[Anxiousvalkyrie]

Does anyone have any experience with Zyprexa? Seroquel did not work out for me and the nurse I saw today recommended Zyprexa and is going to talk to the on call doc about it tomorrow since mine is on vacation for two more weeks. He said he thought it would help with my paranoia and anxiety related to my BPD.

I was curious if anyone had any experience with it and how you reacted. Did you like it? Is it a good drug? Side effects?

Thanks.

[Unrigged64072835]

I liked Zyprexa but I did gain weight on it.

[Coconutzo]

I gained nine pounds in eleven days and had akasthasia.

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[nativechic]

I gained some weight on it initially but am back on normal weight now. No other noticeable side effects for me.

[Victoria'smom]

Gained weight on it but otherwise liked it.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

I just talked to my mom, who's a psychologist and she scared me about taking it. She said it has a risk of tartive diskenesia (spelling?) and that it can cause you to gain upwards of 60lbs. She told me if she were me she wouldn't take it unless it was a last resort. I don't know what to do.

[wildflowerchild25]

All APs have a risk of tardive dyskinesia. The newer ones, like zyprexa, have a reduced risk, so I wouldn't worry about that. However it is notorious for dramatic weight gain.

I take 5 mg of Zyprexa PRN, which in the past month has done the trick of stopping a hypomanic/mixed episode. I only take it once a week so don't notice any side effects except maybe increased appetite.

[Wander]

For me Zyprexa was a very, very effective medication. It slowed my thought, let me sleep, dealt with paranoia and calmed agitation. No side effects for me except one. Unfortunately I gained a lot of weight on it and am now stopping it (taking it once a week to sleep and tapering off) to loose weight. It is well known for this side effect.

[bizi]

geodon is my ap of choice. It is weight neutral.
I have not gained weight due to it,,,have gained weight because I have been eating and drinking fattening beers.
biz
who is awaiting husband to bring me some ice cream!
bizi

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

So I've be n on Zyprexa for a week now and it is help A LOT. Initially the nurse at my Pdocs office said this would be a temporary medication and that they'd be calling me in a couple weeks to get me back in to see my actual Pdoc to discuss another medication for long term use.

Are there downsides to taking Zyprexa long term? (Other than the weight gain, although I'm not hungry all the time like the nurse said could happen)

Is it a medication that can be used in conjunction with another maintenance med?

It hasn't made me feel 100% by any means but it has definitely lessened my paranoia which has been fantastic and helped with my anxiety. I think I want to ask if I can stay on it and try adding something like Lamictal. My mom is a shrink and she really wants me to try Lamictal, she's actually kind of freaked out they out me on Zyprexa for some reason. They use it a lot for schizophrenic patients at her hospital and I think she's scared my doctors might think I also have some schizophrenic tendencies.

[Septembersrain]

Zyprexa made me highly aggressive, dangerously so. It also made my appetite so absurd I never felt full at all. It helped me sleep initially but eventually that side effect wore off and left me with insomnia.

This doesn't mean it'll happen to you but I didn't have good luck with it at all.

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[bizi]

I use geodon as my main stabilizer , but also take lamictal I have taken both meds for years and have some hypo, usually run along the fence...but am safe and have support.
bizi

[Kuras]

Originally Posted by Anxiousvalkyrie

So I've be n on Zyprexa for a week now and it is help A LOT. Initially the nurse at my Pdocs office said this would be a temporary medication and that they'd be calling me in a couple weeks to get me back in to see my actual Pdoc to discuss another medication for long term use.

Are there downsides to taking Zyprexa long term? (Other than the weight gain, although I'm not hungry all the time like the nurse said could happen)

Is it a medication that can be used in conjunction with another maintenance med?

It hasn't made me feel 100% by any means but it has definitely lessened my paranoia which has been fantastic and helped with my anxiety. I think I want to ask if I can stay on it and try adding something like Lamictal. My mom is a shrink and she really wants me to try Lamictal, she's actually kind of freaked out they out me on Zyprexa for some reason. They use it a lot for schizophrenic patients at her hospital and I think she's scared my doctors might think I also have some schizophrenic tendencies.

The potential downsides to Zyprexa are pretty much the same as any other AP (weight gain, blood sugar issues, akathisia and other extrapyramidal systems, etc).

Yes, it can be used in conjunction with other meds like mood stabilizers and such.

Zyprexa has a great track record for what it does, so if a person doesn't experience any major side effects from it, it's definitely a solid medication. Lamictal is a very good med for mood stabilization, given its much slimmer side effect profile than other meds of its class. Your mom needn't jump to that conclusion. Antipsychotics like Zyprexa are standard treatment for BP individuals, not just schizophrenics.

[BipolaRNurse]

I've been on Zyprexa for two and a half years, and I'm very satisfied with it. I have gained some weight on it but it leveled off after a few months.My pnurse wants to get me off it eventually and just use the Geodon as my AP, but under the circumstances of my life right now, it's not an option.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I very much appreciate it.

[21stCenturySM]

Zyprexa made me sleep for 14 hours a day. I gained a little weight, but not much.

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[MrD500]

I gained like 50 pounds in 3 months taking Zyprexa. Wish I was never prescribed that. I have been taking Geodon the last few years with very little weight gain. Good luck!

I took it for about 15 months, for unipolar psychotic depression. I started at 10 mg and over the months that dose was increased to 25 mg. It didn't do anything for the psychosis or the depression, but it totally rebooted my sleep cycle. I went from sleeping 2-4 hours a night to sleeping more than full nights. For that I was very grateful. I went from a BMI of 16.4 to one of 26.3. While at 25 mg my period stopped, it started again when I went back to 20 mg. While tapering off I lost the weight without trying, now I have a BMI of 22.3. When, while tapering off, my dose went to 5 mg a night I started having insomnia again. Now I'm on Clozapine, which also helps me sleep.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

Originally Posted by Breadfish

I took it for about 15 months, for unipolar psychotic depression. I started at 10 mg and over the months that dose was increased to 25 mg. It didn't do anything for the psychosis or the depression, but it totally rebooted my sleep cycle. I went from sleeping 2-4 hours a night to sleeping more than full nights. For that I was very grateful. I went from a BMI of 16.4 to one of 26.3. While at 25 mg my period stopped, it started again when I went back to 20 mg. While tapering off I lost the weight without trying, now I have a BMI of 22.3. When, while tapering off, my dose went to 5 mg a night I started having insomnia again. Now I'm on Clozapine, which also helps me sleep.

It rebooted my sleep cycle too, which has been amazing for me. I was like you...went from sleeping 2-4 hours a night to around 8. I haven't slept this well since I was a teenager.

They started me off on 5mg. I doubt if they will give me this as a primary medication, but perhaps as an add on to something else.

I have noticed my appetite has increased, which I assume is a part of the reason people gain wait on it. But I've been very aware of it and have started a regimented diet to hopefully keep control over my eating habits. So far, so good.

[lacerta]

I liked it a lot as it relieved my symptoms perfectly. Though I gained a lot of weight on it.