What did you switch to and how did it go?
If you got sleep issues after switching, how did you deal with it?
I’ve recently come off zyprexa but didn’t go on to another antipsychotic. It hasn’t been too bad- sleep is a bit tricky but I’ve been getting by with some melatonin. Weirdly I’ve also been suffering with quite a bit of nausea since coming off it.
1 Like
I switched from zyprexa after taking 20 mg ten years to Loxapine. It was an easy transition and I lost 20 lbs and kept it off. I started sleeping less and was still able to sleep but only 4 hours at night and 4 in the day, because I’d wake up in a manic high and the lithium was not working. I’m now on Latuda for mania and psychosis. I also take 5 mg zyprexa for sleep and psychosis. Zyprexa is a good drug except for its side effects.
2 Likes
I slowly tapered off 40mg of olanzapine (Zyprexa) over a 4 year period. I am now in 60mg lurasidone.
I had some weird withdrawal symptoms which is why I went so slowly.
I’ve been off olanzapine for a little over 4 months and all my withdrawal symptoms are all gone except for Insomnia. My insomnia is absolutely brutal. I can’t sleep at all, literally not 1 minute. There are thousands of people on various websites complaining about the same problem with olanzapine, there is a Facebook group for it too. Apparently a lot of people complain they still can’t sleep after 1 or 2 years. I’ve read very few success stories. One person said it took him 2.5 years to start sleeping a little after quitting. This problem doesn’t affect everyone but it does affect a lot of people.
I am currently taking 1.5mg of clonazepam (klonopin) before bed to sleep. It knocks me out for 8 hours on average. Without it I can’t sleep. After a few days of not sleeping I want to die. The type of Insomnia I experience from olanzapine withdrawal is the worst thing I have experienced. I can deal with a lot but after a few days without sleep I can’t function and want to die.
I tried all kinds of medications, supplements and herbal remedies before going the benzo route but none of them worked or didn’t work satisfactorily. I am now probably dependent on benzos so if I ever am able to sleep naturally again I will have to go through benzo withdrawal.
1 Like
Yeah I know about the insomnia. I tried to quit cold turkey at one point and more or less didn’t sleep for 10 days or so. Ended up in the hospital with irregular heartbeat. My organs were beginning to give up on me because of long period without sleep.
I’m going to try a switch to latuda myself. I’m expecting sleep problems, but my doc didn’t want to give me anything extra for sleep before I tried it out. It’s always exciting and a bit scary to try a new medication. It can go both ways.
1 Like