[Neptune83]

Hi,
Saw a psychiatrist today who has suggested continuing with Diazepam but to also take Olanzapine at 2.5mg once a day. I explained that I refused Seroquel in the past because of the potential serious side effects, which I know are probably rare but it makes no difference to me. He didn't explain what this drug was and was a bit blasé about the whole thing. Obviously I did my own research and found that the more serious possible side effects are the same as Seroquel. I'm not happy at all. I need help because I think I'm losing the plot, but I don't want to take something like that. But then I know no one who's used it who can tell me any good or bad experiences, hence this post, if any of you have experience with this and wouldn't mind sharing? Thank you

[Pierro]

Hello Neptune, I'm sorry to hear that you are in a dilemma. Olanzapine is a mood stabalizer, it stops you from going too low or too high. I know because i'm on it. Im on 2.5 in the morning and 5 mg at night. As with all meds they all have their side effects. I would rather not be on any meds but what can you do. Personally I' m great on it but thats only my opinion. I think i would not be here without the meds. I think you should try the meds first and see how you go from there.The pdoc doesnt give out meds unless you needed them. You dont sound like you are in a good place right now, so I think you should listen to the p doc. I'm not judging you Neptune, we are all her because we have similar hesitations as you. I'm sorry i couldnt be more help. Take care of yourself.

[Pierro]

Sorry Neptune, I meant to say you are NOT in a good place right now. My brain is going into mush.

[-jimi-]

Olanzapine is statistically even worse that Seroquel.

Olanapine, according to my old doc, is ONLY on the market because its good effects. He says if it did not have those massive positive effects, it would be banned yesterday! A less powerful med would not be allowed with those very serious side effects.

Seroquel is known to cause diabetes, but Olanzapine does it far more often. I know people who have got it from both, and not only obese but skinny, healthy people. Olanzapine, according to the doc, has a median weight gain of 70 pounds but higher is not unknown. I have actually only met three people who didn't gain on this med and one of them was purging.

Both these meds mess with how your body handles sugars, they basically stress out your insulin system. It means going on any of these, all pure sugars are banned. That means, no cookies, candy, added sugar to tea/coffee, fruit juices, soft drinks, alcohol... All carbs eaten have to be complex carbs with fiber. The problem with these meds is what your body now processes as a poison, is what you will crave. Olanzapine cravings can be insane for some.

So according to my doc, taking any of those two you need to have had failure with other meds before, you need to go on this sugar free diet and you have to somehow fend off the cravings. Also, taking Olanzapine the wafer type and let the mouth absorb it instead of swallow most of it or take the med with Omeprazol can prevent some of the metabolic dysfunction.

If my doc knows all this, yours should too. But some are just not up to date with all meds. Mine was a dang genius when it came to meds and he was actually interested in real facts about them (a nerd LOL).

[Neptune83]

Thanks to you both.
It seems every psychiatrist/mh nurse/GP I've seen regarding mental health are reluctant to discuss the reality of these miracle drugs. That's certainly how they pass them off, take these and your problems will be solved. They can't even agree on my diagnosis, one will say I have bipolar, another will disagree. I've never met this guy before today and he was talking at me like he knew everything about me, making these assumptions and not hearing what I was trying to explain. I'm skeptical about meds, more so now that I have four kids to care for because I need to be alert rather than whacked out and not with it. My youngest is two weeks old tomorrow so I need to be wide awake for her, I need to be on the ball for my active 11 month old. The other two are school age but obviously they can't be left to fend for themselves and I can't expect my husband to do everything and none of these professionals seem to understand this. Nor do they understand quite how paranoid I am about taking meds. Brushing over things and making it all rose tinted doesn't wash with me especially since having taken antidepressants before that have had less than desirable effects. I'm not keen on this prescription at all. I feel a little stuck, I know I need help but I'm not convinced with what they're offering me.

[nicole84]

I've been on Seroquel which gave me enough side effects, then the doctor gave me a trial pack of Olanzapine and I still haven't touched it. I've known people on it to gain ridiculous amounts of weight even in a short time and get diabetes.

I hate how blazae docs can be about meds I'm surprised they went straight from diazepam to that though.. A benzo straight to an anti psychotic.

[Vossie42]

Yeah, doctors and nurses don't always care about your quality of life, like having energy and mental clarity. So long as you're still alive, they've done their job. You're told to simply put up with the side effects. They don't understand how the side effects can lead to even more depression and anxiety. And it's hard to respond to the side effects any other way. They act like it's too much for you to demand to be more than just breathing. Grrrr!!! Done with my rant - for now, lol.

[Neptune83]

Nicole, they've done this before with me. I've just always refused them because 1. I can't afford to be half asleep with four kids and 2. If sudden death, heart failure, diabetes etc are possible side effects how is that a 'better quality of life'?! If I could afford to go down the acupuncture route then I'd do that but I simply don't have the money to do that right now. I have a high opinion of alternative therapies, having had a couple of shiatsu sessions before and have all my anxiety melt away was amazing and I have no doubt that if I could afford weekly sessions I could manage without meds.
Sleep plays a massive part in mental health in my opinion and I'm not a good sleeper, even less now I have both a two week old and eleven month old to care for. They don't seem to get that I HAVE to wake up for my baby's feeds, it's not something I can just wave for the time it takes to adjust to meds, if you ever adjust to them.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Neptune83

Hi,
Saw a psychiatrist today who has suggested

Olanzapine

a bit blasé about the whole thing.

If you can change a psychiatrist, you should, because being a bit blasé about
Olanzapine is reprehensible.

Read Jimi's post for details.

In the clinic I currently go to (a large government-funded clinic with high caliber staff), psychiatrists do not even CONSIDER
Olanzapine - it is basically as good as banned for them.

The weight gain on
Olanzapine is the worst - I had it (back when I was at a different clinic), and then you cannot shed the weight.

What country are you in? If you are in Europe, your choice of AP's (
Olanzapine is not a MS but an AP with a MS effect) is much wider than for people in the US, and trying
Olanzapine without exhausting other alternatives is criminal, to put it bluntly.

[Neptune83]

Yeah I'm in the UK. He said that they were the lesser of two evils for weight gain and pretty much all side effects really. So I guess that's not true! This is what I can't stand, them making it out to be this wonderful drug when I can ask on forums and research it myself too. I don't like going into anything blindly.

Originally Posted by jimi...

Olanzapine is statistically even worse that Seroquel.

Olanapine, according to my old doc, is ONLY on the market because its good effects. He says if it did not have those massive positive effects, it would be banned yesterday! A less powerful med would not be allowed with those very serious side effects.

Seroquel is known to cause diabetes, but Olanzapine does it far more often. I know people who have got it from both, and not only obese but skinny, healthy people. Olanzapine, according to the doc, has a median weight gain of 70 pounds but higher is not unknown. I have actually only met three people who didn't gain on this med and one of them was purging.

Both these meds mess with how your body handles sugars, they basically stress out your insulin system. It means going on any of these, all pure sugars are banned. That means, no cookies, candy, added sugar to tea/coffee, fruit juices, soft drinks, alcohol... All carbs eaten have to be complex carbs with fiber. The problem with these meds is what your body now processes as a poison, is what you will crave. Olanzapine cravings can be insane for some.

So according to my doc, taking any of those two you need to have had failure with other meds before, you need to go on this sugar free diet and you have to somehow fend off the cravings. Also, taking Olanzapine the wafer type and let the mouth absorb it instead of swallow most of it or take the med with Omeprazol can prevent some of the metabolic dysfunction.

If my doc knows all this, yours should too. But some are just not up to date with all meds. Mine was a dang genius when it came to meds and he was actually interested in real facts about them (a nerd LOL).

I eat lots of sugar and simple carbs, because I'm very depressed and that's all I ever feel like eating, or because I'm manic and don't actually want to eat anyway. When I take Olanzapine I start craving real food instead. Oily, meaty and fibre rich food. I eat much healthier when I'm on Olanzapine.

hamster: It's a very stabilizing drug - I didn't have any manic episodes in the six months I was on these pills (not explained by the diet change).

[SingDanceRunLife]

I've taken both Zyprexa (Olanzapine) and Seroquel. Seroquel was much better when it came to side effects! Zyprexa made me gain 30lbs in 2 months...even after I switched to Zydis which did slow the weight gain, but didn't stop it.

On Seroquel, in 9 months, my weight went up and down, but no more than 5lbs, and I think that was 100% due to lifestyle and not from the Seroquel.

They both made me nauseous at first, but that went away with both of them.

So to me, Seroquel is definitely the lesser of two evils. I won't ever go on Zyprexa again unless it's an emergency situation. Because well, to be honest, it's the most effective med I've ever been on...but I'm not down with the weight gain.