I took it for about 9 months. It was highly effective with reducing mania. Just after a few days with it I felt somewhat normal although I was still highly sensitive. It took away most of my delusions and paranoia.

I have not researched how Zyprexa actually works but my best guess is that it slows you down. It slowed my metabolism as well as my mind. It stops racing thoughts. But this slow down comes at a price. Most notably it may slow you down so much that you find it hard to get up in the mornings and sleep more than normal. It probably also results in lower blood pressure and more calming nature. You may also feel restless...in that your body can't control its movements. This goes away in most cases after getting off the medication.

Overall there is probably no more effective way to control mania. However the cost is that it slows a lot of functions in your body/mind down. It probably helped cause a blood clot I developed in my leg.

To me its not a good long-term medication. Unless the mania is constant and overwhelming. But for fixing a mania episode it probably is one of the best medications available.