blazesboylan: Why should I taper?

[blazesboylan]

Hello.

 

To answer your question, whether I need this level of medication, I can't really say. I have been on various meds for over 7 years now. Always effexor although the other drugs have changed.

 

I went back to my doctor recently because I wasn't feeling well. I took her advice and started taking the drugs as per the prescription. Now I am feeling a lot worse, not better. I can only hope and pray that things improve will improve somehow. There have been so many changes recently that I can't really say for sure what might be the actual cause.

 

Or perhaps I am just ill. I have always been prone to depression and anxiety. For as long as I remember. However, since I had my first psychotic episode and was hospitalised I have been on meds full time.

 

I really wish that I had never started on any of these drugs to begin with. I curse the day. Overall I can't say that the medication has ever really been helpful. In 7 years I can't say that I have ever felt especially well.

 

Thanks for showing an interest by the way. And thanks for the good wishes. I hope that you are doing ok yourself. I will take a look at some of your posts later on.

[blazesboylan]

Good day,

 

It's me again. I am feeling a lot better today. I am still a little bit anxious but I am not as depressed. I have a friend calling to my place this evening and I am looking forward to that. Hopefully things will improve further. It's almost the weekend

 

Here's an article that I'd like to share by the way.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/11/fish-oil-could-help-prevent-mental-health-problems-psychosis

 

I take an omega 3 capsule every day. And a magnesium tablet.

 

I hope that everyone is doing well.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[JanCarol]

Hey Blazes, I don't know where you are in Ireland, but I just read about a Nutritional Therapy guy in Ireland:

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/health/real-life-pills-to-cure-mental-ills-26706894.html

 

He sees it as adjunct treatment to psych drugs, not necessarily alternative.  And oh yeah, it was the fish oil trials here in Australia that got him started!

 

In one of the trials, they used prisoners - on a "violent men's wing" (though I doubt, in this PC country they called it that!).  50% of the men received fish oil, 50% received placebo.  Incidents of outbursts and violence were substantially decreased in the fish oil men.  That's just one study here.

 

See what you think.  Glad you saw a window!  May you see the sun today, too!

[blazesboylan]

Hi Jancarol.

 

Thank you very much for posting that. It's a really excellent article   I will follow up on it. That particular doctor isn't too far away from me. I am in Dublin as is he.

 

After almost a month on olanzapine I think that it is starting to have a noticeable effect. My mood is quite low yet at the same time I feel quite flat for want of a better word. A lack of affect you might say.

 

Thanks again. I hope that you are doing well.

 

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Greetings,

 

I thought that I would say howdy as I haven't been here in a while. I'm not feeling too bad at the moment to be honest with you all. Sleep is relatively good. I am not terribly anxious or depressed but some days are better than others. I am going to regular AA meetings. Meditating.

 

I will probably try to taper something else when I have quit the ativan completely. That shouldn't take too much longer. My signature is up to date anyway.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[AppleOfSodom]

Blazes, it sounds like this doctor has a religious belief in psychiatric drugs. Why should he want to increase your drugs when you are feeling well?

 

Perhaps you should see another doctor.

Is this that uncommon? My psychiatrist raised my dose despite me saying that I was 100% better of my anxiety and depression. She told me I could get more social with a higher dose. After years of wild nights and binge-drinking the venlafaxine healed my anxiety 100% and I was just happy to be at home alone. I guess she had a need to patologize it. Only god knows if I would still have had PSSD if I had stayed on the lower dosage.

[blazesboylan]

 

Blazes, it sounds like this doctor has a religious belief in psychiatric drugs. Why should he want to increase your drugs when you are feeling well?

 

Perhaps you should see another doctor.

Is this that uncommon? My psychiatrist raised my dose despite me saying that I was 100% better of my anxiety and depression. She told me I could get more social with a higher dose. After years of wild nights and binge-drinking the venlafaxine healed my anxiety 100% and I was just happy to be at home alone. I guess she had a need to patologize it. Only god knows if I would still have had PSSD if I had stayed on the lower dosage.

 

 

I had never heard of PSSD. Interesting.

 

Anyhow, I am feeling relatively well on the current cocktail so I might stay there for while although I should be off the benzo soon. I feel that the olanzapine has been quite helpful. I am at the point where it should be effective.

 

In other news I applied for another job and did a couple of interviews and I am waiting to hear back. I think that it's looking good (touch wood). I was hoping to hear something before the weekend but now it looks like I will have to wait until Monday at the earliest. Wish me luck 

 

By the way, I started a new topic which is just a bit of fun. Maybe post something.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/10578-the-eternal-story/

 

[blazesboylan]

Greetings,

 

I have decided to quit the ativan today. I had been on a very low dose (0.2mg per day)  for some time now. So, I will see if I can manage without it. That's all really. I hope that everyone is doing well.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Laura1981]

Great step forward!!! Good luck, I hope it goes smoothly! 

[blazesboylan]

Great step forward!!! Good luck, I hope it goes smoothly! 

 

Thank you 

[blazesboylan]

Hello,

 

I thought that I would check in as I haven't been here for a month or so. I'm doing reasonably well although I feel quite fatigued a lot of the time. I find it really hard to wake up in the mornings. I have been like this since I started on olanzapine.

 

I have more or less quit the ativan completely at this stage. I am now thinking that I will try to taper the Effexor again although very slowly. I am not sure if it is helping as an AD because I feel low at times. Not in a debilitating way or anything. I am still functioning.

 

Anyway, I think that I can only conclude that the medication is not really helping all that much and it is possible that it is making my symptoms worse. Hence the decision to try to taper off the Effexor once again.

 

That's all really. In case I'm not back, I hope that everybody has a great Christmas  

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

Good to hear you are off Ativan, Blazes. That alone can cause fatigue and "depression."

 

If I were you, I'd wait until well after the holidays before making any more changes. Here's our topic for tapering Effexor Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

Best of the season to you, too.

[MollyN]

Hi Blazes, Merry Christmas, and I hope you were successful with your job application, in any case best of luck and great health in 2016!

[blazesboylan]

Hello,

 

I thought that I would check in as I haven't been here for a while. My signature pretty much sums up where I am at. I have no major symptoms really. Nothing debilitating anyway. I am tapering down the Effexor at the moment. I will drop another 10 mgs in another couple of weeks if I am feeling ok.

 

I am in the process of looking for a new job however. My current employer may be going under. So, I have been focussed on that. There is a big of movement there and I have a few irons in the fire as they say. I also applied to do some post-graduate studies starting in the autumn and I was accepted on the course so that's great.

 

I hope that everyone has a great weekend.

 

All the best and bye for now,

Blazes.

 

   

[blazesboylan]

Hello All,

 

I see that I haven't posted since February. I don't have very much to say really. I am doing well generally though.

 

My signature has been updated by the way. I am interleaving tapers on olanzapine and Effexor at the moment. Perhaps it's not very wise. However, it has been going well so far. There hasn't been any major withdrawal to report.

 

Well, that's all really. I hope that everyone is doing well.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[bubbles]

Hi Blazes

 

I'm happy to hear that you are doing so well.

 

Best wishes

B

[blazesboylan]

Thanks Bubbles. I'm not feeling great at the moment unfortunately. I suppose that it is a week now since I made a cut to the olanzapine so my mood is pretty low. Perhaps it's just withdrawal. Probably.

 

Also, it's the weekend and like most weekends I end up spending most of it alone. I have probably stated this earlier in the thread but I am in my 40's, single, no kids, no strong family connections. I live alone. I feel that I am becoming more solitary as time goes by also.

 

I have stopped investing in relationships that I feel have been one way i.e. it's always me who initiates contact or suggests meeting up. Or, it's always me who travels to see somebody, or we meet at their convenience. As a result of this (my lack of contact) some people have just disappeared from my life.

 

I have an AA meeting to attend tonight actually. However, I probably won't share. I will just keep an eye on the clock (as always) and dash off at the end in case anybody might speaks to me.

 

Sorry if that all sounds a bit depressing but it's how I am feeling and if I can't say it here, well, there isn't really anywhere else that I might.

[blazesboylan]

My mood has lifted. I feel a lot better now. I hope that everyone is having a good weekend. 

[Bruin]

Hi Blazesboylan,     I am glad you are feeling a lot better that is great news. I am just stopping by to say that I relate to aspects of

your situation. I am older than you and also live alone though I do have a son and when things are tough and I cannot 

try to get well for myself I think of him. I also attend 12 step meetings though at times during WD that has proved challenging.

For many years I had holiday cottage in Ireland and have many happy memories from that time.

 

My problems really started with far too rapid WD from Effexor ....you are  wise to be doing it slowly.

I spent many years doing quite well on Effexor and Mirtazapine before deciding that Effexor was not working for me.

It is great that you got onto SA before tapering.

 

Am dealing with protracted WD at present but know it gets better.......think that I will go to a meeting tonight....

It is good to have human contact even if I do not share.

 

Take Care and All the Best.

 

Bruin.

[blazesboylan]

Thanks for the reply Bruin. I read your signature by the way. I was using zopiclone also until relatively recently. I was having a lot of trouble sleeping although I think that the insomnia was caused by the tapering of the Effexor. Since I have been taking olanzapine and mirtazapine my sleep has been better though.

 

Since I was last here, things have taken a minor turn for the worst. I ate something questionable (perhaps) on Sunday evening. I went to bed early and fell asleep quickly. However, I woke up not long afterwards feeling quite unwell. I vomited. I wasn't able to sleep (I don't think so anyway) for the rest of the night. I had diarrhoea in the morning time. I went to work regardless. I didn't want to call in sick on a Monday because Monday sick days always look a bit suspicious. 

 

Anyway, I was wondering if I might not be what I ate but could actually be withdrawal related. I found.

 

http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2014/07/10/zyprexa-olanzapine-withdrawal-symptoms-how-long-do-they-last/

 

"Some people experience diarrhea when they discontinue this medication. This isn’t an extremely common symptom, but one that has been reported."

 

"Some people have reported intense vomiting spells during the first week or two when they initially quit this medication."

 

Anyway, since I haven't reduced the olanzapine in roughly 3 weeks it's probably unlikely and more likely a case of food poisoning. I'm still not 100% recovered but a lot better than yesterday as I slept last night.

 

I am off to bed now though.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Bruin]

Hope you are better Blazes.....Sounds like it may have been something you ate.

 

How long were you on Z ?  did you Taper ?

 

Best 

 

Bruin

[blazesboylan]

I was probably using zopiclone for around 18 months. I went on holidays and started taking half a tablet (3.75mg) instead of a full one. Some time after that I stopped using it altogether as I didn't really need it. So, it wasn't a strict taper really. I wasn't using it every night anyway. Only when I had trouble sleeping. I don't actually have any now.

 

I am feeling a lot better today thanks although still not 100%. Yes, it was most probably what I ate.

[blazesboylan]

Olanzapine and weight gain - is it dose dependent?

 

Hello,

 

I'm just wondering if anyone can answer the question above? I have been taking olanzapine for 9 months now although I am tapering it. In that time I have gained some weight. Not a huge amount, however, my lifestyle or diet haven't really changes in that time so perhaps it's a factor.

 

I was just wondering if the weight gain is related to the dose? I am taking mirtazapine also which is supposed to cause weight gain also of course.

 

Have a nice weekend everyone 

Edited July 9, 2016 by Petunia
Topic moved from symptoms forum and title added.

[Shep]

Hi, blazesboylan.

 

Per this article, almost all antipsychotics result in weight gain:

 

All AP show weight gain over time. The increase in weight varies per AP and per duration of exposure category, both in switch studies and in studies of AP-naive patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998960/

 

This is especially true of the newer, atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine. So it's not just about the dose, but the length of time your mind and body are exposed to the drug. As that article explains, many people have the worst weight gain within the first 6 weeks and then cannot lose this weight. However, this study was a "switch" study, so it wasn't looking at people who are coming off these drugs. People who come off these drugs tend to lose weight and become healthier. 

 

Eli Lilly added warnings to this drug:

 

Eli Lilly yesterday added strong warnings to the label of Zyprexa, its best-selling medicine for schizophrenia, citing the drug’s tendency to cause weight gain, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and other metabolic problems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/business/06zyprexa.html?_r=0

 

Many people find that not only do these drugs effect metabolism, they also can cause fatigue, coordination problems,  cognitive decline, and other side effects that make exercise extremely difficult. This is not only relative to dose, but also to the length of time you take the drug. As you come off these kinds of toxic drugs, your mind and body will heal. 

[blazesboylan]

Hello Shep,

 

Thanks very much for the comprehensive reply. I have been on an anti-psychotic medication for 8 years now. I switched from risperidone to olanzapine roughly 9 months ago. I read Your Drug May Be Your Problem recently and I learned with taking anti-psychotics beyond 40 years of age puts one at a higher risk of tardive dyskinesia. It's something that I worry about, apart from all the other possible consequences.

 

Anyhow, I will continue tapering the olanzapine. Regarding that, I am finding it relatively easy to taper it down. What seems to more of a challenge is Effexor. However, it is notoriously difficult to discontinue. I mentioned it on another thread but I suffer from numbness and tingling in my ear (paraesthesia) along with a tension in my forehead. Today I am feeling a little depressed and more anxious than usual. However, I know that it will pass.

 

Congratulations on becoming drug free by the way. That's a really great achievement given your history.

[Shep]

Thanks, blazesboylan. I was on AP's for 30 years, so I also had some fears about tardive dyskinesia, as well as cognitive decline. Memory problems and dp/dr were the main reason I had to come off all my meds. But I'm slowly healing now. 

 

Wishing you well on your tapers. 

[blazesboylan]

Thanks, blazesboylan. I was on AP's for 30 years, so I also had some fears about tardive dyskinesia, as well as cognitive decline. Memory problems and dp/dr were the main reason I had to come off all my meds. But I'm slowly healing now. 

 

Wishing you well on your tapers. 

 

Thanks for the good wishes 

[simack]

I've been on olanzapine+ seroquel for just over a year now, and strangely, I've only starting to rapidly gain weight in this past month. This sounds unusual but it seems to have coincided with me returning to weight lifting. I'm not gaining muscle, ony fat, it's as if I'm catabolizing muscle into fat instead of the reverse

[Henk1980]

Hi, 

 

yes, Olanzapine can cause weight gain.

 

As you said, you are also taking mirtazapine. In my experience, mirt causes much more weight gain than Ap's. 

 

 

 

Best, 

 

Henk

[blazesboylan]

Hi, 

 

yes, Olanzapine can cause weight gain.

 

As you said, you are also taking mirtazapine. In my experience, mirt causes much more weight gain than Ap's. 

 

 

 

Best, 

 

Henk

 

Hi Henk,

 

The question that I asked was - "I was just wondering if the weight gain is related to the dose?" As it says in the title of the thread also.

 

I already know that olanzapine is notorious for causing weight gain. However, I wondered if one gained more weight at higher doses than at lower doses.

[blazesboylan]

Hello All,

 

Greetings from a rainy Dublin. I haven't posted here since my food poisoning episode. Well, I got over that fairly quickly of course.

 

Overall, things are going well. I made another cut to the olanzapine yesterday - as per my updated signature. In general I am feeling fine. Sometimes I get quite anxious and a bit depressed but it generally passes quickly. I started in a new job relatively recently and that has been going well.

 

I suppose that I am feeling a reasonable amount of fatigue these days. My sleep is good though. I am having no problems falling asleep but some mornings I wake very early. Not too frequently though. I generally manage to get back to sleep though.

 

Well, that's all really. Ireland are playing France in soccer today (European Football Championships.) I will be watching that with a friend.

 

I plan of making another cut to the Effexor in maybe 3 weeks time. I will see how the latest cut to the olanzapine goes.

 

I hope that everyone is doing well!

 

Blazes.

[dowdaller]

Alright Blazes, I have been on a few of the meds you are on at the mo. That olanzapine is hard to get off, my doc just took me off 2.5mg cold turkey no taper , it was 9 weeks of hell ended up in casualty with stomach pains off the chart. I stuck it out I found it made me very dopey in the morning. You are doing the right thing with the effexor slow and steady. Good luck with the taper.

[blazesboylan]

Thanks Dowdaller. Congratulations on becoming med free. Slowly but surely ...

[dowdaller]

Its not easy, but I am doing well.

[blazesboylan]

Its not easy, but I am doing well.

 

Good to hear it. Have a nice weekend. 

[blazesboylan]

Today I have gone to 72 mgs Effexor which is the lowest level that I have ever been at (I think, I don't have records prior to 2014) since I started on it 8 years ago.

 

I am thinking (as is often advised here) not to make any further cuts to the olanzapine for a while. I feel that it may be saving me from the full wrath of venlafaxine withdrawal. Or perhaps the mirtazapine is helping there also.

 

No other news. The pressure in my skull is pretty bad tonight though.