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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Abajo on October 17, 2001, at 19:11:03
I was just wondering if anyone has had to stop using zyprexa for whatever reason and if you had any problems doing so with respect to withdrawal type symptoms. I just got back from my new neuro and he wrote a script for two months worth of zyprexa and then asked me not to come back. I was floored. I asked him why and he said that the zyprexa was being used for bi-polar disorder and that was a mental disorder best left to a psychiatrist. I've been on the drug now for a little over a month and have titrated up to 10mgs/day, with his guidance. It seems to have really helped me quite a bit, especially with daytime anxiety and sleep. The thing that doesn't make any sense is that I was also being being treated for a seizure disorder by him. The last time I talked to my pdoc he was furious that they had put me on zyprexa and said he would not write a script for me. So now I'm left with the option of doctor hunting again or stopping the zyprexa. I'm seriously considering contacting a lawyer to see if this constitutes any type of malpractice. The neuro started me on the drug, got me up to a pretty hefty dose and then told me not to come back after giving me a two month supply of zyprexa. He left before I could ask him about how to withdraw from the drug if I can't find another doc who will prescribe it. What is even more amazing is that we were getting along just fine. I had resisted the drug for two months but he finally convinced me to give it a try, after much reflection and research. He was thrilled to see that I would give it a try a month ago. What the hell happened to his enthusiasm that I would try the drug. He must be nuts. So if I can't find a doctor who will prescribe it for me I am left with withdrawing from it with no knowledge of how to do it. I talked to his attending and he just blew me off, too busy to listen. Anyone out there with experience withdrawing from zyprexa and what I can expect if I have to. That neuro turned psycho on me. Good God, will it ever end.
Posted by JohnL on October 18, 2001, at 2:36:48
In reply to zyprexa withdrawals, posted by Abajo on October 17, 2001, at 19:11:03
Hi there,
Doctors can be frustrating sometimes, I know. But actually, if you are doing well with Zypexa, it shouldn't be very hard to find a doc who will maintain you on it. In a worst case scenario, you could pull out the phone book yellow pages and just start calling docs at random to find out who will maintain you on Zyprexa. That way you won't have to worry about withdrawals or relapse. Just tell potential docs that you are doing well with Zyprexa, that you want to continue it, and that all you need is medication maintenance. There are plenty of docs who will be willing to help, but you'll have to call around to find them. Just briefly explain your situation on the phone, and you will be able to weed out the duds and focus on the more cooperative docs.
John> I was just wondering if anyone has had to stop using zyprexa for whatever reason and if you had any problems doing so with respect to withdrawal type symptoms. I just got back from my new neuro and he wrote a script for two months worth of zyprexa and then asked me not to come back. I was floored. I asked him why and he said that the zyprexa was being used for bi-polar disorder and that was a mental disorder best left to a psychiatrist. I've been on the drug now for a little over a month and have titrated up to 10mgs/day, with his guidance. It seems to have really helped me quite a bit, especially with daytime anxiety and sleep. The thing that doesn't make any sense is that I was also being being treated for a seizure disorder by him. The last time I talked to my pdoc he was furious that they had put me on zyprexa and said he would not write a script for me. So now I'm left with the option of doctor hunting again or stopping the zyprexa. I'm seriously considering contacting a lawyer to see if this constitutes any type of malpractice. The neuro started me on the drug, got me up to a pretty hefty dose and then told me not to come back after giving me a two month supply of zyprexa. He left before I could ask him about how to withdraw from the drug if I can't find another doc who will prescribe it. What is even more amazing is that we were getting along just fine. I had resisted the drug for two months but he finally convinced me to give it a try, after much reflection and research. He was thrilled to see that I would give it a try a month ago. What the hell happened to his enthusiasm that I would try the drug. He must be nuts. So if I can't find a doctor who will prescribe it for me I am left with withdrawing from it with no knowledge of how to do it. I talked to his attending and he just blew me off, too busy to listen. Anyone out there with experience withdrawing from zyprexa and what I can expect if I have to. That neuro turned psycho on me. Good God, will it ever end.
Posted by Andy123 on October 24, 2001, at 10:32:49
In reply to zyprexa withdrawals, posted by Abajo on October 17, 2001, at 19:11:03
There are some problems with getting a malpractice lawyer on your side before you have any serious medical problem. They usually will take your case after something terrible has happened. This is what you are trying to avoid, and it sucks that it might be difficult to make this doctor understand that he has some sort obligation to your welfare after starting you on this med. Maybe you should just start seeing your psychiatrist more often while you taper off of the drug your neurologist put you on.
Posted by ttt on November 8, 2001, at 21:53:51
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo, posted by Andy123 on October 24, 2001, at 10:32:49
prexa is a psychotic med and it will change the dopamine and serotonin and brain chemical.
Will zyprexa deceit with its sedating effect and slowly mess up the sleep pattern so people can not sleep without it?Withdrawal from zyprexa is very terrible. Nightmare, fatigue, sickness, aggitation, irritation... like dying a slow death and most terrible, chronic INSOMNIA. A lot of these symptoms might be caused by insomnia itself. But it's the zyprexa that causes insomnia when discontinued.
Stopping zyprexa causes chronic insomnia. I would pay a million $, if I did have, not to take it in the first place. It was the biggest mistake in my life to take zyprexa. I could have been fine and healthy before zyprexa.
If you stop it, try tapering it off slowly and it might be for months and watch out for insomnia.
It's not addictive but that does not mean that it's easy to get off it since it has terrible withdrawal syndromes.Please note that different people react differently to med. You might be OK when you stop it. Who knows you might be lucky, but not me.
Posted by abajo1 on November 8, 2001, at 23:51:47
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo, posted by ttt on November 8, 2001, at 21:53:31
ttt...I had to register again. I guess they are going through some administrative stuff. I had to change my handle from Abojo to abajo1. I appreciate your response. I decided after my first post that I wasn't going to mess around with this drug if the doctor who put me on it wouldn't continue to see me. Things just didn't seem right. I suspected that there might be some significant side affects if I had to withdraw from it. A week ago I started a quick taper off the drug after consulting with my pdoc, who never wanted me on it in the first place. He told me to withdraw from it as fast as I could tolerate the side effects. I dropped from 15mgs to 0 in a week. I really had no significant side effects with the exception of some moderately severe upper back and neck tightness. I had the approval of my pdoc to use whatever amount of xanax needed to alleviate those symptoms. Last night was the first night I didn't take any. I did experience the insomnia you mentioned, but I am no stranger to insomnia anyway. Thanks for your info though, I have some other online friends who are curious about withdrawing from zyprexa and they will be very interested in hearing what you had to say. I guess I lucked out.
Posted by ttt on November 9, 2001, at 19:22:30
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo » ttt, posted by abajo1 on November 8, 2001, at 23:51:47
I was trying not to take sleeping pill see if I got real tired and sleepy afterward and got some sleep. But for 10 days straight, I got 0 sleep for many nights and 5-15 min dream other nights. I lost nearly 7 lbs in 10 days. Loosing weight so fast alone would cause fatigue and sore eyes. I had no choice but to take sonata and ambien but those did not work well and many nights I took sleeping pills (10mg of sonata, or 10mg ambien other nights) and got 0 sleep every other night or so. And when I did sleep, I slept for 5hrs and down to 2hrs a night. I stopped it after 2 weeks on those sleeping pills because those are habit forming.
By the way, after stopping Zyprexa, for many nights straight, I did not feel sleepy at all. When I did feel sleepy, I went to bed at night offcourse, and after 10 or 20min on bed and the sleepiness was gone.
Does anyone know that seroquel does the same thing?
Posted by abajo1 on November 10, 2001, at 1:02:23
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo, posted by ttt on November 9, 2001, at 19:22:30
ttt, I have no first hand knowledge about seroquel. I am now on my third day free of zyprexa. What I can tell thus far is that withdrawing from it does seem to affect my sleep. I don't sleep all that well anyway, but the last two nights I have been up past 4am before I got to sleep. Last night was rather difficult as I felt like my skin was crawling and tingling all night long. It was sort of like a low level speed. If I can't sleep at night I don't sweat it too much. I know that eventually I will get tired and catch a few hours of sleep during the day to catch up on the lack of sleep the night before. I know it can be frustrating not being able to sleep, but I've had insomnia since I was a little kid so I have learned to live with it. I get out of bed and try to do stupid boring things so that I'm not focusing on the inability to fall asleep. It can be very aggrevating not being able to fall asleep, so I don't fight it anymore.
Posted by ttt on November 10, 2001, at 16:50:07
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo » ttt, posted by abajo1 on November 10, 2001, at 1:02:23
Abajol,
sorry to know about you chronic insomnia. I admire your lay-back attitude. I think that helps relieve a lot of stress. Have you tried natural sleep med. I tried melantonin; it didn't work eventhough it made me relaxed. I bought valarium but have not tried it.It would be nice if you encourage people you know who are also on zyprexa to discuss in this forum. I found it supportive and comforting.
Please keep posted of your withdrawal experience.
Posted by NikkiT2 on November 11, 2001, at 7:38:59
In reply to Re: zyprexa withdrawals ?Abajo, posted by ttt on November 10, 2001, at 16:50:07
I went a week without taking my zyprexa, (couldn't afford to refill!) and didn;t experience any problems!! I found that after about 48 hours my symptoms it was helping stated to return and I felt mentally lousy... I actually feel slightly better on restarting than I did when starting it originally!!!
Nikki
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