Coming off Olanzapine

Stay strong Niemtin.

Today I ran a small mountain near my new home. It's only a 4-500mtr climb by road, the actual hill is only about 100mtr high but it is pretty steep. Anyway, I have started to use that as part of my physical and mental  training. Running and sprinting up hills is great for lower body strength. Having strongs legs is absolutely neccesary to standing on your own two feet. I have noticed almost immediately that when I walk on flat ground I have a real spring in my step again and i'm so much more faster and upright. Beside all that the view from the top is magical and I always spend a few minutes up there just taking in the view or even making a little video to share with friends on Facebook.

Be a successful story yourself to give others hope, that is possibly the best way to come off this drug. You have already done it for 8 months, next time aim for at least 12. If you have to go back on them then aim for 18 the time after that but never stop trying, that is what gives others hope. We will always be here by your side with you on this journey but we all have to stand on our own two feet. Each of us here knows how hard the others are doing it but we cannot live each others lives as we would forget our own and then fall by the wayside. We all have to stand side by side and move forward together, sharing, encouraging and listening but we each have to keep moving forward. If one of us falls the best thing the rest can do is keep moving forward and show the way to what is possible otherwise we would all fall over, such is this condition. The positive thing about being on medication is it teaches you to be strong, you have to be, the body alone has to withstand the daily attack of these toxic drugs and yes they are toxic even though they do help in some way but you have to combat the toxin as well as live your life and life with your illness. If you can do all that then you can do anything because you are strong, stronger than most. Keep going, inspire us.

Colin

Hi all, first excuse me for i dont know english well and try to say what i mean using the words i know. yes niemtin I think its because of olanzapine; It's probably 6 months I'm using this drug 5mg and I have used it a few short periods before this too. I had the experience of exactly being stupid some months ago but my expression of my problem has been changed during time. Can't think, can't decide, etc.

Hi. This discussion is old but reading it gives me courage. I am currently on Zyprexa 7.5 mg down from 30 mg 6 months ago after major psycotic episode with hospitalization. About to reduce to 5 mg. I also feel stupid and lack of ability to learn. But i keep pushing myself. My guess Zyprexa is working and lack of ability to learn is part of psychosis going into depression. I felt awful anxiety and depression when reduced from 15 to 10 but quickly moved on to 7.5 if i had to suffer better get more reduction. I demanded Wellbutrin for depression from my doctor. Now he is ok with it at 300. All symptoms are almost gone. Yey.

going from 5 to 2.5 sounds like heaven compared to 10 to 5,  im trying to reduce off 10, with a really bad head.   you are better off than me.

Hi Samano my husband had a pill cutter so i used that and the majority of the time it cuts the pill in half u just need to try and tweek it and sit it right so that it cuts it in half. U can buy them on ebay they are really cheap. Good on u for weaning yourself off i am embarking on doing the same thing.

 

Hi there. Thank you for what you shared. It gives me both courage & hope. I'm so pleased you have come off olanzapine successfully in terms of how you didn't experience an uncomfortable withdrawal. Like you, I was  a little surprised by all the posts here from people who unfortunately appeared to have a terrible time with this drug. There is a real apathy toward its use from many who have been prescribed this drug. It's refreshing to read some more balanced viewpoints in terms of what reducing this drug can be like from those who haven't experienced an adverse reaction. Not so nice for many people in this position but still I have some optimism now for the time perhaps later in my recovery when I'll be able to come off olanzapine if directed to do so by a Doctor. Interestingly, in a conversation with my siblings recently, both of whom are senior psychiatric nurses, I asked if long term use of olanzapine. They have a lot of experience and they replied that using olanzapine does not cause premature deaths, rather it's a person's lifestyle when using this drug that precipates all the problems that people perceive are caused by this medication. I know it can be dangerous in the elderly but I haven't looked back since I was first prescribed it 7 years ago. I take 20mg nightly and my mood has become increasingly stable. I have no desire or need to stop taking it as I really feel the benefits but it is inspiring to read a comment like yours which highlights that coming off olanzapine can be a painless experience for some. It is not an addictive drug in a chemical sense but its use must affect some people in a psychological or psycho-somatic way. 

Hi everyone, it's interesting how u felt more alive when coming off olanzipine i have always felt the same way when i took myself off olanzipine.

i have come off olanzipine cold turkey and the only side effect is i am not getting much sleep which is what always happens when i go off it and is the reason i normally go back on it

i will not be going back on it it gave me anxiety and i had depression and suicidal thoughts and it was destroying my soul. Since going off it and taking a different drug to treat my mild schizophrenia i have been happy and relaxed yay at last!

yes i hated the weight gain and i have lost weight and been keeping it off.

Good for u taking yourself off the drug i think it is an evil drug i was on it for about 20 years and it didn't even help me it just helped me sleep and not be hyperactive.

Hi dhrti,

 I too was on a very high dose of olanzapine. I n fact when I aproached my psychiatriist about my sleep problems he doubled my Olanzapine. What a fool. I ened up being a zombie during the day time. In fact it triggered diabetes due to to the high dose I was taking. I have since reduced my Olanzapine to 10mg, in the morning and 10 mg, at bedtime. I seem to tolerate this dosage. I truly want to get off it completely in the end. Slowly but surely I will succeed. I am also on divalproic acid and carbamazepine for my bipolar illness. I suffer mostly from mania. No serious depression anymore. I do stay up late at night viewing forums like this one. I just lack a lot of motivation to do every day things like doing the washing of clothes, washing sishes, eating prper meals, and hosecleaning. But I don't beat myself up over it. I realize it is part and poarcel of my bipolar illness and accept myself for who I am. I make lists, make a budget to live by and pretty well stick to it. I want to get my energy back and getting rid of the Olanzapine will do that. I am comfortable with the rest of the cocktail omeds I am on. I do suffer fro diahrea due to the number of meds I am on but I take homemade Bentonite Clay capsules to overcome that ... and it works wonders. As far as sleeping my shrink won't subscribe sleeping pills for me so I use an OTC med called NYTOL occasionally. It works wonders and is inexpensive... (only $8.50/CA) for 20 caplelets. I don't use them on a regular basis. Just when I can't get to sleep. Getting off the Olanzapine is my key goal. I want my diabetes to be totally under control. Olanzapine is hindering that.

MIKE o/a mjmdesk

Thanks for posting your experience Movingonwards! I worry for my son, but not so much now having read your post.  Very hopeful.  I wish you all the very best of health X

I take 30 mgs of olanzapine a day how do you even get side effects when you're not even taking a theraputic dosage.Who would prescribe that dosage and for sleep at that.They're not even sleeping pills they are for mood disorders and symptoms of schizophrenia.I dont even get sleepy at all from olanzipine thats why I take 500mg of Trazadone at night for that. I also take 100mgs of trazedone in the day when needed to help with my moods.

Hi Jeff, I have always struggled with lack of sleep every time i have tried going off this drug cold turkey and i have been trying to go off it ever since i was put on it about 20 years ago due to the weight gain and dullness.

So i have learnt now that i must slowly wean myself off as everyone here knows i just got desperate because i had this almost constant watery right eye and i wanted it to stop and sure enough i read online it causes it and it has decreased in frequency every time i have gone off it at least i know that it is not permanent damage thankfully do now i will take 2.5 mgs instead of 5mgs and hopefully the watery eye won't be as bad. It is an evil drug that too many doctors happily prescribe and would u believe my husband said that many doctors do prescribe it as a sedative because it does work it has always helped me sleep really well.

However i only had half to one hours sleep last night and i feel amazing i am not tired and i am calm and this is due to my amazing mediation chanting that i do every day and a healthy diet and supplements. Yes, I do eat treats each day but eat healthy food most of the time. Illness is due to a nutritional imbalance which can be corrected by healthy eating and supplements these day eating healthy is not sufficient because the soil doesn't contain the minerals and vitamins it used to so lots of people get deficiencies like for example magnesium and zinc. Magnesium is a great calmative mineral and good for sleep too.

I am currently investigating natural supplements to treat my schizophrenia with a naturopath because i don't like depending on drugs however, if i am not successfull i am not worried because my doctor has put me on an amazing drug just over a week ago that made me feel relaxed and happy so if i need to stay on it for the rest of my life i don't mind, olanzipine is the one i want to be free of.

What is this amazing drug?  I hope it has been tried and tested for years.

Olanzipine was not supposed to have withdrawal effects and it has only been recognised that it does recently. Why does it have such effect even when withdrawing from very low doses. Some would say homeopathic doses or others say placebo effect but I have rationally tried and tested withdrawal several times and know it is the effect of not having the drug in my system. So why such high doses for treatment. Perhaps the drug company should do more research but they are not interested in getting people on less or they stopping it all together. The experts  still say treatment is for at least two years and that was long enough to give me awful withdrawal symptoms. Some get off with very few withdrawal symptoms, why? Some get all the awful side effects and others get none . Is it dose related or is it how your body reacts? So many unanswered questions that is why I like to read these discussions. This provides the other side as these are real people trying to take control of their mental health not a statistic on a piece of paper.

Hi Matlor,

the name of the drug is Lamogine and my doctor put me on it because he said that he has found that it is really successful with many people and boy he was right! Before i went on it i was suicidal i was giving up i didn't enjoy or appreciate life which is not like me the olanzipine was not working and if anything was destroying me. Anyways enough of that i am back on 5mgs of olanzipine to my disappointment and in two weeks i will cut it down to 2.5mgs yay!

I sincerely hope this drug helps u matlor like it has me. Last year was a year of living hell for me but now life is wonderful.

The drug is actually called Lamotrigine, brand name Lamictal.  I take it too, and it is a great drug.  There are few side effects, at least so far.  it does make me feel better.  the effect was very powerful when I started taking it, but now has gone down. its a mood stabiliser, but doesnt make you dull or out of it. good for anxiety too.