Can i lose weight while taking zyprexa?

Amir k · Aug 21, 2017, 03:48 PM

Because right now i have tons of motivation to do so, and i'm able to resist the hunger
So if i'm running everyday + eating healthy, will i lose weight?
I know it also mess your metabolism up, but is it THAT serious? Or the slowing of metabolism is maybe less of a problem? I need to know
Thanks

kecanoe · Aug 21, 2017, 06:17 PM

From what I know about APs, yes, it is possible to lose weight. It is harder than when off the meds, but I have known people who were successful.

Good luck!

Amir k · Aug 21, 2017, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kecanoe

From what I know about APs, yes, it is possible to lose weight. It is harder than when off the meds, but I have known people who were successful.

Good luck!

Thanks alot man, i appreciate it

BeyondtheRainbow · Aug 21, 2017, 08:12 PM

There is a diabetes med called metformin that helps me with clozaril weight gain. It helps normalize metabolism. People also use it with zyprexa.

still_crazy · Aug 22, 2017, 08:48 AM

i think metformin is a good idea, also. zyprexa is a bit more effective than most other 'atypical' tranquilizers, in large studies, but the metabolic effects are definitely a big, big problem.

i did see some small abstracts from very small studies that seemed to suggest that some high dose, high potency antioxidants--I think one study used a lot of alpha lipoic acid, another used high dose green tea extract--could help prevent some metabolic problems, when taken alongside ongoing zyprexa treatment.

it also seems that a lot of doctors end up switching people who develop metabolic problems to other drugs, such as abilify or geodon, now and then a low to moderate dose of an older tranquilizer, such as perphenazine.

Amir k · Aug 22, 2017, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

There is a diabetes med called metformin that helps me with clozaril weight gain. It helps normalize metabolism. People also use it with zyprexa.

Thank you. I heard about it, gonna ask my doc about it tomorrow

Amir k · Aug 22, 2017, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by still_crazy

i think metformin is a good idea, also. zyprexa is a bit more effective than most other 'atypical' tranquilizers, in large studies, but the metabolic effects are definitely a big, big problem.

i did see some small abstracts from very small studies that seemed to suggest that some high dose, high potency antioxidants--I think one study used a lot of alpha lipoic acid, another used high dose green tea extract--could help prevent some metabolic problems, when taken alongside ongoing zyprexa treatment.

it also seems that a lot of doctors end up switching people who develop metabolic problems to other drugs, such as abilify or geodon, now and then a low to moderate dose of an older tranquilizer, such as perphenazine.

Thanks, i'll look that up.

how can i know if my metabolism is becoming slow btw? Is it a side effect that happens to every person who takes zyprexa? And does it depend on the dosage i'm taking?

still_crazy · Aug 22, 2017, 04:02 PM

if you're going to continue on zyprexa treatment for a while, id personally see about having a family doctor or general practitioner see you regularly, in addition to your psychiatrist. a psychiatrist told me once that she's seen zyprexa cause diabetes even w/o significant weight gain, so I think/assume one would need regular blood work (cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.) on top of watching any weight changes.

there's also the tardive dyskinesia risk to consider. the risk is lower with zyprexa than with, say, haldol, but the risk is definitely --not-- 0. I don't know how things are where you live, but here where I am, general practitioners are a lot better about checking for TD and doing something about it than the shrinks are.

Guiness187055 · Aug 22, 2017, 08:54 PM

Zyprexa was blood sugar and weight neutral for me at lower dosages. Now I am at 20mg which is the highest dosage my blood sugar is out of control and I am gaining about 2lbs a week.

ofthevalley · Aug 23, 2017, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

Zyprexa was blood sugar and weight neutral for me at lower dosages. Now I am at 20mg which is the highest dosage my blood sugar is out of control and I am gaining about 2lbs a week.

Yup. Once I started at 20 I started putting on weight out of control. Thank god we were able to find something different that works as well as zyprexa

-jimi- · Aug 27, 2017, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amir k

Because right now i have tons of motivation to do so, and i'm able to resist the hunger
So if i'm running everyday + eating healthy, will i lose weight?
I know it also mess your metabolism up, but is it THAT serious? Or the slowing of metabolism is maybe less of a problem?

It is that bad. It is not just about hunger. It is about carbs not being processed correctly, so basically the carbs you eat will be stored as fat. Taking the mouth soluble version instead of pill form can make this effect less, so can combining it with strong antacids (like Prilosec). If your doc is OK with it you can eat a diet low in carb (meat, fish, egg, lighter veg, no potato, pasta or bread), that might help too since this medication mostly mess up carbs.

Amir k · Aug 31, 2017, 07:38 PM

Thanks everyone

still_crazy, I'm gonna have the results for the blood tests on sunday and i'm keeping track of my weight
I went to my doc and asked her some things but forgot to ask about the TD, i'll talk to her about it soon

And Jimi, thanks for saying this because i'm already taking the mouth soluble version, didn't know it's better.
I'll try to eat as little carbs as i can, i really thank you for saying this because i usually eat tons of carbs, i'll check with my doc about the Prilosec

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