That’s no good. I never got what I wanted out of the z-drugs.
1 Like
got worried for a second, its good you’re on a new med lurasidone, its less heavy than olanzapine. often people quit meds, i think its best to try a different med if the current one is too much side effects as sz doesnt really just go away, after years of ap’s most have worst episodes than their first episode if they quit meds
1 Like
Lurasidone works way better, at a smaller dose (relatively speaking) and no side effects. i am much happier with it.
1 Like
Hi, I talked to psychiatrist and he says there is no other meds. He wanted to give me Vraylar, but I was reading IT cause insomnia for all people so I refused to take it. I feel totaly lost what to do. Iam so scared to take Zyprexa, because of sleep dependance and its so hard to wake Up from it. I hate mornings because of zyprexa. Do you think I should continue IT till I find something else instead of IT?I was even thinking to be off antipsychotics if I managed to be without mood swings. Thanks for reply Ali
Dňa po 23. 8. 2021, 20:24 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
1 Like
I’m sorry you have had such a rough time with olanzapine. I take 30 mg without problems/bad side effects and do not consider it a nasty drug at all in my experience. In fact, I haven’t even been sent to the hospital in 4-5 years! And honestly I wouldn’t be here today without it. I’m very thankful for it! Good luck with your insomnia and the latuda! I tried latuda and quickly became very psychotic even on the max dose. I did something dumb and then was hospitalized. Go figure! We all respond to meds so differently!
There are dozens of antipsychotics so that is factually untrue. Maybe in his opinion nothing else would work. I had a psychiatrist that wanted to put me on haldol or clozapine and I didn’t want either. I tried haldol and had bad side effects. I then got another pdoc and he suggested Lurasidone(Latuda) and I have never been better in 17 years.
Yeah, I slept 12 hours a day on average and I had no energy the rest of the day. I use to drink like 8 cups of coffee a day, sometimes more. It took me over 4 years to go from 40mg down to 0mg and I still have insomnia as a withdrawal effect. I’ve read hundreds of stories like mine where people quit and can’t sleep anymore, the internet is full of them. I can only hope one day my brain is able to sleep by itself without sleeping pills, but for now I am stuck taking clonazepam.
Hi, I could maybe ask about latuda. Do you still use something for sleeping after quitting olanzapine?Iam so scared what meds I should use. I tried Rispen, Abilify and Quentiapine. All were not really good for me. Only Olanzapine did not have such side effects, but I could not wake Up and I felt tired from it. I changed a lot of psychiatrist too. Do you think I should end Olanzapine only when I have knew antipsychotic?
Thanks for reply
Ali
Dňa po 23. 8. 2021, 21:24 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
I don’t think it would hurt to ask him about Latuda. Tell him about me, how I was on 40mg of olanzapine and am doing better on 60mg of Latuda.
But keep in mind everyone reacts differently to medication, just because Latuda works for me doesn’t mean it will work for you. I also tried Abilify and it didn’t work at all.
Yeah. about 1/2 hour before bed I take 1.5mg of clonazepam, 200mg l-theanine and 10 grams of Glycine. Seems to work pretty good so far, been doing this for a month or two now. I tried a bunch of other things for sleep but they were not good enough.
1 Like
Sometimes I think I would try without antipsychotic meds. Only I do worry about mood swings. If my Lithium orotate was working I could try to deal with Psychotic symptoms. What symptoms do you have?I have intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, I get paranoid I feel weird in reality, anxiety and mood swings. I do not have halucinations, or hear voices. Still All symptoms I get its not easy to live.
Dňa po 23. 8. 2021, 22:32 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
I had auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations and a delusion in the past. I use to have anxiety and depression but that went away mostly thanks to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
I have an active mind, I am almost constantly think about stuff, but I don’t have intrusive thoughts or racing thoughts and I don’t get paranoid or have mood swings. I am pretty stable.
Hi,
That is great you are stable. I find difficult my condition because of mood swings. I want to try CBT somewhere. I live now in Hungary, but Iam from Slovakia so IT will be propably hard to find somebody for therapy who speaks English. Iam constantly thinking I would try without Olanzapine, but Iam scared I will not manage it. It makes me so tired to wake Up and IT takes All my motivation away. Maybe I will give it a try and I try to increase Lithium orotate and I try to live with Psychotic symptoms and do more sports. When I take antipsychotic IT takes my motivation.
Ali
Dňa po 23. 8. 2021, 23:10 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
Everyone will have different withdrawal symptoms for different periods of time, and I was on a way higher dose than you. I still have withdrawal insomnia and it has been almost 3 months since my last dose.
I had other weird symptoms, like my brain felt like it was always “on” or I would pee way more than normal, but all of that is gone now, the only thing that remains is my insomnia.
As for cutting down I went slow, from 5mg pill, to a 2.5mg pill, then half a 2.5mg pill (1.25mg), then I quit. I held each dosage level for 4 weeks before cutting down. But I started at 40mg, from 40 down to about 15 was easy but I went really slow, like cutting down by 5mg every few months, I started having insomnia problems around 10 mg but going from 5 to 0mg was the hardest. Overall it has taken me over 4 years to go from 40mg down to 0. Several times I had to reinstate because I couldn’t handle the withdrawal symptoms, so it has been quite the adventure.
1 Like
Hi,
what would you recommend to finish with Olanzapine?I vomit from it in the Morning. I want to quit IT. I take 2.5mg that is half pill. Shall I just take quarter pill for while and then stop it completely?I do not have another antipsychotic. I want to be without meds. I do have problem with anxiety too. I would appreciate your help. Thanks Ali
Dňa po 23. 8. 2021, 19:46 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
If you are taking 2.5mg and that is half a pill, then that means you have 5mg pills.
I quit after being on 1.25mg for about 4 weeks. That would be 1/4 of a 5mg pill.
If you want to attempt what I did then yeah, take 1/4 pill for 4 weeks then quit.
BUT I did have another antipsychotic. I slowly phased from olanzapine to lurasidone and for a while I was on both at the same time. I know it sucks to be on meds but if you are psychotic when off meds then quitting your meds might not be a good idea, I’ve learned to be comfortable taking meds, and I even like them because they get rid of my hallucinations. I didn’t like olanzapine in particular, but I do like Lurasidone. I think it is just a matter of finding the right medication for you.
I don’t have anxiety problems anymore, but when I did I occasionally took 1mg lorazepam(Ativan). It is a benzodiazepine and those are typically used for anxiety issues.
If it is making you vomit you should tell your doctor.
Hi,
thanks for information. I do not have hallucinations, or hearing of voices, but I do get intrusive thoughts and kind of feel strange in reality. I do get racing thoughts too. My diagnosis is unclear, but something similar to schizoafective and bit of bipolar as I have huge mood swings too. The worst are mood swings then are psychotic symptoms as I described. I can not handle stress so much since beginning of my problems nearly 3 years ago. I do manage mood swings with lithium orotate recently. Olanzapine makes me so hard to wake up, I am tired to do sports. It makes me bit depressed too and I do vomit sometimes and I do have anxiety too. I am so scared that I got addicted to it for sleeping and now I would not sleep naturaly. Before I slept just on ltheanine. I would like to try without meds. I am starting CBT therapy too I did not do it before. I do read horific stories about olanzapine that is why I would like to finish it. I so much want to be active again, be more positive and do sports. I love doing sports.
Ali
1 Like
I experienced those, I’m not a fan of olanzapine.
CBT is awesome, but there is quit a bit too it, study it and practice it, it can make a huge difference with anxiety and depression
Lurasidone (Latuda) is marketed for bipolar depression, it may help you if your doctor will prrescribe it.
How did you learn CBT?I booked with therapist, but it will cost me 60eur each session. I would so much like to manage without meds. Do you work?I quitted my Job due to stress. I was reading some people got better with niacin and vit C. I tried Once niacin, but I did not like fleshing, but I would like to try it. You are very kind by the way.
Thx Ali
Dňa st 25. 8. 2021, 16:45 Headspark via Schizophrenia.com <schizophrenia@discoursemail.com> napísal(a):
I took Vitamin C for about a year and didn’t really notice any effect.
The first CBT course I took was an applied CBT course called “Attacking Anxiety and Depression” but the company that created it closed down, I found this course extremely effective. It lives on as an app for your phone at this website.
I then took an outpatient course at the local hospital that taught CBT.
Then i bought this course to learn even more. That course is how to become a CBT practitioner so you’ll learn what your therapist has learned, you can then apply it to yourself.
@Headspark how is quitting olanzapine going for you now?
I’m still on it 2,5 mg sometimes 5, but 2,5 most of the time.
How did you tapper down? Sorry if you’ve already answered to that. And are your sleep better now?