Olanzapine reduction

Hi all its me again. I'm just wondering whether people have successfully come off Olanzapine and whether they had any side affects? It has been a year since I started on Olanzapine after PP and I really don't like being on it. I was originally on 20mg but have successfully weaned myself down to 2.5mg and am currently trying 1.25mg. Trouble is my mood had dipped and my anxiety has sky rocketed. I am really asking whether this is normal and will pass or whether it's an indication I actually need to be on the low dose? Since being discharged in August from the MBU I have been under the community health team and they have not been very understanding on PP believing I never actually had it and it was just anxiety? Even though a specialist diagnosed PP and I was in hospital for 6 months?? Hence I don't feel confident asking their advice. X

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi Bethany

Sorry to hear that you're struggling with coming off Olanzapine. I was on Olanzapine but I'm sorry I don't think my personal experience is much help. I did reduce very slowly, and didn't experience any problems with reducing...

I'm sorry to hear that your care team don't seem to have sufficient understanding of PP. I did wonder if you could be asked to be referred to Dr Ian Jones for a second opinion - for him to assess you, and to see whether he would recommend anything? And also perhaps to give you a definite diagnosis and advise your care team what to do? He is an expert in perinatal mental health, including PP. The link is here, and you will need to be referred either by your care team, or your GP, but it is free to access, for you and your health authority: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

Take care, and I hope you hear from some others who have come off Olanzapine also

Ellie X

[Hidden in reply to Ellie_at_APP]

Thanks for your reply Ellie, I will mention the referral process to my GP when I next see her x

[betty2014]

Hi, I started on 20mg, then was Gradually reduced down to 2.5 - I did have a set back when reducing from 5 to 2.5 - I just felt dreamy and that I was not connected to day to day live so went back to 5mg for a another 3 months and then in the end I came off meds after 15 months .

Can you talk to ur PP speacliast?

Or are u still under a psychiatrist? They will be able to answer ur questions

[Hidden in reply to betty2014]

Thank you for your reply Betty. Unfortunately my psychiatrist is unsympathetic and unapproachable. When I discussed reducing last appointment he wasn't keen. I'm now on 1.25mg and seem to be doing ok. I was not great at first but things seem to have settled down. I also seem to have more energy x

[benedicte]

hi, i had PP march 2015 and was discharged from MBU june 2015 but remained under the consultant psychiatrist's care for more than a year to review my mood and medication. you should have access to a psychiatrist too!

i am sorryi cannot remember the amount of olanzapine i was taking but i came off it oct 2015 (whilst continuing lithium). suddenly i started waking at 5am feeling anxious instead of sleeping a 12 hour night whilst on olanzapine (i could never remember any dreams - in fact it felt like i had just gone to sleep even if i had slept an entire night). but after a while i was able to sleep until my daughter would wake me or the alarm for work would go off around 7am (i feel returning to work 3 days a week helped me recover). now i have no problems sleeping anymore by the way.

i continued to take lithium for another year but reduced month by month and now i am completely off medication.

good luck!

[MaryMary007]

Hi Beth hope you are doing ok

I too was on 20mg after getting PP in 2012 I successfully weaned off it too after about a year, I didn't notice any obvious side effects coming off it I think I was just so elated I didn't have to take it anymore as it's not a very nice drug as I'm sure you know!

Unfortunately I got an episode of psychosis in Sep 2014 brought on by extreme stress i was hospitalised for 10 weeks again started on 20mg and have now been on 2.5mg for the last few months

I asked my psychiatrist what it the 2.5mg doing for me he said it's preventative in keeping the psychosis away (As I am still under alo t of stress at home ) so to be honest if it means keeping well I'm going to stay in the 2.5mg as I'm so afraid of getting sick again

Downfall is that I am still trying to lose the 3 stone I put on but sure I will get their in thr end! I hope everything world out for you and you get the support that you need x

[missot]

I too was on 20mg of olanzapine for just over a year, prior to that I was on quetitapine. At end of Jan my Dr said we could reduce the dose to 17.5mg. It's a long story but I wouldnt advice it I decreased the dose myself every 2 weeks. I had really bad anxiety and paranoia to start with but that eased up. I did give myself a stiff talking to about dealing with side effects to just be off the olanzapine. I have put on 6stone of weight, I was so sleepy and felt quite slow. I had terrible insomnia for the first few days I came off completely but I've thats eased up too. I've had a few headaches but nothing paracetamol hasn't helped. I have appoint with Dr on 30th and am dreading the lecture about coming off olanzapine myself. I hope u can find a way to come off it x

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello bethanylj

How are you? I hope you continue to feel more settled with your medication. I'm sorry to hear you feel your Psychiatrist is unapproachable but perhaps a referral by your GP to Dr Jones' Second Opinion Service might be helpful, as suggested earlier in this thread? I had the good fortune to meet Dr Jones a few years ago and he was so caring and helpful.

Take care.

[Ash123456]

I'm trying to come off olanzapine but I feel very muddled in the morning.i was on 7.5 mg at night and 2.5 in the morning. What I wanted to ask is will this feeling settle as I'm on a lower dose now. I'm taking 6.5 now

[NicJK in reply to Ash123456]

Hi Ash123456 just wondering if you managed to come off olanzapine? x