To Get Back on Olanzapine (Zyprexa) and Start Small or Refuse?

Hello there.

I have been off meds since 2013. I took Olanzapine (Zyprexa) and Viepax XR and after becoming physically active I felt hypomaniac. Had better mood, was more confident, felt like improved person and I lost a good deal of weight too.

I was told I have Bipolar but didn't know what type. Last summer in 2016 depression returned, I had frequent suicidal thoughts, doubt and stress. This is now not as much but last 3 months I did not want to start morning, lost interest, felt purposeless and have anxiety and panic attacks.

I visited new psychiatrist who based on my last meds taken that I mentioned above, prescribed Zyprexa to take one month and visit him. After scrutinizing leaflet I noticed that Bipolar Type 1 mentioned. There is no Bipolar 2 which I believe is the type I have because I do not recall manic episodes. I recall hypomania and depression. Could it be I was diagnosed with wrong type? The strange thing is that even with Zyprexa (which I think is meant to block much of dopamine secretion to prevent hypomania) back in 2013 when quitting I still felt great.

When I felt hypomaniac I wished I it would feel that way forever since I was a changed person. Someone I held in my ideal image and still do as I am into a self development. I had a lot of optimism, mental clarity, I would not feel unconfident, would not avoid and fear people and have panic attacks. I was that opposite version in my ideal image of myself.

What I fear is the type of Bipolar that I was diagnosed with as am unsure about and that going back to Zyprexa will make things worse. I am more or less today but do not have deep depression as frequently. I still have anxiety and panic attacks.

What's the worst that can happen with me going to Zyprexa 5mg per day? Thank you.

I gained a ton of weight because of zyprexa and now I have liver disease.

Oh and my cholesterol was up to 700!

I've been very fortunate with Zyprexa. It works, it hasn't caused cholesterol problems, and I've somehow been able to drop almost 70 lbs. while taking it. (That's since my husband died in July of last year and my appetite went away.) That being said, those issues would be deal-breakers for me if I had them. I'd have to find another AP that doesn't cause those things.

It is worth a try. Zyprexa is good for agitation and anxiety in some cases. I never found it to increase my depression, or cholesterol, but I did gain weight. Maybe you could try it for a week and see if it helps significantly, if not you can discontinue it. Sorry you are struggling. Hope you feel better soon.

Are you solely attributing Zyprexa to causing liver disease and cholesterol levels? Added weight and increased blood sugar are the two bad things I heard about it.

Sad to hear this. How long have you been with lost appetite? Maybe that's the reason you dropped 70lbs? If you restrained from eating a long time then your body must have cleansed itself and stabilized metabolism. Have you exercised a little?

How much weight did you gain? How often you took Zyprexa? What was the dosage? Do you have physical activity in life?

How much weight did you gain? How often you took Zyprexa? What was the dosage? Do you have physical activity in life?[/QUOTE]

I gained around 33 pounds, was taking up to 30mg a day when very unwell and down to 5mg when stable and took it almost every day for over a year and had other periods of taking it for shorter spans of time like a few weeks before that. The weight gain occurred when I was on mostly high doses for extended periods of time and I was doing little exercise.

Once I came off it I started an exercise regime, at least 40 mins a day 3 days a week and cut out all sweets, chips (crisps) and other foods and drinks high in sugar and bad fats like the oils in cooked chips. I think some weight came off simply by stopping Zyprexa and the rest through diet and exercise. When I was on it I suffered badly from Chronic Fatigue (not because of it though, I had CFS before Zyprexa) so it was difficult to exercise. My CFS is much better now and I can exercise by swimming or walking fast 3 days a week.

Zyprexa works well for me... even when nothing else works. It's my psychiatrists go to drug when I'm manic. 5 mg is a very low dose. I would say try it and see how you tolerate it.

Have you read this article about Zyprexa? Just 1 tablet of 10mg is said to be equivalent to 1500 calories. Just to think that only 1 tablet could defeat the purpose for those who put in efforts to exercise to maintain their shape.

In article I linked to above it is mentioned that 10mg of Zyprexa is equivalent to ingesting 1500 extra calories per day. That's half of daily norm for men and 3/4 of daily norm for women. 5mg would be half of that I guess but those are "empty calories" that I would rather get from "comforting food" or "feel guilty" food.

Yet another reason I'm glad I'm going off this evil drug.

I'm not sure how a pill could be the equivalent of 1500 calories. That doesn't make sense to me and that article didn't link to any information explaining that claim.

However, zyprexa is definitely a notorious weight gainer. Honestly if you're not suffering from manic symptoms I wouldn't want to be on any antipsychotic. Maybe try a mood stabilizer like lamictal, which helps with depression. But that's just me. Zyprexa is pretty much the only atypical AP that I have not tried so I honestly can't comment on its effectiveness vs. side effects.

If you scroll down to references, you will see this:

"2. Dr. William Wirshing is quoted in “Bitter Pill,” by Ben Wallace-Wells, in Rolling Stone’s article on Zyprexa, February 5, 2009."

I noticed that among known side-effects Zyprexa leaflet mentions rapid heartbeat and dizziness that may be cause by sudden change of lying position to standing up. I remember this part exactly from leaflet of Respond (Risperidal?) medication I took several years ago. I didn't like those side-effects that I experienced so I stopped taking it.

With Zyprexa I am currently noticing some slowdown in my thinking and response time. Also some fatique too but on the plus side I sleep better. That should be good for REM (deep sleep).

Have you tried lithium? I heard others said it is a good mood stabilizer.

I think what author tried to say is that 10mg of Zyprexa is like consuming another 1,500 calories per day of food. Maybe it's because you just tend to eat more when on that medication. That would make sense.

Does anyone here use Alprazolam aka Alprolid? When I asked if there is a medication for relieving anxiety and tension I was prescribed 0.5mg of this medication as a relief when it happens.

If someone used this medication how did you feel when you had anxiety and/or tension? How long it took to feel better from episode? Thanks!

Zyprexa caused me to gain 35 lbs. I haven't had a blood drawl lately to see if it's upsetting my blood sugar levels and cholesterol but I think it is. It has shown to occur in past lab results. I'm not on zyprexa right now but it does bring me down from psychotic manic episodes. I'm still trying to figure out what med cocktail works best for me.

Funny you say that because... it's true! You get medication for X but get Y as a side effect, so you get medication for Y but it has Z side effect and so on, leading to ultimate cocktail recipe. Actually ultimate recipe would be entire alphabet but that would kill. Dang it! Sometimes one would think if there is pharma-conspiracy.

I used to take Alprazolam (Xanax) in doses up to 2mg at a time. It works fast for anxiety and really calms you down but has a short life so the anxiety can return after 4 or so hours. It is very addictive too so be careful. I would suggest only using it I'm emergencies. Right now I am addicted to Clonazepam (another benzodiazepine like Alprazolam). I have been taking doses raging from 0.5mg to 8mg a day for seven years depending on the severity of my symptoms. Right now I am down to 1mg a day and trying to taper off. It is hell as the withdrawals can cause severe anxiety, sleeplessness, agitation, irritability and even dissociation. I am going slow to avoid as much of that as possible.

Xanax? I used to take it every evening and I slept like a baby... I am starting to hate this variety of names they are sold under. One can get lost in this sea of medications.

When you mention that it calm one down, does it affect response times and reflexes? In other words does it make one like a zombie? Thanks for informing about addiction too. From addiction perspective does it mean that your body wants it or that your body experiences side-effects that you mentioned if you stop taking it or as you minimize your dosage?

Have you heard about Effexor / Effexor XR / Lanvexin / Viepax / Trevilor? How addicting they are? I heard they don't have as much side-effects as others. I remember taking Viepax. I also took Recital and heard it's for giving me good mood...

Thanks

i started on olanzapine when I was 18 and put on a couple of stones. I am now on quetiapine which isn't as sedating and has been better for my mood. Someone on here said olanzapine is bad for the kidneys?? But a small dose just to sleep wouldn't be as bad

Zyprexa gave me fatty liver. Evil drug.

It helped my mood but I gained 15 pounds in three months and my cholesterol sky rocketed. My
Primary physician demanded I stop it.

- weight gain
- increase in cholesterol.

I went off.

I have it as a PRN drug.

I recommend interpersonal relationships and social rhythms therapy to you and to obtain a correct diagnosis before trying Zyprexa, since you do not report mania and it seems that your psychiatrist is trying to use a guillotine to cure a headache.

I had to stop my descent on the zyprexa reduction today. Sigh. Its only temporary, its only temporary. I don't know how temporary. My triglycerides are HUGE and I have fatty liver disease. Zyprexa su*cks.

How is REXULTI for you?

What was your dosage and daily frequency?

What was your dosage and how often? Maybe I should go down to 2.5mg from 5mg for one month and then stop taking it?