Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• 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"

• Nater...
• 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 5mg olanzapine (@bedtime) . Wow. Noticed much more stable mood on day 1. Today is day 3 and again, 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. "

• 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"

• 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."

• Bipol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 9, 2018

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "After luckily failed suicide attempt I got prescribed Olanzapine. Only 5mg does a significant relief for me. Had been suffering of depression and hypomanic episodes but after taking only 5mg of Olanzapine I feel completely different - no more mood swings at all. I feel like a normal person. This medication saved and even improved the quality of the life I'm living at the moment. Beside Olanzapine I got prescribed antidepressant Escitaloprame which also works great in treating Bipolar disorder."

• subert
• December 3, 2011

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder in the early 90's. Tried all kinds of anti-psychotic medicines, Zyprexa is the 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."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2010

Zyprexa (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 7pm. 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 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."

• 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."

• 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 7lbs. 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."

• 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."

• 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"

• 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."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2009

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "At first I was reluctant on taking 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. "

• 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."

• 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."

• 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!"

• Anonymous
• November 7, 2012

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "After the first time I took Zyprexa, my head and legs felt like they weighed one tone each! I tried it for 2 weeks and this got worse! It increased my appetite a lot too. My dr is currently trying to find a medicine that works for me. Its 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."

• 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!"

• Anonymous
• March 2, 2008

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "My 6 yr 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 yr old hyperactive boys could stand to eat a little more."

• MT2233
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 7, 2017

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I was diagnosed with psychotic depression for 7 months and my psychiatrist put me on zyprexa 5mg. After using antidepressants I got into mania. This medicine is a miracle. I was relieved in one week. I am still taking it but I became a bit hesitant to continue due to some horrible reviews. Tried Invega And had suicidal thoughts. This medicine is great for mood with combination with lamictal."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2009

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I've been taking Zypexa for almost 3 years now. It has been wonderful for me and my family. I had tried so many different medicines that I had given up. I now hardly have any mood swings and I can sleep at night. The down side is that I have gained a lot of weight, but to make me easy to live with for my family it's worth it!"