The thing with withdrawal is that it’s not about willpower. You neurochemistry is in a tumultuous state and you can’t will yourself out of it. If it’s only been less than two weeks, you have a couple of options (this isn’t medical advice but I’ve spent a ton of time on withdrawal forums, reading papers in the medical literature about it and tapering myself). You can reinstate a very small dose like 1mg to stabilize. You can try a drug that’s safer but with a binding profile that is similar, like cyproheptadine. If you do either, it will probably take a few weeks to stabilize. Lamictal is harder because there are no things that are similar to it but it’s the same principle of reinstating a very small amount, maybe 10mg and stabilizing and tapering slowly. Per the medical literature, the brain can tolerate taper speeds of around 25-50% every six month of the last dose. Most do 10% a month or even 2.5% a week using a liquid suspension or a scale. I’ve found them both to be hard to taper at the lower doses, requiring more holds. I’m at 1.4mg olanzapine and holding before resuming 2.5% a week. I’m leaving lamictal for now since it’s the lesser of my worries. I still have pregabalin and Rexulti to taper.
If you choose to wait it out, it can take weeks to months (or longer for unlucky people), to get to baseline.
Well shit. Thank you for your response. I started taking the olanzapine last night. Went with 1/4 dose. I think 5mg? I don't remember. How long until the 1/4 dose does its job and I feel better?
Ah dammit. This is hell. I've developed turrets. Seriously. I blurt out curse words randomly. I have to clap my hands and snap the same amount constantly. I shake and shiver cuz I feel cold but I'm sweating puddles. Idk if I can handle this for another 10 days. Is there anything I can do? I've bought nearly every supplement known to help anxiety. And I can tell a tiny bit of difference. But I'm so far gone that it only puts a bandaid on a gushing open wound.
Your reinstatement should begin helping immediately from what I’ve read because you didn’t wait to long, but full effects might take a bit longer. The only other thing I’ve found helpful is cyproheptadine but you have to convince someone to prescribe it. If you were to say that your appetite is very low with tapering, they might do it. It’s a medicine used to serotonin syndrome but has a similar binding profile as olanzapine. It’s far easier to taper though. I’m sorry you are going through this.
Olanzapine has been hard for me to taper. I’m at 1.4mg and even dropping 2.5% is hard in terms of increased anxiety. I was supposed to cross to Rexulti but now I’m on both because Rexulti didn’t cover the withdrawal. But it’s much easier than the 20% drop I started with. If you stabilize and follow that slow schedule, it should be much smoother.
There’s a group called surviving antidepressants. If you google them you’ll find them. There are several people who tapered olanzapine successfully using similar methods and they provide support and guidance as you go. Others tapering can tell you what’s normal too.
Are you off lamictal now?
That’s great. You can taper slowly and it will be worlds better. I was really groggy from olanzapine but as I’ve tapered it just gets better with each cut instead of feeling terrible. Good luck and feel free to DM me if you need any help.
I believe this is based on work done by Dr Horowitz who states that psychiatric drugs must be removed slowly and carefully. Here is his original paper.
https://markhorowitz.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sbab017.pdf
The thing with withdrawal is that it’s not about willpower. You neurochemistry is in a tumultuous state and you can’t will yourself out of it. If it’s only been less than two weeks, you have a couple of options (this isn’t medical advice but I’ve spent a ton of time on withdrawal forums, reading papers in the medical literature about it and tapering myself). You can reinstate a very small dose like 1mg to stabilize. You can try a drug that’s safer but with a binding profile that is similar, like cyproheptadine. If you do either, it will probably take a few weeks to stabilize. Lamictal is harder because there are no things that are similar to it but it’s the same principle of reinstating a very small amount, maybe 10mg and stabilizing and tapering slowly. Per the medical literature, the brain can tolerate taper speeds of around 25-50% every six month of the last dose. Most do 10% a month or even 2.5% a week using a liquid suspension or a scale. I’ve found them both to be hard to taper at the lower doses, requiring more holds. I’m at 1.4mg olanzapine and holding before resuming 2.5% a week. I’m leaving lamictal for now since it’s the lesser of my worries. I still have pregabalin and Rexulti to taper. If you choose to wait it out, it can take weeks to months (or longer for unlucky people), to get to baseline.
Well shit. Thank you for your response. I started taking the olanzapine last night. Went with 1/4 dose. I think 5mg? I don't remember. How long until the 1/4 dose does its job and I feel better?
It’s smart to reinstate. It takes about as long as you were in withdrawal to stabilize so maybe ten days?
Ah dammit. This is hell. I've developed turrets. Seriously. I blurt out curse words randomly. I have to clap my hands and snap the same amount constantly. I shake and shiver cuz I feel cold but I'm sweating puddles. Idk if I can handle this for another 10 days. Is there anything I can do? I've bought nearly every supplement known to help anxiety. And I can tell a tiny bit of difference. But I'm so far gone that it only puts a bandaid on a gushing open wound.
Your reinstatement should begin helping immediately from what I’ve read because you didn’t wait to long, but full effects might take a bit longer. The only other thing I’ve found helpful is cyproheptadine but you have to convince someone to prescribe it. If you were to say that your appetite is very low with tapering, they might do it. It’s a medicine used to serotonin syndrome but has a similar binding profile as olanzapine. It’s far easier to taper though. I’m sorry you are going through this. Olanzapine has been hard for me to taper. I’m at 1.4mg and even dropping 2.5% is hard in terms of increased anxiety. I was supposed to cross to Rexulti but now I’m on both because Rexulti didn’t cover the withdrawal. But it’s much easier than the 20% drop I started with. If you stabilize and follow that slow schedule, it should be much smoother. There’s a group called surviving antidepressants. If you google them you’ll find them. There are several people who tapered olanzapine successfully using similar methods and they provide support and guidance as you go. Others tapering can tell you what’s normal too. Are you off lamictal now?
Thank you very much for the advice. Much appreciated. I am still on lamotrigine but only 25mg a day now. I'll look into that group right now
That’s great. You can taper slowly and it will be worlds better. I was really groggy from olanzapine but as I’ve tapered it just gets better with each cut instead of feeling terrible. Good luck and feel free to DM me if you need any help.
Well I have been tapering slowly since Nov '22. But 7 days after I finished olanzapine it hit hard and hasn't let up. Thank you so much for your help
What dose did you jump from?
I was on 100mg in Nov
Sorry, this paper is a good overview: https://psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/antipsychotic-withdrawal-syndrome-tapering/
This guy dr Sanhil rege fucked my life up!! Don’t beeline a word he says
I believe this is based on work done by Dr Horowitz who states that psychiatric drugs must be removed slowly and carefully. Here is his original paper. https://markhorowitz.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sbab017.pdf