Well I'm back on the medication cycle. The Zyprexa Zydis 5mg was helping me till about a week ago. Then I stared having sleep problems, usually the first sign of a problem for me. I was also getting up earlier than I usually was, another problem factor. Then a few days ago I started hallucinating. Not severe hallucinations, just the occasional spider crawling up the wall or seeing someone passing a the corner of my eye and look to see nobody there.

So I went to see my pdoc and she increased the Zyprexa to 7.5mg. Bad move unfortunately. The higher dose did help the hallucinations and sleep, but left me more anxious than I was before. So on Friday, I proceded to call my pdoc, then a couple of seconds later realized I couldn't speak to my pdoc because she isn't in on Friday - Sunday. So I was transfered to Cathrine, the Nurse Practioner.

She told me to take the Zyprexa one more night and if I wasn't feeling better to call her in the morning. Saturday (Yesterday) came and I started feeling more anxious and my stomach felt like it was churning. So I called the NP back, and she gave me an appt for 11:30 that morning. Mom came with me to my appt. I was glad for that to have her imput and support.

The NP wanted to do several things. Increase cogentin, I refused because I had problems before when taking more than 2mg a day, it makes my eyes bloodshot. Decrease Lexapro, didn't want to play around with that medication. Try adding Depakote, refused because of the risks I've read about it in terms of liver and kidney function. She suggested Topamax, but I didn't want to take that, I remember something saying that SSRIs and Triptans (anti-migrane medications) don't mix. So the next option was to stay on the zyprexa 7.5 and add lamictal or switch to abilify and then add lamictal later. So I chose the second. I'm in the process of transfering over to abilify.

The NP is having me slowly go off the zyprexa by decreasing the dose back to 5mg. I'm on 5mg of abilify which may be titrated. After I stabilize on the change from zyprexa to abilify, lamictal will then be added to my cocktail.

Thanks for reading. Your feedback is welcome.
- Andy...

Dammmn dude. Sorry you are going through that. I am in a situation like that and know how much it sucks. The only feedback I have is good for you for standing up for yourself and not letting them pimp whatever they wanted on you.

Day 3 - Surprisingly, I've not suffered too much restlessness (akathesia) from the abilify, at least as of yet. Still on the zyprexa zydis 5mg @ 9pm. I notice that my anxiety is better than it was but I still have some breakthrough anxiety. It's not severe anxiety like it use to be so I'm not worried by it. I see my regular pdoc 6/11. I'm hoping @ my appt she will decrease the zyprexa down from 5 to 2.5mg.

Day 6 - Appt was changed from 6/11 to 6/5 yesterday because she wasn't going to be in on 6/11. So I saw her today and she decreased the Zyprexa from 5mg to 2.5mg. The abilify was kept @ 5mg. Everything else stayed the same.

Thanks for the update Andy. It's so frustrating when meds stop working and everything has to get changed around again. Hopefully, you're on the right path.

I hope so too. Like I stated before once I stabilize on the switch, Lamictal will be added to my cocktail.

Please keep us apprised.

I'll be sure to do that. Today I'm noticing way less anxiety than I've been having so I know I'm heading in the right direction.