They’re making me so dopey. I found an article about how AP cause a reduction in brain matter, so now I am determined to get off the AP.
I tried coming off them recently, and almost immediately stopped sleeping. So I’m going to try phenergan to help with sleep.
I don’t really know why I’m typing this. I just wanted to get it off my chest.
Thanks for reading :)
I can only imagine what it’s like to be on meds that affect your quality of life negatively both on and off the medication. I hope you consult your doctor before making drastic changes. Perhaps there is a dosage which provides a middle ground.
Losing brain matter sounds scary at face value, but perhaps a doctor could explain whether it applies in every case and whether it is actually a big deal.
Full disclosure, I lost a cousin to paranoid schizophrenia after he moved away and got off his meds, so I am biased.
Probably goes without saying, but talk to your doctor about it before going off any medication
And if your doctor won’t have an honest, nuanced conversation about your needs, find a new doctor.
Yes, my doctor knows I want to get off the antipsychotic. We’re just at an impasse because i can’t sleep without it. So we don’t know what to do.
I don’t know much about meds so did you try taking a little less AP each time or did you completely stop or did you try a different way of getting off AP?
I’m on the lowest dose they make. Could probably try cutting them in half or what have you
It sounds like you clearly know not to stop cold turkey, but I hope you consult with your doctor.
I’m no prescriber, but for years I was a caseworker for adults with mental illness severe enough that they lived at residential care facilities (RCFs). The most common diagnoses on my caseload were always schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. (Not complaining, rewarding population to work with).
Med changes can be rocky regardless of the specific mental illness, and I’m just hoping that you take advantage of your treatment team. I’ve gone thru a lot of rocky med changes with my clients.
Something else to consider would be if there is a place you could voluntarily check yourself into during your discontinuation.
I want to point out that this is generic advice and I do not know you, how your symptoms present, or how severe they are. Don’t want my comment to sound like I’m jumping to conclusions about you or anything…
Again, not knowing what you’re going thru, this may not be helpful… but my clients who struggled with auditory hallucinations would often benefit from the auditory buffer strategy.
The premis is that one should never try to argue/refute auditory hallucinations, nor should they try to ignore them. Both of these backfire and focus more attention.
For instance, if I tell you: “Don’t think about pink elephants,” what is popping into your head right now? Trying to actively ignore something backfires and actually focuses more attention on it.
The auditory buffer strategy focuses on shifting our attention away from the auditory hallucinations rather than trying to actively ignore them. To engage in this coping skill, you ideally want to listen to music to drown out the voices. Just try to focus your full attention on the music itself.
In schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, auditory hallucinations are perceived physically by the ear and processed by the brain just as the individual would hear another person speaking to them in reality, and they can be drown out just the same!
I’ve had clients find success from TV, but music is recommended. For the auditory buffer strategy to be most effective, you should wear over-ear headphones or at least earbuds if possible. I had many clients find this coping skill helpful in getting a break from the voices, or preventing themselves from engaging/focusing on them and then spiraling.
I’d also like to share this website with evidence-based resources that I used with my clients and in the group I hosted. I benefitted a lot myself from the material. It may not be relevant to this particular situation, but I think every person alive would benefit from the material there. Wouldn’t hurt to have it saved if things get tougher going off the meds.
Finding the balance between the symptoms of mental illness, side-effects of medication, and functional daily living can be so difficult, frustrating, and disheartening. But the payoff is worth it if you find that homeostasis. Don’t give up hope.
One thing that a professor drilled into me that I find helpful when I’m at my lowest is that humans cannot experience personal growth without hardship. Experiencing suffering, challenges, hardships are the very things that make us more resilient and better equipped to take on future challenges and barriers in life. When we emerge on the other side, we are stronger; not weaker.
A alternative is to skip a day or when you’re suppose to have it again and then keep skipping more and more till you’re not really having it anymore.
note I have no idea if this works so be careful if you try this.
I take olanzapine mostly for sleep. Plus it makes me depressed as fuck taking it.
it’s pretty rough to get off of antipsychotics and SSRIs. there’s usually this 2-3 week period of adjustment where you don’t sleep well, the depression kicks in pretty hard, and sometimes you even feel sick/nauseous for most of that period. obviously everyone is different, but I hated how AP and SSRIs made me feel so stopped them completely even though it sucked to do. whatever you do just be careful, it’s easy for the lows to feel much worse at times when coming off them
Hi, before doing so please seek inform of your healthcare provider they will be able to help you create a comprehensive plan to change or adjust your medications**. Please know I am not a doctor** however you may want to consider these questions:
How long have you been taking antipsychotics? If you have been taking them for a long time, it may be necessary to taper off them slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
What are your symptoms? If your symptoms are well-controlled, you may be able to taper off the medication more quickly. However, if your symptoms are not well-controlled, you may need to stay on the medication for a longer period of time.
What are your goals? Are you hoping to get off antipsychotics altogether, or are you hoping to reduce your dosage? Your doctor can help you to set realistic goals and develop a plan to reach them.
Just remember to contact your healthcare physician before making any changes to your medication. They can help you to determine if getting off antipsychotics is right for you and can develop a safe and effective plan for tapering off the medication.
I’m on them as well and would also like to go off. I have gone off before and the withdrawals are awful. The physical withdrawals were insomnia and hot flashes. The mental withdrawals were the worst though. High levels of irritation/frustration/anger that were almost impossible to control. Paranoia.
If I go off again I plan to do it with the help of my doctor. Maybe they can prescribe me something to help with the withdrawals and a safe med to switch to.
Maybe get your niacin level checked? If you are low in niacin your body will use tryptophan to make it. And tryptophan is also used to make serotonin. So low niacin could mean low tryptophan which could mean low serotonin which could mean low melatonin. I’m not on APs, I spend time in nootropics communities. So definitely check with your doctor. Might also look in to n-acetyl-cysteine, however I’d put more stock in the niacin angle.
