Those who got off medication

Medications
1

I have no handicap, that is functioning 100%. No symptoms, am social, finished master’s studies, can work. Am male, fit BMI, 39 years old.

But. I have to take Zypadhera 300 mg/Zyprexa otherwise my brain won’t shut off, likely. I can’t really hypothesise what would happen without medication, but probably no sleep. One doctor have tried the medication, he said he slept for 18 hours. I sleep 8. The need for medication is a massive handicap.

Is there anyone who got off the medication, and what was the process/story behind it?

Best Regards,

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Welcome to the forum :smiley::smiley::smiley:

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Welcome to the forum.

I went off Zyprexa (Olanzapine) after years of being on it. I was doing pretty good for a bit, but eventually I went downhill and it went downhill fast.

I started taking it again this past Friday. I stopped taking it because of the weight gain. Never again. Im on Olanzapine or at least a different AP for rest of my life.

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Welcome to the forum. There’s a search function at top right btw, you can find the 3000 previous threads on the topic if you use it.

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I got off my meds all the time when I was first ill. I wanted to try and deal with my illness without medication. It was hard. Longest I ever lasted was a month. Id start slipping back into psychosis. I’m religious about my meds now. I’ve been on them daily since 2016 and doing better than ever.

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I don’t take APs.

At several points I felt I needed them,

But I got through that points and realized they were not serving me the way they should.

I didn’t have many hallucinations or delusions,

Still,

I had zero interest in anything.

My physical health was worse and I began to feel like it was an unfair exchange.

I got off of them and my symptoms came back hard.

To this day I highly suspect hauntings, have active hallucinations that scare me and am generally paranoid.

But I like living.

I’m in decent shape.

And I’m able to cope with most of my delusions and hallucinations with CBT techniques.

In some ways my life is much better,

In others,

It’s worse.

People like to think APs are some sort of magic.

Like you find the right one and your problems melt away.

It’s always an exchange.

Life is pain,

And you get to decide what kind of misery in.

Additionally,

I’m your same age and have a degree.

Also do not struggle socially.

It’s possible I could maybe work,

But am not terribly confident there.

I do write everyday for a project I’ve worked on a long time.

Good luck, man.

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I only take 10 mg of AP now. They found a drug and dose that works on me. I’ve gotta avoid street drugs as they really screw up my MH.

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I tried to go off meds a few times and always ended up back in the psych ward.

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I would adore to come off my antipsychotic

But I’ve tried 3 times, unsucsefully each time

Maybe I’ve developed dopamine supersensitivity from the antipsychotic

10

Welcome to the forum.

I would love to get off my meds, but at the same time I do very well on them, I’m basically cured!

With that said I went 5 years of being diagnosed and was unmedicated. I struggled a lot.

The reason I’d like to come off them is because of the side effects.

I think my pdoc will let me slowly ween off them in about a year, but right now I’m court ordered to take meds.

Hope that was helpful

11

I have given up giving up on my meds. Never ends well.

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I tried slowly tapering off my Loxapine and Geodon. Was off them both successfully for about a month before I ended up back in the psych hospital. Keto is great but it doesn’t cure you. I’m gonna be on meds for the rest of my days

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I take meds religiously but down to lowest clinical doses. Do Keto. It’s different but it’s curious in that it seems to help things like sz and after sticking with it over a year I’ve improved positives and negatives even…and doing things I wouldn’t be doing a year ago.

Like you can’t go wrong adding diet and exercise but the curious thing is in the lo carb world.

Yeah. We have high functioning people but the danger of going off meds is that you could need an increased dose if your relapse. It happens and it’s not good so you end up behind yet again.

Still. Worthwhile investigating that whole keto thing. It’s not a cure but as an adjunct treatment it can do crazy things if you stick to it…not for everyone but I can say it’s worked great for me.

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There’s a guy called Martin on a YouTube series called living well with sz. He came off meds and his pdoc monitors him to make sure he’s doing fine, I think he looks better and works compared to some people who are medicated 24/7!

They are drugs after all… but my previous pdoc didn’t wanna do it… I’ll find the link!

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I find it curious that my body is very sensitive to my antipsychotic.

I’m on a tiny dose of abilify, 2.5mg.

But!, if I come off that teeny dose, I do relapse. So that suggests my body depends on this tiny dose

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It’s deceptive and it’s challenging for a community like this because 20 % of first episode people with sz get off the meds. IF your multi episodic then it gets tough because you probably need meds for life.

Then there’s the blowback that getting off meds can make it harder to take them again if you need them. Like increased doses if they will work again if at all.

It’s problematic and I wouldn’t believe most on youtube. It’s kinda poking fun at the community because most people who come through here do well but need meds. It’s just not realistic in my opinion these sorts of stories because this dude isn’t like me.

LIke seriously. Doing great on keto after a year and kicking ass but not getting off my meds anytime soon. That is my simple reality and if your not dealing with that for most it’s unrealistic thinking you can.