Success Story: Stopped Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Cold Turkey
Posted , 50 users are following.
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
donny92011 kate85501
Edited
hi all, my story, i was on olanzapine for 6 months over winter and gradually cut back from 20 over a month. anxiety was bad, never experienced it so bad in my life and no motivation at all , did a little reasearch and started taking vitamin d and omega 3 got a little better then noticed sometimes anxiety was in the morning so took some vitamin d at night too and things really improved ive since done a bit more research and found olanzapine reduces some of your key vitamins like d and magnesium and few others i now take vitamin d magnesium and omega 3 and zinc i feel really good now, been a month on these supliments after a few months of struggles after i quit olanzapine things get better folks so hang in there, do some reasearch on high dose vitamin d it will help.
jorge61128 donny92011
Posted
Hi Donny
please let me know if you experienced diaharea , dizziness, muscle pain, or headaches during your withdrawal. This is hell for me!
Than you very much, take care!
jorge61128 kate85501
Posted
Hello Kate. Thanks for sharing. I have been on olanzapine for over 15 years for anxiety. What a mistake. I was never told about the side effects and withdrawal. I have tapered thru the years from 7.5 mg to 1.25 then quit. It has been 4 weeks now. After the second week i developed dihareea headaches a lot of muscle pain, abdominal pain cramping and sometimes dizziness. It comes and goes... Does this sound familiar to you? Any advice on what to expect or do? Sorry for the burden...
Best regards and GOOD LUCK!
Jorge
Ignis6111 jorge61128
Posted
Hello jorge, did you get diabetes. I am anxious about this drug. I was prescribe olanzapine last friday.
if yes. how long are you taking it when you get diabetes.
jorge61128 Ignis6111
Posted
Hi Ignis
I have pre diabetic glucose levels. Have been on this junk for more than 15 years maybe. Let me know if you need anything else.
Cheers
Ignis6111 jorge61128
Posted
Thank you!How long are you taking it when you first diagnose of high prediabetic glucose level.
jorge61128 Ignis6111
Posted
Hi, after 2 years. May I ask you why you were prescribed Zyprexa (olanzapine), and at what dose and your age?
Hope to hear from you.
Cheers
Ignis6111 jorge61128
Posted
schizoprenia paranioa I think, the resperidral isn't effective so the doctor switch from resperidone to olanzapine.
I take 5mg nightly. By the way I am 25
jorge61128 Ignis6111
Posted
Hi Igniss
Just make sure that your doctor monitors your blood work, I refer to Glucose, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and liver values at least every 3 months at the beginning of treatment with olanzapine , then every 6 months. Be aware of your body weight. Is he a a general doctor or a psyquiatrist? What country do you live in?
Cheers
Ignis6111 jorge61128
Posted
philippines
Pob1980 kate85501
Posted
great to hear your story and you're quite right about the lack of stories of others being successful. I've been off Olanzapine for 2 weeks now after 2.5 years of mainly 2 x 10mg daily gradually going down to 1 x 2.5mg. I'm hoping to lose 2 stone and get back down to 12 stone. Two
weeks in and I feel like my brain has shifted into overdrive back to having loads of thoughts again but all very rational and normal. I used to sleep like a baby on the meds but now I might have to resort to a natural sleep aid to calm my hyper mind, as im taking ages to drop off, waking up in the night (unheard of before) and waking up with a tonne of thoughts about 5am (normal everyday life stuff). My history is I suffer from Anxiety and was detained in hospital following a mental breakdown probably not helped by 2 weeks of hardly any sleep because of my anxiety at the time. I
think being on 200mg sertraline is helping with the calming (mind numbing) effect that Olanzapine was giving me, so will check in on myself frequently and prey I can shut the door for
good.
sheena12504 kate85501
Edited
hi kate! so ive been trying to get off zyprexa for about two months now. i was put on it abiut four months ago almost five. the withdrawls are so horrible. i literally feel like im loosing my mind. i went from 7.5 mg for 13 days to 5 mg for 9 days to 2.5 for 12 days now. im not even psychifrenic or however you spell it. they gave it to me because i kept having crying spells and anxiety withdrawling from klonopin. anyways im having nausea, diahrrea, horrible anxiety, confusion, low mood, very depressed, trouble sleeping, sometimes sweating. i literally dont feel like ive had control of my mind trying to get off this medication. when will it get better??????
linda79739 sheena12504
Edited
hi sheena
i was led back to this forum by your comment on my other post (which i cant find now) about cbd oil. looking back (it seems a lifetime ago now) i cant remember it helped at all but i didnt have a reaction with the venlafaxine.
olanzapine withdrawal was hell but i got through it and you can too. listen to your doctor but also make sure they are listening to you! i used the use of supplements and email contact from a coach. to be honest i dont know if it was the supplements that helped or the contact from someone who knew what i was going through and wanted to help! i didnt have a good doctor at the time, i have since got a much better one.
i think it took 4-5 months to get past the withdrawals from olanzapine, stabilised on a lower dose of my antidepressant and feel "normal" again. i have been well these past 4 years, had a baby and coped with many life stresses with no need to change anything medication wise.
i wish you the very best and i want you to remember that no matter how dark the withdrawals make the world seem, the light will come back into your life and you will be well
best wishes
linda
sheena12504 linda79739
Posted
hi Linda,
im on Day 4 of coming off zyprexa and im experiencing alot of nausea in the morning, diahrea, trouble sleeping, anxiety, not really clear thinking tbh either. i havent been aboe to work at all and am basically in bed most of the day but get out to exercise at my beighborhood gym. its comforting to know that someone has over come this but also scary that its going to be a long road. were you hungry all the time coming off this med because i remmeber being hungry all the time on it and now all the time off of it. please write me back and stay in touch!
sheena12504 linda79739
Posted
linda also what supplements were you taking during withdrawal??
linda79739 sheena12504
Edited
hi sheena
first of all hang in there and remember the drug is doing this to you its not you and you will survive and get better
i had weeks and weeks of sick leave from work. i was in the privilaged position of being able to afford to do that and having an extremely supportive employer. my brain could hardly handle basic functions so working was out if the question.
omg i forgot about the hunger! i had to make a concious effort not to overeat cos its easy to get out of control! cant remember when that subsided but it did!
when your in the midst of it all it seems like it will be a long road but it just starts with a morning you wake up and think perhaps i feel ok today then you'll wobble again and then the wobbles will become fewer and fewer until you think yes i can go to work today, or maybe il meet a friend, or even i can concentrate long enough to read a magazine.
please do stay in touch, one lady i met on here from the other side of the world helped me through, hope is a powerful thing!
sheena12504 linda79739
Edited
linda heres my email. im not working right now either, theres no way, i can barely function. my retired parents are taking care of me, i feel so bad. but right now im barely eating, im very nauseated, diarrhea. did u feel like your brain is on fire? am i going to feel this awful for four months? like it literally feels like im dying. any other tips and tricks you could give me that helped you would be much appreciated.
Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.
sheena12504 linda79739
Posted
thank you so much linda for your encouragement
sheena12504 linda79739
Posted
im trying to leave my email address so we can stay in touch but it wont let me