LaurensOn: trying to get off Zyprexa, in need of some help

[LaurensOn]

Hello, My name is Lauren and I am trying to get off Zyprexa. This week was my third time attempting. This is the third time that I failed, too.

 

I was prescribed 5 mg of Zyprexa one year ago this month for bad anxiety. It worked instantaneously. Within a month, I didn't fit into my clothes anymore, which was okay with me at the time because this drug was to be "temporary". I wanted to see if I could take the lowest dose possible and still have it have a therapeutic effect so I started taking half a couple months after being originally prescribed, so i went from 5 mg per night to 2.5 mg per night. So, for the majority of this year I have been on 2.5 mg per night. There were no symptoms of withdrawal when I reduced my dose from 5 to 2.5, it was seamless.

 

The dr. tried switching me to a different med that didn't cause weight gain. He put me on Geodon and after 3 weeks of taking that I felt awful. Overly charged and agitated, sleeplessness, restless body. So, I stopped Geodon and went back on Zyprexa. Soon after that, I tried cutting my zyprexa in half to try to get off of it. I wasn't taking accurate cuts so I know I was getting different dosages each night. I felt funky after a few days of doing this so I went back to taking it regularly. I couldn't quite completely recover from the Geodon incident and felt depressed, so I started on a low dose of Effexor (75 mg). I also thought that it would help me be able to get off the Zyprexa because I'd have a back up.

 

A couple months later I tried again. This time I tried taking it only every other night instead of every night. after 3 days I felt funky so I went back to taking it regularly again.

 

This week, I tried that same method once again. I lasted one week of feeling completely normal until yesterday i started feeling funky again. A little nauseated, agitated, nervous, and floaty. So, once again, I am going to go back to taking it regularly because with the holiday this week I do need to be "on". 

 

Am I feeling withdrawal, or am I just not well without the zyprexa? I know if I can't answer that I guess no one else really can. I'm so lost right now. I feel like a prisoner to this medication. I've gained 25 lbs in a year and still gaining. I developed high cholesterol since taking this medicine. I am fatigued daily because it is sedative. I want my normal life back!

 

I'm so fearful I'll never be able to be free of zyprexa. Taking it every other day isn't working. I read that the recommended taper is 10%, and I'm all for that but how the heck do you get an accurate dosage with a pill? Especially this one, it's not flat and round, and kind of round all over and it's already a very small pill.

 

Thanks for reading and any help is so appreciated. 

Lauren

 

 

[Meimeiquest]

Hi Lauren,

 

Thanks for writing it ALL out. I will let you and the mods sort out the Effexor issue. I'm paranoid about that because when I took away Zyprexs, my AD made me sort of manic. But that was how I ended up in Zyprexa in the first place, when another AD made me manic.

 

You are right, the issue of that hard little round pill is the trick. I just quarterd it, which is not the right answer. My concern is that the product info says it is moisture sensitive. Probably you could order a simple mortar and pestle, like from Amazon, and make a solution and take the appropriate portion quickly. But I'm not 100% sure. You could try doing that with the whole pill for a few days and see if you feel the same. This would be most consistent with this forum's principles. The manufacturer may be able to give you guidance on how stable Zyprexa would be in that situation.

 

Or you could have it compounded at a compounding pharmacy. I tried to restart therapy at a low dose that way, but it was SO sedating. Now I realize it was maybe partly because the medium, methyl cellulose, slowed the drug's absorption. With Zyprexa, that is not a good thing. But I am sure there are other mediums. This would be the easiest, most expensive method.

 

A less reliable method, one I'm using with another drug, would be to pulverize the tablet, dump the powder and scrapings from the mortar, out onto a paper folded and opened so it is creased. Then divide the powder out into 10 empty capsules as evenly as you can, using the fold to slide the last little bits in. Then each capsule is 10% of your starting dose. Actually, it is pretty easy, but not as accurate.

 

Weighing is the other option I can think of. But I am not up for all that work myself.

 

I hope that gives you some ideas...let us know as your plan progresses. In a matter of days I will have been off a year, and I never think of whether I might need it. I call those years the Zyprexa Bubble...good to have them over with!

[LaurensOn]

Hi again, Thank you!

 

No matter what method I choose it seems like it's going to be a pain in the neck and time consuming. 

What method did you use to get off Zyprexa? I won't copy it, just nice to hear someone's back story. Did you experience bad withdrawal from it?

 

I'm confused, because I went from 5 mg to 2.5 mg with no problem at all...

[mammaP]

Hi Lauren, welcome to SA. I'm sorry you are in this predicament with zyprexa.  

Are you thinking of tapering the effexor too?  This is a bit too complex for me

I'm afraid, but Alto or one of the other mods will be along and be able to help.

 

It would be good if you could put your meds history in your signature line, that

will appear at the bottom of all your posts and make it easier to advise you. 

Here's how to do that. 

 

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

 

Here's the topic for tapering effexor 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tips-for-tapering-off-effexor-and-effexor-xr-venlafaxine/

And here is the link to our benzo forum 

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

[mammaP]

I apologise Lauren, I've just looked up Zyprexa and it isn't a benzodiazepine. 

I should have looked it up before posting.  ! 

[LaurensOn]

Hi mammaP,

 

Thanks for help. I did put my med history in my signature, is it not showing up or is it not in detail enough? I can add more to it if that be the case.

 

No, I'm not looking to taper off of the effexor at this time...just the Zyprexa.

 

I'm going to read through the links you posted. Also, just looked at my signature and I left out the klonopin that I take. I have to add that in. 

[LaurensOn]

Oh, no worries, mammaP! 

[mammaP]

Yes your signature is there no, thank you for that. 

[mammaP]

Let's start again, I've switched on my brain and re-read your first post. 

I would say that you are definitely suffering withdrawal and not ill because

you need the zyprexa! You need to be consistent with doses, skipping 

days is not a method we recommend. Effexor can also cause side effects

that could be making you very tired, it had that effect on me. 

Stay on the dose you are at to stabilise, then when you are feeling stable again

you can start to taper. 

 

Hope this is a bit more helpful than my previous 'switched off' 'posts, lol. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, LaurensOn.

 

So, you started out with anxiety and now you're on an antipsychotic plus an antidepressant?

 

This is unfortunate because non-drug treatments, such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and meditation have been show to be quite effective for anxiety.

 

Antipsychotics are really inappropriate for anxiety; the American Psychiatric Association has just released guidelines about this http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2013/09/apa_releases_guidelines_on_cut.html

 

All the antipsychotics cause metabolic problems.

 

Is your doctor a GP? He or she may not be very familiar with psychiatric drugs.

 

Effexor could be a problem because common side effects are nervousness, anxiety, and sleeplessness. When you reduce Zyprexa, which is sedating, you might unleash the Effexor side effects. This is why we recommend reducing the antidepressant first.

 

It's possible the "depression" for which you're taking Effexor is a side effect of Zyprexa and its adverse effects on your metabolism. You see, these drugs make their own gravy!

 

What you might want to do is taper the Zyprexa part way http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3743-tips-for-tapering-off-zyprexa-olanzapine/

 

then taper the Effexor part way, then finish the Zyprexa taper, then the Effexor taper.

[LaurensOn]

Hello and thank you everyone!Yes, it is quite unfortunate that I ended up on Zyprexa for anxiety. And the article you shared is quite disturbing! But at the time, I was so bad, I think the Dr. just wanted to help me immediately. I had no idea what it was and when I asked he told me it was just a tranquilizer. I felt better hours later, although groggy and in and out of sleep, so of course I filled the prescription and continued to take it. I was in a dark place and wanted my life back. The zoloft just wasn't doing anything and neither was the klonopin anymore. 

 

I'm fearful right now. I'm scared to stay on meds, scared to go off meds. It's a really confusing and scary place to be when dealing with this. i just want to make the right decision and not go backwards and spiral down. I really appreciate all the volunteer work this team does to help people on this forum.

 

I want to stay on the effexor, for now. I'm too nervous to taper off everything. Just for now. Within about 4 weeks of taking the effexor I was social again and the depression lifted. I've felt great since August now. 

 

I'm so scared that I'll never get off Zyprexa and really pray that the feelings I experienced are withdrawal feelings and not that I'm just not well underneath the med. 

 

Thanks for the zyprexa tapering link. The pills are so darn small and round. how do I get even cuts and dosages?

[mammaP]

You could crush the pill and make it into a liquid, or ask your doctor for the orally dissolving 

tablets which will dissolve in liquid and not need crushing. Wafers are also available which 

could be cut up. Liquid would be most accurate. It's all explained in the tapering olanzapine thread.

It does seem very daunting but is pretty  accurate and kinder to the CNS, well worth the effort it takes.

[LaurensOn]

What is the CNS?

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Shorthand for 'central nervous system'. Cheers!

[LaurensOn]

Oh I see!Is damage to the central nervous system the main thing one should be trying to avoid when tapering off medications? Is it common? Reversible? 

 

I feel like that is why I'm like this now, I feel as though maybe I've damaged mine enough that I'm no longer well. Does that make sense.

[Laqiya]

Hi LaurensOn,

 

I'm sorry to hear you are not feeling well. I hope you feel better soon.

 

I think the answers to your questions can be found elsewhere in this forum. It's a lot to take in.

 

 Wishing you the very best on your taper.

 

Take care <3

 

[Petunia]

Is damage to the central nervous system the main thing one should be trying to avoid when tapering off medications? Is it common? Reversible? 

 

 

Yes, this is the idea, to support the nervous system by tapering very slowly, so as not to destabilize it, which causes withdrawal symptoms, this topic will explain it better:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

[LaurensOn]

Thanks for your well wishes, Laqiya.

 

Petu, Thanks for the info. I went back on my regular dosage of medication so that I could stabilize.

 

It's been two days and I still feel off.

 

I'm so fearful I've done some significant damage by kind of shocking my body with the wrong type of tapering. (taking my medicine one night, not the next, etc)

 

Now, I have to go through the holidays not feeling right. Usually I look forward to this, now I am dreading it. And, I have two sons, 12 and 9, that I have to fake jolly for.

[Altostrata]

You'll be okay, Lauren. Just give it time, and don't be too hard on yourself.

[LaurensOn]

Thanks, Alto. I appreciate that.

I feel fine now, totally stabilized. Now to do this the right way ????

[mammaP]

Glad you feel better Lauren, that is great news, long may it continue.   

[rupa]

LaurensOn

How are you?

I am about to taper olanzapine.

Please let me know ,if you tapered zyprexa successfully.

Thank you.