stopping zyprexa (or mixed episode?)

[Claire]

I am a 22 year old female being treated for bipolar disorder with zoloft and zyprexa for a recent severe manic episode. my doctor and i decided to end the zyprexa and so i stopped taking it for one night with the intent to gradually reduce the frequency. the next three days were horrible. i felt manic one night, with racing thoughts and compulsive repetitive body movements/twitches and elation. the next day i was moody and depressed, i felt angry and ugly and stressed out. the next day i was having frightening thoughts and anxiety over things that would never normally bother me. i'm feeling depressed but a little more stable today and i've resumed taking the zyprexa. what happened to me?

Claire

[HFHS-M.D-HG]

Dear Claire

Zyprexa (Olanzaphine) is a medication that is used for the treatment of psychotic (halluicinations, delusions) symptoms. Mood stabilisers such as Lithium Depakote etc., help with the racing thoughts, mood swings etc. It is rare to see mood swings in a person after zyprexa is stopped. Without knowing your full history it is hard to say what happened to you. I would recommend that you talk to your doctor regarding your concerns

[Bridget]

it's funny, well, no, not funny, but you sound like me.  I still take zyprxa.  i have ever since the day (literally) it came out.  the doctors insist i stay on it because i'm a complete freak without it but sometimes i just don't know about it.  i also took zoloft for a while.  i know exactly what you went through.  i have those twitches too.  but were you using any other drugs?  Especially marijuania?  I know sometimes if I mix things with certain drugs those twitches kick in.  You definitly want to talk to your dr about the zoloft because that can make you a little manic sometimes.  Do you get full blown manic or do you get hypo-manic?  Do you get euphoric or dysphoric?  If you were having an episode and then you suddenly stopped the zyprexa that zoloft might have just made you get too high.  then you must have just crashed.  but you say you feel better with the zyprexa right?  Well I just wanted to write because I go through this a lot.  That's the thing with the zyprexa.  I've tried everything with it. Right now I take it with effexor( at a very low dose ) and topamax.  I'm surprised they don't have you on a mood-stabilizer.  A word to the wise, watch your diet, zyprexa is a big weight gainer and if they put you on a mood stabilizer refuse depakote.  You'll most likely gain weight.  feel free to E-mail me good luck! I know it's hard. ***@****

[Dwight]

My wife has scihizoaffective, ie voices and lots of anger. The zyprexa did a wonderful job of resolving her mood when the lithium stopped working, though it did nothing to help the voices. Studies have shown it to be very affective with mood/mania. I bought 25 shares of eli-lilly when I discovered this.

The same EPS symptoms (side-effects) you get when you start a new med can reappear when you discontinue that same med, temporarily. Her former St. Johns Hopkins Dr. told us this and I have observed it with her shaking, neck twitching and constipation as we tried and discontinued different medications. Usually you go down and up gradually unless you're in a controlled hospital environment.

Goodluck