Anyone taking Zyprexa?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

My doc put me on this drug three days ago for general anxiety and panic attacks. I already called her and asked if I can cut the dose in half since it knocked me out like a tranquilizer gun.

I know it’s only been three days, but it worries me. She says that it’s a good drug for ‘quieting the mind’, and that’s true. I haven’t had nightmares or any panic attacks in the past three days…

but I also don’t feel like writing, or cooking, or drawing or doing anything but sit and watch t.v. or maybe flip through a magazine.

I’m hoping this passes once I get used to it,but right now I feel like a Zombie.

Anyone else have any other experiences?

#2

Sweetie, RUN do not walk away from this drug. I mean this with all sincerety. I was on it for about 6 months and ganed 100 pounds because of the increased appetite it gave combined with the general ‘I don’t wanna do a damn thing’ side effects. My mother is on it currently and has gained upwards of 60 lbs so far. If it is wokring for you and not giving you the munchies then go for it… but I have yet to see someone who has not had that side effect. Update and let us know how its doing.

#3

super.

#4

I’m thinkin’ this side-effect would aggravate the anxiety? Why on earth would a doctor think this is a good thing?

#5

Well. I’ve been having terrible nightmares and wicked moodswings where I burst into screaming or tears and start throwing stuff around. I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, always on edge.

So I suppose this is supposed to ‘calm my brain’. But it’s done so to the point that I don’t really feel like doing anything but breathe in and out.

#6

Wow. Maybe the Russians really did sneak something into the American water supply… sounds like a classic case of cure>=disease…

#7

I was put on Zyprexa for anxiety and panic attacks as well. It is not a good solution in my opinion. For the two months I was on it I had similar experiences to those described. I didn’t even want to surf the net to visit the Dope, I’d just sit and vege out. When I wasn’t vegging out I was eating like a pig. I think I gained in the neighborhood of twenty to thirty pounds. Before that I was on Risperdal with similar effects. Antipsychotics for anxiety and panic just plain suck. Have you been through all the antidepressants with no success?

#8

Have you checked out www.zyprexa.com?

From there:

In 6-week acute-phase schizophrenia trials, the most common treatment-emergent event with ZYPREXA (versus placebo) was somnolence (26% versus 15%) . Other common events were dizziness (11% versus 4%); weight gain (6% versus 1%); personality disorder (8% versus 4% [COSTART term for nonaggressive objectionable behavior]); constipation (9% versus 3%); akathisia (5% versus 1%); and postural hypotension (5% versus 2%).

In short-term (3 and 4-week) acute bipolar mania trials, the most common treatment-emergent adverse event associated with ZYPREXA was somnolence (35% versus 13%). Other common events were dry mouth (22% versus 7%); dizziness (18% versus 6%); asthenia (15% versus 6%); constipation (11% versus 5%); dyspepsia (11% versus 5%); increased appetite (6% versus 3%); and tremor (6% versus 3%).

It looks like your drowsiness is pretty common.

Hope things get better for you soon, whether you stay on the meds or not.

#9

Chief Crunch, I’m on Celexa as well, which does wonders for the symptoms of depression, but sort of HIGHLIGHTS the anxiety portion. The problem my doctor is encountering is that a lot of anit-psychotics and anti-depressants are not good to have in your system when you’re trying to get pregnant (like I am). That’s why something like Xanax is out of the question.

Also, she said that I should only take this for a month at the most as she suspects my heightened anxiety and panic is due to world events and the general anxiety and panic in otherwise normal people. Incidentally, she suggested I stay away from folks who choose to only preach doom and gloom and panic (so that’s no more GD for me :smiley: )

Also, as to the weight gain, maybe it’s me being paranoid, but since I’ve been on this (it’s day four) I’ve found that I have little or no appetite at all. Which is exactly what happened when I started Celexa.

#10

Is Zyprexa really OK to take when you’re trying to get pregnant?!

I also had a tremendous weight gain when I took it, which was really counter-productive since I had a history of anorexia and bulimia and the weight gain really fucked with my self-image.

A different SSRI might be better. I know Paxil is sometimes helpful with panic and the like. Also, I used to be on Celexa for panic and took it intermittently (2 weeks out of the month, between ovulating and getting my period) and that helped a lot b/c my painc was hormonally linked.

There is also some evidence that small doses of benzos (like Ativan) actually do NOT cross the placenta and are OK when pregnant.

HTH.

#11

Lorene, she said Zyprexa would be best for a short term solution (along with therapy) that could be dropped easily if I found out I were pregnant. The plan is for me to take low doses of both Celexa and Zyprexa until I find out I’m pregnant and then just stay on a half dose of Celexa for the pregnancy. I take 2.5 mgs of Zyprexa and 20 mgs of Celexa each day.

I’ll ask about Ativan though. (I feel like a pharmaceutical commercial)

MY DOCTOR SAID ATIVAN!!!

#12

Im a nurse in a dementia unit. I administer a lot of Zyprexa. I dont like it, it makes my people dopey and sleepy and oh probably a bunch of the other dwarfs too. (Drooling and Spacey, for example) And in two of my patients it doesnt do a DAMN thing for the agression, which is why they are on it anyway. (want to see the scar where my finger got bit?) I dont see weight gain in the elderly population I see people who cant wake up to eat lunch.

My father in law was on it, because a year ago he was throwing coffee cups at nurses. When I found out he was on it (something his new facility didnt tell me for the longest time) I went straight to his doctor and got him off it.

On the other hand, low doses can sort of quiet a lot of agitation, agression. But I like seroquel’s results better, if thats appropriate for you.

#13

I was also thinking that Seroquel might be better. You do get that initial ‘tranquilizer dart’ effect, but your body does adjust to it and the sedation is not as great after a while.

Also, Risperdal has less sedation and less weight gain. Then again, I have heard people say that it is less effective in general.

I do think that, if it’s just a short-term thing and most likely a response to recent events (which, oh boy, do I ever understand!), then benzos might be a better solution.

JMHO, though, and I’m not a doctor—but I have been on many different meds.

#14

Akathisia is such a pain, and I hope no-one gets it as a side effect. I got it as a side effect on two seperate anti’s (they were in the same family) and it just wears you out. For anyone (everyone?) who doesn’t know what it is, it’s basically a lot of excess energy combined with a compultion to move. I’d start out finger tapping, to foot tapping, to both, to blinking, then all out facial movements, to hitting my legs… It sounds worse than it is, it’s basically just a pain in the arse. Luckily, they (the infamous “they”, actually just my psychiatrist) took me off of the first two and put me on Wellbutrin.

#15

Interesting you should say that Lynne, because yesterday Iwas sitting in a play and I absolutely COULD NOT sit still. My legs were jittery like I felt I had to get up and run. That also happened when I started on Celexa.

I’ll ask my doctor about the other drugs you guys have mentioned, but I do have to say, I’ve adjusted somewhat to the ‘tranquilizer’ effect. It doesn’t seem as bad here on day five.