RayRay Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Hello my name is Ray. I've dealt with small battles of depression and anxiety since I was 17 never took any AD or went to doctor. Went thru some very tough times involving a condo foreclosure and being sued by home owner association. This was going on between 2010 - 2013. Started drinking heavily. Stopped in July 2013 that's when anxiety and depression hit me like a ton of bricks. My MD put me on Buspirone which didn't seem to do much. Then Xanax and Zoloft neither I took for more than 3 days. Decided to see a psychiatric nurse who prescribed 2.5 mg of Olanzapine and 30mg of Cymbalta. She wanted me to up dosage to 5mg and 60mg per day. I never upped dosage. It's been roughly 4 months now and I want to get off both. Have tried to stop cold turkey once didn't go well. Currently I am down to 1.25mg of olanzapine and 30mg of Cymbalta. Want to cut out the olanzapine. Told PN I was down to 1.25mg for 1 week she told me to just stop taking in 3 days. What a mistake major withdrawals. I went from being active after work 4 -5 times per week to barely being able to get up for work this last week. Decided to go back to 1.25mg per night for next 2 weeks then cut down from there. My goal is to be off both AD by end of summer. Any ideas or stories would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted March 10, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi Ray, Welcome and thank you for posting an introduction. We recommend only tapering one drug at a time, so its good that you are planning on coming off olanzapine (Zyprexa) first. Like all psychiatric drugs, this one needs to be tapered and we suggest 10% reductions every 4 - 6 weeks, depending on symptoms. Here is a link to our Zyprexa tapering topic: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3743-tips-for-tapering-off-zyprexa-olanzapine/?hl=olanzapine Please read through it carefully. You may need to hold longer than 2 weeks before making another cut, we suggest waiting until your nervous system has settled down and you have been symptom free for at least a week, its best to be guided by listening to your body rather than a date on the calendar. You will find a lot of friendly help and support here, if you put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature, members will find it easier to offer ideas and suggestions because your situation will be clear at the bottom of each post. Instructions for how to do that are here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ Petu I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 11, 2014 Administrator Share Posted March 11, 2014 Welcome, RayRay. Why did this psych nurse prescribe olanzapine? Did you have a bad reaction to Cymbalta? See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3743-tips-for-tapering-off-zyprexa-olanzapine/ This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
RayRay Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 She prescribed the olanzapine to help with my appetite and sleeping. I actually think it wasn't necessary. My appetite and sleeping were only an issue when my symptoms were acute. Depression and anxiety were quite new to me. It really scared me I actually took two weeks medical leave from work in early October 2013 to get some what of a grip on the situation. No I didn't have a bad reaction to the Cymbalta. Seemed to work fine. Some weight gain roughly 10 lbs and little issues with constipation. Not sure if this is the Olanzapine or Cymbalta. Both ADs were prescribed at the same time. Started taking 1.25mg of Olanzapine on Saturday 3/8. Sunday morning was night and day from prior week of quitting Olanzapine cold turkey. I could function fairly normal just a bit fatigued from prior week battling the withdrawals. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 12, 2014 Administrator Share Posted March 12, 2014 That's good to hear. Olanzapine is a very dangerous drug to prescribe just because. The psych nurse should have seen if Cymbalta alone got results before throwing in the antipsychotic. What you might want to do is stabilize on the olanzapine, then lower the Cymbalta. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-taper-the-antidepressant-first/ Cymbalta is an accelerator while olanzapine is a brake. Since sleep problems often occur when you go off an antidepressant, it might be helpful to have some olanzapine on board while you reduce the Cymbalta. One way to do it is reduce the Cymbalta part way, then reduce the olanzapine some more. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/283-tips-for-tapering-off-cymbalta-duloxetine/ This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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