What does an anti-psychotic do?

[Tann]

I took some anti-psychotic meds once during my high school druggy days, felt like nothing was happening then BAM, drooling vegetable for what seemed like 16 hours straight. Felt like Bruce Willis in 12 Monkeys.

[Ciderpress]

It makes you act less like my mother in-law am i right??

[SorenVC]

I'm tired of waiting for the 16th September to reduce to 2.5 mg Olanzapine. I will stop cold-turkey today on 5 mg and see what happens. Probably not able to sleep but I don't have a job now anyway and I have a headache since three days that doesn't go away. If I tell my therapist she will increase dosage to 7.5 or 10 mg and say that I need this for the rest of my life and then I'll get a daily headache again and noone will believe me it comes from the drug...

[SorenVC]

I wonder when we're all dead and go to heaven and if God exists, will he explain that giving drugs to underage people (me 16 years) and adults and telling them that it helps them and forcing them to stay on them was WRONG and EVIL. Or will he let it slide and grant them entry to heaven because they had GOOD INTENTIONS or didn't KNOW that it was evil? Will God let this slide guys?

Guys I accepted that I'm mentally ill and have to take drugs for 50 or 60 more years until I die of old age. I will have a headache everyday and feel no joy, but this is what God wanted for me because everyone I asked, my mom and my therapist said I should be on this drug forever. So that's what I did. But the drug caused all this headaches and made my sleep terrible. The more I live the more I feel God never intervenes in life, if he exists at all, and the ark of Noah, the flood and all the stories in the Bible are literally fairy tales.

I will try cold-turkey off this awful headache inducing drug and see how I feel. If I can't sleep so be it. I'm sick of the headache. Utterly sick of it.

[Tann]

Originally Posted by SorenVC [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

(me 16 years)....50 or 60 more years until I die of old age.

I know i can't math but this is America kiddo, you're not "old age" until at least 100 and will most likely die at work trying to afford those pills which will cost 80-90% of your income. Our fearful leader is in his 80's, wears diapers, and can't complete a full sentence, just look at what you can accomplish here!

[SorenVC]

Originally Posted by Tann [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I know i can't math but this is America kiddo, you're not "old age" until at least 100 and will most likely die at work trying to afford those pills which will cost 80-90% of your income. Our fearful leader is in his 80's, wears diapers, and can't complete a full sentence, just look at what you can accomplish here!

I get the pills for free in Germany. I have no job currently and get money from Arbeitsagentur.

[SorenVC]

Does anyone have a better solution to my problem? I was gonna wait 'till 16th September to ask my therapist if she can reduce it to 2.5 mg and then take that for a month and then split it in half for a month - then stop. But I keep getting a headache everyday now. So I will just stop cold-turkey. I will suffer but I see no other way now.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by SorenVC [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But the drug caused all this headaches and made my sleep terrible.

The side effects of Zyprexa suck (source: I literally took half a pill last night ... because I needed it, but hate the side effects). However, the part about making your sleep terrible really sounds like it might have another source: I'm no doctor, but insomnia isn't listed as one of the drug's side effects. In fact, sleepiness is actually one of the side effects that make me hate taking the drug.

In other words, you really might want to see if something else might be messing with your sleep. As for the headaches, I've never gotten them, but they seem to be a normal side effect of the drug:

Headache is a common and often manageable side effect of olanzapine. It is typically a mild side effect, though it can also be a sign of more serious, rare complications. The frequency of headaches may decrease as your body adjusts to the medication.

Common headaches
If you experience a mild headache from olanzapine, you can try the following management strategies:

• Increase water intake Staying hydrated can help relieve the headache.
  
• Use a cold compress Applying a cold pack or compress to your forehead may provide some relief.
  
• Consider over-the-counter pain relief With a doctor or pharmacist's approval, you can take medications like ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to manage the pain.
  
• Manage stress Stress-reducing activities may help alleviate headaches.
  
• Engage in light exercise Gentle physical activity can sometimes be beneficial.

Potentially serious complications

In rare cases, a headache can be a symptom of a more serious condition related to olanzapine.

High blood sugar

Olanzapine can increase blood sugar levels, and headaches can be a sign of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). If you have diabetes or notice symptoms like increased thirst, frequent urination, or blurred vision, report this to your doctor immediately.

Blood disorders

In very rare instances, olanzapine can cause blood disorders that may lead to severe infection. Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical help if a headache is accompanied by fever, chills, sore throat, or unusual bruising.

When to contact a doctor

Consult your doctor or prescriber if your headaches:

• Become severe or do not go away.
• Are accompanied by other symptoms that concern you.
• Occur along with symptoms of high blood sugar or blood disorders.

In other words, "If you have diabetes or notice symptoms like increased thirst, frequent urination, or blurred vision" or "if a headache is accompanied by fever, chills, sore throat, or unusual bruising" you should absolutely stop taking the drug, and maybe get to an emergency room.

But if the headaches are more mild, maybe you can get by with some Ibuprofen?

[SorenVC]

The headaches are terrible. When I open my eyes in the morning and wake up I have a headache since two days. It is coming from olanzapine. Even when I sleep on olanzapine the sleep doesn't do any good. It is drug induced sleep. Why you guys and the public put so much faith in psych drugs? Yet when I say that I go to a therapist some people think I'm a weakling or am on drugs, which is both true.

But is it my fault they gave me drugs when I was 16? Just because they say they want to help me doesn't mean they actually help me.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by SorenVC [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Why you guys and the public put so much faith in psych drugs? Yet when I say that I go to a therapist some people think I'm a weakling or am on drugs, which is both true.

When you get an infection, are you a weakling for taking a drug to lower your fever? If you break a leg, are you a weakling for wearing a cast?

I don't have "faith" in psych drugs: like I said before, Zyprexa is terrible. But the alternative, of losing control of your own mind, strikes me as more terrible.

Again, I took Zyprexa last night. Today I'm probably going to gain weight, have a harder time focusing, and tonight I'll have "restless leg syndrome" like crazy ... because, again, Zyprexa sucks.

But if I didn't take it, I know it can set off a spiral where I ultimately get super irritable, can't sleep, talk too fast, etc. For me, the trade-off of taking the drugs is worth it.

If you're getting headaches so bad you can't sleep, and you've tried the suggestions I quoted (drink more water, take some Advil, etc.) and they haven't worked, then taking care of yourself might mean stopping the drug now instead of in four days. I'm not advocating for taking or not ... I'm advocating for taking (good) care of yourself.