Hi folks,
Is anyone else here on Zyprexa/Olanzapine? I am on 20mg each evening.
I am not sure if it is helping as my delusions/voices seem to be creeping back. I have been on Olanzapine for 2 years.
I am also eating rather a lot and have put on weight,
Has anyone switched from Olanzapine to another drug? What were your experiences of changing?
I am considering asking my psychiatrist if it is worth changing.
Zaka
I used to be on zyprexa 20mg by itself, however, that proved to be ineffective so my pdoc added 200mg of seroquel to help with the hallucinations. Im assuming she’s going to taper me off of zyprexa. Also zyprexa made me gain 25 pounds so that was a big no for me.
Zyprexa was the first med that really worked for me, without the severe side effects that I had with previous prescriptions. I was on it after a few years I decided to stop taking meds, thinking maybe my psychosis was related to my substance abuse problems. After two years and the worst psychosis I ever went through, I realized that I had to take meds again and never stop, in order to insure I never went through a severe psychosis again. I have tried many meds and even did studies for meds that were later approved. Of the recent choices, I think Geodon and Fanapt stand out. The best med I ever took was Invega, but it was a monthly shot. I can’t do shots and remain eligible for future studies, so I just stuck with Fanapt. But I started a new study last November and I am now on the study drug. I have no idea what it’s called, although I suppose I could call and find out. I do know this, IMO meds are getting better and better all the time. But realistically, everyone responds a little differently to different meds, so maybe this is just subjective at best. I would just talk to your psychiatrist about your concerns and find out your options. Hope this helps @Zaka.
I’m on Zyprexa 5mg and Haldol 2.5 mg - the weight gain is minimal.
Zyprexa is the only AP I could tolerate after going through a half dozen of them. At 15 mg I was sleeping 16 hours a day so I decreased it over the years down to 5mg. I’m doing great but I don’t think I ever had schizophrenia. I had a massive kundalini activation which drove me incredibly nuts for about 5-6 years.
I find Zyprexa works great for anxiety, sleep and delusions.
Olanzapine is a good ap. I’ve been on 20mg for about 10 years now. Yes, it causes weight gain but I see no reason to switch, a why fix it if it isn’t broke mentality. But if you are still having positive symptoms, do consult your pdoc.
I’ve heard of that before, but how long does kundalini last? I have a friend that’s going through that.
I was on it for about a year then had to wean off of it because it would make me sedated and made me gain 50 pounds. After weaning off I switched to abilify which works a lot better for me. Olanzapine did well to suppress my delusions but made me lazy and I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. Ask your doctor about it.
I was taking Zyprexa up till 2011. I put on a lot of weight. I weighed 330-340lbs. Then I was diagnosed with diabetes and switched to Risperdal. At first I lost weight. I was down to 220, but now weigh 280. My blood sugar is now in the pre-diabetes range. Right now I’m eating everything I’m not supposed to - regular soda, cookies, cake, ect. and my blood sugar stays near normal. I still think it was the Zyprexa.
The activation period is weeks to months.The recovery period is typically a few years though it can go upwards of 10 years in extreme cases.
I was formerly on Zyprexa but it made me so ill I had to go off of it, it wreaked havoc with my blood sugar and gave me metabolic syndrome as well as caused about 60 lbs weight gain. I can never take it again, I would throw up. The good news is that I am now on Clozapine which actually works for me (I was a non-responder to the other drugs) and it has much fewer side effects. I would recommend trying clozapine if you are looking for another drug, it is chemically similar to Zyprexa but tends to work better with fewer side effects.
I’m on 15 mg of it. I’m used to it now literally no side effects except I might be a bit tired sometimes.
I’ve broken it up 10 mg at night and 5 mg in the morning it is a good way for me
I took Olanzapine for two years on 20mg and I put on 30 kilos and it sedated me too much. I then switched to Latuda that lasted another two years until I got akathisia and had to switch. I then spent 6 months on Haldol which I am now being tapered off onto Abilify.
I hate changing meds it really does suck. I hope my involuntary movements from Haldol stop on Abilify.
My advice is if you’re not happy just speak to your doctor. I know for me that I was really angry with the doctors for putting me on Olanzapine given how they left me on it for so long and I put on so much weight.