I started taking olanzapine (5mg) 2 days ago. I am also taking 25mg paroxetine (Paxil). I have been taking this for over 10 years. My situation is strange. It is to treat some kind of anxiety/depression. (It's like I've developed some kind of social anxiety around my wife or something). Anyway - it's only day 2, but I feel completely wiped out - tired/groggy/spaced out. If these symptoms persist, I will have to get off the drug as I'm unable to properly function. So - I guess I just want to hear from the personal experience of others. How long did these symptoms last for you? Did they ever go away?I know it depends on the individual - and probably for some people they only experienced this mildly at the beginning - but for others - probably they will have had to discontinue olanzapine because they couldn't function on it. Like I say - just trying to get a sense of what the average reaction is?
Olanzapine - Olanza - tired/groggy/spaced out?
Question posted by Birdfeeder1 on 19 July 2023
Last updated on 19 July 2023 by heartnbutterfly
Answers
Hi. I wish you luck & maybe your side effects will go away. That wasn't my experience though.
I had to stop taking it. I only took it for about 3 months when I stopped. Not only did I feel tired/drained, but kind of dizzy & off balance, I just stopped having any interest in doing any damned thing. I wasn't depressed - just blah. Everything that I enjoyed previously didn't amuse me anymore. It was like I had a completely flat personality. I felt like I wasn't living, if that makes sense. On the plus side, I was losing weight like crazy because it also decreased my appetite.
I'll warn you that if you decide to stop it, the weaning process isn't fun. I had brain zaps, I was jumpy as hell like my startle reflex was on steroids & I was jumping over the STUPIDIST things. I also would experience anxiety out of the clear blue for no logical reason at all. I never had anxiety previously. I was prescribed this for hot flashes. Insomnia was a problem for a while, and yet I was soooo tired! The Dr. wanted to wean me off pretty aggressively & didn't seem to think I'd experience any bad side effects. I ended up not following her schedule for weaning & instead followed advice I found on this board, where I was basically popping the capsules open & counting beads. It made the side effects more manageable for me.
Good luck to you & keep us posted on how you're doing & what you decide.
Hi, fellow Birdfeeder!
Side effects generally resolve within just a couple of days to a week or so as your metabolism adjusts to the medication. It also usually gets better day by day.
"Very common (10% or more of users): Somnolence (up to 52%), sedation (up to 48%), 27%), tremor (up to 23%), dizziness (up to 18%), headache (up to 17%), "
"Very common (10% or more of users): Asthenia (up to 20%), fatigue (up to 14%)"
"Using paroxetine together with olanzapine may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating early in treatment."
If it's persistent or severe let your doctor know... they might want to reduce your dose temporarily or possibly stop the medication.
Best regards, Wildcat
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paxil, anxiety, olanzapine, paroxetine, anxiety and stress
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