Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• GRa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 26, 2018

Olanzapine "This is the best side effect-free, strong antipsychotic I have taken so far. I have bipolar disorder, and just 2.5 mg is enough to combat mania and minor depression. I also have anxiety, and it makes me calm. I don’t take it every day. I take it sometimes when my doctor says. No side effects, no dizziness, no anxiety, no akathisia, just drowsiness, which I like for anxiety."

• qui...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2016

Olanzapine "I was admitted to the hospital for severe hydration due to vomiting from being sick for a week, and prior to that, completely lost my appetite due to a gluten intolerance. I had become frustrated with food, and I couldn't sleep, was angry all the time. I was put on Apo-Olanzapine, aka Zyprexa, and set up with a psychiatrist as an outpatient. Here's the thing: I was prescribed this medication by the psychiatrist for weight gain, but it also boosts my mood as well. I feel like I'm on a level playing field and the game is fair again. It definitely helps with depression, as I don't feel all is consuming me anymore, and I eat everything in sight. I put 5 pounds on in 1 week! So beware of that. It's strange because you crave food, all you do is think about food... lol."

• Anonymous
• March 14, 2011

Olanzapine "I just started this medication over two weeks ago and am already seeing massive improvement. No more mania, very little depression. I have focus and energy, my mood is great most days. It even helped with irritable bowel syndrome. For the first few days, I felt like a zombie, but that side effect has gone. I still have a massive temptation to eat everything in the house, but I am controlling it and changing my diet to minimize weight gain. This medicine was a minor miracle to me. I've never felt so good in all my life."

• bip...
• June 1, 2020

Olanzapine "I just started Zyprexa from a new doc, it is for my bipolar one. Been doing okay mostly for over 10 years. I take 1200 of lithium daily. Trazodone 300 mg for sleep. Last year, trazodone stopped working last fall, several occasions of auditory hallucinations, barely sleep 2 hrs nightly. Tried all kinds of meds from one doc, he gave up. Referred to a new doc by my PCP recently, just started Zyprexa up to 10 mg. Sleeping about 5 or so hours at night so far, no side effects, but it is early days. Lithium made me fat and killed my thyroid, which made me fat, so no worries, I just need sleep and calm my mind."

• den...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 7, 2024

Olanzapine "If you have any kind of dysfunction in life, agitation, have failed relationships, or can't hold a job or are housing insecure-Zyprexa is the magic bullet. I took 25 mg for 10 years, and my life completely turned around. I was on Seroquel, and it wasn't working for me. I couldn't achieve a calm state of mind to function from. I severely hated my parents and sister. I was in a succession of relationships with sick, demented, and cruel men. Zyprexa gave me my life back and completely better than before. I developed relationships with my family and had excellent boundaries with them also-I could choose how I protected myself and how I interacted with people. I don't throw myself at men who simply offer me 'crumbs.' What a pleasure and adventure life has become. It was a lot of work, but finally, I had Medicaid, I was able to get help. I gained 40 pounds. But now I take Lybalvi, which has 20 mg of Zyprexa and 10 mg of samidorphan. I should have done this decades ago, but I could not get health insurance."

• Anonymous
• December 4, 2012

Olanzapine "When I was diagnosed as bipolar, I was put on Zyprexa. I took it 3 times a day, and it was great at eliminating my mania, depression, and anxiety symptoms. However, I had two side effects: I would get tired, and I gained over 100 pounds over 12 years. So, my doctor suggested lithium, and I am on that now and doing fine, and I have lost 30 pounds in 4 months."

• Pho...
• June 23, 2021

Olanzapine "I was put on this drug because the doctor thought I was bipolar. Three years later, two psychiatrists have told me I need to get off of the Zyprexa ASAP. I was first put on 15 mg, which made me tired when I woke up. All day, I felt drugged out, and I gained 40 pounds. I am now only taking 10 mg and am lowering my dosage to 5 mg to finally get off of this drug for good. The withdrawal symptoms I have noticed from getting off Zyprexa are increased anxiety and difficulty sleeping. The best way to get off of Zyprexa with minimal problems is to taper slowly. I would rather deal with the withdrawal symptoms than being drugged out to the point I can’t function. I also take this with another antidepressant and am convinced I had symptoms similar to serotonin syndrome. Please use caution and only use this drug as a last resort option. It has a black box label for a reason. The long-term risks of staying on this drug include psychosis and medication-induced Parkinson’s disease."

• jig...
• December 12, 2013

Olanzapine "I have bipolar 1 disorder. Started with 5 mg Zyprexa, now am on 7.5 mg at night. I find it really helps me with my moods. Some of the side effects for me are swollen ankles, weight gain, and sedative effect throughout the day."

• pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2012

Olanzapine "I have been taking Zyprexa for over a month, and it just recently started making me sleep over 14 hours a night. I am tired and unmotivated. The anxiety has slowed way down but is not completely gone. I take 5 mg per night, and I also take Ativan 3 times a day."

• Anonymous
• January 12, 2010

Olanzapine "I was on 2.5 mg, and it made me into a hungry zombie. All my emotions were flat, it made life completely unpleasant. Every day was a struggle to get through, and sex was completely numb. However, it was a very effective medication for bipolar one disorder. If it wasn't for the side effects, I'd still be on it."

• Jac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2019

"This drug will ruin your mind and your body. After two years in doses ranging from 10 a day to a short time on 20, I have gained about 85 pounds, and my brain is mush. I am trying to wean, and I am a shell of my former self. I used to recover after a breakdown. Now I am a semi-vegetable compared to my smart, fit former self. Stay away if you care about life quality at all."

• Pil...
• September 19, 2009

Olanzapine "At 5 mg/day, Zyprexa makes a real difference for me. Combined with the right antidepressant, it takes care of my depressive episodes, which can, by the way, be very severe. The side effects I have are increased sleep and increased appetite. Haven't gained any weight on it."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2022

Olanzapine "Makes me feel normal. I take 15 mg at night for a restful night's sleep with no nightmares like I used to have. I use in combination with 20 mg Paxil and 1000 mg Depakote, which seems to be a great combination for my bipolar disorder. I no longer freak out if things don't go my way. I HIGHLY recommend Zyprexa!"

• Dir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2013

Olanzapine "Got hospitalized. Upped to 10 mg morning and evening. This dose has helped my symptoms. I've had blackouts, panic attacks, and sex problems with every other atypical out there. Zyprexa is great. Only negative is gaining weight fast, while being slightly sedating, which makes it harder to exercise."

• Pet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2019

"After 20 years of suffering, and taking all kinds of antidepressants, my doctor prescribed olanzapine 5 mg/night. For anxiety, and for the so-called 'conditioned avoidance response,' as I was pretty miserable when driving or going out anywhere, felt like drowning, terrible. I did not expect much from the med, due to the tons of negative/mixed reviews. But it helped immediately, lights on, anxiety off, mood normal, sleep is super, all symptoms have gone, it's like a miracle."

• Glu...
• June 10, 2010

Olanzapine "I have been taking Zyprexa for about 5 years. Started at 5 mg and am now at 2.5 or 1.25, depending on the day. This is for bipolar. I've tried to go off it (because I felt dulled and had a preoccupation with food) a few different times and had severe depression/anxiety symptoms recur. I also take Prozac (20 mg) and Lamictal (100 mg). I don't think the Lamictal does anything, but the Zyprexa seems to be the 'glue' that keeps me together. Weight gain was an issue, but I have recently lost 20 lbs through diet and exercise (and reducing dose). I would rather not have to take it, but it so greatly improves my quality of life that I feel I should stay on it."

• CTa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 11, 2019

Olanzapine "I am currently taking Zyprexa 2.5 mg for approximately 10 months in conjunction with Lexapro 30 mg and bupropion XL 300 mg for OCD, bipolar, anxiety, and depression. The meds helped to a point, and now I feel like I am not progressing in my therapy. I have just been increased to 5 mg of Zyprexa, so we shall see. My big concern is the weight gain. I've gained 30 pounds in a year and a half. I hope the weight gain isn't dose-related. To be continued...."

• Nat...
• July 20, 2016

"I have bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety. I take bupropion daily and Xanax (0.5-1 mg as needed) usually twice a day. I started 3 days ago on 5 mg olanzapine (@ bedtime). Wow. Noticed a much more stable mood on day 1. Today is day 3, and again, a very stable mood and sleeping through the night since starting and am VERY happy with these results so far. I have not had a need for Xanax since starting. The only side effect I am experiencing so far is fatigue in the morning hours - no change in appetite or other effects mentioned by others in this column. I will post again in a few months to update my results."

• kcc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 21, 2025

"Was put on this med for a psychotic episode. Worked great, however, every day I feel like a zombie. It's been 3 yrs. I sleep great, but in research, others coming off, once you come off, you will have permanent insomnia. Many become suicidal coming off. I've also put on 20 pounds and now have high cholesterol."

• Joa...
• November 16, 2018

Olanzapine "Zyprexa was my only miracle med, but health-wise it ruined me. I was on it for 10 years. All my long-term health risks that occurred were from this medication. In 10 years, I went from 112 to 296 pounds. I have low thyroid issues now and am on medication for life for that. I developed high cholesterol and vertigo. These are the long-term effects of Zyprexa, and I got them. Yes, it helps wonders, but why risk your health? Binge eating can occur, I developed that really badly also at the 7-year mark. I took it at night, and an hour later, I needed to eat nonstop. When they talk about higher side effects, it can happen and does. I started with the less severe and got the severe, and now it's a journey in itself for my health. I would stay cautious of this medication. For sure, it does cause extreme weight gain, which causes all other high-risk health issues."

• Riz...
• September 29, 2019

Olanzapine "Zyprexa is the best mood stabilizer I’ve been on. It is so calming. It decreases agitation, the racing thoughts, helps you sleep. Does not make me groggy - I take 7.5 mg at night. The only reason it’s not a 10 is I’ve gained some weight, so I’m taking some Topamax for it. Love Zyprexa."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2010

Olanzapine "Been on Zyprexa 7.5 due to bipolar for about 8 months or so. It takes the edge off my anxiety and makes me calmer. I get very sleepy about 3 hours after taking it, so now I take it at about 7 pm. Without it, I had trouble sleeping as my mind would race and not shut up at night. Don't really know if it has affected my appetite or weight, if so, just a little. A couple of times, I thought that I felt so good that I didn't need to take it anymore, so I stopped taking it. And within a week or so, the bad feelings would come back. Looks like I might be on it for the long term."

• Anonymous
• October 15, 2012

Olanzapine "I found Zyprexa to be quite effective, however, it made me very tired and unmotivated, though. I was incredibly hungry all day. Only stayed on it for about a month and put on 7 lbs. I am in the process of exploring different antipsychotics that are more weight-friendly. Putting on weight was making me depressed and making me become more hostile because of it."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2009

Olanzapine "At first, I was reluctant to take this medication, but eventually, I realized that I needed it. This medication helps me sleep longer, fall asleep faster, and wake up less. Also, this drug has given me very few side effects, which are insignificant."

• sub...
• December 3, 2011

Olanzapine "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early '90s. Tried all kinds of anti-psychotic medicines, Zyprexa is the one that has helped me the best. I feel tired and emotionless, but I am pretty sure that it is better than what my family goes through when I am not on it."