Olanzapine for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 3)

• RixZE...
• 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 this surreal feelings from total lack of sleep.It is now 2:45am.Normally I just lie awake in bed until the birds start to sing.Had been on all available sleeping tablets and now have built up a resistance/tolerance to it, thus the zero sleep.Cannot go to work because of it.I've stumbled upon an olanzapine packet which apparantly was given to me in hospital after I fell 2 storeys high and broke my pelvis in 2 places, broke also my hip, sitting bone and squashed 2 vertebrae.They gave me Olanzapine in hospital to help me lie still flat on my back.I just took 5mg hope for the best please:)"

• Rafael
• 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 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 pleaseeee"

• Tano
• January 12, 2018

"I take two 50mg tablets of trazadone plus 1 2.5mg tablet of olanzapine about half hour before I'm ready to "hit the hay" on an EMPTY stomach in which I within 10-15mins 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?"

• Austin
• March 31, 2021

"I was given 2.5mg of generic Zyprexa for insomnia and anxiety. After the first night I noticed quickly that I only needed half a pill 1.75mg. 2.5mg knocked me out cold and I had a hard time getting up to pee midway through the night. Next day was sleepiness and fatigue that is only comparable too 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 was much more tolerable. Good luck with this med if you are given it."

• Eano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2021

"This medication is an absolute life saver. 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 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."

• Nunyo
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 12, 2019

"Male, 10 mg of this with 10 mg of ambien made me sleep like a baby 8+ hours. It was very hard to get out of bed. If I drank a six pack of beer on this I could not drive properly in the morning for 4+ hours. Ambien by itself gives me 5-6 hours of sleep. And I can drive just fine in the morning if I drink a 6 pack the night before. This drug made me feel kinda like a zombie and I gained weight. It was given to me for anxiety of which it did not help. Though I would not mind trying it again at a lower dose combined with ambien to help me sleep 8 hours. I've got a few old pills and ran out of Ambien so will see what 10 mg does by itself."

• Will...
• 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 5mg. 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."

• dtoob
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2018

"The relatively low dose on Zyprexa and eventually the generic - I prefer the generic tablet that it may 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 probs even though it was the drug that messed up my sleep from the beginning."

• restl...
• 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."

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

"I was given a low dose of 2.5mg I’m to take early evening for sleep issues. I got very tired but it was after 2:30am till I finally fell asleep but still woke up several times then had trouble getting back to sleep. Once I was up (11:15am till I was able to get out of bed) I was foggy headed all day right up till bed time. 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"

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

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

• Sleepy...
• March 24, 2016

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I have been prescribed Zyprexa 10mg 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 Ambein which also gave me restlessness in my legs. Not sure if this is 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."

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

"I was prescribed olanzapine 10mg 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 and my wedding, and my relationship for a while but we are back together. I'm able to work now"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2023

"5mg made me sleep for 15 hours straight, then I woke up for 30 mins and then slept another 5 hours. When I woke up my heart was beating extremely slowly and I couldn't articulate words from the drowsiness. Terrible."

• Todd...
• 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."

• ACDF
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2022

"When I first took olanzapine it helped me sleep but never induced a really good sleep. It constipated me and made me feel numbed out. I started off with 5 mg and increased to 10 mg a month or so later. After about 10 months I tried to come off of it using a rapid taper reducing from 7.5mg for 5 days then to 5 mg for 5 days etc. As soon as the taper began I started loosing sleep. For 4 weeks I could hardly sleep at all. After seeing my doctor I have just been put back on 10 mg so that I can sleep again. I will give it a try tonight. I do not recommend this med. It appears that once you start it you can never get off of it. I wish that I never started it."

• Tez
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 29, 2022

"I couldn't sleep and this was a long standing issue. When I am on zyprexa I sleep. When I am off it nothing works to help me sleep. It helps with my depression. I work night shift and I can still get enough sleep between shifts. I do see a specialist so it isn't just any doctor prescribing it. It has made a difference in that now I can sleep"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 14, 2020

"Did you notice, no matter how mg of Olanzapine you take in the day time you wouldn't just sleep. I'm taking 20mg over 24 hours. 10mg in the night and 10mg in the afternoon but all I notice is that I don't sleep in the afternoon."

• Ashlee
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 15, 2021

"I love Zyprexa! Been on it four years. Before I couldn't sleep or eat! I will say I have put on weight and I would suggest eating every four to five hours because the hunger can be overwhelming sometimes. But I have slept so much better and oddly enough, I feel happier!"

• Violet
• September 11, 2021

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

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

"Was put on it as an ajunct with effexor,mirtazapine,zopiclone,promethazine,lyrica and epilem. Im bi polar and epileptic. It did nothing except make me fat, blunted my emotions,raised my cholesterol and white bllod cells went haywire."

• konnan
• October 19, 2016

"I am Taking 20mg of Zeprexa & 15mg of Tamazapam. I'm 43 yrs old. Im lucky if I get 1 to 2 hours of a sleep.I just started taking Zeprexa a week ago? Do I have to wait until several weeks for Zeprexa to take effect or Should I try another medication?"

• 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 1,25mg. 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 suffer the same. If you are planning to use this for insomnia, just stay away from this poison. I believe psychiatrists are not aware the real risks of this drug and it may cause permanent damage. Just stay away from this thing. I lost my ability of sleep because of this, and eventually it destroyed my life."

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

"I have been on 15mgs 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."

• bixby
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 3, 2022

"I was on olanzapine for 1 year. It worked really good 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 it. 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."