Zyprexa

[sassparella]

Hi,

I was put on Zyprexa (olanzapine) along with Luvox (fluvoxamine)  a year and a half ago for acute anxiety, I basically had a breakdown. Now I've gradually been tapering my zyprexa down from 10mg to 1.25mg (though this is doubled as luvox effectively doubles the amount of olanzapine in the blood so I'm on an effective dose of 2.5mg). So far so good. But having read about zyprexa withdrawal on the net it seems that those last 2.5mg are what gives everyone the trouble. The things that worry me are uncontrollable vomiting that some people seem to get and insomnia that can last months. It seems that a lot of psychiatrists, mine included, think that there are no side effects to stopping zyprexa except for maybe mild insomnia.

What I'm wondering is if anyone on this board has successfully come off of zyprexa and if they had any bad withdrawal effects and if so how long they lasted.

[Lonecricket]

if you stay on the 2.5 long enough you shouldn't have a problem quitting. Otherwise I would have something to replace the Zyprexa.

[insights]

But having read about zyprexa withdrawal on the net it seems that those last 2.5mg are what gives everyone the trouble.

One of the best ways of ensuring you'll experience every withdrawal effect is to read the endless repetition of them in withdrawal support groups. The mind has a nasty habit of fulfilling expectations.

The things that worry me are uncontrollable vomiting that some people seem to get and insomnia that can last months.

The vomiting is unlikely. If you do experience insomnia ask your doctor for a low dose trazodone (Desyrl) prescription. Unlike most other sleeping pills and sedating antihistamines, it doesn't reduce vital REM sleep, and may actually increase it.

Ian

[sassparella]

thanks for the replies. Insights I wouldn't be able to take trazodone as it's an antidepressant and I'm already on one. I'm getting pretty bad insomnia from the last dose drop so I'm going to ask him if I can stay on this dose a bit longer to stabilise better on it before coming off completely.

I'm dreading coming off because of the possible side effects but I really want to be rid of this tablet.

[insights]

I wouldn't be able to take trazodone as it's an antidepressant and I'm already on one

This isn't a problem. At doses less than about 150-200mg/day, trazodone has no antidepressant properties, but is still sedating. In fact at high doses it becomes a little less sedating. These days it is mostly prescribed at low doses to counter antidepressant induced insomnia or sexual dysfunction, not as an antidepressant.

Ian

[sassparella]

Thank you for your reply. I was thinking more of the fact that trazodone affects seratonin reuptake like my SSRI and too much seratonin isn't good for you I'd fear seratonin syndrome. I'd rather tackle the insomnia drug free if possible and hope it resolves. Also I take a blood pressure lowering tablet and on the drug interaction info on that it says to avoid sedative medications as they can further lower your blood pressure and cause dangerous hypotension.

[insights]

I was thinking more of the fact that trazodone affects seratonin reuptake like my SSRI and too much seratonin isn't good for you

At doses below 150-200mg, it doesn't block serotonin reuptake.

I'd fear seratonin syndrome.

A lot of nonsense is talked about serotonin syndrome. Very, very few doctors have ever seen a genuine case, even in ERs. I suspect antidepressants don't do what you think they do. See: Serotonin: The 'chemical imbalance' myth

Also I take a blood pressure lowering tablet and on the drug interaction info on that it says to avoid sedative medications as they can further lower your blood pressure and cause dangerous hypotension.

Like most antidepressants, trazodone may affect BP so will need to be monitored, but at the doses used for sedation, perhaps as little as 10- 25mg (therapeutic range 200-400mg/day), any effect is likely to be tiny so it shouldn't be an insurmountable problem.

Ian