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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by yellowhat on August 15, 2004, at 14:34:22
Okay, this is going to be a lengthy post:
About a year ago, I was put on Zyprexa (10mg/day) and Lamictal (200mg/twice daily). I'd been on medication before; since my first major breakdown at 18 (I'm now a 30-year-old woman) I'd been taking Depakote, Lithium, Wellbutrin, Ambien (a sort of half-assed solution to my hypnagogic hallucinations) and a thyroid medication to right a disorder the Depakote was causing. I stayed on those meds until I was 25, until I began to suspect that they may have been the culprit for what seemed to have been an ever-bougeoning stupidity. I graduated third in my class in high school, did great on my SATs and AP exams, aced my first semester in college, but when I was put on medication I began making C's for the first time in my life, dropping out of many classes before I failed them. I was in and out of college for seven years because of this.
After those seven years I dropped out of school (again), stopped seeing my doctor and quit cold turkey. I suffered no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever, though within months I started becoming very obsessive. I remained happy but intensely obsessive for two years, at which time I'd already returned to school and did exceedingly well-- back to my old self. I graduated TEN YEARS after having started college (though only attended, in all, four years), and ended my run smashingly. Unfortunately, I started to decline and four years after having gotten off of medication lost complete control, got suicidal, got into an intensely psychologically abusive relationship, etc.-- I had, almost belatedly, realized I had to get back on meds, which is when I went to a new doctor, was re-diagnosed (I was hoping to relieve myself of the stigma of bipolar disorder and get diagnosed with OCD... alas), and put on Zyprexa and Lamictal.
The meds worked wonderfully for about six months, then I realized a marked decline in my cognitive functions. My attention span was shot, I couldn't read (nor did I want to), I didn't get jokes (Jesus, even Will and Grace had me confused), my vocabulary suffered and my memory (short and long term) went to hell. In addition to all that, I lost interest in music, in sex (and therefore in romantic relationships), couldn't get angry, couldn't grieve when the situation warranted grieving, etc. I felt inhuman. The doctor tried to put me on Abilify, but after a month I was nuts again-- he told me that sometimes people respond only to Zyprexa. After having been on the two meds for one year, I had a completely flat affect, no passion, no interest, no intelligence, nothing.
Anyway, as this was happening, I got accepted into graduate school and realized that without my higher cognitive functions (not to mention the obsessiveness, anxiety and paranoia that drove me to analyze literature to the scope and extent that I was capable), I would fail at my only chance at becoming something more than a bum (a life-choice I've seriously considered possible at my worst).
So I talked to my doctor, who was very understanding, and he gave me permission to get off of the Zyprexa after having taken it a year, but asked me to stay on the Lamictal, telling me it would make my eventual crash much more gentle, much more bearable. I experienced severe insomnia for about three-and-a half weeks, but suffered no emotional decline, probably because of the Lamictal.
I've been off of Zyprexa now for four weeks and have exactly one week to get my English literature superpowers back again. I can feel that I've gotten a little smarter, but good God, I'm about to enter into an entire LIFE of academics and I NEED my obsessiveness and intelligence back, full force, right now. My questions are: how long does it take to recover cognitive "sharpness" completely after having been on Zyprexa a year? How intimately linked is being really sick and being intelligent for you guys? Has anyone else experienced "zombification" or a kind of "brain fog" on Zyprexa? What about Lamictal? Does it cause a brain fog; are there sexual side effects; does it hinder obsessiveness? I've been on the web for a week trying to find a resource on Zyprexa and withdrawal from Zyprexa and all I've found were posts by people who've tried to get off of it and eventually had to get back on it because of the withdrawal symptoms (insomnia, anxiety, depression). Anyone ever successfully withdrawn from Zyprexa? How soon before you were back to "normal"? Did "normal" necessarily involve a return of *all* of the bipolar symptoms you experienced before you got on the medication? How long have you guys with severe bipolar been able to go without medication? Please help.
Posted by mcp on August 15, 2004, at 15:42:23
In reply to Zyprexa and Zyprexa Withdrawal, posted by yellowhat on August 15, 2004, at 14:34:22
Every single symptom you described for zyprexa was something I went through. The brain fog was maddening and the lessening of cognitive functioning was very scary. Complicating matters is that I am now going through Lexapro withdrawal, which sucks. So I am indeed at a point of intense confusion and fear. The doc put me back on benzos because that was the only thing that controlled my anxiety without any of the side effects. The problem now is that the benzos don't work as well as they used to. I heard that can happen if you leave a med and then go back to it. I just wish they never took me off it. ANyways, I have many of the same questions you do. In fact, I often fear I will never get my full cognitive abilites back.. This has been quite a merrygoround. Well, I guess the point is that I can empathize and here I am a couple of months removed from zyprexa and I still am in a stupor, but with complicating factors. I actually used to be a pretty intelligent person as well. I only pray it will come back. You are not alone in this journey.
> Okay, this is going to be a lengthy post:
> About a year ago, I was put on Zyprexa (10mg/day) and Lamictal (200mg/twice daily). I'd been on medication before; since my first major breakdown at 18 (I'm now a 30-year-old woman) I'd been taking Depakote, Lithium, Wellbutrin, Ambien (a sort of half-assed solution to my hypnagogic hallucinations) and a thyroid medication to right a disorder the Depakote was causing. I stayed on those meds until I was 25, until I began to suspect that they may have been the culprit for what seemed to have been an ever-bougeoning stupidity. I graduated third in my class in high school, did great on my SATs and AP exams, aced my first semester in college, but when I was put on medication I began making C's for the first time in my life, dropping out of many classes before I failed them. I was in and out of college for seven years because of this.
> After those seven years I dropped out of school (again), stopped seeing my doctor and quit cold turkey. I suffered no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever, though within months I started becoming very obsessive. I remained happy but intensely obsessive for two years, at which time I'd already returned to school and did exceedingly well-- back to my old self. I graduated TEN YEARS after having started college (though only attended, in all, four years), and ended my run smashingly. Unfortunately, I started to decline and four years after having gotten off of medication lost complete control, got suicidal, got into an intensely psychologically abusive relationship, etc.-- I had, almost belatedly, realized I had to get back on meds, which is when I went to a new doctor, was re-diagnosed (I was hoping to relieve myself of the stigma of bipolar disorder and get diagnosed with OCD... alas), and put on Zyprexa and Lamictal.
> The meds worked wonderfully for about six months, then I realized a marked decline in my cognitive functions. My attention span was shot, I couldn't read (nor did I want to), I didn't get jokes (Jesus, even Will and Grace had me confused), my vocabulary suffered and my memory (short and long term) went to hell. In addition to all that, I lost interest in music, in sex (and therefore in romantic relationships), couldn't get angry, couldn't grieve when the situation warranted grieving, etc. I felt inhuman. The doctor tried to put me on Abilify, but after a month I was nuts again-- he told me that sometimes people respond only to Zyprexa. After having been on the two meds for one year, I had a completely flat affect, no passion, no interest, no intelligence, nothing.
> Anyway, as this was happening, I got accepted into graduate school and realized that without my higher cognitive functions (not to mention the obsessiveness, anxiety and paranoia that drove me to analyze literature to the scope and extent that I was capable), I would fail at my only chance at becoming something more than a bum (a life-choice I've seriously considered possible at my worst).
> So I talked to my doctor, who was very understanding, and he gave me permission to get off of the Zyprexa after having taken it a year, but asked me to stay on the Lamictal, telling me it would make my eventual crash much more gentle, much more bearable. I experienced severe insomnia for about three-and-a half weeks, but suffered no emotional decline, probably because of the Lamictal.
> I've been off of Zyprexa now for four weeks and have exactly one week to get my English literature superpowers back again. I can feel that I've gotten a little smarter, but good God, I'm about to enter into an entire LIFE of academics and I NEED my obsessiveness and intelligence back, full force, right now. My questions are: how long does it take to recover cognitive "sharpness" completely after having been on Zyprexa a year? How intimately linked is being really sick and being intelligent for you guys? Has anyone else experienced "zombification" or a kind of "brain fog" on Zyprexa? What about Lamictal? Does it cause a brain fog; are there sexual side effects; does it hinder obsessiveness? I've been on the web for a week trying to find a resource on Zyprexa and withdrawal from Zyprexa and all I've found were posts by people who've tried to get off of it and eventually had to get back on it because of the withdrawal symptoms (insomnia, anxiety, depression). Anyone ever successfully withdrawn from Zyprexa? How soon before you were back to "normal"? Did "normal" necessarily involve a return of *all* of the bipolar symptoms you experienced before you got on the medication? How long have you guys with severe bipolar been able to go without medication? Please help.
Posted by bobby on August 16, 2004, at 9:33:23
In reply to Zyprexa and Zyprexa Withdrawal, posted by yellowhat on August 15, 2004, at 14:34:22
Indeed, you are not alone. I've been on the same meds and dosage as you for 7 years. I recently tried stopping all meds. I lasted 5 weeks without Lamictal and 1 week without Zyprexa. I was really looking foward to being "alive" again---to feel something--anything. I was fine without the Lamictal, but after a week without the Zyprexa I "knew" something bad was going to happen if I didn't resume. Trust me--I will try again! I went from 10mg to 5mg with no bad effects for 2 weeks. I really miss "me." Now I am but a mere shadow of my former self. I hope that things work out for you this time and I'm anticipating the results as we are so closely "related." It would be so inspiring to see just one person freed from this prison.
Posted by DanielJ on August 16, 2004, at 13:06:23
In reply to Re: Zyprexa and Zyprexa Withdrawal, posted by bobby on August 16, 2004, at 9:33:23
I see some names that are new to me on this forum. I have a Zyprexa question. My 16 yr old son has been on Zyprexa for a year. He started with 10 mg but stepped up to 20 mg within 1 month. Recently we got the Dr to reduce the dose to 15 mg to help my son get his weight down. He also has swallowing difficuly from this stuff. We continued dropping the dosage down to 7.5 mg until after a few days he began having his schiz. symptoms again. He is back on 15 mg now and I really think the Dr tried to drop the dosage too fast (over a 2 month time period). Number 1, has anyone had swallowing difficulty with Zyprexa?. Number 2, has anyone been able to cut their dosage by 50% and succeeded and how long did it take? We do have a 25% reduction in Zyprexa which has helped a little.
Thanks and regards DJ
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