Zyprexa a drug not suitable for anyone, under any condition

Hi Noca,

I know your message has been posted here a long time, but I only stumbled upon it while researching Olanzapine - (the way Zyprexa is labelled here in Canada).

I was prescribed this drug by a psychiatrist recently after three full days with only one hour of sleep. He told me to take two and I would sleep a full 7 - 8 hours. You can imagine the state a person might be in without sleep for that long, so upon returning home, - did NOT look to see what the drug actually was! - I thought it would be a sleeping pill of some kind, but - (after 7 hours of sleep, - just as the Dr. said), I checked it out, only to find it was an anti-psychotic.

Then, I went on line to read what other people had to say about this drug. Though some found it helpful, I, - like you, did NOT.

I believe what you've said is true, however, you left out one important side effect! - Again, I realize, I should have looked into it beforehand, and if I had, - would have discovered it sometimes have sexual side effects - (as many of these drugs often do).

I realized in less than two days, it can simply and quickly put a stop to your ability to reach orgasm. This happened to me with another drug as well, several years ago, called Teva-Venlafaxine XR - (Effexor). THAT time, the awful side effect lasted close to a year! (And I'd only taken four pills)!

I knew pretty much right away, this drug had the same effects. But thankfully, THIS time, I'd only taken three pills, then stopped, and by the end of the week, things were back in working order. - These pills are now gone, never to be used again!

To stress, this may not happen to everyone, but for those who DO experience it - my running joke is, - if you weren't depressed BEFORE going to the shrink, - AFTER receiving this drug, you'll be more depressed than EVER!!

Wellbutrin - (Bupropion) works best for me.

Thanks for the post.

Elaine

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Sorry but i think we should all take anecdotal reports with a large pinch of salt. I have been on Zyprexa for 15 years and it has helped enormously. Risperdal that Noca mentions made me feel like a Zombie and Quetiapine gave me auditory hallucinations. But of course this is also anecdotal evidence.

My psychiatrist told me i was suffering from Olanzapine rebound when i stopped, but other Medics told me there was no convincing evidence for Rebound effect. Read this:

http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/olanzapine/rebound%20effect/

To summarise, "based on reports of 21,413 people who have side effects when taking Olanzapine from FDA, 9 people (0.04%) have Rebound effect.

All I'm saying is there's 2 sides to every story.

From my experience of patient groups and forums, people like to blame everything imaginable on drug side effects.

Just saying. Don't hate me!

Hi Noca, i know this is an old post but thanks for posting. Its great to read about the real experiences of other people in so far as the accounts ring true and at least make me feel like i am justified in my concerns about this drug, concerns which are dismissed by my psychiatrist and his team of 'experts', none of whom have ever taken olanzapine i might add. I was on this drug for 6 months - up to 17.5mg at one point. Once i got to 10mg i took a risk and quit taking it. Thats 7 months ago. Best decision i ever made and i just wish id quit sooner but my psychiatrist had me convinced that the consequences wud b grave if i didnt follow his medical advice and contine the drug for a whole year. Nonetheless i stopped taking it after 6m.

The drug made me feel dead inside, numb, i found myself repeating sentences in my mind for no reason, i lost my ability to concentrate- i could not sit and read for more than a few minutes. While on the drug i lost the ability to feel emotions such as excitement, nervousness... i had no sex drive and everything felt different physically. I gained weight which i believe is a result of the slowdown effects of this drug rather than the increased appetite it causes (because i was always someone who ate loads of crap and never gained weight before olanzapine. My metabolism has not reverted to normal 7m after ceasing the drug. I continue to b flabbier and have celulite now for the first time ever - of course my psychiatrist and his team tell me that olanzapine couldnt possibly be affecting my metabolism now that ive stopped taking it - they say im exagerating how much i used to eat and how my body used to be and they put any actual change down to the fact that im getting older. of course a patient couldnt possibly be correct about his/her own experience eh??!!! Ha! ). I believe olanzapine has had a slowdown effect on my body and mind equivalent to that of rapid/sudden ageing . 7 months after stopping it i dont have the energy, capacity, stamina, enthusiasm i used to have before taking it. Sleepless nights (ive always had insomnia) affect me more severely now. I cant eat as much as i used to, no matter how much running i do (and i never had to exercise before to maintain a slim figure ). My face looks older when i compare to photos of last yr. I feel like it has robbed me of "me" although my ability to concentrate has been restored somewhat. Avoid this drug like the plague. It is nothing more sophisticated than a MAJOR tranquilizer that slows u down, and in my view shud be a last resort once all other avenues are exhausted, not the first port of call as it was in my case. Psychiatry is a farce because psychiatrists dont really know what theyre doing, they dont know how exactly psychiatric drugs affect the brain, they dont know exactly what happens our brains when we fall ill. Alot of it is just guesswork, a process of "trial and error" where vulnerable sick patients are guinea pigs and there is no accountability when things go wrong because it is impossible to prove anything about the brain ! And there is no point trying to argue with psychiatrists who are generally very intelligent, arrogant individuals with an answer for everything - they'd convince you black is white!!! Thats why these forums are so important, to hear about real experiences and not be fobbed off with stats from clinical trials or the fact that there is no evidence either way. Trust your instict before you trust in a psychiatrist! If something really doesn't feel right, the chances are its not right.

I agree with you that Zyprexa should be used for anyone.  It is/was pure torture trying to stop and remove from my system.  The withdrawal has been a journey like none other I've been through in my 37 years of life and I've been through quite a lot in my journey called life so far.

Hello

This is my story about this hideous poison called "Olanzapine."  Basically I had some misdemeanor legal issues and ended up sentenced to 90 days in the county jail.  Before I went into that ruinous place I had been on a few RX meds for years...Clonazepam for ptsd, vyvanse for add related to the ptsd and Suboxone from a opiate painkiller addiction.  Well, the jail's policy was that all of my meds (of which I've NEVER abused or even seen the abuse potential) were "forbidden."  Thus, I was forced off them and put on what they have the nerve to call "safer alternatives."  These were Prozac, Gabapentin and Olanzapine.  I was in truly excellent physical shape when I went inside...31 years old, 5'11 175 pounds.  In only 3 months, despite a desperate attempt at an army style bootcamp work out daily routine, I went up to 215.  This could not possibly have been due to caloric intake as I only ate 2 meals a day, small meals, and very few snacks.  As mentioned I also worked out really hard the last 6 weeks.  Well, now I've been out of that place and off that poision for over one month and I am still really struggling...my weight has gone down to ~197, so thats good but still over 20 pounds above my normal.  Worse yet, a very recent blood test has revealed pre diabetic blood sugar.  This has NEVER happened in all my life.  Every blood test I have ever had has been "glowing."  Now I'm a hair away from being goddam diabetic.  I have to run but theres so much more to say.  Please don't risk this drug, don't.  And please try and help others like me and rally your local county to be humane to people in jail.  There is no guarantee that my blood glucose levels will normalize...only the hope.  They could have messed me up for life.  This should have never happened to ONE of us.  This stuff needs to either be banned or come with a black box warning.