Olanzapine Withdrawal

Posted , 23 users are following.

Hi all,

 After reading most of the posts on here, I decided to write my current experience while I realise some of the posts' age on here vary between nine months to three years, but I hope that someone can hear my shout and give me a hand. 

 I was put on Olanzapine back in June after trying a different medication for my paranoia and after an admission to hospital. 

 The initial dose was 5 mg then increased to 10 mg as the lower dose did not work on the paranoia. 

 Towards the end of March this year, 2017, I reduced the dose to 5 mg wrongly, not knowing that I should have done 7.5 first to avoid the horrible withdrawal symptoms.

 At first, I thought everything was fine, the for the last two weeks, I started to feel depressed, lost interest in everything, got headaches, diarrhoea, strong vivid memories to when I was patronised, disrespected and put down by people. The worst of all are the violent and suicidal thoughts I have had during all this.   

 I would like to hear from those who had similar experiences with such symptoms and how long does it last? 

 Also, it will be helpful to know what is the best withdrawal plan from now on, shall I go for 2.5 gm after few months? Or shall I alternate between 5 mg and 2.5 mg for few weeks then go down to 2.5?

I am desperate to hear from people, so PLEASE help. 

 

3 likes, 86 replies

86 Replies

Prev
  • Posted

    I am on my fourth try of stopping Zyprexa. I was on 5 mg for one year. I also take 10 mg of Lexapro. On my first try I took 2.5mg for two weeks, then 1.25mg for two weeks, then stop. I felt  sick most the time but when I went to zero, things went from bad to worse. I had constant vomiting, no desire to eat and I was so dizzy I could hardly stand-up. After two weeks I gave-up and took a 2.5 mg pill. I felt better that day and after two days I felt normal.

    On my second try I was crushing the tablet and mixing with Ora-Plus. Ora-Plus is a suspension liquid that is suppose to allow for even mixing. Even after vigorous mixing I still had chunks  of Zyprexa in the liquid . I didn't feel confident of even mixing so I stopped using the Ora-Plus.

    Next I tried DMSO. I crushed the Zyprexa and added 10ml of DMSO. This dissolved the Zyprexa. I then added 190 ml of distilled water. This caused the Zyprexa to re-crystalized and quickly sink to the bottom. Plus the DMSO taste horrible.

    Currently I am using a jewelry scale. I crush the tablet and then measure the required amount. I use a 5mg tablet versus the 2.5mg tablet because the 2.5mg tablet is coated. I plan on decreasing the amount by 10% every month. I am concerned about the accuracy with lower amounts but if I have any problems I will post them.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.