Katy91 Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Hi wmhb thanks for your comment. I would say that I have only felt the benefit of the updose in the last week. The benefit that I have felt is mainly to not have that exhausted, cortisol spike and feelings of wrongness and weirdness. My sleep still isn't great I can wake at 3am or 5am. i find if anything happens to upset me even in the slightest then my sleep is ruined for that night and maybe more. And of course life being life someone does tend to upset me at least once a week. I'm not sure how much to attribute my insomnia to drug withdrawal because it is a fact that I have suffered from insomnia since the age of 17, way before I touched any psych drugs though alcohol was always present. So the point I'm trying to make is that I don't think I have a healthy sleep pattern to return to. I don't think that I can give myself over trustingly to sleep. I feel afraid sometimes just as I'm about to drift into sleep. Afraid of losing myself. I am sick of being fat now I really would like off this drug. I'm going to give it another week then will resume a taper of 0.1mg a week. I could lower it to 0.05mg a week but that means another year of this. Olanzapine 10mg Dec 2007 - Jun 2008 Olanzapine 10mg Sep 2009 - Apr 2010 Olanzapine 10mg Aug 2010 - April 2011 Olanzapine 10mg Jan 2012 - Jun 2012 Lithium 800mg Jun 2012 - Dec 2013 Lorazapam 1mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Diazepam 2mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Olanzapine 20mg Jan 2014 to May 2014 Olanzapine 5mg May 2014 - May 2015 tapering 0.1mg every 7 days 1mg melatonin Link to comment
Meimeiquest Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Have you tried an Epsom salts bath before bed? I have found a cup in a lg container of hot water and soaking my feet 20 minutes helps me as much as a bath and uses less Epsom salts. And if I do calming things like drink camomile tea, read (book, not computer lighting) or organize for the next day, so much the better. Hang in there! It will be worth it! 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment
simack Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Hey Katy, just dropping bye to see how things are going? MEDS HISTORY 2004 hospitalized for acute alcohol induced psychosis and started on my psych drug merry-go-round.2004-2006 SSRI > SNRI Merry-go-round finally settled on Effexor. Also was started on Risperdal in 2004 but switched to seroquell after I had a bad reaction to it.2008. Was switched from Effexor to pristiq, Also managed to successfully Quit Seroquel Cold Turkey.Asenapine- 5mg- August 2014 ~ May 2015. Was put on for Social Anxiety, was great at first then started developing disabling side effects, did a rapid taper and so started my withdrawal nightmare... MEDS CURRENT Pristiq-100mg ~ Currently holding Olanzapine- 3.75mg May 2015 ~ Currently tapering by -.06mg per week (Jan 2016, 3.5mg ~Feb 2016 intractable insomnia updose to 3.75mg) Quetiapine- 50mg June 2015 ~Dec 25 2015 Quit cold turkey. ~(Feb 6 2016 hit with intractable insomnia - reinstated 50mg.) August 2016 : Became destabilised after messing around with cutting doses, trying THC oil etc eventually stabilised, Held doses for 5 years. January 2022: Hit poop out, struggling to get more than 3 hours sleep, been one week straight of pure hell, praying to hold on. Link to comment
Katy91 Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Things are going okay. I just had a good patch but now I've gone back to not sleeping that well. I have a few bad days each week where I feel exhausted. I will wake up and I don't know whether it's going to be a good day or a bad day but I will feel a bit dizzy and then by 9am a feeling of exhaustion is on me and I know I will feel wrecked all day. It really has nothing to do with how much sleep I get. The good news, and what gives me hope, is that in comparison to other withdrawals I do not feel any overwhelming terror or panic now. Really it was fear that landed me in the mental hospital in the past. In fact I don't find any of my emotions overwhelming - I just accept them and know that it will pass. Living without nicotine and a heavy dose of neuroleptic means that I have to feel a lot of intense feelings. I can't block my emotions with substances anymore. I take my feelings seriously now and use them to guide me and try to understand them. A lot of my physical pain has disappeared as a result of this and my insomnia is improving. I have a lot of muscle spasms and I do not know if that is a symptom due to my past and memories or emotions being suppressed, or if it is drug related. I'm on about 2mg now, so 5 more months of drug taking left. Olanzapine 10mg Dec 2007 - Jun 2008 Olanzapine 10mg Sep 2009 - Apr 2010 Olanzapine 10mg Aug 2010 - April 2011 Olanzapine 10mg Jan 2012 - Jun 2012 Lithium 800mg Jun 2012 - Dec 2013 Lorazapam 1mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Diazepam 2mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Olanzapine 20mg Jan 2014 to May 2014 Olanzapine 5mg May 2014 - May 2015 tapering 0.1mg every 7 days 1mg melatonin Link to comment
simack Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hey Katy, Good to hear things are going okay for you, hopefully your sleep will settle down a bit soon. I seem to have similar problems with insomnia coming in waves and windows, I'll be fine for a week, then hardly sleep the next. I'm glad that you've found a way to handle your intense feelings, overwhelming terror and panic is horrible Hope the rest of your taper goes well, gives me hope of being olanzapine free too one day, Stay well. MEDS HISTORY 2004 hospitalized for acute alcohol induced psychosis and started on my psych drug merry-go-round.2004-2006 SSRI > SNRI Merry-go-round finally settled on Effexor. Also was started on Risperdal in 2004 but switched to seroquell after I had a bad reaction to it.2008. Was switched from Effexor to pristiq, Also managed to successfully Quit Seroquel Cold Turkey.Asenapine- 5mg- August 2014 ~ May 2015. Was put on for Social Anxiety, was great at first then started developing disabling side effects, did a rapid taper and so started my withdrawal nightmare... MEDS CURRENT Pristiq-100mg ~ Currently holding Olanzapine- 3.75mg May 2015 ~ Currently tapering by -.06mg per week (Jan 2016, 3.5mg ~Feb 2016 intractable insomnia updose to 3.75mg) Quetiapine- 50mg June 2015 ~Dec 25 2015 Quit cold turkey. ~(Feb 6 2016 hit with intractable insomnia - reinstated 50mg.) August 2016 : Became destabilised after messing around with cutting doses, trying THC oil etc eventually stabilised, Held doses for 5 years. January 2022: Hit poop out, struggling to get more than 3 hours sleep, been one week straight of pure hell, praying to hold on. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted April 13, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 13, 2016 Hey Katy - you wrote: The good news, and what gives me hope, is that in comparison to other withdrawals I do not feel any overwhelming terror or panic now. Really it was fear that landed me in the mental hospital in the past. In fact I don't find any of my emotions overwhelming - I just accept them and know that it will pass. Living without nicotine and a heavy dose of neuroleptic means that I have to feel a lot of intense feelings. I can't block my emotions with substances anymore. I take my feelings seriously now and use them to guide me and try to understand them. A lot of my physical pain has disappeared as a result of this and my insomnia is improving. THIS! This is amazing insight! It is what we strive for, fall down from, try to find again - see a glimpse of - and strive for some more! Well done! And you wrote: I'm on about 2mg now, so 5 more months of drug taking left. Just a word of caution - we've told you about this before - and every time you ignore us, you land in a spot of trouble - so let's head it off at the pass Throw the calendar away. Listen to your body, your feelings, like you said before. Let your body choose how fast you go off. If you force it to a schedule, you will be tempted to drop before your body is ready. Just take it easy, remember to hold. Your sig says you are still doing a weekly .1 mg. Please, don't be afraid to take too long. It is better to be too careful, and too slow, than it is to end up in a mess again. Once the messy stuff starts, it's hard to control, but if you take it slow and easy now - you can do this! We don't recommend a linear taper. We recommend 10% of your former dose. There is a reason for this - the lower your doses get, the greater percentage your cut is. Right now, .1 mg is a 5% cut. If you do that weekly, that's 20% per month. Please slow down. If .1 mg is your smallest cut, then do it every 3-4 weeks, instead. Please? You've come so far, I'd hate to see you get off track now. The lower doses are HARDER than the higher doses. Really. It's great to hear of your improvements! Keep up the good work! "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment
blazesboylan Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Hi, I am tapering olanzapine also as per my signature. I don't think that I have felt any major withdrawal so far so I am tempted to make another 0.5mg cut in maybe a week or so. I hope that you are doing well Katy. Have a nice weekend! Previously - zopiclone, risperidone, lyrica (pregabalin), ativan (lorezapam) 01/Aug/2016 - 65mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 12/Aug/2016 - 75mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 03/Oct/2016 - 70mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 29/Oct/2016 - 65mg effexor, 4.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 25/Nov/2016 - 65mg effexor, 4mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 25/Dec/2016 - 60mg effexor, 3.6mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 18/Jan/2017 - 60mg effexor, 5.25mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 27/Mar/2017 - 54mg effexor, 5.25mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 23/Apr/2017 - 54mg effexor, 7.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 09/May/2017 - 75mg effexor, 7.5mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 08/Jun/2017 - 75mg effexor, 6.75mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine 18/Jul/2017 - 75mg effexor, 6mg olanzapine, 15mg mirtazpine Sometimes valium. Not daily. Supplements - Sterols and Stanols. Note : I would really hope that nobody uses my tapering history as a guideline. It might not work well for somebody else tapering similar medications. Link to comment
Katy91 Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 I'm still suffering from abrupt early morning awakenings. At 5am my first thought is get of bed now. I then spend the whole day in a state of fear and misery. I had to go on a work social tonight and I felt afraid of everyone there, afraid I would say the wrong thing, afraid that I said nothing, afraid that they would see I was afraid. I had stomach pain by the time I left and my muscles wouldn't stop spasming in the restaurant. These bad days are all about fear. Olanzapine 10mg Dec 2007 - Jun 2008 Olanzapine 10mg Sep 2009 - Apr 2010 Olanzapine 10mg Aug 2010 - April 2011 Olanzapine 10mg Jan 2012 - Jun 2012 Lithium 800mg Jun 2012 - Dec 2013 Lorazapam 1mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Diazepam 2mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Olanzapine 20mg Jan 2014 to May 2014 Olanzapine 5mg May 2014 - May 2015 tapering 0.1mg every 7 days 1mg melatonin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted June 15, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 15, 2016 Hi Katy - thanks for updating! I'm sorry to hear that fear and anxiety are showing up so intensely for you in withdrawal. These @#&! drugs! When you last posted about your taper in April, you were at 2 mg and planning to cut by 0.1 mg each week. What dose are you taking now? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
herewego Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Hi Katy91, As a fellow Olanzapine sufferer, I've read your thread. If I have trouble doing 10% or 5% cuts I may follow your example and try to micro-taper as you have done. I hope you are doing well. Medicine History June 2011 I was put on 10 mg Olanzapine. I stayed on that for 7 months then went down to 5 mg for 3 months and then went down to 2.5mg and slowly went down to less than .3 every few days. I have tried to come off 4 times, each time getting down to less than .3 before having to go back on at 5mg or 2.5mg. I would cut by 50% each taper. From Jan 2015 to June 2015 I reduced from about 5mg to .3 mg. This last time I went on 2.5 mg last June 2015 until July 2, 2016. July 3, 2016 I went down to 1.25mg - withdrawal hit. Up dosed to liquid 2 mg July 23, 2016. Medicine Current 2 mg Olanzapine as of July 23, 2016 Supplements Omega 3 1000mg, Vitamin E 400 UI, Vitamin C 1000 mg Time Released, 200 mg Magnesium Bisglycinate, Multi Probiotic, .25 mg melatonin for 3-5 days as needed Link to comment
Katy91 Posted December 3, 2016 Author Share Posted December 3, 2016 My 17 month taper has failed. I spent 2 weeks in the mental hospital and am drugged again. I feel better for being drugged which is awful. Olanzapine 10mg Dec 2007 - Jun 2008 Olanzapine 10mg Sep 2009 - Apr 2010 Olanzapine 10mg Aug 2010 - April 2011 Olanzapine 10mg Jan 2012 - Jun 2012 Lithium 800mg Jun 2012 - Dec 2013 Lorazapam 1mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Diazepam 2mg Nov 2012 - Dec 2013 Olanzapine 20mg Jan 2014 to May 2014 Olanzapine 5mg May 2014 - May 2015 tapering 0.1mg every 7 days 1mg melatonin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted December 3, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 3, 2016 Katy, I'm sorry to read that you ran into problems and are back at "square one." Please take a good amount of time, at least 6 months, to stabilize on your current medication regimen. Let us know how you are doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
wantmyhubbyback Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 katy, don't lose heart! there are plenty of worse things than going back into the hospital. i agree with scally that you should allow several months to stabilize. my suggestion would be, since you're feeling better, to try to get into a pattern of daily activity that keeps you busy. free time is difficult for people who are anxious, and it leads to just sitting around, which leads to depression, which leads back to anxiety. start slowly, and know that the people in this forum are all on the same journey with you. hugz, wmhb diagnosed with MDD/GAD nov 2013, 6 months following CMV complications post-kidney transplant. lst zyprexa taper 12 months; /increased paxil to 30 mg; crash nov 2014 w/ suicidal ideation & 10day hospitalization. 2nd zyprexa taper 6 months; crash after 6 weeks; reinstated zyprexa 15mg in 6/15 (both tapers worked well to the 2.5mg dose). 3rd zyprexa taper ... 17mg 3 mos; 15mg 1 mo; 10mg 3 mos, 5 mg 3 mos. 2.5mg caused some decompensating, so back to 3mg and the 10% redux. UPDATE: moved to FL in late 2016. found great new psychiatrist who agrees that hubby taking too many meds. continued zyprexa taper and finally jumped off at .5mg in 2018. had terrible insomnia. added seroquel @ 300 mg and then tapered 10% to 12.5mg over 2 years. everything was great until it wasnt; hubby suddenly got very agitated and manic. hospitalized 2x in early 2020 for "idiopathic secondary mania" and diagnosed as bipolar. seroquel now back @ 100mg plus depakote @ 2500 mg and trazadone @ 100mg. mirtazapine 30 mg 45mg 15mg ativan .5mg 1x/day, occasionally .5 addl if needed for sleep 3x/day n now 1x/day paxil 20 mg 1x/day gabapentin 1200 - 1800 mg 2 -3 x/day immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant: sirolimus, tacrolimus, mycophenalate, prednisone, levothyroxin and a whole handful of others Link to comment
simack Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 Sorry to hear things have gone bad for you Katy, its so devastating to lose months of making progress only to have go back on the meds or updose to stabilize again. I'm also afraid I'm about to be hospitalized, having developed horrific akathisia from repeated cuts then updosing. I'm praying things will settle down for you after a nice long hold and you will safely be able to resume tapering again. I'm glad to hear that your feeling better though, even if you are back on the meds MEDS HISTORY 2004 hospitalized for acute alcohol induced psychosis and started on my psych drug merry-go-round.2004-2006 SSRI > SNRI Merry-go-round finally settled on Effexor. Also was started on Risperdal in 2004 but switched to seroquell after I had a bad reaction to it.2008. Was switched from Effexor to pristiq, Also managed to successfully Quit Seroquel Cold Turkey.Asenapine- 5mg- August 2014 ~ May 2015. Was put on for Social Anxiety, was great at first then started developing disabling side effects, did a rapid taper and so started my withdrawal nightmare... MEDS CURRENT Pristiq-100mg ~ Currently holding Olanzapine- 3.75mg May 2015 ~ Currently tapering by -.06mg per week (Jan 2016, 3.5mg ~Feb 2016 intractable insomnia updose to 3.75mg) Quetiapine- 50mg June 2015 ~Dec 25 2015 Quit cold turkey. ~(Feb 6 2016 hit with intractable insomnia - reinstated 50mg.) August 2016 : Became destabilised after messing around with cutting doses, trying THC oil etc eventually stabilised, Held doses for 5 years. January 2022: Hit poop out, struggling to get more than 3 hours sleep, been one week straight of pure hell, praying to hold on. Link to comment
wantmyhubbyback Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 katy, just checking in ... how're you doing? diagnosed with MDD/GAD nov 2013, 6 months following CMV complications post-kidney transplant. lst zyprexa taper 12 months; /increased paxil to 30 mg; crash nov 2014 w/ suicidal ideation & 10day hospitalization. 2nd zyprexa taper 6 months; crash after 6 weeks; reinstated zyprexa 15mg in 6/15 (both tapers worked well to the 2.5mg dose). 3rd zyprexa taper ... 17mg 3 mos; 15mg 1 mo; 10mg 3 mos, 5 mg 3 mos. 2.5mg caused some decompensating, so back to 3mg and the 10% redux. UPDATE: moved to FL in late 2016. found great new psychiatrist who agrees that hubby taking too many meds. continued zyprexa taper and finally jumped off at .5mg in 2018. had terrible insomnia. added seroquel @ 300 mg and then tapered 10% to 12.5mg over 2 years. everything was great until it wasnt; hubby suddenly got very agitated and manic. hospitalized 2x in early 2020 for "idiopathic secondary mania" and diagnosed as bipolar. seroquel now back @ 100mg plus depakote @ 2500 mg and trazadone @ 100mg. mirtazapine 30 mg 45mg 15mg ativan .5mg 1x/day, occasionally .5 addl if needed for sleep 3x/day n now 1x/day paxil 20 mg 1x/day gabapentin 1200 - 1800 mg 2 -3 x/day immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant: sirolimus, tacrolimus, mycophenalate, prednisone, levothyroxin and a whole handful of others Link to comment
herewego Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Hi Katy, I hope you're doing ok. After cutting by 50% it took me two months to figure out how much to updose to, to stabilize and then I stayed on that amount for 4 months before starting gradual cuts. I do cuts by how I feel rather than by a time table but never more than 10% per month. It seems to be going ok for me so I have hope you will be able to do it too. Medicine History June 2011 I was put on 10 mg Olanzapine. I stayed on that for 7 months then went down to 5 mg for 3 months and then went down to 2.5mg and slowly went down to less than .3 every few days. I have tried to come off 4 times, each time getting down to less than .3 before having to go back on at 5mg or 2.5mg. I would cut by 50% each taper. From Jan 2015 to June 2015 I reduced from about 5mg to .3 mg. This last time I went on 2.5 mg last June 2015 until July 2, 2016. July 3, 2016 I went down to 1.25mg - withdrawal hit. Up dosed to liquid 2 mg July 23, 2016. Medicine Current 2 mg Olanzapine as of July 23, 2016 Supplements Omega 3 1000mg, Vitamin E 400 UI, Vitamin C 1000 mg Time Released, 200 mg Magnesium Bisglycinate, Multi Probiotic, .25 mg melatonin for 3-5 days as needed Link to comment
Plshelp Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Meimeiquest How long have you been off Olanzapine and how was your taper and withdrawl? Katy, How have you been doing? Dec 2016 Risperidone 1 mg, Seroquel 25mg, Latuda 40mg Jan - Mar 2017 Paliperidone (invega) 6 -9mg, Zoloft, Mirtazapine, Proprananol, Ativan Mar - Apr 2017 Aripiprazole (abilify) 10 mg Apr 2017 - July 2017 Olanzapine (zyprexa) 5 mg tapered to 0mg Oct 2017 - Present Effexor 37.5mg and Prozac 10mg Link to comment
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