ZYPREXA Reviews (OLANZAPINE)Average Rating: 2.5 (585 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ZYPREXA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 |
More on ZYPREXA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZYPREXA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | Stepdaughter-Bipolar???? | Stepdaughter takes it....increased appetite and thirst. Extreme sedation...takes at bed but it carries through to the next day, she's zombie like and keeping her awake is not possible. She usually "wakes up" around 5-7 pm, then takes her dosage and goes to bed at 7:30 to 8:00. It's sad. | My stepdaughter (teenager) was prescribed this by her Mother's psychiatrist for bi-polar...with no medical history. My stepdaughter has gained approx 50 lbs in the last yr and is not the same child she used to be......very zombie-like when awake -which she usually isn't. Her days are spent eating and sleeping....she used to not be like this. Of course her bio Mom doesn't notice because she does the same. We are getting court-order for change of custody to her Dad (my husband) with extreme limited visitation with the Mother and will immediately wean her off with a physician's guidance. This drug has poisoned her. | F | 17 | 1 years | 12/15/2006 | 1 | Depression | After losing my youngest son, I was put on Zyprexa for almost four years. I tried weaning off of it in September of 2005. The nausea was horrible. When I got back on the medicine, all the nausea and diarrhea stopped. Again, last March of 2006, I weaned off of it again. It took me seven months to get the drug out of my system. Heaven only knows how I tolerated those seven months of sickness. Now, it seems as though my tastebuds have completely changed and I just don't enjoy a variety of foods. I had also gained almost 40 pounds and have lost at least 30 of that. I would NOT NOT NOT recommend this drug to anyone. | F | 51 | 3 years | 12/14/2006 | 3 | depression, borderline PD | To be on a medication so long it was hard to tell what was me and what was the medication when I went off it I realized the sleepiness and laziness were side effects. Also I had weight gain, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high glucose. Heat intolerance which made me sick when I ran 5K races on warm days. Withdrawal: increased anxiety, muscle tension, heightened sensitivity to stimuli, aggitation. These mimiced the symptoms I went on the medication for. But the withdrawal was complete in two weeks. Now I am very glad I am off of it. | Zyprexa is a mixed blessing. When my life was unstable and my depression was more severe it was a life saver. It gave me boundaries. When others were upset I didnot have to be upset with them. So I was much less sensitive to perceived rejection. I am fortunate I now have a stable job and my kids have grown up well. So I don't need it to function. When I went off it I did so because of the metabolic side effects. I was surprised to experience the anxiety and tension. And equally surprised when they went away after two weeks. I have discoverd I am not lazy or sleepy or hungry all the time. That was the zyprexa not me. However if my life fell apart by getting fired or someone dying and I became suicidal and unable to function I would probably go back on it | F | 54 | 8 years | 12/9/2006 | 2 | bipolar | AWFUL WEIGHT GAIN!!!! unstoppable appetite and ability to eat for 2-3 people (could eat 2-3 bagels for breakfast, big lunch, constant snacking, craving for Hungry Man dinners which eat pack about 1000 calories), My mouth was never closed, also causes unquenchable thirst (coffee, soda, BEER), went from someone who felt it at 2 drinks to being able to handle 8 drinks Stomach ballooned 7 inches and weight gain was 50 lbs. Went from being thin to being a bulky trailer. Could have rolled down a hill EMOTIONALLY FLAT listless LOSS OF LIBIDO Was I even a guy in my late teens? | If you want to stop mania, be sure to want to become an eating machine who doesn't need sex | M | 19 | 11 months | 12/1/2006 | 5 | Bipolar !! | None; minor sedation at first, but I adjusted. | Stabilized mood and resolved depression; I have taken just about everything, and this medication really helped. | F | 50 | 4 months | 11/27/2006 | 1 | depression, as an "AD augmenter" | Appetite increase, nonstop drowsiness, twitching, dizzyness from major blood pressure changes, disorientations, paranoid thoughts and my favourite : seizures | Worst medication I ever took. I was put on 5mg straight away and withing a week I was twitching and bumping into walls and eating everything in sight. Then the fun started. I would constantly "wake up" with no memory of passing out and find that I had dropped whatever I was holding. Turns out zyprexa gave me absence seizures. Very scary stuff. The twitching became really bad and in the last week, talking became almost impossible. The worst part is that inside your head you think clearly but your body won't respond or responds with a major delay. I also started experiencing paranoid thinking (convinced that the doctor really thought I was insane and had used this "ad augmenter" reason to trick me into starting to take the Zyprexa. After a week of not taking it (as advised by a friend who's an MD) I was back to normal. | F | 28 | 4 weeks | 11/25/2006 | 2 | Bipolar II | Became a real porker and ballooned outward, 40 LBS Weight Gain, Waist went from 30' to almost 36 inches, 6 Pack ABS to Flab Rolls (a real pot belly) Constant hunger, Ate anything not nailed down (carbs mostly), Lethargic. Originally 5'11'' and 157 lbs (age 20 at the time) Then became about 197 lbs. Shortness of breath, Chest Pain Little sex drive (Who could with all this new belly fat?) | Moods too zoned, Too robotic, Emotion dead | M | 22 | 11 months | 11/14/2006 | 2 | Schizoprenia - psychotic episodes | overall dullness, weight gain, zombie like reactions, sadness, lost all feeling of hope for the future. became less creative. | too afraid to stop taking it. | F | 33 | 2 months | 11/12/2006 | 3 | bi-polar disorder | Dry mouth, excessive hunger (good thing though, had lost over 30 pounds prior to being put on medication,) decreased fine motor coordination with tremors of hands. | Unlike most people, does not cause any drowsiness at all. I continue to experience insomnia. Other antidepressants and most cold medications do the same for me though. I take it now in the a.m. | F | 49 | 2 weeks | 11/10/2006 | 5 | Bipolar II | Fatigue, lack of energy, diminished libido. | This medication has been a real life saver for me. At 5mg/day it kills suicidal thoughts, helps with depression, helps with insomnia and works well for anxiety. I think this med is worth it despite its side effects. | 6 months | 10/28/2006 | 3 | Anxiety/OCD | slight weight gain, shaking hands in the early stages. stopping cold turkey: extreme and uncontrollable anxiety and panic. after two weeks of this with no improvement i went back on. will have to taper slowly. | i was prescribed Zyprexa to 'augment' my 60mg of Paxil during an acute bout of anxiety and OCD. It worked well; my intrusive thoughts backed right off and my anxiety dropped away. i was never warned however that some people experience an extreme reaction to a sudden cessation of the drug. i stopped cold turkey after 2 months, and within 3 days was experiencing extreme withdrawal/side effects. 5am-5pm, every day, i would be gripped by never-ending anxiety and panic, and constant crying (sometimes howling). these symptoms were much, much worse than anything i had ever experienced before. after nearly 2 weeks of this i could not stand it anymore and went back on zyprexa. i've been back on it for a week and am finally starting to stabilise again. if you have been prescribed this drug for any of the anxiety disorders then please make sure you taper your does very slowly, as it can weeks (10 or more) for your brain chemistry to readjust to the withdrawal of the drug. a 10% reduction every 2 | M | 33 | 2 months | 10/24/2006 | 1 | anxiety | Tooks zyprexa for 7 weeks(205mg in total), first & last week 2.5 mg & the rest 5 weeks 5 mg). While on zyprexa - body jolts, jerks, quick numbness, some burning sensation in the palms/feet, increased heart beat, hypersensitive skin. - elevated ALT, AST & blood sugar | After stopping zyprexa : (started on 19-July; stopped on 7-th Sep); - insomnia since 9-th Sep 2006 - numbness happening too quickly - pins and needles in palms , sometimes feet & back. - Sometimes my hands (upto the elbows)/palms feel like burning & sometimes feel cold - dry skin - weak feeling - muscle fasciculations - ring finger twitch in left hand & rarely index finger also twitches - slight tremors - blisters in tip of tongue - dizziness & headaches In the early hours (when out of sleep) or when consciously trying to relax, I feel the following : The following does not happen when consciously awake(like watching a movie/redaing a book etc.) - twitches in face - jerks in neck, limbs, trunk etc. - body jolts sometimes - brain zaps/shocks/twist (neurotransmitters misfiring ?) Currently I'm not on any meds. I'm in the 7-th week of withdrawal. Have an appt. with a neurologist on 10-Nov. Will get EMG | M | 35 | 7 weeks | 10/24/2006 | 1 | anxiety | Tooks zyprexa for 7 weeks(205mg in total), first & last week 2.5 mg & the rest 5 weeks 5 mg). While on zyprexa - body jolts, jerks, quick numbness, some burning sensation in the palms/feet, increased heart beat, hypersensitive skin. - elevated ALT, AST & blood sugar | Continued.....
Will get EMG, EEG, scans etc. done & maybe try a sleep clinic too, to make sure I didn't develop any other new disorder.
Hopefully these should go away with time. EMAIL me in case you have any success stories. | M | 35 | 7 weeks | 10/24/2006 | 4 | depression | Sedation, difficulty getting up in the morning, drowsy all day | While Zyprexa greatly improves my depression and makes me more functional, it also makes me drowsy reduces my functionality. I’ve been off and on Zyprexa for over 7 years. I started taking 7mg. I was sleeping my life away then. And I could not lift my head off the pillow. My doctor reduced the dose and I changed the time I took my meds. Now, I split the 2.5 mg. pill. I take 1.25 mg. at 6:00 PM. I’m still drowsy but getting up is no longer a problem. | F | 43 | 7 years | 10/19/2006 | 4 | depression | Sedation, difficulty getting up in the morning, drowsy all day | While Zyprexa greatly improves my depression and makes me more functional, it also makes me drowsy reduces my functionality. I’ve been off and on Zyprexa for over 7 years. I started taking 7mg. I was sleeping my life away then. And I could not lift my head off the pillow. My doctor reduced the dose and I changed the time I took my meds. Now, I split the 2.5 mg. pill. I take 1.25 mg. at 6:00 PM. I’m still drowsy but getting up is no longer a problem. | F | 43 | 7 years | 10/19/2006 | 2 | Mixed Bipolar | Extreme sleepiness | This med solved my problems by rendering me unconscious, so I guess in that sense it was great. However, if I actually needed to get something accomplished it was sort of inconvenient. I would stay away from this one if you tend to overreact to meds that make you sleepy. On the other hand, if you need help sleeping, this might be the one for you. | M | 28 | 3 days | 10/5/2006 | 1 | Severe stress! | Whilst I was on it I was in a zombie like state and suffered problems with my libido (couldn't climax and was losing my erection.) I took 2.5mg for 2 days and 5mg for 8 days. | Stopped for the aforementioned reasons. 8days after stopping 'ZYP' the muscle between my thumb&index finger (Right hand) twitched for 30consecutive days, as many as 200+ times per day. 9days after stopping 'ZYP' I had 1week of horrendous symptoms - night&day sweats (sweated excessively for 7days, lost my appetite for 3weeks, Nausea, grinding teeth, frequent night wakings, agitation, restlessness, freezing cold extremities, body shaking, constantly fluctuating between feeling hot&cold, sweaty palms, increased salivation & a feeling of being very unwell - I thought I was dying! 3 & a half weeks after stopping 'ZYP' I developed frequent night wakings which I now have every single night (almost 6weeks now) and GP had to put me on 'Amitriptyline' as I was severly sleep deprived via my disturbed sleep - never had frequent night wakings in my life before! Also 3 & a half weeks after I stopped taking 'ZYP' I developed twitches, tremoring & jerking of my 4fingers in | M | 32 | 10 days | 9/22/2006 | 1 | Severe Stress! | continuation of the post I posted below ........ | .... jerking of my 4fingers in my left hand. Just over 1month of stopping 'ZYP' my hands & forearms started shaking whilst doing things like holding cutlery or holding the phone. 2weeks after stopping 'ZYP' I had 6weeks of bilateral hip&shoulder blade pain, neck pain&pain in my chin but that has cleared up now. I think the possibilities are I've drug induced parkinsonism or tardive dyskinesia which would make sense as I took a 'dopamine antagonist'. My GP disagrees with my theories. GP's can be wrong though! If you want to email me please feel free! | M | 32 | 10 days | 9/22/2006 | 5 | Schizoaffective Disorder | Tiredness, some weight gain. | This medication works well for me. It limits my paranoia and delusions while helping me sleep. It gets me to sleep for 10-12 hours each night. My dose is currently 20 mg. The weight gain has been modest and tolerable. It helps me to function, no doubt about it. This is my antipsychotic of choice, as I've tried all other atypicals except Clozaril. | M | 34 | 2 years | 9/20/2006 | 3 | Cops arrested placed hospital | Inomnia? | I think this medication 10 mg is a great stress reduceer. I started sleeping later then all of a sudden Insomnia hit me so I stupidly started to take seroquel 50mg <------- makes you a stonned zombie now I have insomnia ever after taking seroquel I've tried different sleep meds but they are short lived my advice don't take any of this crap if possiable especially if someone brought you to the mental health floor and they were dressed in blue. I had no choice I had to take it like a big medicated wuss otherwise they would ship me off to a really metal ward. | M | 31 | | 9/17/2006 |