Olanzapine and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• elu...
• September 28, 2018

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "I took this medication for 9 months before the voices in my head went away. I continued taking this medication for two years. I'm still not convinced that this medication had anything to do with the voices going away. I think if it were effective, the voices would have stopped sooner. I also always felt sedated and never had any motivation to do anything. I used to be the person who always read all of the recent news and was well-informed, but this medication turned me into a lazy and ill-informed person. I also used to run and do yoga often, but this medication made me have no motivation to do those things anymore. I gained 40 lbs on Zyprexa. I just started taking Latuda two weeks ago, and I have already lost 10 lbs and I feel like I have much more energy and motivation. The only issue is that now I have insomnia from Zyprexa withdrawal. I wish my doctors would have originally prescribed Latuda instead of Zyprexa so I wouldn't have had to deal with the withdrawal."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 19, 2020

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "Zyprexa worked for me to some extent. My paranoid thoughts and anxiety almost completely went away, however, I had some negative side effects. One major negative side effect was weight gain. This caused me to feel very insecure about myself. I had very poor eating habits, and I would crave foods that I wouldn't normally crave, especially at nighttime. I'm not sure if this is common or uncommon, but while I was taking Zyprexa, I felt emotionally numb. I couldn't feel emotions like I did prior to taking the medication. My sleep was also regulated while taking this medication, but I would sleep for long hours and would have difficulty waking up in the morning. I don't take Zyprexa anymore. It did help with some of my side effects relating to my mental illness, which I am glad about, but I feel that it caused negative effects in other aspects. I think we need to weigh the pros and cons because most medications won't be 'perfect' without any side effects."

• Uge...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2018

For Schizoaffective Disorder "After trying Abilify, Sinogan, Risperdal, and Seroquel without any success, I finally found my dreamed med. I've been on it for almost 2 months. The first few days, it felt like a mental breakdown, but come on! You need to break through in order to reach a normal state of consciousness again. After a couple of weeks on it, I feel like a perfectly normal person again. No more paranoia, anxiety fully suppressed, and depression too. Just watch out for what you eat. The hunger it gives is completely manageable. If you go fat, it is because you are giving up to your desires."

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

For Insomnia "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."

• san...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "On olanzapine, I felt like I had been lobotomized. I felt sad and unmotivated as usual, but I could not bring myself to cry or express any pent-up feelings. I could not cry at all, no matter how hard I tried, it freaked me out."

• san...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "On olanzapine, I felt like I had been lobotomized. I felt sad and unmotivated as usual, but I could not bring myself to cry or express any pent-up feelings. I could not cry at all, no matter how hard I tried, it freaked me out."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2022

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "I lost my soul on this… I was prescribed it for being underweight and having a first psychotic episode. This managed to get rid of the catatonia and delusions which I held for a pretty long time. I gained like my entire body weight on it (60 lbs), so I was twice as heavy. Olanzapine made the negative symptoms (anhedonia) much worse and absolutely shattered my confidence. I lost my intellect on this and became a shell of my former self. I completely stopped taking it and since will not touch any medicine besides Geodon and Prozac."

• Ger...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 9, 2025

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "Greetings everyone, this medicine has brought me back to life. I used to give strangers the evil eye when walking down the street, now I don't. This medicine has allowed me to not go back to jail. Without it, I would be on drugs and homeless. It's not perfect, so my doctor has prescribed me Prozac to fight the depression. Thank you for reading."

• Sjf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2018

For Depression "I was on olanzapine and fluoxetine for depression, and it helped with my depression, but the olanzapine was far too sedating and made me feel emotionally numb and indifferent. I was also on Vyvanse for ADD at the time, and it essentially eliminated the effect of the Vyvanse. It also increased my appetite significantly, and I ended up putting on 10 lbs in a month and a half, so I stopped taking it and had no issues with any withdrawal symptoms. Overall, it helped with my depression somewhat, but it didn’t give me any benefit apart from being not depressed and emotionally numb."

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2018

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have a love-hate relationship with Zyprexa. I was initially put on it when I had a breakdown, it was the worst I ever felt mentally in my life. Before going on it, I hadn’t slept soundly for 10 years. Taking Zyprexa was a last-resort drug, and it worked great for getting me through that tough time. When I started to take it, I could finally get a good night's sleep, I can’t even explain how good that felt after going so long without it. I also feel like it saved my marriage. Now the downsides: I gained about 40 lbs since I’ve started taking it 12 years ago. It makes me feel hungry constantly and crave sweets. Another thing is I am so unmotivated, it’s so frustrating! Anytime I try to reduce it, I find I get irritable and not able to sleep, so then I go back up again. I definitely think this drug is not good for everyone, I would only recommend it as a last resort."

• Spi...
• October 14, 2019

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "Diagnosis: Severe rapid cycling bipolar, heavy on mania. Zoloft is a very positive experience. Benefits: - No extreme highs, only small and easily controlled bouts of hypomania. - No staying up for days on end anymore, more restful sleep in general. - Increased appetite and slight weight gain, may be a con for some but I have no to low appetite and am clinically underweight. 3 lb total gain over 3 months. - Less irritability, less suicidal ideation, less call of the void. - No real low swings at all, either neutral or normal emotional response. - Decreased anxiety. - I still have emotions and interests unlike when on Lithium/Zoloft/Lexapro, on those, I would sit and just stare at my wall uncaring for 15+ hours a day and still had periods of mania intermixed. Cons: - Slight decrease in motivation/interest in hobbies like video games, but not severe. - Makes my RLS flare up, especially with any amount of alcohol in the mix. Easily combat this by waiting until I'm on the verge of sleep to take it."

• VC8...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 22, 2017

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "What an awful medication! I took olanzapine for 6 months, and I’ll give it credit that it completely got rid of mania, racing thoughts, and impulsivity. However, I became severely depressed, and I was also a walking zombie. I could stare at the wall or ceiling for hours and be okay with that. I also gained 50 pounds in 6 months. Finally got off olanzapine last winter and took Seroquel XR-also lost 40 pounds of the weight that I gained on Zyprexa. Stay away from this med-there are so many other options!"

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

For Schizophrenia "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 for Schizophrenia "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."

• mus...
• August 26, 2019

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "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."

• mus...
• August 26, 2019

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "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."

• Bre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 31, 2021

Olanzapine for Depression "Do not take this medication unless you have a very specific need for it, namely, schizophrenia. I've struggled with severe depression, anxiety, and sleep issues for more than 8 years and was prescribed this because my psychiatrist had nothing left to try. While it did help my sleep and anxiety for about 4 months, it had diminishing returns to the point that it ended up making my sleep and anxiety worse, along with the depression. I'm 4 months off this drug and life is an utter nightmare. I can't completely blame this drug for my current state as I've been constantly going downhill for years, but this drug definitely overall made me feel worse. Beware if you have sleep issues, because this might help for a little while but will likely stop at some point and your brain will no longer be able to get into deep sleep on its own. I guess if you're suicidal, maybe then it's worth a go because what do you have to lose?"

• Mar...
• October 18, 2016

For Schizophrenia "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."

• Mad...
• July 21, 2022

For Anorexia "I was given Zyprexa/olanzapine while in an eating disorder residential facility. I had heard about it previously and knew that really the only reason it was ever administered to patients with eating disorders was because it made you gain weight. Still, I figured I'd give it a try since I was struggling. Sure, it was easier to eat the next day, but that was because my head was so empty that my eating disorder thoughts were gone. Actually, pretty much all my thoughts were gone. I felt like a robot or a machine with extreme emotional blunting. I ate because my eating disorder thoughts just... weren't there. Which would have been a good thing if I could have thought about anything else, aside from how frustrated I was that my head felt so empty. Oh, and I had almost collapsed twice during morning vitals when I had to stand for two minutes straight. They brought me back to my room, took my blood sugars, and let me sleep. Don't take it! It doesn't help!"

• Anx...
• June 12, 2022

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was put on Zyprexa for intrusive thoughts and depression. I have been on it for 14 months. Started weaning myself off of it a week ago. It caused me to develop akathisia, worsened depression and anxiety. My insomnia also became worse. I can already tell a difference in my weight gain (have lost 2 lbs since weaning). This and Zoloft are the worst medications I have ever taken. I need to be put back on Xanax, but I do not want rebound anxiety or withdrawals when I stop taking it, as it's only supposed to be taken short-term. Pharma needs to make a med with no side effects that will ease depression and take away anxiety. I think they are capable, they just don't want to lose the money they are making from us taking these awful drugs hoping they will help us."

• Kip...
• December 16, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "Diagnosed bipolar. I took 10 mg nightly for mania/psychosis. Was great for the first month, but then depression started to sink in, followed by insomnia and debilitating anxiety that brought me back to the hospital several times. It took 5 mg Ativan to stop the anxiety; I was so drugged up I drove off the road. I was put on 2 mg Klonopin but developed a tolerance. What a mess. I finally went back to the source of my depression and anxiety attacks, and they first occurred when I was just on Olanzapine. Tried to wean off, got rebound anxiety. Currently, I’m weaning off Olanzapine AND Benzos onto gabapentin. What a mess. This drug turned me into an anhedonic, amotivated ball of depression and anxiety. If this happens to you, get off it as soon as you notice you are going downhill. Don’t wait 5 months like I did."

• Vic...
• February 2, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Was prescribed olanzapine from the hospital after a manic episode, and it helped me recover quickly... 5 mg morning/night. I asked my primary doctor to prescribe it to me because it seemed to be helping my symptoms. After 1-2 months, I started feeling depressed, brain fog, no passion, and it was hard for me to wake up. Gained 10-15 lbs, which is my current nightmare!!! I am binge eating... low energy, low moods, and no concentration. All my hard work of keeping my diet and fitness goals down the drain. Good if you are looking for a quick fix but not long term. Beware."

• Mal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication got rid of my sex life and made me very anxious, depressed, and after a few months it no longer made me sleepy, and I had difficulty staying asleep. To me, the side effects outweighed the little benefits I got."

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

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "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!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Zyprexa helped a lot with preventing mania for me, as well as chronic psychosis. What didn't work was the 50 lbs of weight gain, sedation in the mornings making me late to work constantly, and the super flat affect and lack of personality. Didn't work well for me, but it might for someone else!"