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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kotsunega on February 11, 2007, at 17:26:47
Well, nobody's posted this one that I can see. Let me tell you about a presumed withdrawal side effect from ceasing Zyprexa that I never expected.
I tried to make a withdrawal over a couple of months. About 3 weeks into being completely off of Zyprexa, I developed very severe muscle spasms in my trapezoids that caused severe pain and numbness down to my elbows.
I saw the doctor for it, because I was in so much pain, and based on the size of the muscle knots she noted, she gave me some very strong pain relievers and muscle relaxers.
Over the next couple of weeks, the knots reduced in size, but would not go away, and I wasn't sleeping well, and had missed some work due to the darned painfull muscle knots I was experiencing.
In a weak moment one evening, I gave in and took a dose of zyprexa, just to get a good night's sleep after the weeks of not sleeping well and dealing with unending pain. Would you believe, all of my muscle spasm symptoms were gone by morning?
I'd like to try again to go off of Zyprexa, but with all of the sick time I took due to the muscle spasms, it is just going to have to wait until I've built up enough sick time before I try again. When I do, if the muscle spasms return, I will know more certainly that it IS just another withdrawal symptom from this drug. Is there any end to the possibilities, I wonder???
Sign me,
Frustrated
Posted by ronaldo on February 17, 2007, at 3:39:36
In reply to Zyprexa W/D - Add a new withdrawal side effect, posted by kotsunega on February 11, 2007, at 17:26:47
Hello Kotsunega,
Sorry to hear about your severe muscle spasms.
About your w/d taper. How slow and how gradual was it? Was it slow enough and gradual enough?
I have taken four months to get from 10 mg down to 1.25 mg which is where I am stuck at right now. Tried to go down to 0.625 mg (1/4 of a 2.5 mg tablet) but I was hit with insomnia. It seems this last little bit from 1.25 mg down to zero is the hardest to do. Do you have any advice for me?How much Zyp are you now using?
I hope you have better luck with your next attempt.
Regards
ronaldo
Posted by kotsunega on February 18, 2007, at 18:29:39
In reply to Re: Zyprexa W/D - Add a new withdrawal side effect » kotsunega, posted by ronaldo on February 17, 2007, at 3:39:36
Sadly, my level of misplaced confidence made me think I could taper and stop over a 3 month period. I was duly humbled, however, by the power of Zyp to lure me back into its clutches.
I did absolutely fine until the last of the third week in which I was totally free of the drug. That's when the unbelievable muscle cramps materialized that kept me out of work and made my arms numb down to the elbow -- when they weren't sending excrutiating pain signals -- which was generally when I was trying to get some sleep.
My resolve weakened however, after a few nights of interrupted sleep and the feeling that some mania was creeping in, and I took a 10 mg dose of Zyp. That's half of the original dose I took for more than 6 years.
As I reported in my first post, the muscle cramps, numbness, and insomnia disappeared with the metabolizing of that single dose of Zyp. By morning, I was rested and pain free. Within a couple days, the mania had settled down again. And, since I didn't want to go through that muscle cramp business again -- and since I'd used up all my sick time at work --I have continued to take the 10 mg dose of Zyp; embarrassed as I am to have to admit defeat.
I will try this again, but not until I've got some sick time built up again. What a pain [literally] this experiment to stop Zyp use has been. I see my pdoc on Feb 28th, and I will definitely explain all that has transpired since our previous visit and my report that, at that point, all was going well with the Zyp withdrawal.
Ronaldo, I think I will follow your example of getting off of the Zyp and try to do it more slowly the next time I try. I just thought I was better than some dumb pill and there was no way it was going to own me. Ha! Boy, was I in for a surprise.
I don't know what suggestions I can offer you except that you'll just have to be strong when you finally do quit the small dose you are taking now, and be ready for some surprises...er, maybe an ambush would be a better way to put it?
You might explain what stories you've heard from others like me to your pdoc so he or she can be ready to help you, should a problem arise. My scary and unbelievably painful muscle cramps (felt like broken bones) came out of no where, but since a single dose of Zyp resolved the problem when muscle relaxants and strong pain killers that made me dopey as heck for several days would not do it, I'm guessing there's a Zyp relationship there.
What I did was share some of the other Psycho Babble posts with my pdoc, and she armed me with both Lunesta and Xanax to help me end the Zyp use. We see now, even that couldn't stop Zyp's relentless influence and nasty tricks.
Take care, and good luck getting off this drug. As they like to say these days: "get 'er done".
Keep us all posted on your journey, OK?
Kotsunega
Posted by ronaldo on February 19, 2007, at 0:51:04
In reply to Re: Zyprexa W/D - Add a new withdrawal side effect, posted by kotsunega on February 18, 2007, at 18:29:39
Hi Kotsunega
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Luckily I have not been hit by muscle cramps - yet! I hope I continue to escape them. My main problem is not sleeping. Actually I do sleep from about 11.30 pm till about 5.30 am iow I get about six hours which isn't too bad really. On Friday and Saturday nights I had to take a 2.5 mg Zyp just to stabilize me but last night I took 1.25 mg which seemed to work not too badly. So here I am keying away at my keyboard when I would rather be sleeping but that's life.
Be well
Ronaldo
Posted by Sebastian on February 20, 2007, at 19:04:12
In reply to Zyprexa W/D - Add a new withdrawal side effect, posted by kotsunega on February 11, 2007, at 17:26:47
Just have to post this. My doctor put me on a blood sugar lowing drug which I took 4 pills of the lowest dose. 15mg actos. Every day I took the full dose, my butt blead bright red. Every day I took half the dose or none, nothing. My doctor swears its not the actos? That was the only med/alcohol/whatever change I was making. And since stoping it no blood. Just a warning.
Ivan
Posted by kotsunega on February 25, 2007, at 10:02:43
In reply to Re: Zyprexa W/D - Add a new withdrawal side effect » kotsunega, posted by ronaldo on February 19, 2007, at 0:51:04
Hi Ronaldo,
Glad to hear you haven't had muscle cramps and SURE HOPE you don't get them. 6 hours a night of sleep is not too bad, as long as it is not dragging you down during the day -- or in my case, bringing on the mania. In looking back, I can really see how the mania was creeping in again for me. Example: I totally forgot about a business meeting I was expected to attend. Where was I instead? On a shopping trip. Doh!!! I hate when that happens! I felt so stupid when the boss came in and said: "You missed the meeting". Well, I'd rather keep my job, so until I can sort out the problems with staying on Zyp, I won't try to go sans Zyprexa anytime soon again. It doesn't seem to be causing any bad side effects, other than a bit of mental dulling, when I take it, so until I build up some more sick time, I'm taking the derned zyprexa.
Sebastian says it's going generic soon, too, which is definitely a plus.
Cheers,
Kotsunega
This is the end of the thread.
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