Coming off Olanzapine

I'm curious, but don't want to intrude. Would you be happy telling me how old your dad is and why he's on this drug?

Hi, I have a suggestion this is what my doctor did she put me onto sodium valproate which is a much gentler and easier drug to get off than olanzipine and i was able to go off the olanzipine easily i was off it for about a month and then went back onto it. Sodium valproate is a mood balancer and is good for that or another great one that I am on is Lamogine which is also a good mood balancer, Lamogine is actually better than Sodium Valproate. U could look at the side effects of both i found when i was just on the Lamogine that the only side effect I suffered from was nausea sometimes. However, since going back on olanzipine i am noticing some drug interacting side effects like nausea and a hangover effect when i take the lamogine in the morning i find exercise really helps like power walking or bikeriding. If u put your dad on one of these drugs they will treat his bipolar and allow him to safely reduce the olanzipine. I am doing great on the lamogine it has given me my motivation and drive to live back gain. Olanzipine is an evil drug. I have decreased my dosage to 2.5mg as of last night thanx to a natural supplement called L-tryptophan which Alison recommended she has really helped me by mentioning this it is a natural nerve relaxer and helps with sleeplessness which is what i was struggling with. I am still only getting 4 and a half hours sleep but that is much better than a half hour to an hour or no sleep. I am managing well on 4 and a half hours sleep.

Good luck i wish u well and u can do this!

I also had terrible anxiety when dropping from 5 mg to 2.5 mg.  I found alternating doses before dropping was very useful as suggested by the drug company to me.  For example 5mg one night and then 2.5mg the next and then 5 mg the next for a few weeks before leveling at 2.5mg.  Do not skip doses as this messes badly with the drug levels.  Better to take something everynight.  This is advice from the drug company and pharmacist.  Talk to your pharmacist too. They have a great handle on these things.

 it took me a year and a half to get back on citalopram an anti depressant.  This way you can also see if there are any differences in your dads behaviour at lower levels.

I mean it took me ages to get off citalopram. Now I am faced with reducing an anti anxiety clonazepam.  But at least I have prior knowledge under my belt.  The psychiatrist said will take a month reducing a quarter a week but he is dreaming I tried first quarter last week and left me a crying mess!. This is called reduction syndrome or rebounding I am not sure which.

Hi Marbel, it's so nice to hear from u, thanx for the advice about alternating 5mgs one night with 2.5mgs and to not miss a night i must admit i have found in the past when it was taking it regularly that to miss one night was fine but that was when i was on 5mgs or 10mgs a night. So with the lower dosage i will do alternate. I can't wait to reduce it again because i am getting terrible interactions with my two drugs dizziness and nausea it's horrible exercise helps. I just can't wait to get off this evil drug but, i realise fully that i have to do it slowly.

It is called  rebound effect i spoke to my doctor two days ago and that's what he says happens.

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied to my original post.

I think the key thing I've took from this is to definitely try lower the dosage, but in a very gradual manner. I think we're going to try alternate between 5mg and 2.5mg every other night and if he feels more anxious/panicked then take the required amount. We do have the doctors next week so I will discuss it with them also.

Just to give further insight, he combines Olanzapine with Depakote. I dont know if anyone else in this discusssion has experienced that combination?

Do you think a gradual drop in both drugs would be best or just the olanzapine. I cant find as much detail on depakote, but I believe it to be more a of a sedative rather than a antipsychotic drug.

Once again thanks for your help and I will be sure to share this information with my dad. I wish you all well in your own circumstances too.

 

Hi scottishlad, I would suggest trying reducing the depakote as well and see how he goes he might be ok to do that.

I am taking 2 L-trytophan a natural amino acid 3 times a day half an hour before each meal with juice and i take 2 or them just before i go to bed.

It is amazing! I am so glad Alison mentioned it, helps with the nerotansmitters in the brain and encourages production of serotonin which makes u feel good and relaxes u. As a result of this i am not experiencing any withdrawal symptoms from olanzipine anymore or side effects from starting on it, i was experiencing horrible morning drowsiness to begin with but it has gone since regularly taking L-tryptophan. Yay! I have also halved my dosage of olanzipine as of two nights ago and i feel great!

All the best your dad can do this like many of us are doing it.

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Hi I am in a similar situation to you.My husband has been on Olanzapine and venlafaxine for 2 years.He is now down to 2.5mg Olanzapine but is still very zoned out.He cannot hold a conversation for long,takes a long time to realise what is being said and would sleep all day if I would let him.I would love to get my husband back but feel these drugs have taken over. He was a postie and a volunteer fireman so a very active man until he became ill. He has now been diagnosed with Lyme Disease.Hope your father is coping well now as I see its 4 months since your post.

You have my sympathy Flora, though I have no comfort to offer to anyone on this site. I saw a dear friend's health - physical as well as mental - wrecked over the course of a year or so by a whole succession of anti-psychotics, all of them prescribed at maximum dosage by uncomprehending GPs, and culminating in olanzapine. To tell the truth, I think olanzapine was the least toxic of them all, but that's not saying a lot. She was 79 when all this over-prescription started. She died three weeks ago, her hands grotesquely swollen and useless as a result of the side-effects, and her health completely destroyed. At least she's at peace now.

I know some people do benefit from this class of drugs, but I could wish that doctors would reserve them only for cases where nothing else has worked, rather than dishing them out at the drop of a hat.

Lily I am so sorry to hear about your friends experiences and subsequent death.  It is too tragic to comprehend.

I am so sorry for you both

much sympathy Marbel

I recommend using a very sensitive digital scale to measure out partial doses of the medication.  I use a scale called the gemini 20, bought on amazon.  it is a bit annoying, as the accuracy can change day by day.  but it measures down to very tiny amounts.  instead of repeatedly lowering then raising your does everyday, which might confuse your system a bit, you should measure out a dose between 2.5 and 5 mg, and then slowly reduce it with the scale. weigihng can be annoying, but you could even just split a 2.5 mg in half with a pill cutter.

That's great Colette. Yes, i have successfully halved my dosage from 5mgs of olanzipine to 2.5mgs and L-trytophan is a miracle supplement that Alison put me on to on one of the other discussions. It's brilliant it helps me sleep and my mood is balanced. L-trytophan encourages the production of serotonin and works on the nerotransmitters in the brain.

Good luck!