Are any psyche meds bad for diabetics?

Medications
1

I want to get my mother on the right medicine. She discharged from the hospital today. And instead of her lithium they replaced that with Zyprexa. I know from first hand, zyprexa is a weight gain knock you out medicine. She is SZA and I thought she needed a specific mood stabilizer, like lamictal, not another AP. Any Advice? thanks

2

i’ve heard that abilify is one of the best medications in terms of weight gain and impact on blood sugar levels. If your mother is already diabetic she’ll have to be careful - I think most of the antipsychotics have a negative impact on weight and blood sugar levels (i.e. they tend to raise both, I believe).

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3

I’ve developed diabetes while taking zyprexa. There’s no history of it in my family.

4

Olanzapine or Zyprexa has strong mood stabilizing properties, this is why it was probably prescribed to her. I was on both lithium and Zyprexa at some point in my life - not together. Zyprexa is well known to give people instant diabetes. Your Mom really has to watch her diet and exercise if this is possible, if she’s going to be on Zyprexa.

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5

For me the transition into diabetes was gradual. She should have her blood sugar checked often to see if it begins to climb.

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6

Do not be discouraged because she is taking an antipsychotic for her mood symptoms. Zyprexa has a proven track record for stabilizing mood shifts. Seroquel, Abilify, Zyprexa, and now Latuda all have good antidepressant/mood stabilizing properties. Just make sure she gets tested for blood glucose and lipid measurements regularly.
With the right precautions in place, your Mom could avoid any diabetic issues.

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7

Hi wave thanks for being informative. I thought mood stabilizers were a separate entity from that of an AP.

8

Hi lester, technically Zyprexa is an antipsychotic. But it is an AP with strong mood stabilizing properties. It may or may not work for your Mom - she may need to go on an actual mood stabilizer. The 4 major mood stabilizers are Lithium, Depakote, Tegretol, and Lamictal. I have been on 3 out of the 4 at different times of my life. Lamictal and Lithium both have stronger antidepressant properties, Depakote is usually a good med for mania and mixed episodes. Tegretol is good for rapid cycling and mania. It’s just a matter of trial and error.

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