[r010159]

Hello!

I have been doing allot of thinking lately since what appeared to be my last hypomanic episode. I have listed the symptoms I had, along with keeping daily notes on my mood. Today is when I started to have real problems beyond my recent period of restlessness and anxiety and difficulty focusing. I started to have real intrusive thoughts while I was driving, ones which I had little control over. My mind would go from one thing to another. I also started feeling compelled to drive recklessly, while my mind raced. I also did some bizarre things that are uncharacteristic of me, which I will not get into because I feel embarrassed about it. I started to get very angry and consumed by having arguments in my head with people which took more of my attention from the road. I felt I was beginning to lose control.

As soon as I arrived home, I took 5mg of Zeprexa, and the rest of the medication that I had forgotten to take first thing in the morning, which also included my daily dose of Lamictal. Soon I started to feel as though I was getting back to normal. The intrusive thoughts and compulsions left me, for the most part. I feel now I am much more in control and grounded. I now have no desire to empty my bank account with easy purchases from Amazon. I do not feel anywhere near as restless or angry.

I do not know if this makes sense since I may be reading into this much more than I should. However, if I am right, this may be the first time I saw what appeared to me as the cycling of my mood and sis something about it, which means I have averted another bad episode. But I understand Zyprexa is only for acute mania. I actually do not know what really happened. I do not know if Zyprexa appeared to work due to a placebo effect, considering how quickly it helped me. Maybe it was just a mild swing in mood that just went away on its own.

What do you guys think? Does it look like Zyprexa has helped me?

tucson

[BipolaRNurse]

Zyprexa usually works very quickly---with me, it takes only about 24-48 hours to feel better, and that's when I'm really manic; it takes even less time when I'm hypo or mixed.

I've been in a mixed episode for several weeks now and finally called my pdoc yesterday, who put me on Z "until further notice". It's only been 24 hours and the noise in my head is already down several notches, and today I didn't feel irritable, agitated, hypomanic/depressed, anxious, scared, or wanting to crawl out of my skin.

It's entirely possible that the Z helped you, along with taking the other meds you'd missed. And it's not always just for acute mania, although that's usually the reason for starting it. I was once on it for four months, another time for three weeks, and this time......well, who knows.

Are you using it regularly or on an as-needed basis? How long have you been taking it? (FYI, you don't necessarily have to be full-on manic to have it prescribed.)

[r010159]

I have been using it for a few months now. I was prescribed Zyprexa with Fluoxentine as a part of a BP medicine cocktail. I suspect the big reason was to enhance the effect of the antidepressant. I am BP II. I hope as I wait my symptoms will continue to improve.

tucson

[TheHuffnpuff]

I was on 2.5mg Zyprexa as a mood stabiliser for bipolar 1. I was stable for months. I stopped taking it, I wanted my health and motivation back. I decided to only take it if I am not able to sleep, as both of my manic episodes were brought on by days of sleep deprivation. I stopped about 2 weeks ago, and in that time I have only needed to take it once. It works very quickly, within about an hour my mind stopped racing and I was able to sleep, even with only 2.5mg. Just before my 2nd hospitalisation I couldn't sleep for 6 days. When I was put in hospital they gave me 10mg Zyprexa and within about 2 hours I was asleep and slept for 12 hours. It really works well, I just don't think its a good idea to have to take it every day because of the health implications - weight gain and loss of motivation and emotions.

[tigersassy]

I was just put on zyprexa 15mg at night. My dr put me on it because of (hypo) mania. I'm not sure what its doing. last night was my second dose. I went to bed late last night and woke up on' time so don't know if its helping yet or not.

Tig

[r010159]

Originally Posted by TheHuffnpuff

I was on 2.5mg Zyprexa as a mood stabiliser for bipolar 1. I was stable for months. I stopped taking it, I wanted my health and motivation back. I decided to only take it if I am not able to sleep, as both of my manic episodes were brought on by days of sleep deprivation. I stopped about 2 weeks ago, and in that time I have only needed to take it once. It works very quickly, within about an hour my mind stopped racing and I was able to sleep, even with only 2.5mg. Just before my 2nd hospitalisation I couldn't sleep for 6 days. When I was put in hospital they gave me 10mg Zyprexa and within about 2 hours I was asleep and slept for 12 hours. It really works well, I just don't think its a good idea to have to take it every day because of the health implications - weight gain and loss of motivation and emotions.

-->I found this at Zyprexa Medication - Fast, Effective, Shame About the Diabetes,

Zyprexa has been found to be an extremely effective and fast acting mood stabilizer. It calms anxiety, agitation, and dysphoria within 20 to 30 minutes. It has a calming effect and can stop the racing thoughts that Bipolar II types have. It can also quickly stop the delusions and paranoia that come with Bipolar

[some additional info deleted]

Dr Peter Phelps say Zyprexa medication is a good choice in these circumstances:

"1. Emergency-level symptoms 2. Need help really fast
3. Can use on "as-needed" basis AND 4. Not afraid of weight gain."

-->Then I found this at http://www.webmd.boots.com/mental-he...to-treat-mania

Yes. Olanzapine helps calm down the symptoms of mania for people with bipolar disorder. It works on its own, or you can take it with another drug, such as lithium or valproate. [40] [41] Olanzapine starts working quickly, within four to eight hours. [42]

This is interesting, wouldn't you say? Now who is correct? What has anybody else's experience have been?

tucson

[burhil]

Bipolar II. When my thinking gets really disordered and I can realize it, I take 5 or 10mgs for a few days. It takes the obsessive, compulsive and intrusive thoughts away.

[hamster-bamster]

You did the right thing by catching your symptoms early and suppressing them with Z. My only suggestion, given how quickly 5 mg worked, is to get a prescription for 2.5 mg Zyprexa, and, next time something like this happens, try 2.5 mg, wait for 1/2 hr, and if you feel you still need more, take another 2.5 mg. Or use a pill cutter.

I would say that you had acute mania with the impulse to drive recklessly. I have never had it and would have been scared to find myself desiring to be a reckless driver. So in my book it would have been acute mania, and not a hypo episode.

[r010159]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

You did the right thing by catching your symptoms early and suppressing them with Z. My only suggestion, given how quickly 5 mg worked, is to get a prescription for 2.5 mg Zyprexa, and, next time something like this happens, try 2.5 mg, wait for 1/2 hr, and if you feel you still need more, take another 2.5 mg. Or use a pill cutter.

I would say that you had acute mania with the impulse to drive recklessly. I have never had it and would have been scared to find myself desiring to be a reckless driver. So in my book it would have been acute mania, and not a hypo episode.

Interesting. Thank you for your feedback. I was agitated and driving recklessly, like there were "ants in my pants", racing and intrusive thoughts while I drove. I am lucky that my "autopilot" was enough to get me home without an accident. The more this stuff happens to me, the more I am learning about this disease. Your suggestion for 2.5 mg doses PRN sounds like a vey good idea to me.

(I think I will change my mood to happy now.)

[grandmaof3]

I wish a low dose would work for me. When I am manic I tend to get psychotic and my prn zyprexa is 20mg and it just takes the edge off.