Zyprexa Withdrawal

[brandy505]

I have been taking Zyprexa 5 mg along with Prozac 60 mg for the past 3 months.  I have been on Prozac for the past 12 years.  On Zyprexa I began to experience Edema and weight gain, which was not great considering I have battled an eating disorder for the past 18 years.  I called my doctor and he told me to just stop taking the zyprexa and the edema would go away.  I asked him if I should wean down and he said no that there are no withdrawal symptoms.  I started to experience nausea, which was a lot like experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy, then came the headaches, chills, severe depression and the pupil dilation.  I felt as though my brain was being squeezed.  My sister is a nurse and she had to come and take care of me and my children while my husband was at work.  I felt as though I was going crazy and I needed to be committed.  She called around and found a pharmacist that did his residency in a psychiatric hospital and he was amazed that my psychiatrist told me to stop taking this medication cold turkey.  I am now on a weaning program and the edema has returned.  I have reduced my dose to 2.5 and in 5 weeks I hope to be Zyprexa free.  Has anyone else experienced these problems and if so will I ever feel normal again post Zyprexa?  I am still battling withdrawal effects while taking 2.5 but no where near as severe as they were when I was not taking any.  I am fearful it is going to get worse again.  When I stopped taking the medicine I endured 8 painful days and was devastated to hear that I needed to get it back in my system and wean down.

[msdmary]

I have had four months of nausea and dizziness because my dr. took me off Zyprexa and put me on another med.  I thought my symptoms were from withdrawal but he said that I shouldn't experience withdrawal from Zyprexa, especially since the new drug, Seroquel, was in the same class.  So I was told I had an inner ear problem for the last four months and have been suffering through these symptoms.  I finally got fed up, and after seeing many other doctors who couldn't find anything wrong with my ears, I am convinced it is from the Zyprexa.  I am back on it and I am going to try weaning off of it next month.  I'm on 5 mg.s now and that's what I was taking for a little over a year.  I also experienced severe edema but no one mentioned that it was from the Zyprexa.  I knew it was probably from one of my meds, I just didn't know which one.  I'll be so glad to be off of that drug.  My blood sugar levels are elevated now and I've gained a lot of weight.  This drug is toxic!  I wish I'd known this ahead of time because I wouldn't have taken it.

[therese83]

I also took 5 mg, for 18 months.  I weaned off it very very slowly.  It took many months to reduce from 2.5, I cut it into quarters.

I would reduce one day out of ten, and if i felt bad i would go back up to the previous dose and try again four weeks later.

I was fine then coming off it.  Lost the weight as well slowly over the next year.

All done on my Doctors advice.

Good luck

[brandy505]

I have been seeing the same Psychiatrist for the past year and this is approximately the 7th medicine he has put me on.

[heyjude1]

Yes, I am suprised the doctor did not wean you as well.  It is rough going off any physc-med with ut weaning.  Are you seeing a physc-doc or a general practicioner?