How to taper off or go cold turkey but with memory problems
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hello,
I have been taking olanzapine inconsistently for about a year and a half, once every 4 to 10 days. I'm pretty sure that these gaps in between taking it has likely lead to some withdrawal symptoms by themselves, so I believe that I am already and have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms. At this point I am also beginning to build tolerance, since I am not sleeping as much as I used to on this drug.
I chose to take it primarily to help with insomnia and found that days in between taking it I would be able to get good amounts of sleep. I also saw this as a way to minimize the effects of weight gain and cognitive impairment. I now recognize the severe mistake I made in taking it not as directed, and using it for an off label use.
The insomnia I was dealing with before taking this drug made me develop minor memory problems. nothing too bad that would ruin my social welfare and endanger my life goals, social life, and future but the olanzapine only has helped to intensify my existing memory problems. If I choose to taper slowly over months, I believe my memory will continue to get worse. I will probably become disabled. My memory is already severe to the point to where I struggle to keep up with any conversation.
If I attempt to quit olanzapine too my memory gets worse, it gets worse when I don't sleep and my mind starts to shut down. Either way I choose to go things are going to get bad. If I go cold turkey that would mean very intense pain, taking nausea and headache meds and being unable to live properly doing nothing for possibly up to a year until it goes away.
If I quit maybe 6 months ago I would probably been able to bear the brunt of withdrawal symptoms by treating my nausea, but now that is not the case as I said.
Does withdrawal itself make memory worse, has anyone experienced memory problems when withdrawing? Is there any kind of supplement I can use, anything that can be done to prevent the memory problems from worsening, because if I can’t do anything about it my immediate future is pretty much done. I need help and advice. What should be the best way to go about this?
0 likes, 12 replies
jiri70005 jose63026
Edited
Nobody knows the answers to these questions, I'm afraid.
What dose of olanzapine you were on?
Maybe start taking olanzapine daily as prescribed and then tapper off slowly?
jose63026 jiri70005
Edited
My current dose is and has been 10mg.
After speaking with Mark Dunn from Quora, it seems like the best course of action with my unique case is to see a professional who has experience with antipsychotic withdrawal. I will taper slowly by decreasing the dose over months, still taking it at the times I normally take it. Since the memory problems are due largely in part to my previous insomnia, I want to try a cross taper with certain sleep aids but not without the help of a professional to guide me through it. There is a lot of neuroscience involved, and taking the wrong drugs could result in a bad effect.
jiri70005 jose63026
Edited
I'm afraid that finding a "professional who has experience with antipsychotic withdrawal" might be a challenge.
Psychiatrists are good at putting you on meds but clueless about withdrawals and tapering off.
jose63026 johnnoBT
Edited
Alright, as an update I have become so tolerant to olanzapine that 10mg will not put me to sleep anymore. Inconsistently tapering too, I don't sleep in the inbetween days either of doses anymore. This is a massive problem as at this point most of my memory problems are sleep induced, and that they have gotten extremely severe. I planned start taking it consistently and then tapering down consistently to get more sleep again since inconsistent dosage has not given me the sleep I need, but it seems like if I do that at this point I would now be netting memory problems from olanzapine AND insomnia. Should I increase my dose to start getting better sleep?
jiri70005 jose63026
Posted
I'd not increase your dose. It would be just matter of time before you would become tolerant to the higher dose too.
jose63026 jiri70005
Posted
Thanks for the help, I won't increase the dose. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place and my options are slim. I will continue to take olanzapine consistently for a bit, to see if doing so would give me some sleep. For anyone who has tapered down slowly, have they experienced worsened sleep due to tolerance?
jose63026 jiri70005
Posted
About the doctors though, there is a list of recommended ones on the surviving antidepressants website. I will call, email as many of them as I can, see if they can help me to try to start a cross taper. My current psych though is really careless about my situation and pretty much lets me take most anything I request. I have told him that I need to taper down the drug and he has given me prescriptions of 5mg and 2.5mg to help.
AC3950 jiri70005
Posted
you are absolutely right I have been researching on my own and I found a recent paper on withdrawing from antipsychotics written in the UK. I think doctors here in the US especially from Kaiser all group have no experience whatsoever there is zero guidance and you are practically on your own. I'm a caretaker for my son who has been trying to get off of zyprexa for several months. has been on it inconsistently for 2 years he was at a 10mg early on then almost immediately went to 5mg He tried stopping it after being at 2.5 for three months he went into psychosis. I wish I could publish the paper and the entire article.
AC3950 jose63026
Posted
in my research and experience watching my son these last few months of trying to withdraw. I know that a good diet helps detox from medication and helps your body restore. take supplements fish oil especially I am no doctor but also evening primrose oil helped with sleeping better. I know it says it's for menopausal symptoms it helps regulate hormones. it's been very difficult with little to no guidance from the treating psychiatrist. they much rather keep you on drugs than deal with the withdrawal symptoms. it's worth every attempt when the risks and side effects outweigh the benefits. I hope you find a way to get off as soon as possible. Great that you recognize it's not for you. let me know how it goes and if you have any advice for us.
jose63026 AC3950
Posted
Hello,
I will take what ever measures that are necessary to contribute to better sleeping hygiene. Exercise and diet will help as well. These are some good suggestions so thank you for that.
Recently I have decided to begin consistently taking the medication due to the insomnia. It's been a few weeks at this point, but I am tapering as well. I have been taking 9 mg of the pill every night. I still wake up multiple times but it is better than not sleeping at all, and the memory loss has been more manageable than I expected. I will continue to taper over this 10 month period and I hope that this will result in the least messy result as possible.
jose63026 AC3950
Posted
I also forgot to state that I have begun a low carb / keto diet and it has helped with the cravings bit. It seems also to help manage my weight and I might be able to report losing weight in the coming weeks.
Bobjool jose63026
Posted
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