I need HELP.

[striker7]

Ok so here is my question that I need help with. I went to my family doctor a while back and mentioned to him that I sometimes over worry about things and it was bothersome. So he came to the conclusion after a few questions that I was Bi-Polar? So he put me on 5mg of Zyprexa once a day. I took the Zyprexa as perscribed, however I lost my job and my insurance as well. About 4 days after stopping the pills I had what I can only describe as a nervous breakdown. I was hit with an absolute feeling of being worthless and had the most severe anxiety I have ever dealt with. I spent 2 days crying uncontrollably, I could not eat or sleep for the next 4 days, I would keep having episodes where I would start sweating and would become restless. I went back to my doctor monday morning and after doing a lot of google reasearch I told him I thought I was having withdrawl from zyprexa. I asked him to give me something to help me through the next few days. He told me he wanted me back on the zyprexa and gave me samples for the next month due to the cost of the medicine.

So I went back on zyprexa hoping it wouldl make me feel lilke my self again. I took them for the next 30 days and everything went back to normal except the anxiety feeling and the constant worrying.I also felt like I was in a fog mentally and had lost my sex drive. I would wake up with anxiety and it would be around until I went to bed. I was still miserable and did not enjoy life anymore. So the next month I got another free month but took it apon myself to cut my dosage over a period of time and get off the medicine. So here I am 5 days since my last pill and no withdrawl symptoms.

My question is could this medicine have done something permanent to my brain? I always had a little anxiety when I had a reason to be nervous but it is now a 24/7 part of my life. How long will it take this medicine to be completely out of my system and could this just be a side affect? Am I just insane now?

HELP PLEASE

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You have some good advice from Paxiled.....I would only add that no, there will be no lasting effect from the medication, and it is hard to figure out without knowing more whether your current anxiety level is related to your life situation or some small lingering effects of the medication, which if so, should clearly get fewer and fewer each day. If you can, start thinking about therapy, and if you can't afford therapy, you can do some self help work on your anxiety by going to www.myvirtualshrink.com

[Paxiled]

This should be done with a psychiatrist, not a family doc.  Seems like a pretty flimsy bit of evidence to decide you're bipolar, so you might be on an altogether inappropriate med.