I'm diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and I ran out of my Zyprexa (it's an antipsychotic) maybe a week and a half ago, and I decided to just not get more. For a long time I felt it was robbing me of my ability to think, to feel, to love, and many other things. I felt depressed all the time too. Right now where I'm at is I feel manic and anxious. I don't feel depressed, but I feel extremely anxious and hyperactive. I can't really function or concentrate right now. I feel that it's worth it to come off the stuff, because I want me back. But I'm going through withdrawal hell right now. I considered switching to a different medication, but I don't want the same problems all over again, along with physical dependency on a drug with gnarly side effects like Zyprexa. I have involuntary movements in my hands because of it now, that are probably permanent. Starting to wonder if I really need to get some medication though, because my mania and psychosis are flaring up, or if I just need to keep myself in check mentally and ride out the withdrawal. I feel like the withdrawal is actually causing the issues, not my illness. Psych meds really mess with your brain chemistry, and I feel like coming off of them can produce symptoms of mental illness. But I don't want to be reckless and risk things spiraling out of control. I don't really know what to do right now. The anxiety is the worst thing honestly. I feel like I'd be fine if I just didn't feel so anxious. It's clouding my ability to keep my mind under control. Ugh this is the worst.

[CobolCapsule]

Hello,
Does your Dr know you have come completely off zyprexa? I personally find that you start to feel yourself again if the doe is just reduce the dose. Thats my personal experience with AP's. I would have just reduced the dose instead of coming completely off it. You need to be careful, for your original symptoms should come back now, and you could run into the same problems for why you were put on zyprexa to begin with.

Good luck

I am switching doctors, that's why I ran out. Moved from Arizona to North Carolina so I couldn't see my old doc anymore. I saw an ER doctor last night who gave me a prescription for Xanax, it's helping me feel normal again. One symptom of withdrawal from antipsychotics is really intense anxiety, and that's what I was going through. I was mistaking franticness for mania I think. My thoughts were racing because I was in a panic. I'm currently searching for a psychiatrist in my area to discuss alternatives to Zyprexa though, I definitely think I need to figure something out as far as medications go.