Olanzapine and Insomnia

TheGiantPanda · 09-08-2012, 07:59 PM

I have had a few withdrawal effects this week, now that the olanzapine is out of my system. Teeth clenching when i'm asleep, which makes it incredibly painful to eat when i wake up, which has now stopped. I've had the sweating in bed, then moving the blankets and get freezing cold, but thats gone now also.
But the big effect i've had, which has only in the past 3 or 4 days started, is very bad sleep. Before coming off the pills, i averaged about 10 hours a day. Since Tuesday i'm lucky if i get 4 hours a night, and thats intterupted too. I am so exhausted yet it's just difficult to sleep.

I'm hoping it's just my body getting used to being without drugs. Most of them had a sedative effect and so for years and years my body and mind got used to being dopey, which eventually began to feel normal. Now there is nothing in my system my body and mind is having trouble re-adjusting.

Is this likely to be a temporary effect does anybody know? Similar experiences?

This is the only major withdrawal i've had, mentally i'm still pretty good, just physically i'm knackered.

Thankyou

Ballerina123 · 09-08-2012, 08:47 PM

It is likely this will pass. When I came off quietapine for the first time I experences poor sleep for a few weeks but it did calm down and I went back to sleeping properly.

Porcelain Child · 09-08-2012, 09:56 PM

When i stopped my Olanzapine cold turkey, i didn't sleep very well was lucky to get 3 hours a night, but then i took them again and i slept better again..

Ami · 10-08-2012, 12:38 PM

I had the same while in hospital. They give me temazepam but it didn't help. I felt sick too.

It will pass x

MaybeNotForever · 10-08-2012, 01:06 PM

I also had problems sleeping after coming off olanzapine. It did pass though, and although I still have issues with insomnia from time to time, that's just normal for me.

I think I've been told by doctors that it is due to being used to being sedated, yeah. Like, if you constantly are taking a medication that sedates you, the brain adjusts the release of the related chemicals accordingly. When the sedative is taken away, it takes a while for the brain to adjust back, so you are lacking in chemicals that make you want to sleep. Hence, insomnia.

TheGiantPanda · 10-08-2012, 09:27 PM

Thanks.

MaybeNotForever, your post is very reassuring!!! thankyou!!! made perfect sense. I just want to get some sleep now though.

Had 4 hours interrupted sleep yesterday morning, kept waking up every half hour. Slept for 2 hours today between 6am and 8am before i had to get up to go to the hospital, and slept for about 30 mins in the afternoon. Gotta go work tonight at midnight, right through till 8am. I'm so tired its untrue, but my mind is wide awake and wont shut down!!! Just wish it would just relax, tried so many things to try and relax but nothing seems to work :(

I seem to laughing at my insomnia a lot, when my mom asks, have you had any sleep? im like, sleep whats that? and then burst into fits of laughter LOL I figured theres no point getting stressed about it, cause if i'm stressed i wont sleep anyway. Its just getting very hard on my body and i'm getting paranoid i'll never sleep and my body will shut down and i'll either die or end up severely ill in hospital.