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Success Story: Stopped Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Cold Turkey

Posted , 50 users are following.

kate85501
kate85501

First off thank you for this wonderful forum.  I looked long and hard for success stories of people who came off Zyprexa cold Turkey successfully and was unable to.  I took zyprexa for 2 months (started at high dose foolishly by psych doctors @ 30 mg) and then self lowered to 10 mg once I got out of there 1.5 weeks later.  Abruptly switched to abilify (10 mg).

The withdrawal was hell on earth.  I thought it would not get better.  After about 3 - 4 months off zyprexa and 1.5 months off abilify, I am much better and feel much like normal self again.  My sleep still needs some work, sleeping 5 hours now, from zero sleep once I stopped taking zyprexa.

So I wanted to start this thread to let anyone stopped zyprexa cold turkey or plans to stop cold turkey, that it can be done. Most people on the forums warn against it however due to difficulty of withdrawal I think.

I will post more details on how I did it soon.

7 likes, 88 replies

88 Replies

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  • kate85501
    kate85501

    Posted

    hi again guys,

    So I wanted to write this update to let you all know how I'm doing.  The withdrawals from zyprexa and abilify are basically gone, except for the sleep which is slowly getting better.  

    Just some notes on what I did to successfully come off Zyprexa cold turkey.  Exercise, I did a juice cleanse for a full day, which was very hard for me when I stopped due to low blood sugar, ate very healthy foods, cut out processed foods as much as possible, drink lots of water, exercise daily and sweat as much as possible, support and love from my spouse and children, support from very close friends who I confided in, and I read the book and took some supplements recommended in a book called "How To Come Off Psychoactive Drugs Safely".  

    Other supplements I took: Magnesium, Vitamin C, B12 and B6, Fish Oil.

    There were many days I had suicide ideation and thought I would never get better.  I want to let you know, that the process is slow and you really have to just take it day by day.  The improvement doesn't come in leaps and bounds but rather gradual very slowly.  I think it's safe to say 3 months is where you see significant improvement.  

    My best to all of you and I will check back time to time to answer any specific questions.

    Zyprexa is a horrible drug in my opinion and frankly I think most if not all psychiatric drugs are dangerous and difficult to withdraw from.

    Love, peace, patience..

    my very best to all of you looking for hope in coming off zyprexa or abilify.

     

    • mrscoachk
      mrscoachk kate85501

      Posted

      Thank you so much for sharing your story, the good and the not so good. My husband is going on his 3rd week of being drug free (he was on Zyprexa for about 3 months and Lithium for a month). He's doing so much better in week 3. He was having headaches and weird balance issues and of course his sleep was horrible. We were extra sensitive to not sleeping since thats what kind of led him to the hospital for 6 days. He's sleeping 5-6 hours a night with some over the counter sleep help. I'm hopeful that he will get back to normal where he can sleep 8+ hours a night. I've been doing research and reading blogs and forums like this one and it seems like 3 months is where people feel back to 'normal'. Thank you for sharing the supplements you take. I'm ordering some for my husband as well. I hope you're continuing to do well and heal.

  • kate85501
    kate85501

    Posted

    Another update for those trying to get off zyprexa and or abilify.

    My sleep has improved a lot and my mood and getting back to normal life has been progressively getting better as well.  I can almost say I'm confident that my life is back to normal, but I know this is still a journey.

    One thing I will say is this, life is not necessarily easy on or off the drugs, but I definitely think off the drugs is the way to go as there are better solutions to live a normal and fulfilled life.  

    My very best to you all.

    • ruth75674
      ruth75674 kate85501

      Posted

      My son is on depakote he thinks I will never get better until I take this to put some gaba back I the neurons I've been off olanzapine 5 months now Kate

  • linda79739
    linda79739 kate85501

    Posted

    Hello

    just looking for some advice. I’ve been on olanzapine 2.5mg for 10 weeks. I am also on 225mg venlafaxine. Under the advice of my psychiatrist I have stopped taking the olanzapine 5 days ago. Anxiety (for which it was originally prescribed) is a little heightened but manageable, I am using cbd oil which I think is helping. The worst bit is the nights sweats and nightmares, which leads to lots of broken sleep.  I hope that as I have been on a low dose for a short time my body will soon settle down again.  I’m just looking for someone to reassure me, or offer advise as to how to manage withdrawal.

    many thanks x

    • apu91247
      apu91247 linda79739

      Posted

      There is a way to come out of olanzapine safely.You stopped olanzapine at 2.5 m.g! what a mistake.Stopping an antipsychotic cold turkey will cause drastic changes in the brain.I am suffering with hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations from two years after stopping an antipsychotic cold turkey after using it 4 weeks.I stopped 1 m.g risperidone.So 2.5 m.g olanzapine is big dose to cause severe problems.What you need to do is start taking 2.5 mg olanzapine ASAP.Because if you par 8 days, reinstatement of the drug does not work and it may cause severe problems.Buy pill cutter online,which is low cost.Stabilize on 2.5 m.g four weeks ,then start tapering.cut 2.5 mg tablet as four equal pieces with pill cutter.After using 2.5 mg four weeks,use 3 pieces four weeks,use 2 pieces four weeks,use 1 piece four weeks.Then stop trying.If you can stop,you stop.I tried stoping after 1 piece,but could not.So I started micro tapering.which is 10% of 0.625 mg every four weeks.Read surviving antidepressants forum to find our kind of people.good luck.
    • apu91247
      apu91247 linda79739

      Posted

      hypnagogic and hypnapompic hallucinations are not only a bizarre experiences every day,they will interrupt your sleep when ever you attempt to sleep.For this problem,sleep medications will not work.One need to be on olanzapine kind of antipsychotic as sleep aid,life long.
    • sheena12504
      sheena12504 linda79739

      Edited

      hi Linda

      im also on velefexine 225 mg and im on 2.5 mg zyprexa for 12 days now. i saw you tried using cbd oil abd i cant with effexor ive had bad reactions and everywhere i read it says dont use cbd with effexor. how have you not had a reaction?

  • lloyd_28589
    lloyd_28589 kate85501

    Posted

    Hi Kate , just wondering how your going ?? Im still having aches an pains in my legs, headaches are improving an i stopped taking Melatonin after 5wks on it as i was getting incredibly spaced out. Ive been off it for bout a wk an im getting as much sleep as i was when i was taking it. Im in no way back to a normal sleep pattern but im getting between 4-6hrs a night. Im nearing 12wks off Zyprexa. My leg pain might be partially to do with my back problems and im just unfortuneately waiting on my Pain Specialist to get back from holidays in another month. If i can get a break from the leg aches an pains I'd be able to cope alot better. Im still on 30mg of Mirtazapine down from 60mg an once ive got sum relief from the Zyprexa Withdrawals I'll tackle coming off Mirtazapine . Take care an best wishes for the future Lloyd from Oz

  • nancy24338
    nancy24338 kate85501

    Posted

    I also took 20mil of zyprexa for almost 20 years I went off in Jan. But got so sick that I ended up in ICU for 3 days! When I was put in my regular. Room a nurse came in and convinced me to start taking it again when I get home! That was April 19 2018 I started on it again but then I started to ask my phone about the drug! That's when I found out that there was a 10mil? 5mil, and a 2.5 mil! I was so upset! Not one Doctor in 20 years and there were 3 of them ever said I could take a smaller dose! On occasion I had cut them in half but because of side effects I was doomed to fail! I have been off it since May! With no help from any Doctor! I am so sick! Major pain in neck and shoulders! Nausea, unbearable diarrhea! My question is how long is this going to last? I do have some Xanax to help me sleep but now I know it too can be awful to get off off! And all this because I had 2 TMIs that lead to one psychotic episode! Now they are telling me that that could of only happened once after a bad head injury! And who do I see about That? I have been a Zombie for 20 years of my life! Like I said at no time did any Doctor give me a chance to get off that med. And it was only after this last Doctor tried to put me on the new med. VRAYLAR witch made me deathly ILL! Probably because she never detoxed me from Zyprexa! That at that point I became more aware of where the heck had I been? Now There is no way I will take Zyprexa again! But when will I feel Physical better?? And does anyone know how to speed this recovery up?

  • luke93258
    luke93258 kate85501

    Posted

    This is truly inspirational to hear. I stopped olanzapine cold turkey and experienced 4 months of absolute hell from withdrawls and allegedly "relapsed" so was reinstated at 2.5mg. I plan to gradually wean myself off this terrible drug as it causes nothing but problems. I am new to the forum and support from fellow survivors of this drug is overwhelmingly beautiful to see and makes me realise i am not alone in this battle. I know this is a bit late but guidance around coming off safely is key. This has been my obsession over the past year in trying to find a way to be drug free. The insomnia and racing thoughts are what drove me to be reinstated thankfully at the lowest dose possible. I am only young and am in need of guidance around this. It is scary beyond belief and i want to save my brain before it is too late! Thank you so much for sharing this and just goes to show that it can be done!

    • nancy58361
      nancy58361 luke93258

      Posted

      Can I ask How long had you been on it? And how many millagrams was your top dose?
  • Ash1234
    Ash1234 kate85501

    Posted

    Hi ,

    I was on 10mg for a yr.2.5mg in the morning and 2.5 in the afternoon.

    The doc cut off the morning and afternoon dose in one go so im taking 5mg less a day.

    I was ok the first week but feeling withdrawal symptons the 2nd week.

    Any ideas how long this can go on for ?

    Thanks.

  • Ash03
    Ash03 kate85501

    Posted

    Has anyone had success with sleep improvement after stopping this drug? If so, please share. I'm currently taking temazepam (which I know is an addictive benzo), but I was getting zero hours of sleep after stopping zyprexa after one and one half years. Now I get zero to three hours 4 months after stopping zyprexa. Something seems to waken me at 2 every morning and I'm unable to get back to sleep. Have been researching tryptophan and gaba as alternative remedies. Melatonin and valerian root haven't been helpful at all. Any other recommendations? My initial diagnosis was insomnia one night per week, but now my body never rests or crashes after stopping zyprexa 😦 I also developed severe stomach issues during my withdrawal which were corrected with probiotics and dicyclomine. I hope that is helpful!

    • ruth75674
      ruth75674 Ash03

      Posted

      Hi Ash I've been off olanzapine 5 months still nausea in mornings with no appetite gave me heart problems I sleep OK though take cbd capsules hope this withdrawal goes soon doctor does not know and even on here about withdraw elis all wrong says it goes out of your system after 2 weeks all wrong it takes ages to withdraw they don't know what they are talking about xx

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