View Full Version : had a good day yesterday in months
Hi guys..yesterday i woke feeling a little out of sorts,but i could detect something was different about my feelings,after a hr of waking up,i felt good,happy,relaxed etc,bit like my old be,well 60% me at least,i was able to engage in chat with people and felt relaxed,i wasnt analizing my thoughts or anything,this continued all day and night,feeling relaxed and melow.best day iv had for a very long time,it was as if i had taken diazipan or something.was laughing and chatting with confedance..went to bed at 12am and woke early with really bad acid reflux and couldnt shift it for a couple of hrs..eventualy i fell back to sleep...woke latter feeling flat and depressed all over again.back to doom and gloom and anxiety etc....why and how can your brain do this,switching between moods etc for no reason
It's horrible isn't it wish I knew why it did it too. But..... You did have a good day yesterday try to focus on that that's what I TRY to do. You've been doing good with reducing your meds too. Hard to see the sunshine from the clouds I know but just think about when everyday can be like yesterday. :)
Your coming off a med your going to have good and bad days,just think in the future you can have a day every day like the one you've just had
Cheers jay/andy....yep hoping for more good days to come..maybe this was a look into my future coming off this med....as it goes i havnt been to bad as from late afternoon and evening...not as good as yesterday but better than norm ....ill try and think positive
MyNameIsTerry
15-11-15, 02:43
It sounds like you are recovering the ability to feel your emotions properly so it's going to be up & down until you are off that stuff. This is going to mean feeling both the good and the bad because it's returning you to how you should be. So, don't read into them but treat them as you would do and try to accept (and enjoy) the good ones!
Cheers terry..yes i think once im off this med good things could happen for me...that was a great day the other day.felt so chiled and happy and want more days like that for sure,but as you say there are going to be up and down days ahead,as long as i have more up days ill truley believe things are changing and my furure is looking positive....
MyNameIsTerry
15-11-15, 12:26
Yeah, it's a very positive experience. The thing is, if you were truly that ill, you wouldn't be having those good days let alone those excellent days. That shows that underneath this med, there are not only difficult emotions but the good ones too. I guess it's just going to be like learning how to handle your emotions again so there will be those times when the harder negative ones come out. You will just have to keep pushing through and see what happens and maybe see what methods can be used to control emotions a bit better?
Yea agree with that terry..if i was realy ill i wouldnt have the good days...as iv said before,i remember how i felt before being put on this med,i was depressed but had many good days of feeling good and not so anxious...so feel this med has numbed these feelings,i think it has helped me through some very difficult times tho with my anxiety over the last couple of years,it sort of cut off the worry that i had and numbed me but at the same time took away my ability to feel normal.so when im completley off this med i hope to see my old self return in time...my sleeping is not so bad at the moment so good there.. how are things with you mate,you always give good advice in hear but dont see you posing your own troubles much..
MyNameIsTerry
15-11-15, 13:24
I'm ok mate, plodding along as usual. Still working on the sleep issue but finding it tricky because I can sleep a very long time now for some reason. So, I may have to try and give it a jolt by seeing if I can shift it in a block. It doesn't tend to work for me so will have to see. Either that or stay up a couple of days and try to make myself very tired and then go to bed at a time I want to move it towards. I'm just full of energy within the last 7 hours of the day which funnily enough is when my med may have worn off as it's got a short half life. I think this fatigue has just introduced another element as before changing this was more about the OCD but it's less so now.
I tend to just talk about things on other people's threads if something similar is raised. PM too.
Thanks for asking though. I see these threads as a tool to chat as much as discuss issues so try to keep up with certain people for a natter.
Sorry to hear all that mate,that must be so hard to deal with not sleeping and having energy latter in the day,what meds are you on terry ? Do you have sleeping pills? I have tamazapan which i take as and when and find they realy help...cant imagin staying up for a couple of days to wait and see how tired you get,that would make me mentaly unwell,you must be very strong terry cos you seem to be plodding along with it all
MyNameIsTerry
16-11-15, 08:10
I'm on Duloxetine. I don't use sleeping pills. I did use Zopiclone when I started Citalopram when I had my first breakdown and it was because of the insomnia that med brought. Zopiclien was good at first but it lost it's power quickly and my GP never told me how to use it, the crisis team pointed it out in their follow up, so I ended up weaning off that after dependence! (bloody GP's!)
I can get to sleep fine thesedays. If I am really stressed the odd night it can take 30 mins but thats rare now.
My fatigue is always the first half of the day. I feel like I could stay in bed 20 hours! Once it seems to wear off I will be up and doing more hence the slippage issue. I feel much more alert so if I had to, I could easily stay up all night. I had to when my mum went in hospital a few months back.
You get used to it mate. I went through all the worst stages on my own with just my parents for support. Dealing with these blips is nothing in comparison to months of non stop agitation (as pulisa will tell you). I still have trouble dealing with the obsessions but not as much as before by far and the compulsions are all but gone.
That sounds hard mate to cope with..i cant say iv ever had a breakdown and wouldnt want to experiance one.im glad you were strong enough to get through it..i was on those zopiclone a few years ago and got hooked on them..when my doctor finaly told me to stop them ,i had rebound insomnia for months
.my doctor never warned me about that...at least you have your parents mate for support,thats realy good mate,you must be close to them..do you get that fatigue because of your meds? Thats crap to feel like that every morning,cant imagin that feeling...again im glad i dont get that in the mornings,i feel heavy and foggy in the mornings but never feel like i want to stay in bed all day....so hows your levels of stress anxiety etc these days do you plan on coming off your meds at any point...are they working for you
MyNameIsTerry
16-11-15, 11:32
Yes, we get on fine. We are all pretty indepenent in many ways, we aren't a touchy feely family but the love is there behind it all. We do things for each other often.
Well the fatigue has come on the last couple of years as my sleeping pattern slipped and it has become daily this year. I suspect it's partly the meds but it didn't do it to me before when my sleep pattern was more daytime. So, it could be how it's working with Serotonin as thats connected to Melatonin for sleep side. I think it's a matter of making too much Melatonin but who knows. With not getting much sunlight this year I suspect a vitamin Deficiency too so I've recently started getting a high strength supplement daily to see if it helps. I am noticing some changes, some days so maybe it will help in time.
I have days where I'm out walking and could just lie down for a sleep on the pavement in the rain & cold. Thankfully I don't get many of those but thats how far it goes. Thats not normal. I may have a look at my blood sugar and see if there are any issues. I also know my med is connected to liver disease and whilst I don't think it is anything like that, I know it makes the job of the liver harder. So, it could even be partly an issue like needing to give my liver a boost.
I had months of sleep disturbance coming off the Zopiclone. It wasn't pleasant. At first it really did help but after a while I found I would sleep about 6 hours and then I would wake up and feel like I couldn't move for ages. It would take me over a hour to get out of bed after turning over several times feeling like I didn't have the strength to get up. I couldn't eat for hours either but after that wore off I was able to do things again. Thats a bit like this, thats why I think it's a bit of a sedation issue.
I don't think this med has ever helped or only a little maybe. I'm much better now but I have the cycling blips issue which came as soon as I went on this stuff, For the first year or so I couldn't see it though because I didn't have many good days or even decent days. The year before and the 6 months of relapse were much better than the year after on this med. So, I think the majority of the improvement must have come from the work I have done.
I will be coming off it when I get to my GP next. It's a pain as he only works PM and guess when I sleep? So, I'm trying to drag it forward to then see him and give him one chance before I see a different one. If I can't budge it, I'll probably just stay bup all night and go see him. It's just a pain because it will be weeks and then if I did manage to move the pattern, I would have to cancel so I'm a bit reluctant to book in until I've dragged some of this back. I'll get there somehow!
My breakdown & relapse was no worse than anything we've probably all had. It was just a slow spiral downwards and then a banf as it all hit me. The rest was the meds and clawing my way back up. All the typical panic & anxiety symptoms seen on here daily, nothing out of the ordinary mate.
We all have different symptoms and different hurdles to overcome. I'm looking forward to the end of my agitation phase to say the least:DMy home circumstances aren't ideal for this though. Am hoping to get news re the Maudsley referral this week (even this century would be nice).
Greg, I'd just be grateful for the good days and try not to reflect too much on the harder ones? Coming off olanzapine will help you in so many ways and is a huge achievement.
MyNameIsTerry
16-11-15, 11:53
We all have different symptoms and different hurdles to overcome. I'm looking forward to the end of my agitation phase to say the least:DMy home circumstances aren't ideal for this though. Am hoping to get news re the Maudsley referral this week (even this century would be nice).
Well if you've been a good girl maybe Santa will bring it :D
Well terry,sounds like a tricky life you lead..i did laugh when you said you could fall asleep on the pavement in the rain..i just had this image of it in the rain,a guy sudenly just laying down in the rain and having a sleep.lol....thats good you have a good understanding with your parents mate,mine are not to bad,there a bit hard but when i was realy down last year they were there for me,my dad is made of concrete and dsnt have any emotions or understanding tho,which is a shame as i love him and he has never been able to show it back..sounds like you have things under control and have a plan for moving forward tho...going to the doctors and getting a blood test is a good idea mate,and i think you are right about not getting enough vitamins from the sun,i feel the same,i always feel worse this time of year....thanks pulisa,im trying not to dwell on things and keep thinking of the good couple of days i had and hope there will be more to come..im def comited to coming off olanzipine now its been a few weeks of doing it,iv found im not so tired in the mornings when i wake,before when i was on 5mg,id wake at 10/11am most days and feel realy tired and run down and didnt want to get up.since my reduction im waking around 8.30 9am and feeling ready to get up and have more energy,still got that kind of preasure feeling in my head tho,and dont have that relaxed clear head feeling,im sure that will come in time...
MyNameIsTerry
16-11-15, 12:21
It sounds like it's just been too much for you. Like you've been dumped on that dose and they should have re-assessed it to reduce it a bit?
If it's any help humour-wise, I did come home drunk once years ago, put my key in the door and then fall alseep upright leaning against it. My dad came and opened the door wondering what was going on and luckily he didn't open it too wide :D My big brother is the king though when it comes to things like that. He's all respectable now living with his GF (he can cook really well for a start and no more manky takeaways!) but back in his heavy drinking days he got up to some things. We once found him asleep in the bath. Sounds not too bad right? Well, he went upstairs to fetch his pillow and then went back downstairs to sleep in the bath :doh: I could tell you some right stories mate. :roflmao:
It is a bit tricky with the times. It stops me getting out in the day so shopping is a night time affair. So, I can't get to a lot of places even if I need to. I've sorted it before, I'll sort it again, it's just more ingrained this time with all the issue with this stupid med.
how many mg are you on now Greg ?
Oh terry thats funny mate..iv done some crazy things to that i hope wont repete themselfs...i got realy drunk one night in the home i lived in,it was withing a close where we all knew each other.we were all out on the green drinking eyc and i got so drunk and took all my clothes off and ran around in front of everyone naked...i dodnt even know i done this untill my wife told me..happy days...
Andy i was on 2.5mg but have choped that up into 4 pieces and throw one piece away and take the other 3..
Andy i was on 2.5mg but have choped that up into 4 pieces and throw one piece away and take the other 3..
ok your doing well then ,im staying on 2.5 mg for a while yet
splitting tablets is a pain in the arse
Yea i know andy.iv just got a few stanley blades..they cut through the tablets realy easy into 1/4 rs..n8ce and even to
MyNameIsTerry
16-11-15, 23:16
:roflmao:
I remember one New Years Day I had come back in after being out all night and was feeling a bit out of it eating a Sunday roast watching Apollo 13 when it was first in TV. My parents were also there but my brother had gone to bed when he came in very worse for wear. He came down to go the toilet and suddenly I heard my dad shouting at him. We turned around and he was standing butt naked. My mum shouted at him to which he replied "oh sorry" and put one hand over his nob and the other his bum but kept walking to the toilet. Then he had to come back. :doh::D
He walked into their bedroom like that and woke them up once. So they threatened to take a photo and put it up in his local. This seemed to stop it!
Ha ha .lol....only us guys can do this sort of thing..least he covered up.lol....sounds like the threat from your parents worked,would never have lived that down at his local....
MyNameIsTerry
17-11-15, 13:33
He didn't mind making a fool of himself but I guess a pic like that could ruin his chances with the ladies if he didn't have the best "equipment" :D
He used to run competitions for charity. We had a poor little lad who lost most of his limbs to meningitis years ago and the family were known to some of the regulars. He must have been about two the poor kid. They raised money for them. He had prosthetics and was a happy little kid. But my parents didn't know what my brother was doing so they were surprised to drive past his local on their way shopping to see a big crowd and their son in the middle on the pavement of the main road sitting naked in a bath of cold baked beans.
Sad story terry poor kid.cant imagin how that must have been for him and family to deal with..bath of baked beens lol what was he thinking..pulled in a crowd tho...
I slept properly for the 1st time in weeks last night,my headaches seem to be going as well which is good.my body is fighting the withdrawal and I'm getting back to normal,these things take time and we must learn to be patient and remember time will eventually heal
Good for you Andy,im pleased for you.you are doing so well,before you know it,you will be sleeping well every night and off this drug and feeling like your old self,i havnt had anymore good days myself since that unusual last one out of the blue..still got this tight feeling over my face and gum pain....still feeling the raised anxiety and iritable moods..im hoping things will start to change again soon,id love to have another good day..
the good day will come Greg have patience
MyNameIsTerry
19-11-15, 04:54
Good to hear things are getting there, Andy. I found it was much easier coming off when in a good position in recovery so I think you will do fine mate.
Early days, Greg. I'm sure it will come with time.
I think the sleeping is starting to efect me now.last couple of nights its taken me a long time to fall asleep.and then im waking early,and when i try to fall back,im getting those anoing brain zaps
Brain zaps yuck
I've been up since 4 ,fell asleep ok but woke really early
it's been so long since i've had a good day, i've forgotten what they feel like- and that's no exageration
glad you had a good day..
Thats earlier than me andy .i think i woke about 6am..and thats early for me.been used to waking at 10am..big difference..got to get used this
I would give anything to sleep till 6 ,try not to let it worry you .The more you stress about it the worse it will effect your sleep pattern
Sorry to hear that emily,iv been there before and know what thats like. I had bad insomnia and just didnt sleep,every night maybe two hrs for months,it didnt take long before it efected my mental health,plus every day i felt confused and couldnt function,i forgot peoples names and acted strange i never thought id ever get past it..thats when they put me on olanzipine..ever since being on 5mg..i slept every night for 11 hrs solid
---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:35 ----------
Yea i forget andy how you and others get less than that..i supose iv just been so use to sleeping 10/11 hrs for the last couple of years and find it hard to re -ajust to this new alowance..
Sorry to hear that emily,iv been there before and know what thats like. I had bad insomnia and just didnt sleep,every night maybe two hrs for months,it didnt take long before it efected my mental health,plus every day i felt confused and couldnt function,i forgot peoples names and acted strange i never thought id ever get past it..thats when they put me on olanzipine..ever since being on 5mg..i slept every night for 11 hrs solid
---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:35 ----------
Yea i forget andy how you and others get less than that..i supose iv just been so use to sleeping 10/11 hrs for the last couple of years and find it hard to re -ajust to this new alowance..
hey greg,
thanks for your reply
sleep is something i struggle with too, i think their's needs to be an entire forum set up on sleep- and methods to help you sleep.
i'm not kidding. i think sleep is such a common issue a lot of us struggle with
Yes its a big thing sleep problems,esp with people with mental health isues or on meds.... many people hear suffer sleep problems...went for a hr walk before i went to bed last night to
Oh well i guess im in that road now for not sleeping..another night of waking at 6am and the bloody brain zaps when trying to fall back to sleep..i hope its not going to stay like this from now on...hate being up this early with nothing to be up for and nothing to do..i dont norm start my day untill 9.30am
I'm awake at 6 every morning regardless what time I go to bed, I go for a walk everyday and have started going to gym and still every morning at 6 I wake up. I really don't like it especially these dark mornings it makes my morning anxiety worse. I've always loved my sleep in the past and find this lack of sleep very hard.
Yes its a big thing sleep problems,esp with people with mental health isues or on meds.... many people hear suffer sleep problems...went for a hr walk before i went to bed last night to
i spent the whole of last night watching episodes of moone boy. (some irish comedy)
funny show, but at 2 in the morning?
Oh well i guess im in that road now for not sleeping..another night of waking at 6am and the bloody brain zaps when trying to fall back to sleep..i hope its not going to stay like this from now on...hate being up this early with nothing to be up for and nothing to do..i dont norm start my day untill 9.30am
I think your going to have to get used to 6am mornings thats actually quite a normal time to wake,it just shows how strong these drugs are we are given that you used to be able to sleep till 9.30/10.The only other thing I can suggest is go to bed later and maybe you will sleep longer.I was awake at 4.40 this morning,I just wish I could go back to sleep for a few hours more but its impossible
I am sure the brain zaps will fade ,saying that ive never experienced them but they sound horrible
Crap not sleeping..yea i supose ill have to try and get used to it and hope it picks up soon.....i will try going to bed at 12 see how that goes..i dont want to leave it to late tho and get into a late night habit.....andy the brain zaps are realy weird because i can go off to sleep fine,no prob takes about half hr..its only when i wake and then try to fall back that they happen,dont understand that why its only when trying to fall back to sleep....
Waking up at 6am would be late for me. I also think it's normal to wake at 6 for most people.
What happened to the charity shop voluntary job Greg? At least this would help to fill your day?
Hi pulisa,im not used to the 6am start tho.lol...been spoiled with 9-10am waking....dont know what to do with myself at this time...im back at the charity shop wed thur fri 10-5 .fills the days but some days can go very slow tho just sat behind the till with very few customers through the day..but better than sitting in doors all day...
keep the charity shop thing going Greg its good for you to get out the house
Yea will do Andy..thanks.:)
Been a few weeks now on this lattest reduction and some days have been manageble but today is not a good day,i slept well last night but today i have woken feeling very anxious and iritable,dont feel like seeing anyone to avoid raising my anxiety.was going to reduce my meds again today but have changed my mind about that now...got a tights knot in my belly and feeing of dred
MyNameIsTerry
24-11-15, 06:24
A lot of people do say it's coming off the smaller final doses that causes the most withdrawal side effects mate. I think you need to go with Andy's advice and use the tortoise approach. You have plenty of time to sort it out and if slowed means less painful, it's worth it.
Cheers terry.very frustrating.im still waiting for another good day like before.still going at it,to far into it now to go back to my regular dose now..just dont want it to interfear with my xmas,i have plans and want to be able to enjoy it
How you feeling today Greg ?
I've just dropped to 1.25mg ,spur of the moment decision but I'm feeling good at the moment except for bloody man flu :)
Good for you andy..you are getting there.not far to go mate..we all love a bit of the old man flu.lol...well last couple of days not been so good mate.today i feel quite numb and very dull...still waiting for another good day.. dont think this cold crap weather is helping mate,cant aford to put the heating on for long,so my flat is cold..i woke at 7.30am today and went to bed at 11.30 last night,so prob had 7 and half hrs sleep,thats not so bad,but being up that early makes the day so bloody long..havnt droped anymore yet,going to wait till after xmas.dont want to upset my system just before xmas
Will you get chance to see your daughter at Christmas?
That im not sure of yet andy..im hoping i do..dnt want a third xmas without seeing her..fingers crossed
Yes fingers crossed for you ,I'm sure it would make your Christmas complete
It would andy.thanks mate..:D
MyNameIsTerry
25-11-15, 04:46
Good luck with the reduction, Andy. :yesyes: If it's turns out to be a bit harsh can you break it into more stages if needed?
I hope you see your daughter too, Greg. I think that would be quite a pick-me-up for you right now mate.
Yea cheers terry,it certainly would mate....be nice to see her little face as she opens her presants...:yahoo:
---------- Post added at 10:17 ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 ----------
Anyone used Baroca ?iv ordered some from amazon this week..thought id try them out see if they give me more energy and lift my mood a bit..packed with all kinds of vitimins and other stuff.iv read so many threads eles where about people freling more energy and mood lift on them
baraoca is supposed to be good for you ,gives you bright orange wee though :D
Yea iv read that to.lol..i dont get enough vits in my system,hardly ever eat fruit and veg,so worth giving it a go..
MyNameIsTerry
26-11-15, 04:46
Be careful of the side effect it shows on the advert, Greg...it makes you dance around in the street. :D
---------- Post added at 04:46 ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 ----------
baraoca is supposed to be good for you ,gives you bright orange wee though :D
So, thats how those trixster Scot's make Iron Bru then :D I don't want to think about chocolate milk. :scared15:
lol just dont pee in the snow :)
:roflmao:..havnt done that for a while.
Last couple of days been getting DP AND DR again..i hate this.my anxiety has been pritty intence to,even tho i have xmas plans to look forward to and have lost weight over the last three weeks,im still not feeling happier...i took som borocca yesterday and felt it increased my anxiety....what has happend since that good day i had over a week ago..just cant see any light at the end of a very long tunnel.....not sure if this is side efects of cutting my meds down over three weeks ago or just more anxiety
its probably due to reduction ,Ive had some increased anxiety but ive also started to feel under pressure in my new job.The long cold winter days dont help Greg,im feeling ok now though so if I can do it so can you.For some reason my sleeps been great this last week,the withdrawal symptoms dont last forever
My sleep hasnt been to bad to andy as it goes,just this increase anxiety,just dont understand how i can have that one off good day out of the blue,i thought because i had decreased my meds things were looking up,but that was the only good day...i hope if this is withdraw it settles before christmas as i have plans and dont want them spoiled by anxiety
Good to hear your sleeps been ok that's a major factor for me,mines settled and hasn't changed since I dropped another dose.fingers crossed my reduction is going to go ok
Try and stay positive ,Christmas should be fun,what plans have you got ?
Glad to hear your sleep is good andy,that was a big deal for you,i bet you feel much better just knowing you sleep well,makes a huge difference on the mood....going to my parents xmas eve and staying till boxing day,then got my brother coming down to me new years eve with his two kids for the night,so ill be busy.....what plans you got mate
That sounds good Greg should keep you busy
I've got my mom and my inlaws coming to stay,really looking forward to it ��
Nice..good to hear you are looking forward to it mate..me to....:D
bad bad night for me last night ,i tossed and turned all night took a sleeping tablet at about 2 which did nothing then had to get up at 6. I sort of knew this was coming ,withdrawal knows no bounds,im not going back up a dose im going to tough it out until my sleep settles again.Anxiety is high today :( even my wife felt sorry for me this morning
Good for you, Mr Andy. I know that you must be facing many challenges today but you've made the decision to withdraw and have got this far...Pace yourself and take an hour at a time. You're strong and brave and can battle on through despite horrible sleepless nights.
MyNameIsTerry
01-12-15, 08:59
Sorry to hear it, Andy. Like you tell the rest of us though, keep going and you come out the other side. Insomnia is always unpleasant, it makes the day a long fight, but it's often a stage and with withdrawal it should hopefully be a short one. Sleep disturbance, I found with coming off Zopiclone, was a matter of bad nights initially but then it started to change and each time got a little better until balance was restored...a bit like re-learning!
You will get through it mate.
Ohhh andy sorry to hear that mate,just when i thought things were looking good for you with your sleep and state of mind..as others and yourself are saying,its withdraw as you have cut your meds down again..im sure your sleep will return again soon for you mate...this is why im not going to drop my dose again untill after xmas now..i dont want to get any extra stress and sleepless nights on the build up to xmas..iv been on my droped dose for 3 weeks now and will stay on it untill jan..that would have given my brain plenty of time to get used to it..then ill cut down another 1/8th.....my sleep is deff changed im waking for the loo around 5am which i never did before,but am able to drift back for a few hrs,havnt had the brain zapps last few days which is a releff....hope your sleep sorts itself out mate and your anxiety calms down...my anxiety has remained higher than norm since i cut my meds down 3 weeks ago,so hope it calms down soon otherwise i see no bennefit of cutting down olanzipinr
I just want this poison out of my system,its served its purpose but now I need to be off it and moving on.Todays going to be a long day
Yea i dont blame you andy,me to mate...lets hope we both get there soon...hope you sleep better tonight mate....
Thanks for all your support everyone
You're over halfway through the day now. You're doing fine and you will get the meds out of your system once and for all
Hows your day been andy,?
---------- Post added at 21:39 ---------- Previous post was at 20:57 ----------
Iv not had a bad day today uptill about 7pm then started to feel anxious and tired...yesterday wasnt to bad to..
Hows your day been andy,?
---------- Post added at 21:39 ---------- Previous post was at 20:57 ----------
Iv not had a bad day today uptill about 7pm then started to feel anxious and tired...yesterday wasnt to bad to..
been a long hard day,I managed to sleep for 15mins in the afternoon and slept till 4 last night.I feel tired and very wired :weep:
You are very determined to withdraw from olanzapine and this must be a pretty distressing time for you. Can you make contact with your consultant and discuss how you are feeling? I know how you want to keep working to get yourself through this challenging period and there's nothing worse than being agitated 24/7 at home.
I hope that the day gets easier for you. Please keep posting on here if it helps?
Me to andy...went to bed at 12 last night,slept till 6am again and woke..this is becoming a regular wake up time for me since reducingmy meds 4 weeks ago..and the brain zaps are back stoping me from falling back to sleep.i to feel tired and crap today.just cant see any bennefit of cutting down if this is going to be how i feel
Im determined more than ever now to get of them Greg its fueled my fire.Pulisa yes it helps to post on here a lot.I rang my mom last night for a long chat she said be patient it will all pass,she looked at her diary and said it took her nearly 12 months to come off a very high dose of quetiapine
At the moment im just about functioning at work if this carries on I m going to have to open up to my boss as im really struggling with anxiety and tiredness.Yesterday I sat in a 3 hour meeting witha customer and couldnt concentrate or think straight ,im scared im going to lose my job
A question to Terry ,I have cut down to 1.25mg with its half life taken into consideration is there any of the drug actually present in my body at certain parts of the day.My next cut will be half again but thats in the future when ive stabilized !
MyNameIsTerry
02-12-15, 10:59
You how this one goes, Andy. Your body will have points where it will just make you sleep and then it might by up & down again until you level out but you will get there.
You will have additional cover under mental health legislation so your employer would have to be very careful. You've had some time to suss them out now so do you think they will be a problem or supportive like your old boss (didn't he go through mental health issues himself?)
Mirt has a half life of 20-40 hours so there is a very good chance it is always in your system every day unless you have a fast metabolism and are close to the 20 hours.
Your meds are elimination based on %, not mg, so whether you take 1mg or 10mg (subject to the limits of the liver, not that this is an issue with meds as we wouldn't be able to take them if they didn't eliminate unless they store elsewhere like how a metabolite in Diazepam stores outside of the blood because the half life is just too long and would mean serious problems if it was retained in blood plasma) it will still reduce at the same rate but it will mean that the % in your blood plasma throughout the day is different because the dosage is different.
For a med to complete eliminate to zero it needs 5 half lifes as standard (meds differ, it can be less) but this is only when you stop taking it completely or when you reduce the dose so that the different between the old dose & new dose is being eliminated without being replenished at the next dose (does that make sense, my brains seaping out of my ears from online Xmas shopping right now :wacko:)
Greg - I think you have an additional challenge because of your thyroid med and if that affects you the same as before, you need to see what other options you have and when you are ready go for a switch if it's another antidepressant. There must be something out there.
Hi Terry my new boss is good but I dont want to break it to him I have serious mental health problems so early on with me being new .Im not on mirt im on Olanzapine which I think has a half life of 21 hours.Half a 2.5mg tablet seems like a crumb it just shows you how powerful these meds actually are
MyNameIsTerry
02-12-15, 11:13
You can tell my heads up my bum at the moment! :doh:
For Olanzapine it is 21-54 hours per half life with a Mean of 30 so it's impossible for you to ever have a day with it out of your system. until you stopped taking any completely Even if you skipped a dose it would takes ages for this stuff to 100% eliminate as it's a long half life med.
Yeah, those meds are powerful. They really were for people who they needed to stabilise quickly years ago so it makes sense you don't much for people with our conditions.
I think only you know the answer to whether it's something you can bring up without any problems from them. Perhaps it's worth just swerving the issue and saying you've suffered with insomnia before? That's very common and more understood plus it won't have an possible negative connotations to it in the other person's mind as everyone tends to have it at some point. Anyone going through insomnia is exhausted and struggling with cognitive functions so they are most likely to not link it to mental health and more to life stress?
I will give it another week if I am still in a mess good idea I will try the insomnia route.To be honest my boss told me last week that he wasnt sleeping properly from work stress ! so he will know how I feel.I feel I am right in the storm at the moment ,I know it will pass but it really doesnt make it any easier.Sorry to disturb your Christmas shopping :)
MyNameIsTerry
02-12-15, 11:29
According to the med sites Olanzapine has been observed to reach "steady state" concentration in around a week. The calculation for this and elimination using the same %'s so if you go off this you will find the Mean dose coming in at 6.25 days to reach "steady state" (30 (Mean half life) X 5 half lives = 150 hours / 7 (days in a week) = 6.25 days). I checked this because I know Ven reaches "steady state" in 3 days so it will also be eliminated at a faster rate than other meds on top of the fact the half life itself is shorter. I think thats right although I've never checked how fast Ven eliminates specifically.
So, working off the Mean half life with Olanzapine seems pretty accurate with them studying how quickly it stabilises when starting on it. I can't normally find information as easily on other meds to confirm how fast it stabilises to know whether it is close to the standard pharacokinetic model of 5 half lifes.
Don't be daft mate, I'm glad of the break! We are all here when you need us like you are when we need you.
I remember my issues with insomnia, it broke me initially but now I'm much stronger and push through. These meds knock you down and you have a battle to regain the strength again but it will happen. You've seen your mum come out of the other end will great success so I expect she will be keeping you on target. Don't be too hard on yourself right now, it's day by day time. Just think, this will settle down very soon and you can look forward to your little girl opening her prezzies on Xmas day and you enjoying it all without this stuff being in the way.
You will get through this but you need to chat to your boss about insomnia-after all, this is causing you the most problems at the moment and there's no question of you not being mentally stable. You very much ARE mentally stable and are trying to carry on as best you can under very demanding circumstances. It must be so hard to concentrate on your work yet you are trying the best you can and all credit to you for that.
so i went to bed last night and tossed and turned till 12 the realised there was no way I was going to sleep and I couldnt face another whole night awake by myslef with my thoughts.So I took 7.5mg zopiclone which I think worked quite quickly and I slept till 4am. I dont feel to bad this morning considering the lack of sleep.I am so worried how long this is going to carry on for and if I will get addicted to another drug zopiclone
MyNameIsTerry
03-12-15, 08:52
Hi Andy. I'm sorry to hear you are still struggling with the sleep mate.
I know part of my problem was not only the lack of sleep and fatigue but how I got wound up over it and ultimately made myself worse. I know you will know this because you have been through all this and far worse but try to remember that this does not mean you are going back there, you are far further on but I know those types of thoughts pop up when we are struggling.
These withdrawal symptoms can't last but they can be very unpleasant on there own and remind us of the dark times.
You won't get addicted to Zopiclone because your GP just won't give them out long enough, or shouldn't, and you know how it all works. If things really don't improve then I think it's a matter of reading the posts of MrAndy all over the forum advising a slow taper and how if it's too harsh, take a step back with it and slow it down. You've always given people excellent advice on med withdrawal and saved people a lot of nightmares following the often woeful advice of GP's.
I wouldn't judge it too soon though. When I went on Citalopram it took weeks to settle down but Duloxetine was harsher but quicker. These meds are so individual and it could just calm down after a few days but I know that seems like a mountain to climb right now, especially with keeping working.
The fact you at least feel a bit better is good.
I agree with all Terry has said plus I think you need to break the insomnia pattern with some "aided" sleep just to give your brain a rest. Just to prove to yourself that it IS possible to sleep and that your body won't let you down. I know that I lost confidence that I would ever be able to sleep again-something so natural appeared to be impossible and my anxiety soared.
You won't become addicted to zopiclone-you're too clued up for that and very aware of how addictive these drugs are. Unfortunately anti psychotics leave their legacy but they helped you when you most needed help.
I hope the day goes as smoothly as possible. Keep posting if it helps
Andy sorry to hear this mate...i think you did the right thing mate taking the sleeping pill.every now and then wont hurt to take one to try and catch up on your sleep..i to took a sleeping pill last night tamazapan 20mg to get a good night sleep..i went to bed at 11pm and must have fallen to sleep around 11.15. And woke at 8.30 today..i feel i needed that sleep..i agree with terry about getting wound up about it..i feel if i dont get a good night sleep,i dont feel so bad without the good night sleep,but feel wound up more than anything knowing i havnt slept through again....fingers crossed for you mate things improve soon,you are very strong and know what you are doing,keep with it mate,surly its just a matter of time before your sleep sorts its self out..rem you have just cut down your meds again so im sure this has helped to disrupt your sleep again...im not going to cut down anymore for another few weeks..that would have been 2 months on one small drop..see how i feel then
The doctor gave me 28 days of zopiclone I wont abuse them,I also have some sleepeaze which actually works but gives you the most horrid headache the day after
I have lost confidence very quickly in my ability to sleep,I don't mind the very early waking as much but hate not being able to drift off at all.Insomnia is what tipped me over the edge when I was submitted to hospital and that's a hard memory to budge
Not sure where to go from here really ,my wife says give it two weeks,I'm not sure I can last that long
I think you can only take it a night at a time. I do understand your fear of the impact of not sleeping and what that entailed before but remember what experience and skills you have built up since and what knowledge you now have.
You know that insomnia is a huge trigger but this time it doesn't have to be. Speak to your GP/Consultant/whoever you trust-you need to get some guidance as to how best to approach this as regards the use of zopiclone or whatever other method you choose. It's all down to regaining your confidence in your ability to sleep-sounds simple but I know it's far from that
MyNameIsTerry
03-12-15, 11:34
I think if you don't get there this time, restore you old dose and stabilise yourself until after Xmas. Then enjoy your Xmas and look at a more gradual reduction if you can snip a smaller piece off those pills.
I remember how it affected you last time you had insomnia but you got through that too and you didn't end up back in hospital or need more advanced care of any kind. You said the same then and it's very understandable why, we would all be the same there, but it's not likely. Think of how you were when the sleep finally tipped you to that point and look at how you have been recently and I'm sure you will see that you are in a much better position.
When I went on Zopiclone my GP told me to take it daily but the crisis team were the ones who recommended he prescribe something and when they followed it up they said he should have told me to take it one day on, one day off. I agree very much with what pulisa said above about getting a bit of sleep in so you can get some strength back and I remember those bad times too when I didn't think I would sleep again. When I had to ween off the Zop because, my stupid GP had given it to me for too long, I used the night on/night off process the nurses said I should have used before and it did work but the first few times I barely had any sleep. After 7 days or so of this I was getting a bit more naturally and it took a while to really get it back but I could cope and inside all of that I also had Citalopram that had caused the insomnia and all my own issues for why I had my breakdown.
I've seen advice stating to use it daily too so it's worth seeing what a doctor thinks about this. It might be that you can ease this experience by using the Zop in an acute manner just so you are getting some sleep back every couple of days.
I also think that sometimes you try to come off these and it fails but you try again and you succeed. A few months back Greg tried a reduction and it really affected him and it was obvious it rocked his confidence. Then one day he raised a thread about how he had found a better way and was just going to do it but wanted to let people know. He has not backed down and got through that well and bet he had all the same kinds of thoughts when it hammered him the first time. So, even if it doesn't pay off this time, it's not the end of the line.
I was in a bad way and sleep changes really rocked me but I've learnt to deal with them now and I think the only thing that would cause me to lose that strength would be escalating anxiety levels overall to the point of taking a serious back step. I'm not capable of experiencing that step right now as I'm much stronger and I believe you are too.
I didn't know you back then when you were admitted but I bet you were a lot worse than you have been leading up to this and now. It's just hard to see through it when you are fighting through the day and too tired to keep fighting plus the anxiety keeps putting the boot in but we believe in you mate! You've supported so many on here since I've been here alone and now you need some back off us.
your both right im more experienced now ,when I was admitted to hospital I was like a frightened rabbit in the headlights and didnt have a clue what was going on and why I had become like I was.
So to nip this in the bud ive just been to my old psychiatric doctors surgery where they do a walk in crisis service.I saw my old friend a psychiatric nurse who worked with me for 3 years on a weekly basis.I told her where im at and about reducing my meds ,she gave me a good telling off and said the reduction was far to soon and severe but understood why I want to come off them.Apparently 99% of her patients do.We agreed I reinstate back to at least 2.5mg and stabilize then I can go back and see her and a consultant in a weeks time unless im really struggling sooner.She also said to be very sparing with the zopiclone and only take the minimum dose as its very addictive within a week or two.They will sign me off work and write to my employee if things get worse,I hope it doesnt come to that.i need my job to pay the bills but more importantly give me some focus during the day, I am terrible with time on my hands
I have to say I am very lucky to have a centre like this so close to where I live ,I dont know of any other in the country ? but the NHS should have more.I am also lucky to have met some good friends on here who can give me sensible advice and support,I wouldnt have gone today without reading your posts
So thankyou all of you,I now feel a lot more in control
Good for you andy for getting that extra advice.i think going back to 2.5 is the right thing to do..as you have said to me before...very slow and small amounts..its good you have the suport there and if needed can take time off work..hope you sleep better tonight mate
I'm so glad you were able to access that specialised help too. Get yourself stabilised for Christmas, catch up on your sleep and next year is a whole new option to readdress your meds. Look forward to Christmas now with your family-with sleep everything is possible.
MyNameIsTerry
04-12-15, 07:51
Thats good news, Andy. You certainly are very lucky to have them so make sure you use them. Their knowledge of people coming off those things will be very useful to you in formulating a withdrawal plan and them keeping an eye on you.
We need more of those places!
The positive news is that you have already made a large reduction and managed it through. You are always telling us all that any progress is a step forward and I tend to find you saying that on threads where people are feeling dishearted about a perceived current failure when they are forgetting the rest they have achieved. I believe you are completely right there and another thing I agree with you completely on is when you say it's not a race and all that matters is recovery no matter how slow. When we start off with these disorders we want recovery quickly and treat it like a physical problem where doctors have been able to observe healing to predict future outcomes. They haven't got that for mental health so we have to adjust our thinking. I didn't think this way the first time around and it's from listening to more experienced people who have done their research that I have fully taken that on board. Today it's just your turn to remember your own advice. :yesyes:
We are here when you need us mate, you are for us.
so I slept from 10pm till 5am last night which is really good,im so tired its been a long and hard emotional week but with a positive outcome.I am looking forward to meeting the consultant next week and see what my options are.I was worried about diabetes and high cholesterol which is a common side effect on olanzapine so my GP gave me a blood test which all came back normal range.I need to put meds to the back of my mind for a while and just get on with life,ive landed a good job and want to succeed where I am for the foreseeable future,anxiety isnt going to hold me back I simply wont let it
Thankyou Terry ,Pulisa and Greg for your support
Good for you, Mr Andy! Anxiety doesn't stand a chance against you- we could all benefit from your spirit and determination to succeed. I hope you have a lovely weekend-it must have been a terrible week for you.
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