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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ronaldo on December 6, 2006, at 13:10:53
Hi blueberry
How is it going with the Olmifon?
What dosages have you been using?
How long have you been on it this time?
Any differences to when you used it last?
I am still withdrawing off the Zyprexa. Down to 5 mg from 10 mg. Want to get off the Zyprexa before I start the Adrefinil. Seeing my GP about liver enzyme base line test tomorrow. Do you think it is really necessary? How often do you have your liver checked? My tabs arrived 9 days after placing the order.
BTW How did/is your w/drawal from Zyprexa going?
Are you still on the 2.5mg? Are you splitting your Zyprexa because I asked a chemist about this and he said it was better to take them whole. I think the coating on the tablet makes it undergo absorbtion in the intestines. Does it matter if it gets absorbed in the stomach instead? I think I might try taking 2.5 mg alternate days once I get to that stage. I might even try 5 mg interspersed with 2.5 mg to start off with when I come down from 5mg if I have to. I am hoping it will not be too hard for me. I didn't have too much trouble when I quit Zyprexa in September just experienced bad insomnia but I think matters were made worse by the Seroquel I was trying to start. Eventually I gave up on the Seroquel and went back on the Zyprexa full time at 10 mg.Blueberry I will be really grateful for any tips you can give me that have been valuable in your experience. In particular is cutting pills the best way to go with Zyprexa? I know you have to protect the cut Zyp pills from the light. Looking at the Adrafinil it seems they are pretty ordinary tabs and will cut without any problems.
...ronaldo
Posted by blueberry on December 6, 2006, at 18:50:56
In reply to Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry, posted by ronaldo on December 6, 2006, at 13:10:53
Howdy Ronaldo,
I'll try my best to answer your questions.
I stopped adrafinil after one week, starting at 150mg working up to 450mg. I was having such hard time withdrawing from zyprexa and still am (10 years on it), that inner tension and restlessness from zyprexa was already intense and even just a quarter cup of coffee was way too much for me. However, the first day I did get immediate adrafinil antidepressant and energy effects. If I run into a really bad day like suicidal or something, adrafinil could save my life. I am hanging on to my pills for another time after zyprexa is gone.
Just as happened last time I took it, I got immediate benefits the first day, which just turned into energy without the mood boost the second day. I would have had to wait probably 3 weeks for it to kick in.
I've been on 1.25mg zyprexa for 6 days now. The first couple days dropping from 2.5 to 1.25 were just aweful. It seems to be smoothing out a little bit now.
I don't know about the coating on zyprexa. I have not read anywhere that it has an enteric coating.
I think liver tests about every 6 months are a good idea if a full dose of 900mg is taken. Previously when I took adrafinil I was at 600mg for a month or so and then dropped down to 300mg for maintenance and never had any problems over a few years.
For zyprexa withdrawals I guess you'll just have to feel it out. I think it is better to take the same size dose from day to day, rather than bouncing between 2.5 and 5. At least with me anyway. I seem so sensitive. I shave tiny crumbs off each day, so the dose is actually decreasing about maybe .05 to .10mg per day.
I've been on Kira brand St Johns Wort for 2 weeks now, starting at 150mg and I've been at 450mg for 3 days. Any higher than that I get real edgy and uncomfortable...likely the zyprexa withdrawals confusing things. I also started 300mg of Serenity brand lithium orotate a few days ago. Just yesterday and today for the first time I've actually sensed a hint of vague improvement, a slight smoothing out of my daily cycles, and even a few hours here and there of feeling fairly decent. It would be so very awesome if that trend would continue.
I hope this helps.
Posted by LlurpsieBlossom on December 6, 2006, at 20:51:22
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry, posted by blueberry on December 6, 2006, at 18:50:56
Hi blueberry,
is there a reason why you're taking Li orotate and not lithium carbonate?"It's natural", you know? (I have to admit that I stole that quote from a pdoc...)
You sound like you're doing okay. I hope you continue to be on the upswing.
best,
-ll
Posted by ronaldo on December 7, 2006, at 6:52:13
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry, posted by blueberry on December 6, 2006, at 18:50:56
> Howdy Ronaldo,
>
> I'll try my best to answer your questions.
>
> I stopped adrafinil after one week, starting at 150mg working up to 450mg. I was having such hard time withdrawing from zyprexa and still am (10 years on it), that inner tension and restlessness from zyprexa was already intense and even just a quarter cup of coffee was way too much for me. However, the first day I did get immediate adrafinil antidepressant and energy effects. If I run into a really bad day like suicidal or something, adrafinil could save my life. I am hanging on to my pills for another time after zyprexa is gone.Hi blueberry, sorry to hear that the Zyprexa has sabotaged your Adrafinil schedule. The Zyp can be a bit awkward to get off. I've done it once after being on 5 mg for four years but even when I was down to zero Zyp it still wouldn't let me go. Eventually I had to concede defeat and go back to 10 mg. Zyp 1 ronaldo 0.
Last time the waters were a bit muddied as I was also trying to make Seroquel work for my sleep. That was the worst s/e of coming off the Zyp: really obstinate insomnia. This time I am going to be more careful - especially going from 2.5 mg down to 0 mg. That is still a way off. I am only down to 5 mg now. I've got some 7.5 mg that I will cut in half to give me 3.75 mg which I will take between the 5 mg and the 2.5 mg. Then I will cut the 2.5 mg in half and that should take me down to zero.
I hope you have better success than my last attempt blueberry. Remember take your time and don't turn your back on the Zyprexa - he's a nasty customer. Hey, we may come off the Zyp at about the same time and then we could start the Adrafinil together. But you have a big lead on me, but then you also have 10 year history...
> Just as happened last time I took it, I got immediate benefits the first day, which just turned into energy without the mood boost the second day. I would have had to wait probably 3 weeks for it to kick in.
>
> I've been on 1.25mg zyprexa for 6 days now. The first couple days dropping from 2.5 to 1.25 were just aweful. It seems to be smoothing out a little bit now.
>
> I don't know about the coating on zyprexa. I have not read anywhere that it has an enteric coating.Just been to see my GP. He reckons it is ok to cut the Zyp just use it fairly quickly after cutting it. I phoned my chemist and he said better to use it whole but I will take my doctor's word for it. Ed_uk also said cut the tablets and also said 2.5 mg to Zero is the hardest part.
Another good thing I won't have to get my Liver Enzymes checked as they were done when I last had my Lithium blood tests. I get my Lithium done every three or four months which will be fine if I stay on the Adrafinil. One thing I noticed there is a price tag with a bar code on the box of the Olmifon and it says 5.61 euros which is about £3.79 in English money - about $7.50 in your money. I guess that might be the cost price - the price at which it leaves France.
Can you remember how much you paid for your last box of 40 Olmifon? I paid about £20, roughly $40. I think I will take the ferry across to France and see if I can buy any there and how much it costs. It's manufactured in France so should be cheapish. Trouble is I might have to get a prescription.
>
> I think liver tests about every 6 months are a good idea if a full dose of 900mg is taken. Previously when I took adrafinil I was at 600mg for a month or so and then dropped down to 300mg for maintenance and never had any problems over a few years.
>
> For zyprexa withdrawals I guess you'll just have to feel it out. I think it is better to take the same size dose from day to day, rather than bouncing between 2.5 and 5. At least with me anyway. I seem so sensitive. I shave tiny crumbs off each day, so the dose is actually decreasing about maybe .05 to .10mg per day.
>
> I've been on Kira brand St Johns Wort for 2 weeks now, starting at 150mg and I've been at 450mg for 3 days. Any higher than that I get real edgy and uncomfortable...likely the zyprexa withdrawals confusing things. I also started 300mg of Serenity brand lithium orotate a few days ago. Just yesterday and today for the first time I've actually sensed a hint of vague improvement, a slight smoothing out of my daily cycles, and even a few hours here and there of feeling fairly decent. It would be so very awesome if that trend would continue.
>
> I hope this helps.Thanks blueberry. That helps a lot. I guess you have taken the Adrafinil with Lithium Carbonate without any complications. Do you just take the 300 mg of Lithium? I guess you may be Bipolar like me, though a good few pdocs had me down as schizo-affective disorder. I don't care really. I just hope this Adrafinil is going to make some difference to my life. But I want to get off the Zyp first.
I hope your Orotate continues to make you feel better. My GP was really cool about the Adrafinil. I thought he might throw a spanner in the works but everything worked out fine. Pity he couldn't understand the French on the patients leaflet, that would have been awesome.
ciao for now
...ronaldo
Posted by ronaldo on December 7, 2006, at 8:31:01
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry, posted by ronaldo on December 7, 2006, at 6:52:13
Ed_uk said:
Olanzapine is very sensitive to light - tablets which have been cut must always be kept in the dark or else the olanzapine will degenerate.
....ronaldo
Posted by blueberry on December 8, 2006, at 4:00:20
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry » blueberry, posted by LlurpsieBlossom on December 6, 2006, at 20:51:22
> Hi blueberry,
> is there a reason why you're taking Li orotate and not lithium carbonate?
>
> "It's natural", you know? (I have to admit that I stole that quote from a pdoc...)
>
> You sound like you're doing okay. I hope you continue to be on the upswing.
>
> best,
> -llLithium orotate because no doctor at the moment. Though I'm sure I could get the regular lithium mailorder easy enough. The literature on lithium orotate looked good and I thought I would try it. I saw one anecdotal report that people who were doing well on regular lithium continued to do well when switched to lithium orotate. Mood is poor but seems more stable. Not quite a week on it yet.
Posted by LlurpsieBlossom on December 8, 2006, at 10:48:24
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry » LlurpsieBlossom, posted by blueberry on December 8, 2006, at 4:00:20
Hi blueberry,
sorry to hear that you don't have a pdoc at the moment. of course, continue to do what you're doing, if it's helping. I hope you are looking for a pdoc though. You had a rough patch recently, and I wouldn't want you to go through that again without a professional.best,
-Ll
Posted by Sebastian on December 11, 2006, at 12:03:01
In reply to Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry, posted by ronaldo on December 6, 2006, at 13:10:53
Its no problem to cut zyprexa. Seems to work just as good. They say not to leave a cut pill for more than a week, but I think that is bull. It saves a lot of money you don't throw away.
Posted by ronaldo on December 12, 2006, at 15:52:34
In reply to Re: Comments about Adrafinil Zyprexa blueberry » ronaldo, posted by Sebastian on December 11, 2006, at 12:03:01
Thanks Sebastian
They also say not to leave cut Zyprexa in the light. I have to invest in a new pill box/organizer that does not let the light in. The one I now have is white - not good for keeping out the light. I need a black one. Have you had any luck/experience with cutting very small doses, ie 2.5 mg or smaller. Or do you just shave them down to size?
....ronaldo
> Its no problem to cut zyprexa. Seems to work just as good. They say not to leave a cut pill for more than a week, but I think that is bull. It saves a lot of money you don't throw away.
This is the end of the thread.
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