Coming off Olanzapine

Medications
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Hey folks,

Has anyone here come off\tapered off Olanzapine successfully? Has anyone switched from Olanzapine to Quetiapine? What was it like?

I would be interested in hearing any comments\feedback about this.

Thanks, Zaka

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hey zaka.
I would not switch medicines so quickly if you finally found a medicine that works well. I would continue to take it and eventually reduce it. But I would take it for the rest of your life.

Good luck

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I switched from Olanzapine to Risperidone. I came down with diabetes when taking Olanzapine. I was tapered off by a psychiatrist, but I’m still taking an AP. I don’t know what the drug you referred to is.

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I’ve been on and off Zyprexa a few times. When I was on Zyprexa I craved sugar and I slept a lot. It seems like any time I come off an antipsychotic I mess up. I don’t think I got the intense anger coming off Zyprexa like I did coming off other ap’s. I did get really paranoid. At one point there were a bunch of policemen outside my ninth floor apartment and I was out on the balcony pacing back and forth and bellowing, “Help! I want to talk to an attorney!” Of course, that ended with a trip to the hospital. I’ve been on Seroquel for over a decade now. I didn’t think it was doing anything to me, but I didn’t get it for five days, and I was more nervous than I cared to be. Some people find Seroquel to be very sedating. I don’t get that from it.

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I’ve put on about 55lb on Zyprexa (Olanzapine) in about a year. This is the main reason my psych is switching me to Seroquel (Quetiapine). I crave sugar and sleep loads on Olanzapine so I will be quite glad to get off it. I do have trouble falling asleep though which Olanzapine helps greatly with so I will be happy if Seroquel has the same effect. It is just the weight gain I am not happy with.

Zaka

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I also got alot of weight because of olanzapine :frowning:

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I just stop taking it. The last time I took it was December last year. Doesn’t have any severe attacks. I have more energy that last the whole day not like when I was on olanzapine. But I’m watching my state of mind closely.

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I tried getting off olanzapine by myself but quickly became unwell again and was not coping at all.

I was ready to take myself to hospital because I could not seem to function.

I even packed a bag.

I was always taken to hospital against my will but for the first time I wanted to take myself to one because I could not take care of myself when I was like that.

Luckily i isolated and one night after time with no medication I took olanzapine and a sleeping tablet .

I had just been crewchetting in bed.

I woke up the next morning feeling much better and began to get more functional again.

I was calm on olanzapine but gained 23kg.

I swapped from olanzapine to latuda with the help of a psychiatrist .

I went from size 14 to size 12.
I was size 8 or 6 without meds.

I was around size 12 for a year maybe and then I went down to size 10 and now I am in between size 10 and 8.

I stopped exercising but the lock box may of helped too.

I stopped riding but hope to start again soon.

I was doing five minute of yoga a day.

I think it is better to swap with expert guidance of your dr .

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@Zaka Yes I had come off Olanzapine successfully. I took the drug for 3.5 years. I switched over to Aripiprazole and I am still on it. I had no side effects and Aripiprazole proved to be a good choice. I gradually reduced the dose of Olanzapine ie from 10 to 5 to 2.5 and tapered it off.

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I have withdrawn from Zyprexa (10mg) and now use Haldol (1mg). Withdrawing from Zyprexa was hard, with lots of moods swings and anger and depression, but that was temporary and I’m very glad I did it. I’m much more happy on this dose of Haldol than I was on the Zyprexa. Plus I would have been the size of an elephant by now with the pace in which I was gaining weight on Zyprexa.