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how long does olanzapine withdrawal last?

Posted , 37 users are following.

jamesmilly
jamesmilly

Does anybody know roughly how long olanzapine withdrawal lasts?. I`ve been on it for three years for ocd like paraniod delutions and a genaral feeling of anxiety. at first it was wonderfull, helped me alot especialy with sleep. the problem was that i probably slept for too long (upwards of 14 hours each night) and did very little exercise. i lost all interest in hobbies that i had previosly enjoyed like gardening, cycling, and being close to nature. sometimes just a walk too the beach used to clear my head and when i was well i`d go to the beach or walk around the village everyday, but i just dont get the same satisfaction out of it anymore and generally stay at home, plus i dont have the confidence to go out because i feel people are wispering about me or taking the piss out of my weight or the way i look. i was an active 25 year old young man who enjoyed the simple things in life. now im 28, depressed everyday with health probems. i tapered the dose down gradually to 2.5mg and on on the 1st of march stoped completely and had six weeks of hell, nausia, insonia, anxiety.... it got to the point where i could`nt take it anymore and gave in and began taking it again but after three weeks of being drowzy all day decided to give it another go and i`ve not had any now for five weeks . im not sleeping well and cant eat very much either. the problem now is im a nevous wreck 24/7, im all sweaty and panicy just leaving the house for grocerys and i have bills to pay and jobs that need doing but just having a shower once a day is pretty much all i can manage. its got to the point now where im templed to take it just to get some good quality sleep for a few days, get my appitete back, and look presentable so i can go into town and sort my bills out but i keep telling myself to be strong and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. some poeple say it can take upto three months for your body to ajust, if anybody has had a similar experience olanzapine and managed to come off if and recover without swaping it for another drug please reply. would st johns wort or melatonin help for sleep? would apreciate any helpfull veiws or coments. thanks. james millington.

6 likes, 173 replies

173 Replies

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  • psychochief
    psychochief

    Posted

    hiya james cheesygrin

    sorry your having a rough time, but on a practical note, in the short term can you pay bills etc on-line until you feel better about being 'out and about'wink

    it strikes me you really do need to talk to your doctor about this rather than trying to self medicate with over the counter drugs, you say you don't want to swap for another drug but that's in effect what you would be doing by using st johns wort etc.

    if you dont mind me asking how does your ocd manifest itself and do you still suffer from it, one things for sure is that you are depressed and really do need help from a professional, don't try and 'go it alone' , your not being 'weak' by seeking help, your ill not weak wink

    cheers

    Ken~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ cheesygrin

    • cheeky87
      cheeky87 psychochief

      Posted

      there is a massive difference between st johns wort and olanazipine. just look up the side effect and all the problems that olanzapine causes. its like telling someone not to take an aneasthetic for an operation becuase its dangerous. i dont think you have ever been on an antii psycotic drug and suffered the withdrawal. do you work for the pharmacuetical compaies. 
    • bridget46879
      bridget46879 psychochief

      Posted

      St Johns wort is a natural remedy the other is a lethal anti psychotic cocktail of weight gaining, motivation zapping poison. Which would you prefer ?

      Just saying.

  • jonathan00039
    jonathan00039

    Posted

    Dear James,

    Hope you are now off the Olanzapine. I found Melatonin useful when I had some insomnia when I tried to come off my Olanzapine medication. I was on 2.5mg for years. Being on the smallest dose I erroneously thought I could just stop taking it. Apart from a bit of insomnia everything seemed ok. After over two months being off it I started getting terrible anxiety heart symptoms - thought I was going to have a heart attack all the time outside. It was very scary. When I finally realized what was going on I went back on the Olanzapine. I'm going to try to get off it again, but will be doing it very slowly. I would urge anybody contemplating to come off Olanzapine, to come off it very slowly, no matter what the dose is.

    Jon.

    • lloyd_28589
      lloyd_28589 jonathan00039

      Posted

      Hi Jonathan jus wondering how your going are you off Zyprexa ?? Im doing it tough going into my 3rd wk off Zyprexa but im determined to see it thru an come out the other side ok hopefully. Really hope you've been able to get thru the terrible Withdrawals this drug gives you.. Take care an best wishes for the future. Lloyd

    • Ash1234
      Ash1234 jonathan00039

      Posted

      hi. i was on 10mg for a yr then doc reduced it to 5mg. now im just on 2.5mg. doc says take it for one more month then come off it totally.the horror stories here are scary of people coming off olanzapine.

  • robina87
    robina87

    Posted

    hi james how are you managing on your olanzapine withdrawel. i found it really difficult and have had to go back on them. although i now dont take them everyday and i keep to the smallest ammount that handles my symptoms, the reason i wanted off them was because of all the weight i put on, nearly 5 stone and the pains in my body that they caused i was hardly able to walk because of sore feet and knees and legs. it was terrible, i stopped the first time,, as i'v had a few attempts at coming off them but always failed, anyway i stopped them dead the first time and within two weeks i was so ill i had to go back on them i was so suiicidal, then went straight back on them and i felt so much relief. then as i couldnt bear the body and weight gain i came off them again, this time i got a pill cutter i bought from the chemist and cut down to 2.5 a day as i was on a low dose anyway becuase my legs swelled up so bad when i was on 10 mg a day or twice a day, so i stuck to one a day for about a month, then i cut down to half a 2.5 a month but i think i came of them so quickly because i started to get really depressed again and what i do now is take 5mg then 2.5 mg for a few days untill i feel a bit better, then i stop again, so its off on again with me but i dont mind as long as im not on them every day i can cope and even the pain is less, thats why i can cope, i'v got so much going on at the moment and i willl try to come off them totally when i get everything else sorted out, i wish you all the best, keep in touch love to you alll,xx
  • robina87
    robina87

    Posted

    sorry i was just checking my post and i mentioned cutting down to 2.5 a month i meant to say a day.
  • matt72260
    matt72260 jamesmilly

    Edited

    Hi mate, I was taking 10mg of olanzapine a day for a year and I suddenly decided I didn't need it anymore. I stopped cold turkey. No major symptoms just a light headache. Its

    Mind over matter. Say I'm stronger than this and beat it. Go for a run, eat healthy and keep busy is the main thing and you'll sleep like a baby.

    • Ash1234
      Ash1234 matt72260

      Posted

      hi Matt. i was also taking 10mg a day for a year then doc reduced it to 5 and now im just on 2.5. did you experience any symptoms coming back ? its good you didnt feel withdrawal symptoms.hope i dont when i come off it totally too.

    • pablo91110
      pablo91110 matt72260

      Posted

      I have just stopped 20mg a day plus 150mg venlafaxine it's tough but I am very strong willed lìke you... I do feel some symptoms such as palpitations in my hands and having boundless energy thus being unable to sleep at all. I can and will beat this drug I've come off worse put it that way

  • hopper0683
    hopper0683 jamesmilly

    Posted

    I recently stopped taking olanzapine. I took a moderate dose for eight years. The withdrawal is awful, but I've found help and comfort in my friends. When I'm starving, but struggling to make myself swallow, my friend who knows how to make amazing food cooks for me something calorically dense yet easy to eat. When I'm too dizzy to walk, my friends let me brace myself on their shoulder. When I'm too confused to communicate they sit with me patiently while I try to find words. The symptoms aren't constant. I have episodes where certain symptoms are worse or better. During the good times I get as much done as I can. The rest of the time I rely on my friends. I know not everyone is as fortunate as I am in this regard. But if you have people in your life who love you, don't be afraid to tell them how you're doing and ask for support. I suspect my symptoms should start to fade in a few months. In the mean time, it's the long steady push. What I'm going through is exceptionally painful. It's embarrassing. It's emotionally strenuous. But I'm worth it. I'm worth fighting through this and getting to the other side, and so are you. Don't be afraid of how long it might take. After the sun sets, the dark and the cold can be overwhelming. There are things in the night that haunt us, and there is no glimmer of change in the dark to signal the coming day. But the sun always rises. Always. My advice to anyone, no matter what they are facing, is to steady on, be forward thinking, and remember that you are worth fighting for.

    • kristine58413
      kristine58413 hopper0683

      Posted

      Hi I have a question,I been withdrawing from zyprexa cold turkey from April of 2016,I got deathly ill and didn’t know what was happening to me,I didn’t sleep for months on end,had the most excruciating anxiety i ever had in my life,plus severe suicidal depression bad balance and coordination and very severe dizziness and tightness in my head ever day since,I did get days where it lifted and was more bearable,I get horrible fear esp when I walk outside,I was cold turkeyed from klonopin to 10 years ago and horribly suffered,I am currently stuck on a small dose of seroquel 37.5 msg,mirtazapine and small dose of tegretol,my question is,should I go back on zyprexa and retaper? If so how should I do it? I did take more zyprexa than what I was supposed to a year and a half ago,this is the worst wd ever had in my life,just as bad as klonopin wd maybe even worse! I need advice on what to do from here,every time I try to taper my other meds,it just gets worse,I feel stuck.😢😢😢

    • Patient
      Patient kristine58413

      Posted

      Hi kristine58413

      We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.

      If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. The Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.

      Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.

      If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.

      Kindest regards

      Patient

    • lloyd_28589
      lloyd_28589 kristine58413

      Posted

      Hi Kristine , how's things going for you? ? Are you off Zyprexa? ? Im currently off Zyprexa almost 3wks. Still hard symptoms aches an pains headaches an terrible insomnia. However i do get few hours a days where i can get reasonable relief from my Withdrawals. I hope each day I'll continue to improve. Best wishes an take care . Lloyd from Oz

    • lloyd_28589
      lloyd_28589 kristine58413

      Posted

      Hi Kristine, how are you going with your Zyprexa withdrawals etc ?? Im just into my 3rd wk off Zyprexa. My withdrawals are aches an pains headaches an terrible insomnia an Dizzy spells. Ive been taking Melatonin slow release tablets for past 4 nights without any effect yet. Im determined to see it thru if I can. Take care an best wishes for the future.. Lloyd
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