Posted by bleauberry on September 30, 2007, at 18:23:06
In reply to Weaning off Zyprexa Need help!!!!!!, posted by suebirds on September 29, 2007, at 15:35:58
For me zyprexa took several months to get off. We all have different sensitivities. I was on it for at least 6 years. But even someone on it for a couple months can have a real hard time, or not, no way to predict.
My true hope is that this long post will have been a waste of time because you find zyprexa easy to get off of. That would be awesome. But if not, read on...
I could not do a preplanned schedule. The jump from 5mg to 2.5mg was like nuclear bomb. No way I could handle that. So I went back up to 5mg and immediately began a taper of shaving off tiny amounts with a knife or razor blade. Never accurate, but small enough it didn't make a diff. Eventually I had shaved my way down to 2.5mg. Then I got the 2.5mg tabs instead of 5mg and continued with the shaving off small amounts. The final .75 was the hardest.
Each shaving took off maybe .15mg to 25mg. I stayed at each new dose 3 days to a week, depending on how it felt. The whole process took about 3 months, but I never could have done it the way your doctor has suggested.
What's really sad is that zyprexa was given to me as an antidepressant. Not for anxiety or insomnia or schizophrenia. But wow did it create more problems than it ever was worth.
Withdrawal symptoms of shakey fingers and thumbs went away in about 6 weeks. Nervousness/anxiety and free-floating fear eased off a bit in a couple months, but never completely until I took 12.5mg to 25mg 5htp for a couple weeks. That seemed to reset everything and get serotonin back in control. On an as needed basis I like 5hpt, or passionflower extract 1/2 dropper, or 100mg valerian root capsule. All are tamely calming and natural, and very low doses. They can be your best friends during the withdrawal if you need support. Unfortunately I didn't discover them until after the fact. Another side withdrawal side effect I had was dizziness, spaciness, fogginess...which was a strange combination mixed with the fierce anxiety. But I could deal with the dizziness stuff. That part wasn't too bad.
Basically, go low and slow. Your best friends can be...a sharp edge to custom tailor your tablet size; 5htp; passionflower; valerian root; time.
I was surprised to find the above supplements worked better for anxiety, nervousness, insomnia better than zyprexa ever did. So cheap, natural and tame. My personal opinion years later is that zyprexa should be reserved for worst-case scenarios or emergencies. Docs give it out like candy. Not cool. I have a newfound respect for the power of zyprexa, but not in a good way. I have a newfound respect for natural options, in a good way.
Whatever zyprexa is ever prescribed for, God has already placed safe natural things on this planet that can achieve the same results in a much safer harmonious way.
Anyway, feel it out. Go low and slow like I did. Or do what your doc thinks. You are the boss of your own body, not someone else sitting behind a desk with a prescription pad.
poster:bleauberry
thread:785917
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070929/msgs/786116.html