Olanzapine for Schizophrenia User Reviews (Page 3)

• Tur...
• December 15, 2020

"I hate olanzapine. When I started taking them, together with risperidone, which I'm off now, I couldn't really talk or gather my thoughts in any cohesive way. I'm tired and sleep two to three times a day. My dose is 20 mg, 10 in the morning, 10 in the evening. I can't really say anything to their effectiveness because I have had one psychotic (probably marijuana-induced) episode, and now it's been two years since that. I feel like my brain is shut down. I don't really have any thoughts about anything except my anxieties anymore. Can't wait to stop taking them."

• Sch...
• June 11, 2019

"Zyprexa / olanzapine made my psychotic symptoms, delusions, paranoia, and auditory and visual hallucinations far worse. It took me a while to notice the connection. Whenever I take a break from it, it's hard to cope at first, but within days, weeks, or months, my symptoms become less intense; I got better. At first, I assumed the continued worsening of my mental state was simply my disorder developing by itself. I had to increase my dosage to cope with this. Then, as I took a break from the meds, my issues reversed. I finally gave up the meds, and my psychotic symptoms are similar to how they were before I was prescribed olanzapine, but not nearly as severe as they were while on the medication. This medication did more harm than good. Is it actually researched enough to be prescribed as easily and often as it is? Loads of my friends take it for anxiety, depression, bipolar (although my observation is that it did help my friend during a manic episode), sleep issues, PTSD, and so on."

• Nic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 4, 2021

Olanzapine "I took this yesterday, and that will probably be my first and LAST time taking it EVER!!! I got this garbage back in March of this year for schizophrenia and anxiety. I took it once on March 28, and I had a horrible experience! I was super sleepy, more annoyed, and hungry like a bottomless pit! I went from a small cute 123 lbs, where I was in shape and everything, where I looked my BEST so far in my adult life, and my weight went all the way up to 178!! I feel so gross now. I weighed 178 by May 1 of this year due to eating MEALS every 5 minutes. I didn’t take this ever since until yesterday. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been experiencing Ativan withdrawal, where I was more paranoid than usual, dreamlike, and lashing out at everyone. I took this yesterday, and I felt WORSE!!! MORE paranoid, enraged, very sleepy, I kept scrunching my face and wanted to go to sleep, even in public, 4 night terrors in one night, insanely hungry. I got my Ativan today, and these effects wore off. Never again. 0/10"

• Ktf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2021

Olanzapine "Wow!!! I’ve only been on this med one day, and this stuff really works. I’m taking it PRN. I’m thinking clearer, no hallucinations, and I feel less anxious (also no paranoia). I also have bipolar disorder, so I’m not sure how it works for mania and depression. But I feel a lot better today."

• End...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 25, 2021

"Olanzapine 17.5 mg to 10 mg over 6 months gave me reduced motivation - can't get going like I used to. 3 years after stopping cellulite - never had it before olanzapine. Can't get rid of depression - never had a day of depression before olanzapine, now rarely have a depression-free day. Struggle with conversation and small talk. Get tired more easily. Olanzapine blocks dopamine receptors - basically takes away the enjoyment from your life. Please avoid. No good will come from this drug."

• mus...
• August 26, 2019

Olanzapine "I started off with 10 mg, 7 mg, and currently 5 mg. After refusing to take any medication because of prior complications and skepticism, I finally gave in and decided to give it a try as a last resort. I started with 10 mg Abilify, which made me very tired, sluggish, and depressed, so I switched to Zyprexa 10 mg. The tiredness went away, paranoia went away. There are a few side effects, however, like lack of motivation or anhedonia, and significant weight gain, but overall I'd say if you're struggling, give Zyprexa a try to balance out the depressiveness and lack of motivation, which is still an issue with taking antipsychotics. I also take antidepressants, Cymbalta."

• Kes...
• February 25, 2008

"Pros: Olanzapine controls conversations in my head to clear thoughts, working extremely well. I have taken Olanzapine for the majority of ten years, nothing else works as good for me. Cons: I gained weight at the beginning of treatment (eating too much) because of hunger sensation, but this subsides. I have neck stiffness - this may not be connected to treatment, also irregular heartbeat (not serious), I think this is probably unconnected to treatment."

• ABa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2020

Olanzapine "I suffer from schizophrenia and paranoid delusions. Zyprexa did not work well for me. Paranoid delusions persisted. This medicine gave me severe restless legs, which sometimes spread to my arms. Also, I found it extremely difficult to concentrate and had difficulty carrying conversations. I switched off of risperidone because it gave me extreme anxiety to Zyprexa. And now I am switching to Abilify from Zyprexa. Hopefully, this is the right choice!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2020

Olanzapine "I was prescribed Zyprexa when I was hospitalized for no reason. My situation was bad, and the police thought I ran away from home. This caused a big problem in my life because, since my hospitalization, I have been on and off medication. I see things and hear things, and it all causes more side effects. I now say to myself after all these years that I had a good time in school, but after a heartbreaking relationship, it sent me to the hospital because I couldn't deal with it."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2020

Olanzapine "Terrible medicine. Started taking it when I first had a psychotic episode. Gave me akathisia, didn't sleep for a week, ended up in the ER where they finally realized they should give me a tranquilizer to put me to sleep for about 6 hours. Next thing I know, I'm being woken up and transported to a psych hospital. I slept 0 hours in a week, and they wake me up to transport me after a few hours. The hospital was empty with plenty of beds. America's health care is garbage. They should have just let me sleep as much as possible at the hospital. Absolute garbage."

• Inv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 12, 2017

"It has been a long and dreadful road, but it has been getting better ever since I first took it. Voices are going away ever so gradually, but they ARE going away. Used to not be able to watch TV because the hockey game always seemed to be about me and my insecurities (if I watched anything on TV, it was hockey). Hate to have it happen, but I grew from 150 pounds to 190-195 pounds and from either a waist size of 30-32 to 34. And I didn't seem to be eating very much more than what I used to, although after I eat something big, I get hungry a lot quicker than what I used to. I think once I have the symptoms all gone, it will be easier to hit the gym anytime I want again to get back to 150. Overall, the voices are there daily, but will be gone soon enough."

• Jos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2020

"This medication works to make the voices less irritable to listen to, and that's the upside. Though, fortunately, I'm not forced to take it. That's because I don't feel like me anymore just taking it once. I can feel my emotions, thoughts, completely gone. This really is sort of relaxing, but it's a dull feeling in my mind. I don't like it whatsoever. I'd only take it if I really needed a break, though still, I may think twice next time."

• Mar...
• October 18, 2016

"I wasn't prescribed Zyprexa for OCD, but for psychosis. But since I developed OCD on this med, I wanted to warn people. Before Zyprexa, I was slightly perfectionist and obsessive, but because of Zyprexa, I developed full-blown OCD (upon withdrawal). Ever since using Zyprexa, I can't function because of obsessions and many other problems that started with Zyprexa. I changed into a completely different person: angry, sad, obsessive, controlling, unkind. Zyprexa is said to cause OCD in some 20% or so of its users. Please stay away from it if you already have OCD...it may worsen it."

• ola...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 16, 2019

"Olanzapine is the only thing that has worked for me. Gives me good sleep, improves my appetite, keeps my mood up, balanced and happy, curbs psychotic tendencies. Only weird side effect is that I feel that I get stimulated from it in some way. In that I have a more intense inner dialogue because of it. Self-talking, if that's what you would call it. I have considered changing the drug because I thought it was promoting my psychosis inside while normalizing my behavior on the outside, but each time I stop it, I can't sleep, I get very, very agitated, and I feel like there's a burning in my skull, and I feel like my mind is being seared. I think I have just become dependent on it. But that's okay since it keeps me going."

• smi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 27, 2021

Olanzapine "My experience with this drug was terrible, first time taking it in a mental institution for a psychotic episode, I turned into a zombie. When I got out, my appetite was HUGE, I was eating everything in sight, ended up gaining 100 lbs in 3 months, completely ruined my self-image and confidence. It's a year later now, and I still haven't lost the weight. Would give this drug a 0 out of 10 if that was an option, stay away from this joke of an antipsychotic."

• Jol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2017

"This drug has not helped me in any good way. I have gained weight, I still hear voices. I have become depressed and have suicidal thoughts. I feel like I'm sitting at the bottom of the ocean. This drug is not helping at all. I can only imagine the damage it is doing to my body. I have poor bladder control. I slur my words, and it drugs me out. My memory has become shocking. And every day is a struggle to function. I'm so tired :("

• Ali...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 23, 2022

Olanzapine "I was prescribed Zyprexa 20 mg daily for psychosis, not otherwise described. The first two years it seemed to work. None or fewer thoughts, heavily sedated. Slept a lot. Flattened emotions. Blunted. After a couple of years more, I became heavily obese. At the beginning, my weight was 100 kg. After a few years, 160 kg. This medication not only increases binging on eating, but it also alters your metabolism. And totally relapsed if you don't taper off gradually. As soon as you are stable, ask your doctor as quickly as you can to taper off this medication, as this is not a medication for long-term use."

• Vil...
• May 4, 2021

"I took it for 9 months for a psychotic episode, and I stopped taking it suddenly. I developed a numb, tight, pressured head, my brain feels like mush and like permanent brain damage. It's been like that for 3 years and will probably be like this for the rest of my days. If you do take it, when you come off it, wean off it slowly, or just don’t bother taking it."

• cwa...
• July 21, 2019

"Been taking this drug for almost a year, and the longer I stay on it, the more illogical I become. For the record, I'm not an illogical person, but this drug just makes me that way because I'm tired all day long."

• How...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2020

"I'd give this drug 0 out of 10, even less if possible. This drug caused me excruciating testicular pains lasting for 30+ minutes many times. I've been stabbed previously, in the hand, and I can tell you that being stabbed hurt a damn sight less than taking this drug. In conclusion, I'd rather be stabbed than take olanzapine."

• Fin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 7, 2022

Olanzapine "Prescribed in late 2020 and took until about June of 2021. Zyprexa certainly has some side effects to be aware of - weight gain hit the hardest, gaining 30 pounds in just a few months after staying the same weight my whole life. However, there were several benefits that led to me asking to be placed back on it. I can sleep easier (though make sure to set alarms, you will sleep DEEP), my mind is less chaotic, no hallucinations or psychosis symptoms while on it. Zyprexa reduced my suicidal thoughts by a lot. I have been on many psychiatric medications in my life and a low dose (5 mg) of Zyprexa has by far been the most helpful. Just be aware of the weight gain and risk of muscle spasms. Generally, I am pretty anti-medication, but after insomnia for years on top of paranoid schizophrenic thoughts, Zyprexa was a blessing. If bipolar or depression, I would not suggest this med immediately - shop around a bit with mood stabilizers and antidepressants before jumping to an antipsychotic."

• ARa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2020

"I got put on olanzapine. Lasted only 5 days on it, then I stopped, had to, couldn't handle not being able to sit still at all. Plus, it made my anxiety worse and had the worst nightmares ever that I wasn't having before, and they stopped when I stopped the olanzapine."

• jva...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 16, 2021

"I can say this drug removed the symptoms of schizophrenia for me. However, the side effects from it were so absolutely horrific I was probably better off with the illness. I have stopped taking it now, against medical advice as a relapse is preferable to the side effects."

• jl4...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2015

"Works great for schizophrenia-like symptoms, still have some traces of voices, however, the symptoms are VERY suppressed and not noticeable. The medication changed my aggression symptoms into neutral/muted emotions. Sex drive is completely gone. Cannot have orgasms, and I gained 30 pounds in a month. I have a problem controlling my eating on this medication. I barely feel the sedation from when I had first started. I highly recommend this medication for psychotic symptoms. I am currently on 20 mg per day before bed."

• the...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 3, 2017

Olanzapine "I was hospitalized because of a brief psychotic episode following some traumatic events in my life, one of which was contracting Stage 3 Lyme disease. They put me on Zyprexa 5 mg. It worked for a few months, but the brain fog and lethargy were causing problems at work, so I decided to taper down to 2.5 mg and then stop. I really wish my doctor had told me not to go from 2.5 immediately to zero because the withdrawal has been an absolute nightmare. Scary dreams, non-stop anxiety, really jumpy, headaches, depression, and my brain fog has never been worse. I finally knuckled under and am taking 0.6 mg just to take the edge off. I don't want to discourage others seeking help, but stay away from Zyprexa!"