Olanzapine and medication reduction 18 months on from PP

I don't have any experience of olanzepine but want to reassure you it is perfectly normal to still be struggling after 18 months. The depression that often hits after pp can be debilitating, plus the trauma you have been through, it's no wonder you're feeling anxious

Hi Beth - totally normal! Have you spoken to your GP about it yet? Are you on a low dose now? (I was on just 5mg Olanzapine when I eventually came off it). From memory I was off it about 18 months after the initial PP, but it wasn't totally straightforward. I had one or two relapses which led me back to medication (although I am now on Quetiapine which I prefer).

The weight gain is an absolute nightmare I agree!

Sorry I don't have much actual practical advice - but do go and express your concerns to your GP and hopefully you can take it from there?

Best of luck!

Kat x

Hi

I have been on olazapine twice now. I had PP in 2013 after birth of my daughter, not on olazapine. Then I relapsed a year on out of the blue and was put on olazapine, I found it really helped and I felt better a lot quicker than the first time.

I did pit on weight I know that also does not help how you feel. Don't rush coming off meds just take it one day at a time and see how you feel, you have done so well just make sore you are ready. I was reduced off it slowly I month at each reduction till I just havd harf a tablet every other day for a month then came off. I found getting back into A regular sleeping pattern the hardest but after about couple of weeks, It got better.

I lost a bit of weight once off meds. Then I fell pregnant with my son 2015 stayed off mads until a month before due date then I went back on olazapine. As a precaution and I havd no PP I came off it about 7 months after agen slowly and was fine.

I have now lost all my weight with running and swimming but go there in the end. You should lose the weight it will just take time.

I found talking to people about my experience helped me, I didn't tell them everything as it takes a long time to fully open up. I also sore a psychologist Which really helped she did some Electric pols treatment with me which is where you have electric pulses going from one hand to the other alternately as i speak about my experience this helped my brain to process my experience and helped with the flashbacks. At the time I didn't think it would really help but now, I see it has as I feel a lot better now about my experience. There is nothing I can do about that time it was out of my control. I try and use my experience as a positive, I have two lovely children and I'm not in a much better place.

Try and make time to do things that make you happy, I find walking with my daughter really helped. Or going on my bike.

Good luck in time you will feel better. Love Jenny x

I successfully came off 20mg olanzapine but moved on to flupenthixol instead. Flupenthixol for me doesn't have any of the side effects olanzapine had and I've managed to lose 2.5 stone whilst being on it. My daughter is 19 months and I'm still on medication. I didn't have many side effects when coming off olanzapine except insomnia, as it's a sedating medication and without it I found it difficult to sleep. I still suffer from depression and anxiety now, I think recovery is different for everyone but I don't think it's abnormal to still be struggling xx

I stop taken that medication myself in December and I feel ok my child is 27 months old

Hi Beth , I had PP in Dec 2016 and I was on Olanzapine till March , in the end I felt like I was not feeling any better and I felt so so worn out on them I went to my GP who said to stop them . I just took sleeping tablets for a day or two and for three weeks I felt really poorly I was sick a lot and my appetite was gone the anxiety was horrific saying that I don't know if this was following the PP or coming off the olanzapine it's hard to know really .

I have not had anything apart from some mild diazpan for the anxiety it was very hard coming off them and I spent ages reading things where people had tried to come off them but couldn't and scared myself really but so far I have not needed to go back on them or anything else .

I really feel for you Beth have you had any councelling at all ? Try not to be too hard on yourself it takes along time to feel better and everyone's recovery is different x

Hi bethanylj, to share my experience here too; when I came off Olanzapine, I did notice increased headaches and this was something I went to my GP about. He suggested normal painkillers (Ibuprofen etc) and told me that they would monitor me, which really helped to reassure me. Side-effects can be really tough and I was still feeling really tired and worn out by meds/ the after-effects of PP... I think I got through the worst of it by reassuring myself that it was temporary and progress from where I had been. Not sure if this is much help, but you can get through this, you have come so far and can do this! Take care, xx

Hi Beth,

I successfully came off Olanzapine after six months. I too was feeling down about my weight gain, and my cholesterol levels had risen dramatically which was a huge concern, as I have always been fit and healthy. I wasn't on a very high dose to begin with (7.5mg) but reduced it to 5mg and experienced no side effects so stopped taking it altogether in November 2016. I struggled to sleep for the first week or so as I just couldn't switch off, and in hindsight, I was still quite anxious but this eased and as soon as I started to lose weight and feel healthier, I was so much happier and just seemed to bounce back. It sounds as if you are having positive days, so I hope these continue and you are successful too.

Jess x

Hello bethanylj

I hope you don't mind me replying on your thread after your supportive reply on the forum. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you have had a rocky 20 months and you are suffering anxiety. It must be very difficult for you to cope with thoughts and feelings on your own. Have you been discharged from your care team?

As we have 'spoken' here before I think you might know that my PP was years ago. Like you I struggled with similar thoughts and needed medical support and counselling to help me so I'm worried you are trying to cope on your own. It took me two years or more to find my place again so please don't give up hope as the genie really will return and be stronger than ever

It's good to hear that you are feeling better than last year. I think after all you have been through with treatment you have a positive attitude to recovery and as you say, things will get better and better in years to come.

Take very good care of yourself ..... we are all here to lean on.

Hello Bethanylj,

I just wanted to respond to you and pick up on Lilybeth latest message...about coping strategies;

It sounds as if your struggles were endless. I can relate to this. I was misdiagnosed with personality disorder by the head of the psychiatric hospital, when sectioned, knowing exactly that I just had given birth 2 weeks before to our wonderful son.

Professionals did not know how to cope with my illness, once it was diagnosed properly. A lot of drugs did not work and I suffered from endless episodes and not much sleep throughout 39 days. At the end the traditional, old antidepressants were the once which helped to gradually beat the hallucinations.

I might have mentioned to you my scenario before, but I thought I wanted to highlight this, because of my struggles with Insomnia.

I believe in my case it was brought on not only because of my traumatising experience in hospital and the "cocktail mixture of meds" (which I had to take in order to get better), but external stresses such as loosing my dad and mum in law.

My choice was the alternative route and no meds anymore (weaned off successfully after a bit more than one year), but it is not always simple...I still struggled with extreme Insomnia till the end of 2016, one of the reasons why my house is full of canvases everywhere...because I have had to paint at night or watch comedy programmes on the I-Player.

Therapy was of great importance and I attended 30 hours of support groups. The participants have had all different mental health issues, but were of great significance to me to share their experience of loss and grief. In addition it took me 5 weeks to actually sit together with the other group members, because of my extreme anxiety and fear of closed doors and windows.

I am slowly improving, - I summarized my experience for you, because I believe you have to be extremely kind to yourself and take things in moderation. We all react differently to external factors, but simultaneously have to learn to change our pace of life accordingly to our needs after PPP...it is quite a task in itself.

I meditate and in fact will be off to my Yoga today...journalising and focusing on my family is my purpose, but I also enjoy giving my time to other mums, who have been in a similar position like me after PPP.

Look after yourself,

x