Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)
Brand names: Zyprexa, Zyprexa Relprevv, Zyprexa Zydis, Zyprexa Intramuscular
Olanzapine has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 296 reviews for the treatment of Bipolar Disorder. 52% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 25% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Olanzapine
- sj1428
- Taken for less than 1 month
- December 30, 2019
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I had a horrible, 6-day experience with this medication Zyprexa. While it was prescribed to me primarily for sleep, which 5 mg was effective, it made my anxiety 10x worse with paranoia and tremors. It was the worst. It has been three nights without it now and I still feel it's effects of increased anxiety and a fog-like head. The physical symptoms ceased 48 hours post-Zyprexa. I took 20 mg of Paxil with this medication for anxiety and was noticing some improvement with Paxil alone. Zyprexa made me feel as if I was never taking Paxil AND take five steps backwards. My official diagnosis is TBD but this was the first medication I've taken where I absolutely refuse to take again at any dosage"
- elias...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- November 12, 2016
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I love Zyprexa (Olanzapine) it has calmed and removed my insanity. I now longer have panic attacks and irritability. I work in retail and i have been in trouble several times with my managers because i snap at costumers. But with Zyprexa it all went away it was amazing........BUT!!! i have to stop taking it because it caused SO MUCH weight gain. I use to weigh 170lbs and within a year i weigh now 226lbs. I don't even eat that much and i still don't lose weight. there's no point going to the gym and doing cardio because the pill prevents me from losing it. So now i have to ask my doctor to give me a medication that doesn't cause weight gain for i can lose the weight. I am so depressed that i have to stop taking it. it has worked wonders 4 me"
- Marr
- June 25, 2015
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "If I could give this a zero rating I would...I was put on this medicine at 16 and it intensified all my issues.....It made me go into constant fits of rage and I gained almost 50 pounds...By far the worst medicine I've taken"
- subert
- December 3, 2011
Zyprexa (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."
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- Anonymous
- October 15, 2012
Zyprexa (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
- October 26, 2011
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I'm bipolar, and this is the only medication (out of many, many) that really helps my bipolar, and it works almost instantaneously for me. I first went on it to gain weight because I was trying to recover from anorexia and struggling, but stayed on it for my bipolar. I did gain weight, and I eat tons, but I have a good metabolism, and Zyprexa just brings me up to my medically ideal weight."
- Anonymous
- July 14, 2009
Zyprexa (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."
- Mica
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- June 12, 2015
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This medicine is very effective for bipolar. Before this, I cannot sleep at night because my mind races. Finally, after taking this, I feel wonderful and not depressed anymore. The effect is weight gain, before this, my weight was just around 74 kg, now it went to 99 kg."
- Dimitri
- May 5, 2018
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Out of the 4 anti psychotics I tried this one worked wonders for me. I was diagnosed back in 2011 for a psychotic episode and developed bi polar psychosis. Took 5mgs for years and I was feeling great. The only thing is that I would have some tactile hallucinations but wouldn’t hear any voices. I would just feel like a crazy maniac that wouldn’t sleep for days before going on zyprexa. Anyways I went off of it and then a year later I am here taking it again because I just can’t stand my anxiety and delusions and mood swings. I mix it with seroquel sometimes. Anyways this drug works wonders. I don’t get an increased appetite. The only problem is that when I wake up I don’t feel like eating anything so I end up eating at 2pm. The side effects for me are decreased appetite and some fatigue but other than that, I can finally enjoy life again. Remember that it takes a few weeks for it to take full effects and side effects do become more tolerable through time."
- Teresa
- Taken for 5 to 10 years
- October 11, 2019
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Started zyprexa 7 years ago. I had never been happier. I laughed, enjoyed life, lost the paranoia - then my yearly physicals started showing my A1C was elevated so I started on metformin. I gained between 6-12 lbs/year(132-179). Now on a BP med. Suffer dry mouth & tongue edema. I take 25mg benadryl every 4-6 hrs to prevent it. I've weaned down to 1/2 of 1.25mg every 3rd night. I'm ok as long as I don't go past that 3rd night. If I try for 4 I pay dearly. It's like I've been hit by a Mack truck-the worst case of flu ever. I take the missed dose & 24-36 hrs later I feel human again. This drug saved my life because I was suicidal but also now I don't want to die of complications from the co-morbidities that I'm developing now because I can't get off it. The real kicker: zyprexa affects your metabolism so it's even harder to lose weight & if interferes with how metformin works making it less effective. Talk about a double edged sword. I may be on this for the rest of my life."
- meegy
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- November 12, 2015
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I have been taking zyprexa 5 grams...a day..and I don't get any affects from pill? It keeps me mellow but not tired like everyone says? Kinda helps with mood swings..but not really! At least not for me?"
- Jaded
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- December 26, 2014
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This medicine works really well as a mood stabilizer for me. The only major drawback is weight gain. I just can't control myself when the carb cravings happen. I am usually very much in control of my dietary habits, but on Zyprexa that just isn't possible. I also suffer from schizoaffective disorder and hear voices. Although Zyprexa suppresses them, it does not completely get rid of them in my case; they are quiet enough to tolerate, though. I have gained 35 pounds in less than about a month and a half. I am going to wean off of these and ask the psych-doc for something else."
- DrSSM
- Taken for less than 1 month
- March 25, 2024
"This is the drug I was looking for years. Within 4 days of 6/50mg dose, I felt clear-headed, energetic, and less irritable. I don't snap at people anymore. I keep my things clean and tidy and feel as confident as I used to be in my teens. I am a 43-year-old man now and struggled a lot throughout my university years and then in my profession with dysthymia. It was something holding me back, which I could not figure out. SSRIs never gave me a feeling of clarity. In fact, I never knew what a normal feeling was for a healthy individual."
- loblo...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- July 22, 2021
"Believe me, I tried to be med free for years. I tried tapering off meds to see if I would be ok. Every time, my mental illness would come back with full force. If you need this medication, you need it. Those with bad experiences may have not had the mental illness that requires you to take it. I have bipolar disorder and it has saved my life and prevented hospitalization. Try it with your doctor at a low dose if you are bipolar, or have psychotic features. If you are just depressed or have another issue like OCD, it is likely not the correct medication for you. Work with your doctor to find what works for you. The only side effect I experience is some weight gain, but I've accepted that the weight gain was also due to eating habits and lack of exercise."
- Tkv
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- September 27, 2015
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This drug caused me a lot of problems. At first it made my mania go away, but after a month on it I developed very stiff muscles. I was given cogentin but that didn't help, and after two months I became very spaced out and my family said I was saying some weird stuff but I couldn't remember. My pdoc finally took me off zyprexa after 4 months when I showed her how stiff my muscles had become ( walking a block was a chore) and told her my leg would start twitching by itself. Overall horrible experience."
- Ed Mc...
- Taken for 5 to 10 years
- November 26, 2016
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I took 3mgs of Zyprexa, contained in Symbyax, nightly for about 6 years. The medicine worked well for the first 2 to 3 years. Around year four I started having severe side effects and did not realize it was from the Zyprexa as it had been working so well. I suffered with increasing seizures for about three more years. Bad ones. I wound up in the hospital emergency room and it was the ER doctor that informed me that the Zyprexa was causing the problem. My regular doctor denied Zyprexa as a contributing factor to my seizures. I quit the Zyprexa cold turkey. To say the least it was an absolutely horrible experience. Wean off this drug over a long period of time and even then get ready for horrendous withdrawal symptoms after your last dose."
- Ron...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- October 21, 2022
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I've been battling depression and bipolar disorder for over 25 years. Tried everything under the sun and nothing really made me feel like a normal person until olanzapine. I started a year ago and was on 2.5 milligrams for 6 months and then bumped it up to 5 milligrams currently. The only drawback is weight gain (15 lbs) but I'm feeling well enough to start exercising and should get back to a healthy weight soon. This medication is a life saver."
- Honki...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- February 13, 2018
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Been on 20mg a day for a couple years. Been off of everything for about eight months. When I was taking it, I had zero issues with weight gain. Another huge benefit was that it reliably put me to sleep. Take my 20mg football in the evening and it’s lights out within two hours. But getting up in the morning was tough. Plus it did slow me down mentally. I didn’t think it did, but I had a few old friends point out that I’m way slower than I used to be. Like most psych meds, it can work wonders for one patient and do more harm than good for another. Due to life’s circumstances, I had to quit cold turkey. Bad idea. Sleepless nights and all that... Thankfully, my condition is on a very mild end of the spectrum. You absolutely have to work with your doctor to find out what works best for YOU! All the best!"
- Jason
- Taken for 5 to 10 years
- June 27, 2018
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "DO NOT take this medication unless you are either psychotic, bipolar or have an extreme neurological condition. I took this medication for 8 years and it ruined my life to be honest. These drugs are EXTREMELY dangerous and powerful and can ruin your life even by taking it for 1 week. This drug is NOT for anxiety or ANY mild to average condition. Move to the countryside for 3 months and rent a cabin, it will solve your issues. If you are a parent, do not EVER put any child on this drug. Anti-psych drugs are 1000 times more dangerous than you can ever imagine. Same goes for Abilify or any atypical or typical anti-psychotic. Tardive dyskinesia is a potentially permanent side effect that can ruin your life within a week. Saying that, they work EXTREMELY effectively for severe mental disorders and may save your life if you are suicidal."
- Anonymous
- November 7, 2012
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "After the first time I took Zyprexa, my head and legs felt like they weighed one ton each! I tried it for 2 weeks, and this got worse! It increased my appetite a lot too. My doctor is currently trying to find a medicine that works for me. It's so hard as I get a lot of strange side effects on these medicines!"
- Sun
- August 7, 2019
"Olanzapine works really well for me in the way I use it. I have bi polar, and I only use it when I feel the onset of mania. I then take 5g morning and night for 3 days and the episode is quickly over. It slows my brain down and combined with reducing activity I return to "normal". This means I do not routinely take it, I do not suffer the side effects and I am able to control my mania easily. I think other people could do the same and avoid becoming zombies and gaining weight. In the last few years I have begun having bouts of depression. These I am still trying to control, and as yet have just waited them out. After 4 to 5 weeks the depression generally lifts on its own. I would love to find a drug that I could take for depression in the same way I take for mania."
- Anonymous
- March 2, 2008
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "My 6-year-old son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I thought it was ADHD, but they started him on Zyprexa, and we've seen a lot of improvement in his behavior. Would highly recommend. Virtually no side effects. He eats a little more, but most 6-year-old hyperactive boys could stand to eat a little more."
- celti...
- January 27, 2019
"I was diagnosed with very mild bipolar disorder and put on Olanzapine. At first it was like this drug restored me to myself - I was happy, creative, and optimistic for the first time in years, sleeping solidly, and my moods were stabilized. But after the first few weeks I started developing anxiety, restless legs, severe leg tremors. Yet my psychiatrist kept upping my dose. For three months I was in a absolute hole, every minute lasting an hour, out of my mind frantic with anxiety, exercising like crazy, having violent leg tremors every time I sat down. Finally I demanded to get off the medication and we tapered it down over a month. I was able to relax and the tremors and restless legs went away. But then I stopped sleeping - entirely. In desperation I got back on the lowest dose. I started sleeping again for another few months, but the anxiety and restless legs and tremors are coming back. Now I'm unable to tolerate this drug but unable to sleep without it. I'm screwed!"
- TJano
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- July 7, 2018
Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Works great every time! I have rapid cycling bipolar and this is the most effective out of all antipsychotics. Sometimes they put me off it but every time I’m on it it feels like a world of change like my brain starts to function again."
Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.
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"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."