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

My dosages varied from 1.25 mg to 15 mg, with weight gain on high dosages. 2.5 mg is the smallest denomination (at some point I cut the pill), so I see a point in your plan, but you can still gain weight and it you plan to stop it, you might as well stop now - stopping Zyprexa does not have to be with titration down. Your psychiatrist made an odd decision in putting you on Zyprexa since you do not have acute manic episodes.

So weight gain is noticeable on high dosages? What would be the minimum starting dosage where weight gain starts to be noticed? Could be 5mg? If for whatever reason psychiatrist will try to prescribe me more of it, I will at least ask to go down to 2.5mg. But I would rather try Viepax or Seroquel. These 2 meds were also last meds in 2012 I was on before I quit them as I started feeling better.

I took it back in 2012 when I started feeling better before I quit medications. That was former psychiatrist. The current psychiatrist prescribed it to me because I think he saw in records that one of my last medications was Zyprexa. Strange logic. Maybe he didn't want to reinvent the wheel?

Exactly. There's no reason to restart the med merry-go-round if there's prior history of what works and what doesn't. Saves a lot of time and trouble.

I was on 15 mgs of zyprexa for sleep. Now I'm on trazadone and 2.5 mgs of zyprexa for sleep. I've been losing weight at this dose. I do get hungry when I take it at night, but I just have a sandwich and an apple and I'm full. I don't eat a lot in the day so it's ok.

I can't seem to get off the 2.5. I get paranoid and have no appetite and can't sleep. I'm ok with being on 2.5.

Recently I was on low dosage (1.25 mg to 2.5 mg) and also a couple of instances of Seroquel PRN and Depakote PRN (all weight gaining drugs) and I have added 4 lbs without eating more. They are pernicious. If you cannot get help otherwise, it is another story, but in your case, I would experiment with weight neutral solutions.

I was at the appointment and when I asked why I am taking Olanzapine/Zyprexa since I do not have mania, pdoc told me that I still have psychosis and that's the reason. I wanted to reduce dosage to 2.5mg but was told that this medication is not sold in 2.5mg tablets. He suggested giving another month and half and when I asked if I could split 5mg tablet in half, he told this is doable but was unsure about efficacy.

The alternative medication he suggested had downside that I had to do blood tests when taking it. I wonder why he suggested only 1 medication when there are more alternatives. I also asked about Lithium but he told me if I start taking it, it will be for the lifetime which made me reconsider. Is it true though? What about Lamictal?

I take zyprexa in 2.5 mg tablets. I'm titrating down so taking 3 at a time then 2 then 1 then none.

1. Weight increase
2. Cholesterol increase
3. Triglycerides increase
4. Fatty liver disease

@Sad Mermaid @HALLIEBETH87 @Moose72

I have measured weight after 1 month of taking Zyprexa and noticed that i went from 164 lbs to 168 lbs. I also have noticed the belly increased in size and slight fat layer around chest. I don't understand how all of this happened if my eating and exercising routine hasn't changed much.

Could it be that Zyprexa somehow affects metabolism or/and functioning of liver which is very important at cleansing and detoxing body? If so, no wonder how stuffing it with Zyprexa makes one gain weight.

Just check what people taking Zyprexa report here. 6 lbs in one week while exercising 45 minutes, 5 times per week with no change in eating? That's crazy!

I will start alternating between 5mg and 2.5mg (split in half) of Zyprexa too now on a daily basis. So you actually started losing weight with 2.5mg with no change in eating and physical routine?

I actually too don't eat a lot in the day but I tend to binge (I experience this for over 6 months now since stress that I had) before going to sleep because I can't fall asleep without eating. You don't have this issue?

I checked alternatives to Zyprexa on this website:
Zyprexa (Olanzapine) Alternatives & Similar Drugs - Iodine.com

Some do not mention weight gain, others do. Feels like they have some random criteria before they mention negatives. Maybe they are all weight-gaining?

Are you aware of those or others that are not as weight gaining as Zyprexa, Seroquel and Depakote?

I take Abilify and have not put on weight though it is early days for me. Some do gain weight but for many I've heard it is weight neutral. It works well for me but seems to take days to have the desired effect. I take it for agitation, irritability and psychosis. Since starting it (again) Sunday the hallucinations have gone (after 3 days) and since being on higher dose the last two days my agitation is calming down slowly. Hoping over the next week I will feel better.

Hi, I don't have direct experience with Zyprexa. My psychiatrist will not prescribe it to ANY of his patients due to severe weight gain side effects. I have heard it helps some people. I personally take Geodon, as it's weight neutral and helps me sleep at night and I wake up refreshed.

Good luck. Med changes are hard, sometimes. xo

I didn't gain on Abilify. I did need Cogentin for akathesia. Took care of it immediately and I took Abilify for a few years.

You just quoted my pdoc lol. He says if it didn't work before - we are going to find something better.

Well, one month and half later and I am at 77.8Kg compared to 74.6Kg when I was on week 2 of taking Zyprexa. I am sure this medication affects the work efficiency of liver and body metabolism because my meal routine and exercise did not change. Does fatty liver sound familiar? It sure does for me since I had it several years ago and thanks to exercising it stabilized.

I still spend 40 minutes on morning exercise and then introduce 2-3 15 minute exercises throughout the day. I do not want another fatty liver and work hard to restore condition to normal. I am going to set appointment and ask pdoc to advice on different medication which does not affects weight gain in a way Zyprexa (Olanzapine) does. In fact I think if I won't change medication I will get depression just because of weight gain.

Darn those meds. They fix one thing and break the other. Now I know majority of those meds cause some weight gain but I wonder which one if these affects the least...

P.S. Did I mention that I feel there's more resistance I fell when it comes to start exercising and running? I think due to Zyprexa's sedative effect it feels harder to perform physical activity. I read something about reduced agitation. Well I need agitation to move throughout the day. I don't want to be "slow"

Yes, you can gain weight on Zyprexa while being diligent about what you eat and how you exercise. it is a pernicious drug. I would try Abilify or Geodon instead.

Pernicious, yes!

I understand those withdrawals. Between my 3 benzodiazepines I was taking between 8-12 mg a day. Down to 4 mg a day but it was a hard adjustment.

I'm really bummed. Zyprexa is the only thing that has truly worked for me but the side effects were so bad I quit. I miss feeling like me again.

Hello everyone. Update here.

I decided that Olanzapine 5mg caused weight gain so I slowly tapered off until I came to 1.7mg dosage which took 6 months for me. That is when doc told me to start taking Abilify 2.5mg

The good thing about Olanzapine despite such low dosage was that it caused me to fall asleep so easy. On the bad side, it made me oversleeping, caused lack of motivation and it was very hard to do short physical exercise. I told doc that I wake up depressed with negative thoughts and sometimes suicidal and he told me to start taking half tablet of Abilify 5mg so I split and take 2.5mg

From positives I can say that my mood improved and I don't get negative thoughts and depressed state. From negatives I can say that problems with sleeping are starting to bother me. I am lying with closed eyes and feel that cannot turn-off. I can tell that I am unable to enter deep REM sleep state but I remember I had a dream today so maybe I was able to sleep for a few hours.

Sometimes I think I get hot flashes too (suddenly feeling warm). I wonder if that's considered "fiver" that is mentioned in side-effects... Another problem is a bit lessened appetite. It has a good part to it too because I am a little overweight. Also I can say that I have diet changes. I used to love dairy but suddenly I don't. Also, I became more alert to sudden sounds be it fridge working noisy, someone shouts on the outside or phone ringing and such... Sounds like alert that causes anxiety?

Problems with sleep is one problem that bothers me most. Is it just temporary period while body is adapting to Abilify? Should take sleeping pill or I should not without doc's consultation? Maybe you know of a natural remedy that would help me fall asleep?

Thanks.

Just a note-You are not literally taking in additional calories.

People can tell their personal stories, but the reality is most of us are not prescribers, nor are we experts on medications. We have our experience and knowledge from looking things up, etc.

I do not prescribe. What I know working professionally with prescribers is there are guidelines, protocols to help guide the decision making process for prescribing medication. There is what we know about the chemical make up of the drugs and how they effect the body. But every body is different and metabolizes medications differently based on individual's genetics. There are side effects to consider. All medications have side effects. It is risk vrs benefit/what is the typically given in this presentation/what are the prescriber's preferences (based on their knowledge and experience working with other clients) and what other health factors does the client have that you have to consider when prescribing. Lot's of stuff to consider. And again, every body metabolizes different and people respond differently.

That being said. Keep communicating with your provider. Observances, questions, concerns. Do your research. Keep asking questions. Be open to what the proveder's thoughts are. I hope you find something that works and that you feel good about.

My half-brother was bipolar and took Lithium and Zyprexa. He did gain a considerable amount of weight but it was the only thing that kept him from going manic. Sometimes we have to sacrifice and I know how hard that is. I refused to take Remeron (an anti-depressant) because I gained 8 lbs in a month. It made me feel better, but it just wasn't right. Abilify really changed the game for me and for the first time I felt like life was worth living.

Everyone reacts differently to medicine. Horror stories aside -- my advice go with what makes you comfortable. Consider your options wisely, and go into informed. Sometimes it's worth giving it a try, other times it may be a good thing to shy away..

Best of luck!