Spookypaws: Has anyone successfully tapered off zyprexa?

[Spookypaws]

Doc says to go back on 5 mg. so I guess tapering will wait. When I see her again in 8 weeks were going to taper my luvox. She said she wasn't too crazy about tapering the zyprexa in the first place, I guess I was insisting at our last appointment. She mentioned switching me over to latuda instead of zyprexa eventually.

[Meimeiquest]

I have no idea what you need, but as long as you let your doc "own" your care, you're not ready to taper. Always listen to them very carefully, they do know many things, but you own your health care decisions. Good luck! My idea would be for you just to hang out on this forum for awhile and just learn, if you are still interested.

[Meimeiquest]

But it Is probably best to taper the Luvox first anyway..."accelerators before brakes."

[Spookypaws]

I understand I want to taper off but it was so bad, the insomnia and the waves, it was just too much. Am I a lost cause then? Should I not listen to my doctor? She said she wants me to go slow, is that not the right way?

[Skyler]

I understand I want to taper off but it was so bad, the insomnia and the waves, it was just too much. Am I a lost cause then? Should I not listen to my doctor? She said she wants me to go slow, is that not the right way?

Perhaps you should start with Why taper at 10% of my dosage.  Your recent Klonopin taper has most likely set you up for more difficulty tapering Zyprexa, so you will need to be more mindful going forward.

 

Spooky, it does not sound like you are reading the information on this forum. Our input is of no value if you don't use it!  You need to take some responsibility as there are too many people in need of assistance to spoon feed info that is readily available.  Feel free to ask questions when you finish the reading.

[Altostrata]

It is unlikely you will find any doctor who agrees with our approach to tapering. You'll have to decide for yourself which way you want to go.

 

Your doctor wants to switch you to another antipsychotic. Still a lot of drugs for a panic attack years ago.

[Spookypaws]

I'm sorry, I did read all the information. I don't mean to bother anyone, I just wanted to find a community with people who are going through what I am and can offer support. I'll try and stay in the background from now on.

[ang]

Spookypaws, hello and welcome.               I agree with Alto..........   A lot of medications for one panic attack..........and for myself?  I used to trust my psychiatrist too, until I learnt better

[Skyler]

I'm sorry, I did read all the information. I don't mean to bother anyone, I just wanted to find a community with people who are going through what I am and can offer support. I'll try and stay in the background from now on.

 

You don't need to do that Spooky.. suggestion though? When you read information, try to relate that to your situation. Ask questions that help you further your understanding.  Give it a try? I actually think you are starting to incorporate this..   learning all this is a process, a lot of work, no two ways about it.

[Spookypaws]

I'm finally stable again on the 5 mg of zyprexa. Thank you to everyone who was helping me when I was trying to taper. Maybe I was doing too much too fast, I'm sure I was. I'm going to read and re-read all the links and hope that when I am ready for zyprexa taper I can get off.

 

I still have feeling of worthlessness being on these meds, but I guess I have to reach acceptance that this is how my life is for now.

[Meimeiquest]

Getting stable is a great thing! And it happened pretty quickly. Please don't feel bad (actually, you can feel whatever you feel, but you know what I mean). I failed under doctor supervision in 2009 before I did it myself in 2012. You might want to visit Kelly Brogan's website, www.kellybroganmd.com. She thinks the best way to prepare is through great nutrition. Let us know when you're ready to try again.

[Spookypaws]

I'm feeling really blah. I'm definitely suffering from adhedonia I feel neutral about everything, I'm just so frustrated being on these meds, I want off! I'm going to lose my marriage over this, my poor husband just keeps saying he's waiting for his wife to come back. I want to come back too! Is the zyprexa causing these neutral emotions?

[Meimeiquest]

What do you think about the Luvox? Have you read the thread about coming off multiple drugs? I am just concerned you may have trouble if you come off all your "brakes" before the Luvox. Given how much you have reduced the Zyprexa, that may not be where the flatness is coming from. It may be from the other meds. I was FULL of emotion and memories at that point in coming off Zyprexa, could not focus at all.

[Spookypaws]

Maybe it is the luvox I don't know. I'm just scared of the side effects coming off these meds will cause. I don't want the insomnia to come back. I got really depressed last fall and then found out my mom was dying of lung cancer. Then I had this panic attack happened and I didn't sleep for 4 or 5 days. I didn't sleep really well until I started klonopin and luvox, but the depression was still lingering so I ended up in patient 3 times in the psych ward. The third time was when they introduced zyprexa. I was fine up until this past christmas when I had my panic attack, I've never had issues before. I'm afraid I'm broken

[Spookypaws]

I'm going to take 175mg of luvox tonight instead of 200mg. I'll see if I can start coming off some of this poison. I'm afraid I'm going to end up back in the hospital because of the zyprexa. I've been reading through topics today and it appears zyprexa is one of those nasty anti psychotics. I feel hopeless.

[Meimeiquest]

Good luck! Just be careful...you have already experienced things much worse than being "numbed out." Coming off multiple drugs is hard work. We are here for you as you take it one day at a time. Maybe I already suggested you read the 3 S's or something that is pinned in the tapering section. Studying this site has been immensely helpful to me. I think it will help you to see it as an overall quest for wellness. You've worked hard already...you can do this! Just remember that unless things are going incredibly well just drop 10% every four weeks, max. That drop in Luvox is already a bit over that but I think you will be okay as it is the first cut. The past year-plus I have been moving back and forth between drugs, and as long as you do it slowly, I think it helps to keep balance and you have more time to recover from cuts off one drug while you are focusing on another. We are pulling for you!

[Meimeiquest]

You might want to read the thread of Chia1214. She is an example of someone who went through a really tough time but realized it would pass if she just stayed on her path and didn't go to the doctor/hospital.

[Spookypaws]

Thanks meime I need support. I feel so lost and scared.

[brassmonkey]

Hi Spookypaws--  if you are going to start tapering off the Luvox then it would bee a good idea to read through this thread;

 

Tips for tapering off Luvox (fluvoxamine)

 

Being scared at the beginning of a taper is a very natural thing, but don't let it color your thinking.  The whole purpose of the 10% taper is to minimize the symptoms so you can maintain  some quality of life as you taper.  Being afraid of the symptoms gives them power over you and always makes things feel worse than they are.  I was scared to death when I started my taper and it was wasted energy.  I won't say it has been painless, because it hasn't, but it hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated or read about.  Building and maintaining a positive mindset is very important to this process.

 

I also highly recommend Chia1214's introduction thread.  I have know her for years and is quite the inspiration.

[Spookypaws]

I did read her thread and was inspired, I think I have read so many bad things I expect bad things to happen. My klonopin taper was ver very easy compared to trying to come off zyprexa a couple weeks ago. I guess luvox is an accelerator and not a break.

[Spookypaws]

I'm going to wait until we're back from vacation before I start tapering. I should be good to go next week.

[Spookypaws]

What is considered long term use when you're dealing with these types of drugs? I've been on luvox since jan. And zyprexa since mar. I'm going to taper my luvox bit I'm gonna start with a 25% cut and see how that treats me.

[brassmonkey]

It is generally considered that if you have been taking any of these drugs for a month then you are at risk of Withdrawal Syndrome if you stop taking them without tapering.

[Altostrata]

Please try a 10% taper and see how that affects you. Reducing by 25% is like jumping from a wall.

[Spookypaws]

I'm back from a relaxing vacation and am ready to taper my luvox. I'm gonna try to go from 200 to 175 tonight and see how I do. Please keep me in your thoughts tonight...am I in the clear if I go a week with no side effects to make another cut?

[Meimeiquest]

It's 10% a month, not a week . Glad you had a good vacation! Let us know how it goes...

[Spookypaws]

Well this whole week on 175 has been great . So great I thought I'd try to go to 150 last night and had fragmented sleep. I'm going to go back to 175 again tonight, but does this mean I'll not be able to taper lower? I so want off these drugs, what should I do?

[Meimeiquest]

Try a 10% cut after you've been on that dose for four weeks and see how you do. You haven't been on psych drugs a long time, but you've been on a lot of them and you're going to have to go more slowly. You may need to develop a level of tolerance for insomnia as well while you're tapering as it happens to almost everyone.

[Spookypaws]

Thanks meme, I appreciate the response. I'm terrified of not sleeping cause that's why I went on these drugs in the first place, 5 days no sleep.

[Meimeiquest]

You're right, five days of absolutely no seep is terrifying and very destabilizing. Your concerns are very valid, but it can become a source of anxiety and a self-fulfilling prophecy. While you wait a few weeks to cut again, you can read even more on the insomnia threads and develop the practice of just being thankful for rest. If you can relax into it, you can function much better than if you are worried about how tired you will be (although I have to admit I have never missed a complete night of sleep more than one night at a time).

 

It sounds like your original insomnia was related to grief and stress? If you have processed that, remember that is over. You just have to undo the changes the meds have wrought, and that's a lot less complex than your mom having cancer. You can do this!

[Spookypaws]

Thanks meme I just get scared. Terrified of not sleeping again but terrified of staying on the drugs. I don't know what happened to me.

[Meimeiquest]

There are lots of things to do to help that level of insomnia. Is it possible to sleep well every night coming off all those drugs? Probably not, unless you want to finish in 20 years. But survivable, yes. I have worked at least 70% of a full-time job the whole time I have been withdrawing. And a few times my husband drove me and picked me up because I had been wide awake all night. Miserable, but not impossible. You might want to make a plan for what you will do when you are so restless in the night that staying in bed is counter-productive. I am a huge fan of Epsom salts baths and I have a lamp in the living room with an amber lightbulb so I can read in non-stimulating light. I use inositol (try carefully, it's not good for everyone). We have aluminum foil over our bedroom windows and cover the LED lights on the radio/alarms at night. Lots of other ideas are in the symptoms forum.

[Spookypaws]

I have a little girl and a husband to care for, I need my sleep, so if I have a bad night I'm immediately panicked like I was when this all started. I ruined our Christmas and new year last year from not sleeping, I was in the throes of a panic attack and could not sleep. My poor daughter had a terrible christmas then to top it off we found out my mom was dying. I just want to know why this is happening to me and if I'll ever recover.

[Meimeiquest]

What happened before you stopped sleeping? Usually it is some kind of stressor. Also, my pdoc is adamant that ongoing psych issues always have gut problems as one component. One typical scenario is that stress leads to increased cortisol production. It causes increased zonulin production which damages the "glue" that connects the single layer of cells that line the intestines. Then things get out that shouldn't and all sorts of bad things come from that. I think that is my story. Kellybroganmd.com is an interesting website by a pdoc who is tryng to get to the bottom of stuff like this. Another thought is that if copper doesn't return to normal after childbirth a whole lot of problems can ensue that involve overstimulation. My kids are adopted so I haven't been through childbirth, but I do have problems with elevated copper. What didn't cause your problems was a deficiency of psychotropic drugs

[Spookypaws]

Nothing really, I was depressed before I stopped sleeping, but nothing I don't think I couldn't have gotten over. I had been worried about my daughter having some type of immune deficiency and the day I find out she's fine and can relax, I find out my mom is dying. That night I go to the ER for a panic attack and proceed to not sleep for days after that. It is the craziest thing why I just stopped sleeping even after I stopped panicking. It's a mystery to me.

[Meimeiquest]

Sometimes it is just total adrenaline overload from stuff like that, which really can cause insomnia and panic attacks. There are some who believe depression always has an anxiety component.