Olanzapine for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 3)

• Tim...
• July 24, 2015

"I was prescribed Olanzapine for insomnia, and it worked like a charm. I was on 2.5 mg, sometimes 5 mg, and would always get 8 to 10 hours of sleep without waking. Also, no severe hangover effect the following morning. The downside is it significantly increases your appetite, so you need to be cautious of subsequent weight gain, thus, I would only recommend olanzapine if you're suffering from a severe bout of insomnia."

• res...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 5, 2023

"A few years ago, my doctor prescribed olanzapine as a secondary med for bipolar disorder. That's when I realized it really helps me to get a good night's sleep. I don't take it every evening, only when I feel restless and know I won't sleep well."

• Raf...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2022

"Guys, don't take this medicine at all. Even a low dose can make you addicted. I was on olanzapine for 2 years at a very low dose. I tapered off gradually. Now it's the fourth day of my freedom. I have terrible physical withdrawal symptoms. Don't take it at all, please."

• Lil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 24, 2023

"I was prescribed olanzapine 10 mg for four years. It helped with my insomnia, but it made me gain weight and worsened my depression. I am bipolar 1. It helped with my mood swings (most of the time), however, when I was ready to come off of that medication, it caused hallucinations and involuntary arm and body movements. This is called TDE. It can be permanent, and trauma can trigger these effects. I had just lost my sister, and I feel like it made my condition worse. If you decide to come off of olanzapine, talk to your doctor first. It took several hospitalizations and several months for these effects to stop and normalcy to return. I am now on Abilify and have energy, actually feel happy and stable. I no longer have hallucinations and no longer suffer from TDE (rhythmic arm and body movements). I feel like myself again. I lost my place to live, my wedding, and my relationship for a while, but we are back together. I'm able to work now."

• nut...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2022

"I was given a low dose of 2.5 mg. I’m to take it early evening for sleep issues. I got very tired, but it was after 2:30 a.m. till I finally fell asleep, but still woke up several times, then had trouble getting back to sleep. Once I was up (11:15 a.m. till I was able to get out of bed), I was foggy-headed all day right up till bedtime. I could not function at all and kept forgetting things and not able to correctly even follow directions for cooking something I was making. I’m not taking this ever again, I lost too many days."

• Gdo...
• January 16, 2021

"Prescribed olanzapine 5 mg tablets in order to withdraw from zopiclone following severe anxiety and insomnia. I have nothing but praise for olanzapine - it gives you a peaceful, calm feeling, allowing you to get natural sleep. No aftereffects at lower dosage. 5 mg is enough for a 13-stone man in my case. I only got this prescribed by my primary mental health team, as doctors seemed happy to prescribe Z drugs, which left me dependent on them to sleep."

• Tan...
• January 12, 2018

"I take two 50 mg tablets of trazodone plus 1 2.5 mg tablet of olanzapine about half an hour before I'm ready to 'hit the hay' on an empty stomach, in which I, within 10-15 mins, eat a light snack, not too hard to digest, and sounds like a lie, but it's not, within 8 minutes, I'm out like a light... worth asking about, right?"

• Sco...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 24, 2022

"I was in critical condition from not sleeping, and nothing was working. I was prescribed olanzapine 5 mg at the hospital, and it did work. It put me to sleep, that was 1.5 years ago. I just got off it a week ago and didn't realize how many problems it gave me over time. Huge appetite increase and messed with my metabolism and gut. I gained 60 lbs and had chronic diarrhea and horrible heartburn. It just made me eat and eat, and if I didn't eat, the excessive acid in my stomach and throat reminded me to. It messed with my heart, raised my blood pressure, and made me close to fainting if I got up too fast. I am off it and on gabapentin 300-600 mg, and I'm sleeping without any side effects. Olanzapine can help off-label with insomnia, but be prepared for its crazy side effects. Would not recommend. There are better options. Also, it's not cheap. Now that I am off it, I am so much happier."

• Tod...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 12, 2022

"May help insomnia, but withdrawals can be horrific. I'm still suffering from akathisia due to this drug. Good people have taken their lives after withdrawing from it. I would choose something else for insomnia, not this drug."

• ACD...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 8, 2022

"I have been taking 10 mg of this medication for about 9 months. At first, it helped me sleep through the night, but over time my sleep became less consistent. I suffer from insomnia due to anxiety and depression. My new GP has put me on a rapid tapering approach in conjunction with the starting of 30 mg of Cymbalta. As a result, I have not slept for 4 days. I wish that I had never taken this drug."

• Egg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 17, 2022

"My only problem was falling asleep before important days before olanzapine. The psychiatrist prescribed me 1.25 mg of olanzapine + SSRI. I realized that my mood was exactly the same, and the only difference was olanzapine was making me sleep so well. The crazy weight gain was unstoppable. Since my doctor did not care about my concerns, I stopped abruptly olanzapine of 1.25 mg. It has been 2 years, and it caused permanent insomnia. My only problem was falling asleep before this poison, and now my problem became maintaining the sleep. I see thousands of people suffering the same. If you are planning to use this for insomnia, just stay away from this poison. I believe psychiatrists are not aware of the real risks of this drug, and it may cause permanent damage. Just stay away from this thing. I lost my ability to sleep because of this, and eventually, it destroyed my life."

• Wil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2022

"I have tried a litany of prescription sleep medications over the last 20 years. A month ago, I started on Zyprexa 5 mg. It helped me sleep about 4-5 hours a night without the morning grogginess of Ambien. I went up to 7.5 mg, and sleep is great. I tried 10 mg for a week, but the hunger pangs were too much to handle, and my blood sugar was over 300! On 7.5, my blood sugar is gradually coming down to acceptable levels. I also have the extra benefit of being able to set aside my busy thoughts and live in the moment. I'm loving it. I hope this will not be one of those meds that I need more and more of over time. Will report back in 6 months! Meanwhile, Zyprexa is worth a look if other sleep meds haven't worked for you."

• Ean...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2021

"This medication is an absolute lifesaver. I was so scared to try it, and I’ve been on a laundry list of other meds for insomnia, and nothing worked. I went from having disrupted shallow sleep for a couple of hours every night to sleeping through the entire evening, waking up after 8-9 hours feeling rested without any side effects aside from some very mild daytime sleepiness, which is a trade-off I'm more than willing to accept right now. Give this a try if you’re on the fence about it. I’m taking 5mg at night, and that dose works like a charm for me."

• Aus...
• March 31, 2021

"I was given 2.5 mg of generic Zyprexa for insomnia and anxiety. After the first night, I noticed quickly that I only needed half a pill, 1.75 mg. 2.5 mg knocked me out cold, and I had a hard time getting up to pee midway through the night. The next day was sleepiness and fatigue that is only comparable to high doses of Lunesta or Ambien. I also had a hard time with thoughts and speech. When I tried half a pill the next day, it was much more tolerable. Good luck with this med if you are given it."

• dto...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2018

"The relatively low dose of Zyprexa and eventually the generic - I prefer the generic tablet that can be broken in half in many dosages - helped to taper off the Seroquel nightmare. I still take a low dose every so often to get to sleep, and wow how powerful these meds are. I am hopeful to find a strain of marijuana that will eventually take care of my sleep problems, even though it was the drug that messed up my sleep from the beginning."

• des...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 14, 2021

"Was put on it as an adjunct with Effexor, mirtazapine, zopiclone, promethazine, Lyrica, and Epilim. I'm bipolar and epileptic. It did nothing except make me fat, blunted my emotions, raised my cholesterol, and white blood cells went haywire."

• bix...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 3, 2022

"I was on olanzapine for 1 year. It worked really well for sleep. Unfortunately, it got too drying for me, so I had to take a break from it. I started it again as my bipolar escalated, in which I was not sleeping for days. When this happens, my psychosis sets in. This is not a pleasant thing. The first night was great to sleep. It took a couple of days for the psychosis to go away. This is a really helpful drug and not at all hard to come off it. Just have to watch the drying of throat and lungs side effect."

• Gul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2016

Olanzapine "Started Zyprexa 5 mg for a week, bumped up to 10 mg... This medication works well for me. I'm able to control my depression and irritability better. Weight gain is fine for me as I only weighed 98 pounds when I started the medication. I am now 108 after two weeks and I am not complaining. I've been getting insomnia since starting the 10 mg. I wake up around 12, 1, or 2 in the a.m. and can't go back to sleep. Will definitely talk to Psych about this problem."

• Sle...
• March 24, 2016

Olanzapine "I have been prescribed Zyprexa 10 mg just two days ago. It was prescribed for insomnia and an extra medication for my depression. I have not slept as well as I was told I would. I have had major restlessness in my legs and arms to where I haven't slept well at all. I have felt very drowsy during the day. I have also tried Ambien, which also gave me restlessness in my legs. Not sure if this is the right one for me either. Maybe I just need more time? I have noticed I am eating more throughout the day. Not worried about that so much since I need to put on some weight."

• Joh...
• March 10, 2017

Olanzapine "I developed an illness that evolved in stages. A few stages in, I lost the ability to sleep naturally. This was about eleven years ago. A few years went by trying every sleep med with utter failure: Ambien, Lunesta, benzodiazepines, trazodone, most atypical antipsychotics. Eventually, a new lifestyle evolved where I would be up for near three days straight, then sleep for a full day, repeat. What finally put me to sleep was a little risperidone and a megadose of Seroquel. Risperdal 'allowed' me to fall asleep, while the max dose of Seroquel 'KEPT ME in the sleeping state 'long enough' and 'deep enough.' 3 am now, tried 10 mg of Zyprexa an hour ago alone, it's barely affecting me. Remeron with halved Seroquel/Risperdal put me down great."

• Rix...
• November 2, 2016

"Was born with insomnia. Now 57 years and had ZERO SLEEP since the beginning of October 2016, with severe bouts of insomnia since December last year. I'm having these surreal feelings from total lack of sleep. It is now 2:45 am. Normally, I just lie awake in bed until the birds start to sing. I had been on all available sleeping tablets and now have built up a resistance/tolerance to them, thus the zero sleep. Cannot go to work because of it. I've stumbled upon an olanzapine packet which apparently was given to me in the hospital after I fell 2 stories high and broke my pelvis in 2 places, broke also my hip, sitting bone, and squashed 2 vertebrae. They gave me olanzapine in the hospital to help me lie still flat on my back. I just took 5 mg. Hope for the best, please:)"

• man...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 19, 2021

"I was on olanzapine for three years. It worked well for me. However, the weight gain was terrible. I'm a healthy eater but gained 40 lbs. I have cerebral palsy and walk with a cane. It got to the point where I put on so much weight that when I would fall, I couldn't get back up. However, it is fantastic for sleep."

• Vio...
• September 11, 2021

"I have been taking olanzapine for 25 years. Dosage was changed many times, from 15 to 20 mg. Because of age, I have been on 10 mg for the last 4 years. Every time the doctor tries to increase by even 2.5 mg, I get severe insomnia. So it looks like I'm leaving it at 10. Overall, it has been an amazing drug."

• Aub...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 30, 2022

"I have been on 15 mgs of olanzapine for a while now. Thanks to a local Rite Aid I haven't gotten a refill for almost 4 weeks. For almost 2 and a half weeks I had the most awful withdrawal symptoms (headaches as soon as I woke up, nausea, vomiting, even losing my appetite for a while, and a few other things) and I have never gotten withdrawals from medication before. I will say that without this medication my sleep has been awful. I am either falling asleep and constantly waking up throughout the night and having difficulty going back to sleep, or I'm up for all hours of the night. This has been a great medication for me. I'm also bipolar type 2, and it seems to help me with that."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2022

"Olanzapine (5 mg). This drug has caused weight gain for me and constant shaking. I was happy for a bit, then just wanted to die. It does help me sleep, but my moods are all over the place. Honestly, if you don't have bipolar or schizophrenia, try and stay away from it. I can't go off of it because I need it."