Zyprexa?

This is the only medication I've ever taken (out of many) that made me feel like my old self. I was horrified by the weight gain and my doctor told me to throw it away. I'm thinking of asking my doctor Thursday to prescribe it again. Can anyone who is or was taking zyprexa give me your thoughts good or bad? Did anybody get around the weight gain? Thank you.

Hi Jennifer,

I'm on Zyprexa and also experience weight gain issues. The only advice I can offer is to carefully monitor your food intake. Try and avoid sugars etc...

It has only been about a month since I started on Zyprexa but I haven't experienced weight gain. It has been really helpful for my psychosis and I hope I can stay on it.

I've been on zyprexa for maybe 4 years now. I gained a lot of weight, yes, but more than that, I got fatty liver disease. So much so, that I was very close to cirrhosis of the liver. I've been dieting and exercising for the last month and am glad to report that, along with weaning down off zyprexa (almost off not quite yet) my levels are back to normal.

Okay that's just downright scary. Thanks for letting me know.

Yes it is. And its not fair. I don't drink! Reminds me: Time to go to the gym tomorrow! I see pdoc in a week. I'll ask her if I can wean down again then to 5 mg. I'm so tired of zyprexa.

Zyprexa made me gain massive weight like over 20 lbs in around 2 months I'd advise that you lower your calories straight away to try and limit the weight gain I believe some people refer to it as metabolic death. I'll never use any AP ever again I was also sleeping 12 hours a day and felt tired and groggy when I was awake. But I suppose if it helps then that's good as long as you're ok with gain some chubb, which I wasn't.

It sucks, because while it worked great on my mood (and also my anxiety), it prolonged my QT rhythm, caused weight gain, and spiked my blood sugar and cholesterol.

low dose zyprexa gave me akathisia, so I"m on high dose Abilify. Having said that, some people take metformin, a drug for diabetes, with zyprexa and that seems to help prevent weight gain and metabolic complications ((for some people)).

I'm on very low dose Zyprexa, been on and off for 15 years. So far it's been one of the more useful meds I've taken, but I gained a lot of weight and it made my already bad cholesterol/triglycerides a lot worse. I also got gynecomastia - one boob started growing (I'm a guy) which limits how long I can take it and how much I can take.

If I end up truly needing to be on an antipsychotic for a long time, it's going to suck trying to figure one out. Seroquel seemed to do nothing. Geodon made me surly and had a weird creepy feel to it. Abilify was the worst medication experience I've ever had in my life, and I've had some bad ones (slugged my landlord in a depakote-induced delirium once, and yes, Abilify was worse). Maybe something like Latuda is better, but I am SO sick of the med changes and resulting weeks or months of instability.

I love Zyprexa. It is truly the glue that holds me together. I did gain weight on it when I first started taking it, but have since lost 85 lbs. I think portion control is the key to keeping weight off...I eat whatever I want, I just eat only a little of it.

Vitamin Z does increase appetite in the early going, so be aware that this side effect may make it difficult to manage portions. Stick with lean protein foods and vegetables if you can, and definitely stay away from soda. Even diet soda contributes to metabolic syndrome and belly fat. Have your doctor monitor your cholesterol and blood glucose (A1C) levels on a regular basis.

Zyprexa doesn't work for everyone. I also don't know how long a person can stay on it...I've been on it full-time for over three years, and for much of the time since my diagnosis five years ago. I have bipolar 1 and had a great deal of difficulty bringing my illness under control. But it is now, and has been for quite some time (except for a couple of minor depressed and manic episodes). I credit Z because I was on several psych meds and still wasn't getting a handle on things, and now I'm in good shape, relatively speaking of course.

I gained a lot of weight on Zyprexa, but I went from not eating at all to snacking a bit too much while not exercising at all. I went from a BMI of 16,5 to one of 26,7.

While tapering off I lost the weight without trying (even though I started on Clozapine while tapering off the zyprexa, which is supposed to be an even more notorious weight gainer than zyprexa) and now I have a healthy BMI (21,5).

My pdoc just lowered my Zyprexa because of weight gain and tiredness. I don't keep a scale in the house I just know it because my pants are getting tighter.

I can't get my Pdoc to wean me off zyprexa. I might just do it myself.

Love me some vitamin Z. It's really amazing how our bodies are so different. Zyprexa is supposed to be sedating but it gives me energy. Zyprexa is supposed to cause weight gain yet I have only put on 5lbs in 3.5 months. Zyprexa is supposed to raise your triglycerides yet mine is perfect. We are all so different

I've experienced some improvements on Zyprexa with mood and psychosis. I gained somewhere between 5-10 pounds, but I've been restricting calories so I can get back to my start weight.