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Olanzapine for Schizophrenia User Reviews

Brand names: Zyprexa, Zyprexa Zydis, Zyprexa Relprevv, Zyprexa Intramuscular

Olanzapine has an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 from a total of 123 reviews for the treatment of Schizophrenia. 34% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 37% reported a negative experience.

Olanzapine rating summary

5.3/10 average rating

123 ratings from 138 user reviews.

Compare all 80 medications used in the treatment of Schizophrenia.

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14%
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14%
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7%
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Reviews for Olanzapine

  • Tinke...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • September 9, 2020

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Zyprexa saved my life with schizophrenia. It cleared the utter chaos, despair, hallucinations, voices, bipolar mania, accelerated and disruptive thinking, unfocused mental confusion, flat out psychosis - in a matter of a day. I took 15 mg."

10 / 10
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121 Report
  • Geoff
  • November 4, 2019

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I was on Zyprexa at 25mg (had Psychosis) for a few months, literally, the worst months of my life, all I wanted to do was eat and sleep so tired and foggy and I had no motivation so glad I ignored doctors and got off it as soon as I possibly could. if there was an option for Zero I would give that this stuff is utter garbage."

1 / 10
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82 Report
  • NoJus...
  • March 28, 2019

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I take 10 mg of zyprexa at night and it makes me feel like it I've been chemically lobotomized. Not to mention the irritability And being tired all the time. This medication made me sleep for 10 whole hours and I still feel sleepy after waking up. Also my motor skills have been cut in half, I keep stumbling over stuff like I'm drunk and having blurred vision all day. This medication is a mental handicap in a bottle. How in the world does this help out with schizophrenia and depression?? I would not recommend this medication to anybody. Eli Lilly should be ashamed of themselves."

1 / 10
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71 Report
  • Costa...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • September 21, 2017

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This drug saved my life, I had been on almost all atypical meds with no luck. Now I have been on 40mg of zyprexa for 10 years with no relapses, and have even managed to hold down a job. I gained 20 pounds and an now a type 2 diabetic, but it was worth it. My family and friends noticed rapid improvements within a week of starting zyprexa. A little hint, when starting zyprexa, ask your dr to prescribe benztopine, it prevents many of the negative side effects of zyprexa. I hope this review helps some one :-)"

10 / 10
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71 Report
  • Anonymous
  • January 1, 2009

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This medication killed my schizophrenia in two months. But I gained 20 pounds which is okay considering I was a little underweight. The worst side effect was that my eyes would not move. Finally a doctor told me to cut down my dosage from 10 mg to 5 mg and this lowered the occurence. When I lowered it to 2.5 mg the side effect completely went away. Now I feel great and the schizophrenia is still gone. I recommend Zyprexa but the doctor has to be really careful with the dosage."

8 / 10
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123 Report

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  • Anonymous
  • January 18, 2009

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I've been taking Zyprexa for just over a year now and have seen dramatic improvements in my life. I used to be incredibly paranoid of people, was hearing voices and was delusional about my physical health. I'm on 20mgs of Zyprexa and most of my symptoms have cleared. Some of them remain, but they're much more tolerable than they used to be. The only drawbacks I have noticed are weight gain and slowed reactions but I'd rather live through those side effects than experience what I did before treatment."

8 / 10
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103 Report
  • Toka
  • September 26, 2020

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I feel very sleepy, very tired. I got brain tumor. It might be side effect of Zyprexa or hydroclorizoride a water pill. Because of Zyprexa I gained a lot of weight and got high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol."

1 / 10
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33 Report
  • AAano
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • June 19, 2019

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "It has some initial side affects like feeling dizzy. But all in all after more than 7years I totally like the drug. I have been on 5mg for about 5years now. I took 5mg all through my pregnancy based on doctors advice and I gave birth to healthy baby girl 2 years ago. I was also able to breast feed because the drug was not found in my breast milk due to low dosage I was using according to doctor's report."

10 / 10
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41 Report
  • Kj9
  • January 11, 2021

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I was given 20mg Zyprexa in the hospital. This drug is horrible. The side effects hit me hard, severe dizziness, dry mouth. Now down to 5mg feel like my life is draining out of me with sweats, dizziness, trouble doing anything. It's not like I just dropped to 5mg. I went 7 days 20mg, 7 days 15mg, 7 days 10mg, 7 day 7.5mg and I'm currently on 5 mg day and I feel like screaming. I wish I never was introduced to this med sorry"

1 / 10
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30 Report
  • Ash
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • August 25, 2020

"I had been taking seroquel for many years, I was tired all the time, slurred speech, slow reaction to things, after being back in hospitals for a relapse I was given olanzapine and the difference was immediate. I was able to hold conversations longer, I was alert, I could remember more and had more energy than before. Yeah I gained about 30 pounds buts thats ok because my memory is much better, I don't sleep all day like I did on seroquel. This drug was a blessing. My family sees the difference and my friends say I sound better, because before talking with them on the phone I had always sounded out of it, thou I did not know. It was as if I was a zombie living day in and day out while taking seroquel. My life has changed for the better since my dr changed my medication to zyprexa aka olanzipine. Thank you so much to whichever company created this medical miracle."

10 / 10
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30 Report
  • morgs
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • October 27, 2020

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I started taking Zyprexa 10mg in 1996 until in 2017 which is when I began tapering due to health reasons. I am now down to 2.5mg but have gained a lot of weight, pain in joints, inability to sleep well, anxiety for no reason, memory loss, inability to think, no motivation, crying for no reason, terrible pain in my arms, muscle cramps in my feet, pancrititis, constant eating, lack of feelings and enjoyment. Extremely difficult to get off it, it ruined my life!"

1 / 10
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29 Report
  • 27yea...
  • June 19, 2012

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I take 7.5mg a day for schizophrenia, I have only been on this medicine for 5 weeks but it has helped me immensely with both negative and positive symptoms. I have gained weight but its a small price to pay for some peace of mind, honestly couldn't be more grateful for this medicine."

10 / 10
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70 Report
  • Amy
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • January 30, 2022

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Zyprexa immediately helped me 16 years ago when my delusions started. (I was 25 then). After that first episode my doctor quit Zyprexa after 5 years of remission. But a year after, my delusions started again and again Zyprexa helped me. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia then. It has been 16 years now that I am on 5 mg and the only side effect is moderate weight gain. I tried Latuda just recently, but it was a nightmare. When I switched back to Zyprexa everything got back to normal. Of course I keep trying to eat healthy all these years. Honestly, Zyprexa and my doctor saved my life. Keep being positive every minute and every day!"

10 / 10
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20 Report
  • Zyprexa...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • October 5, 2022

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I am probably the longest exisiting user of Zyprexa in the world. I have been on this medication for over 22 years, since I was 18. It has tremendous side effects on my body. I have experienced all the symptoms on the side effect lists in my life. The only beneficial things I get from using this drug and Citalopram as well are that I eat and sleep very well. The voices have not gone away but they have changed. I feel like I have been reincarnated. I don't look or feel the same as I do anymore. I can hardly recognise myself in my Facebook photos. I am still alive and 40 now, still living with my own family and doing my life as I please. I am on a Disability Pension, which I am grateful for as I have the correct illness to get this sort of payment to live on. I have been on and off in and out of hospital since first hearing voices. It's been extremely tough in my life. I just need peace of mind. Keep taking the medications as prescribed and don't cut and change it as I have done before."

10 / 10
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14 Report
  • sophia
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • September 19, 2022

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I've been on Zyprexa at 20mg for 8 months now. I have schizoaffective bipolar type. Before this I was on Seroquel 800mg and I was still having strong psychosis mainly paranoid delusions and I ended up losing my job. I was sleeping 12 hours a day on Seroquel and was getting ready to go back into the workforce so I wanted something less sedating so I asked my doctor about Zyprexa and we switched medications. I was worried about the weight gain but to my shock I started losing weight and after a few months of Zyprexa treatment I returned back to my 98lb self. This is because it does not increase my appetite. Overall my experience with Zyprexa has been very positive. My only complaint is that I still sleep 12 hours a day but the benefit I receive from the medication makes the sedation worth it. For the first time In my life I can hold down a job and life is looking up. I hope Zyprexa really does work for me in the long run and I'm not changing meds in a few years like I've done in the past"

10 / 10
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14 Report
  • mickw...
  • July 15, 2019

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "For 5-6 years I have taken Zyprexa for schizo affective disorder . Weight gain isn't a problem if you lift weights 5x5 and eat lots of protein during the day and a casein shake at night. You might still gain weight but it'll be muscle as long as you cut out carbs and sugar while eating more protein than your body weight and a lot of fat that'll do it..."

7 / 10
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31 Report
  • Olanz...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • December 30, 2020

"I was on olanzapine for six months and I can safely say it ruined my life. I felt disconnected with myself on this drug, it definitely didn't help me with my situation, instead I got food cravings and headaches. I gained a lot of weight and it has taken me 8 years to lose the weight I gained with this drug, and I still have a ways to go. It is an awful drug and should never be prescribed. Just look at the numerous side effects."

1 / 10
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23 Report
  • DatMe...
  • April 4, 2012

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Before I took Zyprexa I was hallucinating due to lack of sleep and exhaustion. While I was hospitalized I denied my medication and wouldn't take it but as soon as I took Zyprexa and Remeron my sleep got better. I stopped hallucinating & hearing things. Thanks to my medication I haven't been hospitalized for psychosis since I've been given Zyprexa."

8 / 10
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59 Report
  • jacmore
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 8, 2019

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I am overall very pleased with Zyprexa for my Schitzo affective disorder. My son says he's never seen me so welI. I've been on this medication for about 8 months. I've gained about 25 kgs which I hate and I need about 10 hours sleep each night, but at least I am well. "

10 / 10
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29 Report
  • Anonymous
  • August 7, 2011

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I am currently on Zyprexa and I have been using it for a year. My life completely changed. I have less fear and I am more relaxed. The only thing though is I experienced fatigue whenever I woke up. But so far, the results were great! My doctor did a good job!"

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55 Report
  • Laser...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 23, 2012

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Got this medicine and was amazed at how I recovered. I wasn't paranoid, was relaxed and loved life. Until I kept taking it for a couple years and all the symptoms returned I now am withdrawing, which is a nightmare. "

3 / 10
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50 Report
  • Nutty...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • January 13, 2016

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "An amazing medication considering the earlier antiphsycotics available, I think its more expensive that could effect availability. I do suffer from shaky hands but its the only side effect noticed.I take 20mg at night, it doesn't make me sleepy, no weight gain or hangover effect. Don't increase the dose it doesn't help it just gives restless legs and I was informed a dangerous to increase"

7 / 10
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32 Report
  • Goodf...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 15, 2015

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "Was hospitalized after psychotic break proscribed Zyprexa 20mg at first the medicine was ok my paranoia and schizophenic thoughts went away. But after about two weeks i started to notice the side affects weight gain was the most obvious gained 40 pounds in two months and sleep i was sleeping 9-12 hours a night it was difficult to wake up in the morning. During the day i felt unmotivated and at work i had no energy even after drinking an energy drink.lowerd my dose to 5mg it didnt make difference. after about 6 months i had enough decided to try an other medication now i fell much better. bottom line Zyprexa was the worst med ive ever tried.If you want to try this med beware you will gain weight."

1 / 10
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33 Report
  • Bilbo
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • January 9, 2021

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "I have schizophrenia. I was on 40mg of Zyprexa for 14 years, lots of side effects such as 70lbs weight gain, high cholesterol and triglycerides, diabetes, and it made me sleep like you wouldn't believe, 10-12 hours a night. But it did work well for my anxiety and psychosis. However, after 14 years it lost effectiveness. I started having hallucinations again. It took me 3 years of a slow taper to get off it and the withdrawals have still been a nightmare, all kinds of weird symptoms (which have all disappeared now) but the main problems remaining are anxiety and insomnia. I never had insomnia problems before or during the use of this medication. I've been off it for almost 2 months now and am still experiencing anxiety and insomnia. I was switched to Latuda which is a phenomenal medication, no side effects and total effectiveness for my schizophrenia."

7 / 10
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16 Report
  • schiz...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 20, 2015

Zyprexa (olanzapine) "This drug has turned down the volume on a lot of my voices. Which is great. I sleep better and take more naps during the day. Also notice my appetite increased which is where I think people mean they gain weight on this med. I just exercise an hour a day. My mood is kinda flat lined."

8 / 10
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33 Report

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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