Hi all,

I've been off an on Zyprexa for a long-time.

The biggest issue I have with the drug is withdraw symptoms.

I think the issue is night cramps resulting from elimination of the benzo portion of the drug.

"The most frequent symptoms of withdrawal from benzodiazepines are insomnia, gastric problems, tremors, agitation, fearfulness, and muscle spasms"

Directly from Wiki.

Now I know my Pdoc says its not truly a benzo, but the major issue I have is muscle spasms.

For me, if I am off my medication long enough it results in shock. My legs and arms will go into complete shock, and the last time it happened they gave me an Ativan and I was completely fine afterwards.

So I guess my plan is to take Zyprexa every so often just to control my withdrawal symptoms and to control my mania which does also come back in true form as my cramping also becomes worse.

I guess my mind and body is reliant on the benzo's thus creating a cycle that is hard to break.

Just wondering other people's thoughts on this. I deal with Mania, and I control it with Zyprexa only and possibly heavier medication (single doses) if at a hospital or something.

Please assist. Would love to hear comments.