Almost at the end of Olanzapine/Zyprexa!
Posted , 8 users are following.
I'm almost at the end of my taper off Olanzapine/Zyprexa. I'm so happy to have made it. I wanted to let others know that it is do-able. The key, I feel, is going slow. 
I originally was started on 10 mg of Zyprexa. I took it down to 5 mgs within 2 weeks and quit cold turkey at 8 weeks. Big mistake. I experienced a crashing depression that lasted about 3 months and then psychotic features were coming back that I think was a direct result of going cold turkey and not staying on the medication long enough for my thoughts to clear.
This time, I started tapering from 5 mgs in June 2015 Yes, I've taken 2.5 years to get here. Today, I am at .625 every 3 days. I cut a 5 mg tablet into 8 pieces. I just realized the other night that I am only taking 1 1/4 tablet PER MONTH!!! I can't believe it! I'm probably to a point now that I could stop but I want to keep pushing my days out. I want to do .625 everyt 4th day, 5th day and keep going until I am taking this tiny crumb once a week. That's when I plan to stop.
I have had only one problem and that was when I went under 2.5 mg/day, I experienced some depression. I was determined to press onward and felt it was just a withdrawal symptom. It passed in abou t 12 weeks and since then, I've been doing very well.
My sleep is not what it was before Zyprexa BUT I usually sleep a solid four hours before waking up having to go to the restroom and when I lay back down, I go right back to sleep for another 3/4 hours. I certainly do not feel sleep deprived.
I just want others to know that you can have a pretty good taper on Olanzapine...just go slow. I stayed at least 3 months, if not more, at my drops. I never dropped until I felt absolutely good at any one dosage. I also was honest with myself about going back on Olanzapine if the need ever arose. My husband and I were also on the same page about what symptoms were tolerable and which were not and would mean a return to the medication.
Tapering an antipsychotic is a journey, not a race. Go slow...let your body adjusts slowly between drops...and absolutely do not feel bad if you have to take a little more from time to time. A few times along this taper, I had to take a larger piece or went back up on my dose for a week or two. It was all about me feeling good through this taper, not a race to get off.
I will update as I drop further. I wasn't planning on telling my story. I think a lot of us with positive tapers don't post them on the internet as we are busy getting on with life. I believe that's why there are more scary stories. People are afraid or suffering and they get on the internet looking for help.
I decided to post my story at several places because I see so many that do have bad experiences tapering. Again, it is my firm belief that the slower the taper, the easier the taper.
I tapered going from 5 mgs to 2.5 mgs to 2.5 mgs every other day. Then, I went to 1.25 mg every day. Then, to .625 every day to .625 every other day to .625 every third day. Remember that I stayed at each drop at least 3 -4 months and stayed at my 2nd drop for about 8 months! I took me that long to feel really comfortable there. This is the KEY....slowly reducing, staying at those dosages for many months, listening to your body instead of forcing your body
Good luck to all who are tapering 
3 likes, 20 replies
lucy81799
Posted
Hi Everybody
I wanted to report that I am off Olanzapine/Zyprexa as of Feb 22, 2018.
So far, so good! I am sleeping like a baby...absolutely NO sleep problems! No anxiety. I have struggled with melancholy on and off all my life and I am still doing that but it's not deep depression. I'm just the same pessimist I've always been LOL
My emotions are back. I can cry again! I could not cry while on Olanzapine until I got down to very low doses. It really numbed my emotions.
I will try and report back here every so often and update as to how I'm doing. I am so happy to be off. It was a long road but worth the extra effort to go slow.
melvin11 lucy81799
Posted
Well done and congratulations on getting yourself clean! My psychiatrist laughed when I used that expression but I honestly believe my body is not clean while taking the misery pill.
My experiences seem to exactly mirror yours.
I had a breakdown, followed by 6 months of anxiety when I could not sleep. This led me into the arms of the mental health department.
Not only do I not agree with the diagnosis of late developing bi polar; but also I now feel completely over it. I still take a tiny crumb of Olanzapine before bed but doubt whether this could have much effect: once I have cut it up I take the smallest piece and roll it in my fingers till it’s about half the size of a peppercorn.
I did make two changes to get myself well. Since January 1 I have stopped skipping lunch and generally not eating well - I now have my “5 a day” by and large.
I have also gone back to sleeping au naturelle ( I no longer wake up feeling sweaty wearing pyjamas).
Since January 1 my sleep has been heavenly; I almost never need to get up for the rest room during the night. When I was poorly I sometimes had to get up as many as 6/7 times for a tinkle.
I guess that was pure anxiety, but could never understand where all the urine was coming from.
Also these days I am very busy.
I don’t have any time for introspection and worry. I honestly feel well and that I am over my problems.
So to summarise I may mirror you exactly. For now I suppose I will have to keep on with my daily crumb but one day I will be clean again and I thank you once more for providing the hope and inspiration to achieve that end.
Warm hug x
lucy81799 melvin11
Posted
Best wishes!
melvin11 lucy81799
Posted
I absolutely know I can make the jump and am aware that what I take is totally insignificant or as you put it not therapeutic. The trouble is that I am an honest man: once I deceived the mental health institution and was forced to admit to being a liar. That did not sit well with me. Hence I carry on with my crumbs, lol.
If I can be faulted it is fair to say that my personality is mildly arrogant. This is born of self confidence - a kind of imperiousness. I have made a great success from a very humble life and my main desire is to be a working class hero.
I have no time for those that use other people’s backs. My forefathers were miners and mostly died from siticosis ( sorry I have no idea how to spell miner’s lung disease ) and I am very proud of them all. Perhaps like you, I grew up when Britain was great - people worked and strived rather than scabbed and scrounged!
The work ethic endured - I had four jobs when my kids were young and still managed to keep a car running, all the diy and gardening. I still manage to work a full day but now it’s just for me! Oh yes I occasionally help my daughter and look after her child ( my future golf champion).
To come back to the point, I said to my MHN this week “ I feel great , like the illness is past “ when asked “are you taking the medication?” I was able to answer honestly “yes” because I never miss, ( albeit at a much reduced dose hush hush).
You represent the ultimate goal - freedom- physical purity- and knowing that it can be done warms my heart. Once I was impatient to be rid of this dreadful curse but now I see it in a much longer vein. My life is happy, fulfilled and worthwhile. There is much to get on with so my crumbs don’t really matter.
They do really because I believe that looking after our bodies is our first priority- we owe that to our maker. Nutrition, excercise and nurture; life is that simple.
God bless you; message me anytime you feel like it. xx
Trinah76 lucy81799
Posted
Hi Lucy,
Congratulations on your success and perseverance! My son has been on Olanzapine for about 6 months. When he left the hospital they had him on 30mgs day and I knew that was way too much. He also was taking 15 mgs if remeron. Immediately under Dr's care we reduced to 10mgs, 1 month, then 5mgs a month later and now 2.5 mgs with 7.5 remeron. He has gained over 50 lbs in this short time. He was very then before and it has been a drastic change. The reductions have been successful and I'm wanting to continue because the weight gain and sleep are overwhelming. I'm just so afraid of him returning to the difficult place he was in prior to us finding a stable place.