Olanzapine alternative

Hi Tazjosie33 -- This is a tricky one.

I can only suggest things that I'm going through now and that would be a possible combination of a low dose SSRI/SNRI for the side effects of weightloss but, with your illnesses, that may not be the best option. Some SSRI's in combo with Olanzapine actually cause weight gain.

An alternitive in the anti-psych feild may be Quetiapine but I have poor memory as to how that effects weight gain/loss. Have you tried either of these in the past?

I think your better off without the lot of antipsychotics and just deal with the illness without it...  thats just what I think,   you could try being a vegetarian that will make you eat less then youll drop some of the olanzapine weight.

My suggestion Tazjosie is to come off of it slowly. I was on it for about a month. It made me gain 20 pounds, didn't help at all with my manic episodes and I felt like crap on it. It was inneffective. Not a good drug at all. For your sedative and psychosis I would ask for triazolam (Halcion) or temazepam (Restoril, Normison, Planum, Tenox, and Temaze).  temazepam will make you very tired though. Also Please don't try Seroquel / Quetiapine because after one year my arms and legs were twitching without me wanting them too. I had to come off of it before it became a permanent problem. Also the doctor might try to get you on an SNRI called Effexor/Venlafaxine. Please don't do that especially if you have heart problems. Also I heard it is a very evil drug in that when you want to come off of it you will have an extemely hard time. I know several people that are physically addicted to it. My friend is still taking 1/3 of a pill per day because if she doesn't it makes her physically sick. 

I am taking Depakote 500mg at night and Lamotrigine/Lamictal 25mg in the morning. The Lamictal is working wonders. I would check to see if any of these medications would interfere or make your Supraventricula Tachycardia worse. They are all mostly for Psychotic disorders such as mood swings, non treatable depression with traditional SSRI's. They have anticonvulsant properties. They would have to start you out at a low dose of Lamictal which i love to take in the morning because after only one week my mood swings and depression got much better. 

I also take clonazepam sometimes because I have severe anxiety around people and agoraphobia which I have been able to go out of the house and even ride my bike and go to the store etc. without feeling anxious. In small amounts Clonazepam works wonders. If your doctor approves I would ask for 2mg per day just in case she will not approve Halcion or Temazepam. Even so she could give you clonazepam 1 mg tabs during the day and take you off of diazepam and replace it with Halcion for night time or daytime episodes. Temazepam is also good for sleeping and the benzos last till the next day so sometimes I have no need to take them because I still feel calm due to them still being in my system. 

Then get out there and exercise lady! Start with stretches and bike riding or swimming or yoga if you can get a video tape. Go slow because of your heart problem. You may want to just walk and work on your muscles and yoga. That in itself will cause weight loss. Also try drinking a vanilla or chocolate protein powder shake with blueberries and bananas or blueberries or raspberries with almond milk or coconut milk. Use vitamin E and a fish oil supplement for your heart troubles. I started using one from a place called natural grocers that tastes like mangos. Its really good. After medicine in the morning you need to wait till after your shake or cereal (whatever you eat) about an hour to take your vitamins. You can eat a piece of bread with peanut butter or nutella (a thick spread) to prevent stomach upset. I think Zantac is also effective for stomach upset if you stop using the diazepam or wake in the morning with a medicinal hangover. Zantac is ok for heart patients where other Proton Pump Inhibitors will hurt your heart. I hope this was helpful. I see a therapist and my mom is an RN. I have been on meds for 3 years and tried all different kinds. Cymbalta and a lot of the anxiety drugs might cause you to feel sick all the time. I would say no to those and go with. Psychosis and manic depressive drugs. Stick with the benzos but as I said maybe Diazepam is not the way to go because it makes you sleepy all the time and takes away from your wellbeing. Normal people need to be awake from about 7 am to 10pm. You want to try to be as normal as you can. Have a great Tuesday. Blessings! Debra 

I forgot to mention that I am going off of Depakote in about 2 months. The only reason the drugs are mixed is because after 6 months of Depakote for my bipolar I could not just go off of it. That is why I was started at the lowest dose of Lamictal. It boosts the effects of the Depakote. 

I found out that you can boost your SSRI in your brain if you are not taking them  with a little bit of a higher dose of a vitamin called Niacin (niacitamine) and L-Tryptophan for anxiety before sleep since you can't take Beta Blockers. I would ask if this is safe. Vitamins B6 and B1 also help with mood. That is all I know. I would definitely see aobut getting off of the Olanzapine and getting on Lamactil  (I'm bipolar and it works great!) I'm also losing weight Then ask about Clonazepam 1 to 2 mg per day and Halcion or Temazepam at night for manic episodes. The reason doctors prescribe these rediculous drugs like Olanzapine or Effexor is because they dont' want to prescribe Benzo's. They are afraid of addiction. I'm here to tell you that most mood and mind altering drugs are already addictive and so they have no excuse not to do their job! 

I am also on Trazadone which helps me sleep when I need it and regulates my hormone. Its also classified as a calming mood enhancing. If I get manic during the day I take 1/2 a clonazepam and 1 trazadone 50mg and take a nap. Usually when i wake up I feel a lot better. 

hi tazjosie i was on sertraline i lost weight in three days got so thin looked bad got put on zyprexa now not good putting on weight and borderline diabetic due to zyprexa was also on tegrotol with the sertraline don't know what happend i had an eppisode in hospital came out then was on 1 sertraline and lithium now i on valium ativan pristique thyroxin zyprexa i not been well for 18 months getting of very slowly the zyprexa will be the first to go all the best you have to do it slowly does not matter how long be patient with it other wise you will be going back up then down do it at a dose that does not knock you about and makes you ill very very slow and small even if you have to tapper  a bit off each day one tablit at a time dont try comming off other meds at same time do it with the gp guidence

 

Hi Tazjosie,olanzipine is a great sedative. U could try cutting down the amount of dairy u have this is connected with causing asthma in some people and also low zinc causes asthma too. Get a hair analysis which will tell u this for sure so many people are deficient in zinc because the soil doesn't contain it and another mineral that the soil is deficient in is magnesium too and magnesium helps u sleep too.

Good luck!

Doing some good aerobice exericise each day like power walking, aerobics, tennis, bikeriding also helps u sleep better.