[elevatedsoul]

so i've decided to cold turkey the zyprexa as i dont think i need it, nor do i know why he wants me to take it... misdiagnosed bipolar I..?

i have only experienced a little diarrhea but not much and can't tell any other effects besides my pupils starting to go back to normal

im just wondering how im supposed to tell my care providers? i tried talking to them about stopping it multiple times where they just convinced me to keep taking it... so, tired of being convinced to take an AP, i just decided to quit it first and tell them later.. im monitoring myself and taking precautions and haven't noticed any undesirable feelings besides the same ones i've been having all along

has anyone had any similar situations where you are convinced to take a medicine you feel in your heart you shouldn't be taking?

All the time. All pdoc's are are legal drug dealers. If we consider drugs for physical ailments as well, if I kept taking drugs the doctors told me to take, I'd be dead by now. I would advise not to return to this sorry excuse for a "doctor".

[gayleggg]

I think it would depend on if your symptoms get worse. I would tell them at the next appointment so they can monitor your symptoms. If they get worse you may have to go back on the medicine and it could take several weeks for the symptoms to start showing back up.

[Pierro]

You may think you are doing but are you the best judge at the moment?. Maybe ask a family member have they noticed any change. I also went off zyprexa last year on my own and I did not have any symptoms that I can recall so it must have been easy for me. Funnily I am back on antipsychotics for sleep and I feel it is really helping me. Best wishes and I do hope it all goes well for you.

[elevatedsoul]

so far i dont really feel much different, maybe a little less "foggy" ?

since i started taking the zyprexa i've had trouble trying to figure out what it does for me

as far as i know the only reason he prescribed it was because it works on similar neurotransmitters that marijuana works on and thought that it would help me to quit smoking, though i dont want to quit smoking...

so for the bad side effects i could tell, i couldnt find any good reasons to continue taking the med... im also talking with my mom about it and she agrees.. its just i feel like i have to try to convince my case manager that im not bipolar or something, i dont have hallucinations nor voices or rage issues so why treat me with zyprexa...? im getting it where someone else that might need it isnt getting it, know what i mean?

i am super concerned with my health, mental health, and general wellbeing..

edit:
i haven't noticed any symptoms coming back since stopping it, the cymbalta took the symptoms away in the first place.. the only thing that i can notice is maybe its not as easy to fall into a slumber at night

[elevatedsoul]

i started back taking the zyprexa since depression and anxiety started to get worse... how am i ever going to get off zyprexa?

I don't question your desire to stop it. I'm wondering why you chose to go cold turkey? Advice is available for coming off meds safety. You could be experiencing a rebound of the med rather than actual retuning depression. I don't know that for certain but going cold turkey makes the likelihood of that pretty high.

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[elevatedsoul]

well i am just anxious and extremely worried about taking something that has so many side effects and just want off it.. i thought if i just stopped and told the doc i quit taking it that we could change it to something else, but it turns out i still have to wait for my july appointment

I can understand wanting off of it but cold turkey is just going to make things worse. You are the client no matter what they'll have you believe. If you don't like the side effects you only need to be firm with the doctor. What you are doing will come across as manipulative and will end up eroding your relationship.

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It also takes that long to come off Zoloft sometimes. I would let him know you are reducing it since you can't see him until July then taper it slowly to 25 mg but watch you moods and side effects carefully. Go back up if they are uncomfortable.

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[elevatedsoul]

thanks michanne, i knew that i would have some some withdrawal symptoms by stopping the way i did.. but i thought i could tough it out and detox or whatever
i got scared and started taking it again though... scared because my case manager keeps telling me i need to keep taking it even when i keep telling her i dont want to and want to try something else... its so confusing why im taking this medicine, i've read that its used sometimes for MDD but why would zyprexa be a first choice for me when i dont have a MH record and am fresh in the system?

im already off the zoloft... i did a fast taper on that too and experienced alot of shocks, but i toughed that one out and towards the end i started taking cymbalta so i think that helped with the zoloft withdrawal

im tired of hearing my case manager tell me "you need to stop playing doctor" ; im not playing doctor, im trying to be an educated patient so i can get the help i need/deserve...

im gaining weight, having anxiety, social phobia, and even depression bouts so why should i continue taking this medicine...? isn't there a combination out there that will make me "happy"? something that could make me feel better?

well, sorry for the rant... im losing my mind over this stuff

Rant away. Your case manager is wrong. Doctors are experts in their field but they aren't taking it for you. It's definitely up to you to say the side effects are too much. There are plenty of alternative.

I'm confused. Are you dx MDD and just new to the system or are they giving these to you without telling you what the dx is?

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[elevatedsoul]

im not sure what the dx is now, at first it was bipolar I but i know i dont have bipolar because i've never been manic before or felt elated...
the dx in my sig is closest i can come to what i think is going on with me.. im gonna try to get a printout of my dx sometime so i can know what they are thinking

i think my case manager is wrong too, i want to try to call her and tell her i want off the zyprexa and need to try something different why is it so hard when it should be easy!

[onionknight]

The best outcomes arise from a collaborative relationship between the patient and the doctor, where both agree on goals and treatments. No doctor will ever be an expert on your life. You know your side effects, your symptoms and whether a particular treatment is getting you where you want to be.

While I don't think it is wise to quit a psych med cold turkey, you should stand up for your right to a say and not just someone who has treatment done to them by some unquestionable expert.

[Yoda]

I agree with the others that you have a right to choose to take or not take a medicine. That puts the burden of educating yourself about how the medicine works and what effect is having on you when you take it.

I ran out of zyprexa once when I didn't get to the pharmacy and I did have withdrawal symptoms until I got it restarted.

It is important that you communicate with your pdoc about your experience with the med and share your concern that it is not effective for you or you have troublesome side effects. I had to stop taking seroquel because it was kicking my ***** and I talked to my pdoc who prescribed a different med. Can you email or phone your pdoc before your next appt?

[elevatedsoul]

my case manager said that he wont change the medicine until the appointment.. i've tried to tell her that i wanted to talk to the nurse or anyone about the medicine because i dont like it and she just keeps saying that the pdoc is the best doc around and he knows what hes doing and he rx the zyprexa for a reason, effectively talking me into continuing to take the medicine... i do have side effects from the zyprexa, such as the constapation and weight gain.. i went from 140 to 165 so far, im 5'10 male and i liked to be at 140 .. 165 makes me feel fat, i' haven't told them that i feel fat but i've tried to tell a few family members and they brush it off and say im still skinny because obesity runs in my family, which is another reason why im not ok with weight gain and diabetes.. those are things i dont need added to my depression!

i have telephone phobia so i have a really hard time talking on the phone, i normally get my mom to call and make an appointment with my case manager so that i can talk to her in person but everytime i go i feel like i dont get anywhere besides being told to keep taking the medicine till the next appointment

she did an emergency consultation with the pdoc 1 time for me, why wont she do it again and tell him that i really need the help now instead of waiting 2 months dealing with these issues?

i dont know what to do about this situation and feel kind of scared to tell my case manager again that i want to stop the zyprexa

i do feel that its my right to take or not to take anything, i just feel afraid that im going to upset them or cause some kind of problem with my treatment, which already seems to have some problems

meds suck sometimes

25 is a lot. Sometimes you have to keep repeating until the message gets through. Won't help to get emotional with her but repeating your concerns is valid. You could see if any of the symptoms you have match the FDA insert for "notify doctor if". That way you have a piece of paper to help back you. Can you talk to a gp? Maybe they could help intervene so you can get in earlier.

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[elevatedsoul]

yeah i was thinking 25 lbs is alot too, atleast it is to me! i've been 140 lbs since i was 16 years old!! so i know the medicine causing me to put on weight

i thought about going to see GP and talk to her about it, but i cancelled my appointment because i got discouraged thinking there would be nothing the gp could do to help me... but just maybe she can tell me what to do?

i haven't really looked at the FDA thing, ill have to check it out... since i started the zyprexa i haven't been able to describe what it does or how its effecting me besides the weight, i dont feel more calm, still have depression and anxiety... so to me it feels like the only thing zyprexa is doing is causing me to gain weight

im gonna try to talk to my mom about it today and see what she thinks, maybe try to call my case manager 1 more time and make an appointment with GP

thanks for the help

looks like i should be able to change the medicine just because it makes me feel very hungry? its terrible feeling, i never got the munchies from weed but this medicine makes me feel like i need to eat a cow
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/D.../UCM134700.pdf

Sure thing. You might find it helpful to write down your concerns in some sort of list form to help keep the convo focused. It will help with your anxiety too.

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