I take rescue dose each week. Now I cannot reinstate

[[Ka...]]

I was on olanzapine 2.5mg 2 years for sleep. I tapered it down in 10 months. Its been six months since i stopped it and i take a 5 Mg rescue dose each 7-14 days since then to help my brutal insomnia and prevent heart attack. Without the meds whenever my body tries to fall alseep my heart starts pounding I it does not let me sleep. I know this is adrenal issue or dysautonomia but this severe? Now the problem is that since its been 6 months the Olanzapine has stopped being effective enough, in fact 5mg barely put me to sleep, which is again very shallow, nonrestorative. So reinstatement will not solve the problem for now. I dont know what to do. I am extremely exhausted, my heart is giving up.

Edited March 10 by [Ka...]

[[ja...]]

Kaiala...hi.  I'm not surprised your rescue dose isn't working....  insomnia for me has been my most severe symptom.  At the bottom end of my taper and for months afterwords, I would go for weeks on maybe 7 total hours sleep per week.... and many consecutive nights of none.  It was beyond awful.  I'm better now, (at almost 28 months post jump), but I can still have crushing cycles of insomnia.... thankfully, they are becoming less frequent. And my heart symptoms have settled down...

I strongly encourage you to get your heart tested..... my adrenalin boots would jarr me awake,  and I had heart palps with them, too.  I went to emerg one night when I was under huge personal (broken-hearted) stress.... my blood pressure was through the roof and I couldnt calm myself.   They were so kind.  They assessed me, knowing I was in a benzo withdrawal situation, hooked me up to a monitor and assured me that my heart was strong....  that it could take the stress.

That has helped me so much.... to know that.

Big hugs..... ❤️ 

 

 

[[Ka...]]

Thank you for the reply. Ive been to cardiologist. Stress test was impossible because i am very sick, my heart is very weak. My diastolic pressure is always high so its very close to my sustolic pressure, i dont know why. Yesterday, after 9 days of the last 5mg dose of olanzapine, i got adrenal crisis again (nausea, fever, shaking, sweating, hypoglycemia, etc.) So i took 6mg last night. Again, very, very shallow, nonrestorative sleep. I have very severe apnea on top of that and cannot use cpap. The problem now is that I cannot reinstate because this drug does almost nothing anymore. And I have to be on pills so I can leave the house and be able to go to endocrinology clinic (i also have persistant thymus gland and my pituitary is pressed forward, so they need regular check). The damage to my autonomic system is severe, i cannot take a shower even. My health is completely destroyed, I am extremely exhausted. But I dont have options, in the past i have taken remeron, lamictal, trazodone, seroquel, etc. with no effect or unbearable side effects or paradoxical reactions. 

Edited March 12 by [Ka...]

[[Ka...]]

I think my only option is to take olanzapine again and go to neurologist or psychiatrist to put me on a cocktail of drugs to stabilize me so i can go to the doctors.  

[[Ka...]]

Ive decided my best option is to reinstate the olanzapine at 5mg at night and begin tapering right away. My plan is to taper very slow, in about 3-4 years. That way I wont have withdrawal after I stop completely. Wish me luck.

Edited March 13 by [Ka...]

[[Th...]]

Unfortunately there is NO GUARANTEE that a very slow (3-4 year) taper will not result in withdrawal?  The longer the drugs are in your system, IMO, the greater the chance for getting some type of withdrawal and related symptoms no matter how slow you taper.  But you do what is best for you.  Only you will know if your slow taper is successful.  And I am not implying you speed up your taper, I am only suggesting that a slow taper is no guarantee for avoiding withdrawal.  Peace!

[[Ka...]]

Thank you for reply! Yes I am aware that I may enter withdrawal again even after a long taper, but I cant see any better possibility for me as of now I am literally housebound and cannot even leave my house to get some medical help for my endocrine issues and sleep apnea.

[[Bl...]]

On 16/03/2024 at 17:47, [[K...] said:

Thank you for reply! Yes I am aware that I may enter withdrawal again even after a long taper, but I cant see any better possibility for me as of now I am literally housebound and cannot even leave my house to get some medical help for my endocrine issues and sleep apnea.

Kaiala 

When you have serious co morbidities with real psychological disease states you really need to know you are not dealing with a taper that will not damage you further . If you have serious endocrine problems and heart issues going back up and onto a stabilised dose is probably the safest thing imo and most medical experts in your disease state . 
Can you get your medics to liaise . You all need to work together on this . 
if now is not the right time to taper especially with BP as erratic as that then don’t if you don’t need to because of tolerance withdrawal . 
Maybe do it in a medical setting ? If you can . 
can I ask what your BP is ? 
best wishes ❤️
 

[[Ca...]]

I agree that the longer the drugs are in your system the worse it can be. I’ve been on a slow taper for two years and am now bed bound and house bound.