

What is the dosage size of each prescribed tablet?  10mg?  5mg?  It will say on the packet.

 

You will have to do some maths to work out how much of the actual drug you are taking.

 

From some previous notes of mine:  "Olanzapine RBX 2.5mg pill weighs 0.077g"

 

Therefore, with that tablet, a 0.077g pill contains 2.5mg of olanzapine.  The rest of the tablet is just filler and such.

 

So if you wanted to consume 1.5mgai (mg of active ingredient) you could work it out:

 

1.5 / 2.5 = 0.6     ... the proportion of your desired dose against the issued tablet dose

 

then 0.077 x 0.6 = .0462 - the same proportion applied to the mass of the issued tablet

 

So you would measure out 0.0462g to get 1.5mgai of olanzapine.

 

Of course this is just for example, but using that example you should be able to plug in your own variables and work out how much olanzapine you are presently consuming.

 

You may also wish to consider making a liquid suspension as many of us prefer. 

 

 

[etownse]

So I’m still confused on what to do.  The weight of my 2.5 mg pill now weighs .015g.  I have been taking this much since 10-15-21.  Things were fine at first.  After 2 weeks I started having a lot of anxiety.  At 3 weeks the anxiety started turning into panic.  Then I started getting some depression off and on.  I’m thinking I need to reinstate because I have been on this dose for 3 weeks and 4 days and withdrawal symptoms are not any better.  If you think I should reinstate, to what weight on the scale?

[Kiasofia]

How much does your pill weigh? Is it also 0.077g like @hayduke had? The general advice is to increase the dosage slightly, but not all the way back to where you last tapered from. At least not right away.

[etownse]

The 2.5 mg pill weighs .123g.  I’m currently at .015g

[hayduke]

pill weight of 0.123g = 2.5mgai

therefore 0.015g of pill mass / 0.123 = ~0.122mgai

 

@etownse please work through each of your cuts using that same maths as above and present the doses in your signature in mgai so we can all read it clearly.

 

0.122mg is a very low dose there.  Why don't you nudge yourself back up to about 0.15mgai and see if you feel better.

 

0.123g * 0.15 = 0.01845 g of tablet for 0.15mgai

 

 

[rainbow]

Hello Etownse.  Hope you are doing well.I read your case and became familiar with what you are takng in terms of psychiatric drugs. You are taking 40mg of fluoxetine. Right?

In your country, which is the minimum strength of fluoxetine you can get at hospital and/or pharmacy? Is it 20mg? I've been taking fluoxetine 20mg for a year and before this antidepressant I had taken paroxetine for 11 years  and the transition from this drug into the fluoxetine was crucial in the process of tapering off the antidepressant. Fluoxetine has a longer medium life action than paroxetine. If you can and feel like telling me, (as long as allowed by moderators), what your experience with fluoxetine has been go ahead. Kind regards. Rainbow.

[etownse]

Hi Hayduke.  Does my signature look better now?  If so, does reinstating at .154mg sound right?

[etownse]

Hi Rainbow.  What exactly do you want to know about the fluoxetine?

[rainbow]

Hi Etownse. I wonder if tapering off fluoexetine is less difficult than tapering off paroxetine. I guess it is easier to taper off the fluoxetine. What do you think? Do you agree?

 

Kind regards,

 

Rainbow.

[etownse]

Hi Rainbow.  I have never taken peroxitine.  I did taper off fluoxetine when I was pregnant many years ago.  I am now on it again.  I don’t remember having that rough of a time.  😃

[Kiasofia]

To make sure a person sees your post write @ and then start typing their username so it becomes blue like this @hayduke

 

"Does reinstating at .154mg sound right?"

[etownse]

@KiasofiaHow do I go back and fix it so he can see it?

[hayduke]

6 hours ago, etownse said:

Hi Hayduke.  Does my signature look better now?  If so, does reinstating at .154mg sound right?

 

Yes, nicely done thank you @etownse

 

Try something like that and see how you feel in a week.

 

Also have a look at http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/ for ideas on more comfort.