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Mental Health zyprexa withdrawals

ford442

ford442

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
736
Location
northern california
hey guys,

i have been on Zyprexa for about 10 years and i am starting to come off - i kept taking it through the 100 lbs weight gain and the zombifying sedation, but now with dozens of cavities (6 right now) and my LDL cholesterol above 240 i am calling it quits. my doc gave the go ahead to take 5mg 2 weeks ago - i had been on 20 mg before - then 15 mg for a year or so - then 10 mg for a few months - but, now i am starting to feel the real come down - the veins in my head feel really stretched a lot of the time and i feel funny like the first 20 minutes after you take LSD.. almost dizzy and every day i tend to go outside and talk to myself in a really hyper-stupid way - i think my neighbors must see me and think and i am totally crazy - but, i just feel a burning inside - very psychologically bad... i catch myself laughing at my own thoughts when people are talking to me.. and i have not even stopped the pills completely..

i wonder if anyone here wants to share something about these chemicals? these come down feelings are very bad - i once tried to get off before and i ended up rolling around on the ground wanting someone to kill me and i went right back on the pills... is this what heroin/cocaine withdrawal is like at all? i read where one girl had withdrawal feelings for more than 7 months...

any help??

tanks!!
 
Well, you have to ask yourself why you are on it in the first place. If its to control the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, then all that's happening is these symptoms are resurfacing. What does your doctor plan to give you instead?

From what I understand and from what I've experienced, withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are short lived and manifest in mood swings, anxiety, depression and extreme irritability. They can also be minimized a lot if you decrease your dosage slowly over a longer period of time.

Did you discuss running into difficulties when you stop with your doctor? Are there any drugs he's willing to give you in order to tide you over?
 
We did not discuss any further pills.. This will be the second time that I have had approval to stop them.. I feel like I am feeling the side effects more than the underlying condition - it is a slight nausea combined with like you said 'mood swings, anxiety, depression and extreme irritability' - plus this throbbing of veins feels bad.. Insomnia, blunted emotions, mild hallucinations, delusions.. Things that i did not have 15 years ago - reminiscent of the time that I stopped and went on a different med - I had a really, really bad reaction to one pill - laughing hysterically - couldn't sleep for 2 days.. It felt similarly strange.. The old posts from 2003 say 'no withdrawals - doctor took me off 20mg cold turkey' - then 2005 'doctor lowered me off slow' - then 2009 or so withdrawals are accepted as fact - now we are beginning to deal with this properly.. The withdrawal feeling from this drug is very bad!!!

It is hard to remember just how bad my condition was and felt because it was so long ago - i was 21 in 2000 - do you remember how it felt to be you 13 years ago? I am trying to stop these pills because of the impact on my physical health - I lost my dad this past year and nearly lost my life accidentally cutting my wrist open.. My mortal being is saying that this further risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack, extensive tooth decay - i had a molar break in half costing me thousands and a year of pain.. The list goes on and on with Zyprexa - Eli Lilly was on record with the biggest lawsuit ever - something like $1,600,000,000 for causing diabetes without warning people... The side effect list reads like a light novel..

I appreciate that taking a longer time would make this easier.. But, also I want it to be over sooner than later! Part of my original diagnoses was for depression from being in these sad states.. Perhaps I will see my doc in 2 weeks and 2 weeks after that i go down to zero.. Hopefully then I will only have a further 2 -3 weeks of this shit... Spacing out as I type.. Sometimes I think I see a light in my right eye that isn't there.. I read where one girl had withdrawals for 7 months or more and multiple people just went back on the pills.. I want to kick this junk - I am 33 and I have never hurt anyone or myself - I live a mild mannered life and I don't think that having me not medicated is irresponsible - Of course, if it becomes very uncomfortable again I have the option of going back on the pills.. I feel responsible in worrying about my physical body since some of my family agrees that i would be healthy without the stuff..

Thanks for your input! And no, we have not talked about anything to assist the come down... Let me know if you have further thoughts.. This is going to be a fun month.. lol...
 
Well the truth is all atypical anti-psychotics carry the risk of provoking diabetes due to the weight gain associated with them.

I understand what you mean about not remembering your self a while ago, but do you think it's a possibility that zyprexa has been masking your symptoms as they've been getting progressively worst, and now that you've ceased it those symptoms are arising. Mix those symptoms with the withdrawal from the drug and I'm sure it can be brutal.

A lot of anti-convulsants such as sodium valproate or gabapentin can lessen the symptoms of anti-psychotic withdrawal. Try discussing them with your doctor. If suicide is on the cards again the maybe even a low dose benzodiazepines.

Please try and remember that you've had the receptors that are responsible for dictating your personality shut down for quite a long time, your body needs time to regain equilibrium.
 
doing a little better today..

i am sure that my symptoms are coming back some - but, i have read now how even a perfectly sane person can have hallucinations and delusions while stopping zyprexa.. people talking about turning into a "mega-bitch" - i have been getting all worked up and saying some mean things to myself and my heart races - this is very different - when i was not medicated i would get afraid and not want to move - this is like the opposite.. i read the word 'palpitations' a lot - one guy had to break a 5 mg in half for a while - then break that - then take one of those every other day...
 
"Withdrawal symptoms reported to occur after discontinuation of antipsychotics include nausea, emesis, lightheadedness, diaphoresis, dyskinesia, orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia, nervousness, dizziness, headache, excessive non-stop crying, anxiety and death. According to Eli Lilly internal documents, discontinuation of zyprexa can also cause psoriasis, gingivitis and other inflammatory conditions, dyspepsia, headache, high blood sugar and other serious health conditions unrelated to psychiatric condition.[1][2]. Some have argued that additional somatic and psychiatric symptoms associated with dopaminergic super-sensitivity, including dyskinesia and acute psychosis, are common features of withdrawal in individuals treated with neuroleptics. This has led some to suggest that the withdrawal process might itself be schizo-mimetic, producing schizophrenia-like symptoms even in previously healthy patients, indicating a possible pharmacological origin of mental illness in a yet unknown percentage of patients currently and previously treated with antipsychotics. This question is unresolved, and remains a highly controversial issue among professionals in the medical and mental health communities, as well the public."
 
Well, hence the reasons why patients and doctors should concisely outweigh the risks and benefits before initiating treatment with anti-psychotics. Hang in there, it gets better in time. A slow taper is the best way for you to minimize discomfort.
 
Hopefully I don't come off rude or something but speaking from experience zyprexa can be very dangerous in the long term. I was prescribed it on and off for a better part of 4 years the whole time feeling worse than when I began taking it and feeling idiotic. After gaining around 60 pounds and getting abnormal blood test results at a young age of 21 I quit cold turkey. I literally felt like I was slowly killing myself while taking this medication. Yes the withdrawals were very horrible but it slowly faded within 6 months. It took me about a year and a half to lose the weight I had put on from it. To this day I do not feel like the same person that I did before takingzyprexa.
 
i was having a sort of crisis feeling bad from my illness and the surrounding conditions - not knowing that i had the issue.. zyprexa calmed me away from that freaked out state - i think that now years later i am older and tougher and i am armed with the scientific understanding and experience of some years without so much delusional thoughts/behavior, etc.. i agree that the physical side-effects are very heavy - that is why i am stopping mostly..

would you like to describe your dosages at the end? i have dropped very slowly from 20 to 15 to 10 and now 5mg daily.. funny thing - i forgot to take my 5mg last night and i feel better today than yesterday.. hmm.. 6 months sounds like a very long time to feel this bad! but, if i come off slowly.. perhaps i should wait for the 5mg withdrawal to completely subside before dropping to zero.. going slowly seems to be the way to avoid the worse feelings... last time i tried to get off them and it hurt physically.. they only told me 'that is your condition returning' and i had to choose between feeling that forever and taking the pills again.... a very expensive pill and pretty addictive/destructive.. does X have a creepy older brother? heh..

thanks a lot for helping me to think straight about this guys!
 
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Zyprexa is a very dangerous drug. I took it for 10 years without really knowing what it was doing to my body (Except for the obvious weight gain). Firstly, I don't like medication in general so I never followed what the doctor prescribed to me, which was 2.5mg a day. I only took 1.25mg every three days. It seemed to control my mood so I kept taking it even though I hated the fact that I had gained 80 pounds on it. The weight really affected my self-esteem and I didn't date for years because of it. I tried stopping it a few times but I would get dizzy and go into full-on panic, so of course I would go back on it. The big problems started 8 months ago when I tried to stop it again. I couldn't sleep, I was a nervous wreck, I was scared, I was crying so I went to the ER and the doctor there just told me to go back home and take my Zyprexa. I went back home and decided to start taking the full dose, 2.5mg a day. BIG MISTAKE!!! It made things worse, I slept, but from the moment I woke up I couldn't stop shaking and crying. I went to see my Psychiatrist who told me that my dose wasn't high enough. He upped it to 7.5mg a day. I was thinking "this guy is nuts...". There's no way I'm taking that much. I decided to take 5mg instead. At that dose I felt like I was literally going crazy. My body started to make big jerking movements which I couldn't stop. It was very scary. So back to the ER I went. This time the psychiatrist on duty told me to stop Zyprexa right away because I had severe Dystonia. Right.... easier said than done. I went back home and the next day I fainted on the kitchen floor. The ambulance came to get me and this time they hospitalized me. Psych ward... fun oh fun... I left the hospital soon afterwards, I just couldn't stand being there. It was clear no doctor was going to help me so I had to help myself. I started the weaning process again with the support of my parents. It was hell on wheels.... I did it very slowly... down 0.625mg every 10 days. It was super tough. I cried all the time, had insomnia, couldn't stay alone for 2 minutes I was so scared. It came time to stop it completely and I did it. That was 6 weeks ago. Do I feel better now? NO WAY.... I don't have dystonia anymore but I have bad anxiety all day long (I take some ativan sometimes... which I don't like but it calms me a bit). My brain feels like it's being sucked dry by a vacuum cleaner all the time. My energy is really bad, although it's improving a bit. 2 weeks ago I couldn't walk a block without almost fainting. Chest pains were really bad too, but that also calmed down. It feels like my body is shutting down on me and my brain doesn't know what to do. It's the most unpleasant thing I have EVER felt. I still get crying spells here and there and I need sleeping pills otherwise I'm up all night. I just got an infection in my gums and apparently that can be a side effect of the Zyprexa withdrawal. To think I was given this drug for anxiety. That is just wrong wrong wrong. I am seeing a naturopath who treats me with acupuncture and natural medicine, but it takes time to recover. I don't know how long it will take. I've heard some people can take a year to come back to normal. I so hope that won't be me. I've never taken hard drugs but I bet coming off heroin would be similar. And these doctors give it out like candy. I'm not happy and don't think I can ever fully trust a doctor again, especially not a psychiatrist. And there would be a lot to say about these drug companies who lie and get away with it. Glorified pushers if you ask me... If you're in the same situation, hang in there, it's super hard but there's still a fire inside of me that's keeping hope that things will improve, and I'm sure they will. But when? Who knows...
 
Hey Marcus I have anxiety all day too.

My sleep is shit. I feel lobotomized.

Getting by the day... I just don't. I lie in bed all day, then check Bluelight for topics on Zyprexa.

Dreams are horrible. I don't feel as if I get sleep. I feel completely "shut-off".

I hope I recover to a life worth living. This existence is not life.
 
My fear is I will not recover.

I have no way to know what my life will look like.

If I don't feel better, I will not have an autonomous life.

I try to just survive at this point.

Permanent damage. That is my worst fear.
 
Anonymous, I really do not think that you will have permanent damage, or at least that it will not be this extreme. One thing that could really help you heal is to focus on something that is not necessarily emotional, but that feeds the spirit and engages the body, giving the mind the rest it needs. Have you ever considered growing food or flowers of any kind? I know it may sound trite but I get so much out of the whole process of working in the soil, nurturing plants from seeds to produce that I can actually harvest and eat. It is such an all-consuming endeavor and one which takes you outside every day. I don't know where you live or if this is possible (lots can be grown in pots!) but I find it to be strong medicine.
 
I sleep 18 hrs a day. When I wake up I'm still tired. 0 motivation. Just apathy.

Ciggarettes have no taste, I drink cola and can't like feel the taste.

It's just a state, neurologically, that I think is dopamine depletion, and while I don't feel as tortured, I feel my suffering is replacing with a widening apathy.

I miss feeling, I miss a lot of things.

Anyone know of a legal way to get dopamine? Outside the healthcare system, cause they're not giving it to me.
 
This is just living pain.

I've no sense of taste, coffee is like water.

I'm either in a state where everything is unbearable, or a scary apatehtic state, that's not normal apathy exactly, just complete lack of impulse, a state where everything looks "too white", it's not possible to describe, and it's a good thing it's unrelatable because it's just not something human beings should ever experience.

I am young, but am I even human anymore, when I live like a tortured animal?

So I read about the mode of action of Zyprexa, and other neuroleptics, they suppress dopamine. Am I living my life currently without -one neurotransmittor?

If that's the case, life without, dopamine, is not "life". It's just a theory this is what's going on. But something is literally not the same with my brain, that a healthy- non-neuroleptic exposed brain is.

One bet is it's lack of dopamine.

HealthCARE simply fucking cannot prescripe these meds to human beings in the 21st century.

Nevermind my future as a normal functioning member of society may be ruined, the complete torture I endure is not fucking human...

These meds are supplied to living beings haphazardly.

My biggest fear is of course, not feeling human again. Currently the torture is near or directly ubearable. And I fear that "white state", a complete brainwashed non life, is widening.

I can go on writing, but this is were "I" am right now.

Not suicidal, which is funny because I have no reason not to be.
 
Chromophobia said:
Well, you have to ask yourself why you are on it in the first place. If its to control the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, then all that's happening is these symptoms are resurfacing. What does your doctor plan to give you instead?

From what I understand and from what I've experienced, withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are short lived and manifest in mood swings, anxiety, depression and extreme irritability. They can also be minimized a lot if you decrease your dosage slowly over a longer period of time.

Did you discuss running into difficulties when you stop with your doctor? Are there any drugs he's willing to give you in order to tide you over?
Click to expand...

This.

Sudden onset of positive symptoms can be quite unnerving.

OP, let yourself regain some semblance of homeostasis, and if these symptoms become intrusive, consult with your doctor please.
 
I was on Zyprexa for a while and the problem gets to be is that your reward center of your brain has been flatlined. Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can really do. Luckily for me I exercised a lot. Like a lot. Like biking an hour to a gym, getting on a stationary bike for a couple of hours and just sweating. And that won't even cut it.

I basically had to smoke a great deal of marijuana and do heavy traditional chinese acupuncture. I don't recommend it, I had huge amounts of anxiety and rebound alcohol consumption.

Zyprexa also acts somewhat like a benzo. So it kills anxiety dead. Valium might work as a sleep aid and then taper off to ativan, im no doc tho. The problem with benzos is you build a tolerance to them.

I dunno bro, any advice is pretty much bullshit, cause you've been either on it and know that hell, or be like everyone else and sympathize. It took me a year I think to get back on track and I basically started smoking cigarettes, which works - somewhat. Treat fire with fire, I guess.

I think the shitty thing is you'll never be the same. You just have to accept it and move on. That's the tough part.
 
Zyprexa is the worst drug there is!! I was on it for only about 12mths the weight gain was really bad and feeling braindead not to mention how much i slept had no motivation and if i missed my daily dose was an absolute wreck ohh and had head tremors this drug should be banned!
 
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