Olanzapine and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Sir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 20, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "Great drug for treating my bipolar mania and helping me sleep. I rely on this medication for stability even though it can have some nasty side effects (weight gain, lethargy, tiredness during the day), it has been a lifesaver. It helps with my depression too, but that might be more the lamotrigine I take. The main things I don't like about this drug are the weight gain, finding it hard to wake up in the morning and stay awake in the afternoon and evening. All that being said, I would be in a much worse situation without it, and I see it as a lifesaver for me as I do tons of stupid stuff when I'm manic. Don't get me wrong, I still suffer from bouts of quite serious mania/depression, but nowhere near as bad now. I had to go through tons of really awful medications over 3-4 years to finally land on olanzapine and lamotrigine, which I consider lifesavers for me and my illness. If you try olanzapine, give it at least a few months to truly give it a chance!"

• cwa...
• July 21, 2019

For Schizophrenia "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."

• Jez...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "10 mg of this olanzapine per day plus 20 mg Prozac has made a huge difference. Less anxiety, less depression, only side effect has been tiredness, but that’s only a small price to pay! Wonderful and wish I’d tried it before."

• 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!"

• Ari...
• August 18, 2016

For Depression "I've been on pretty much everything for anxiety. Had olanzapine 2.5 mg, which I started taking for a sedative. I currently blacked out and broke my jaw while having a panic attack, which led me to pass out and smash my jaw, so I can't eat or gain weight, which drew me to this med, as I had taken it before but didn't like the weight gain. It's been 2 years since I've been on it, and it's a smaller dose as well (used to be on 5 mg twice a day). Makes me feel like any other antipsychotics: hungry, tired, groggy, etc., but it does work for anxiety. I think when I'm finally able to eat again, I'll go off this med and back on benzos (as I don't want the weight gain), which I think are the best for anxiety, although highly addictive and not to be abused! GAD/Panic Disorder."

• cec...
• November 29, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "So here is the straight-up deal: Zyprexa sucks. It does. It makes you starving but never feel full, you feel tired and foggy, and generally out of it. However, if you're going through psychosis, it will stop it FAST. Bottom line: don't take it if you don't have to, if you do have to, take it as little as possible. Zyprexa saved my life, but the side effects are horrible."

• kit...
• July 20, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This drug will make you fat and stupid, not only that but you will sleep more than a hibernating bear for the first couple of months. Followed by a strong crappy lethargic feeling. Food will become your best friend even if you are a skinny minny like me with a small stomach and not much of a capacity to intake, expect that to change. Luckily, I've always been thin, about 113 lbs, and I'm 5'2. On Zyprexa, I gained until 140 lbs, and a lot of it was water. Heart disease runs in my family, this denotes high blood pressure and blood sugar being on this water/fat pill. I'm personally safer not being on this medication."

• Tou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2014

For Tourette's Syndrome "The first time I was prescribed olanzapine, I was on it for about 5-6 months. The tics were reduced by about half, which was great for me. However, I soon realized that there were subtle side effects, which had horrible results. The medicine made me very hungry, which meant I ate a lot more, and as a result, I gained around 20 pounds in a very short period of time. Another side effect was drowsiness and lethargy. I slept a lot and took naps during the day. I trialed the medicine again recently, and the same side effects occurred, so I have had to stop this medicine and try something else."

• Uta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Zyprexa for close to 2 months, prescribed for bipolar. I have noticed weight gain and that I’m more tired than usual. However, its benefits from bringing me out of a psychotic state of mania and keeping me even-keeled are worth the trade-off. I’ll just have to diet and exercise more."

• kss...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "Have been on 2.5 mg - 5 mg of olanzapine for about nine months now to help with my depression (I also take an antidepressant). The good: I’ve noticed I don’t have the same level of anger flare-ups as I did before, and my general mood is definitely better. The bad: I’m a little more tired than I think I would be otherwise, but for some reason, that’s not every day. Could be a factor other than the med. I’ve also gained a few pounds. My conclusion is, at least for now, I’m willing to put up with the side effects since the med does a lot toward me not dealing with severe depression."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2024

For Agitation "My mother had been prescribed a 2.5 mg pill for evening agitation, sundowners. When taken the first night, it helped, but after several days she became lethargic and could not function, so we discontinued using it. Recently, she was at a rehab facility where they placed her on 5 mg in the morning and trazodone. She could not function at all. We brought her home, stopped the trazodone, and reduced the olanzapine to 1.25 mg given in the afternoon. At this level, she can function well with little nighttime agitation."

• Jil...
• March 9, 2021

For Anorexia Nervosa "I started taking olanzapine to aid my anxiety around eating. It has not, the drug makes me feel constantly sluggish and tired, yet I still cannot sleep. I yearn to feel well-rested in the morning, but instead I hardly get through the night, and I feel awful. Sleeping was not even much of an issue before I took this medication. For me, it has only made things worse. I'm on 7.5 mg."

• Anonymous
• March 25, 2021

For Agitated State "Have been on this for over ten years, originally made me fat and lazy but could function as I didn't worry about anything. I have slowly improved as a person, having tapered off, without any advice. Over ten years from ten mg to now a 2.5 every two days, haven't enjoyed anything over that period of time, have regular suicidal thoughts and have been passed around by too many doctors/pharmacists to care anymore. It wouldn't be acceptable in any other sphere of health, it shouldn't be acceptable in this instance as personally most of my ensuing problems were due to the mind-numbing effects of this drug and trying to reduce it without any legitimate support."

• kee...
• May 10, 2017

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I was given olanzapine for something other than my borderline personality disorder, although I've not been told what. I'm on 10 mg, and I'm unsure whether it's the olanzapine alone, whether it's the venlafaxine I'm on, or whether it's the combination of the two. But when I fall asleep, I'm out cold. I don't turn over or move and can sleep for over a day if I don't set any alarms. But the bad thing is that when I wake up, I still feel tired and worn out."

• Anonymous
• March 12, 2022

For Anorexia "I took Zyprexa 5 mg for only 5 days, and I don't know what happened to me. Since that pill entered my system, I feel like a weird person away from myself. It's been two months, and I'm starting to feel a little bit better, but I still have difficulty with coordination and movement, and every time I move my head, I hear a weird voice. Also, there is pain in all my joints (jaw, neck, hands). That's the worst thing, and I feel tired when I do anything, besides the muscle rigidity and pain in the bones. I wish to feel normal again. Never take this medicine, it's the worst."

• Bip...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 21, 2016

Olanzapine for Schizoaffective Disorder "Very effective medication if you can handle the side effects. I gained over 100 pounds from this medication. But the medication does work. That's why I am still on it. I now get a Zyprexa injection once a month (used to get it twice a month) and I take an oral tablet at night before bed. I take a Topamax pill now so I don't gain as much weight anymore. The other side effect is fatigue and lethargy, but it's worth the side effects to stay stable and out of the hospital."

• R C...
• May 21, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I was 150 pounds, and I went up to 182 pounds within two months of using olanzapine. You are hungry all of the time on this medication and never feel satisfied. The first two weeks of medication use, I felt very tired. I am still tired, but it's not as bad as it was. I started on 15 mg. I dropped down to 10 mg. The unpleasant side effects described continued. I am in the process of getting off this medication."

• Opp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Life saver. I went inpatient with serious mania, looking and acting like a crazy person, obnoxious and irritable. They put me on Zyprexa 10 mg my first full night there, and I woke up in the morning to no mania. It did a great job there. Ten mg was making me super tired, so now I've gone down to 5 mg as a maintenance dose, if I see mania coming again, I'll take 10 mg for a bit till it passes. It does make me hungry at 10 mg, but doesn't seem too bad at 5 mg. Give it a try anyway, you may not notice the improvement as quickly as I did, but it could be your lifesaver next."

• Sav...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2015

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I found this medication to numb everything. I had no emotion. I was extremely tired and would sleep 14 hrs a night. I also gained 120 pounds in a year. I found this medication provoked my bulimia due to uncontrollable hunger. I would recommend this medication for very short term on an emergency basis."

• Sti...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 1, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Olanzapine is good medicine for the voices and hallucinations, but truly thinking of having too high a dose because of the major side effects. The most significant is tiredness and lack of motivation, plus the medicine's capability to retain body fluids, which causes me some extra kilos. I am trying soon to lower my dose if it is fine with my doctor. I don't care if I hear minor voices, meaning getting back normal emotions is more important."

• Jun...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on olanzapine for over 5 years now. I suffer from PTSD and bipolar. They have helped me massively, but my biggest point I will say is I have lost some part of my confidence and my drive. It makes me lazy. I'm now at a point in my life where I want to get myself off them, to try and get my self-confidence and motivation back without them. I have tried before a few times, but I slip back into highs and lows. My personal opinion of medication for mental health is some will suit you, some won't. It's all down to the individual. I've been on lots of different types for over 15 years and found olanzapine were the best out of the lot for me. But I say after so long it's just a mask with side effects, just like alcohol, etc. Having said all that, use them but come off them when you feel you're ready, in my opinion. Remember it's just masking your problems. Our brain is more powerful than we know. Exercise, good health, and rubbing shoulders with the right people, we overcome any struggle."

• csp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 9, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "This was just not the drug for me. While it did make me more level, I had a lot of side effects. I experienced compulsive eating, so I did gain weight. I was always tired and slept in late, and when I could finally get out of bed, I felt like a zombie. I was very crabby and irritable. It was breastfeeding-friendly and kept me relatively level, so it did the job, but I was very happy to finally get switched off it when I weaned my son."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 17, 2021

For Schizophrenia "This drug worked at first. After taking Risperdone, it helped my energy, thinking, and alertness. Then, after a year, my weight doubled. I couldn't stop eating all day, all night, my health deteriorated. I have compulsions that never helped. Now, I'm huge, no memory, and lethargic. I'm changing this medication to a different one, so far, no luck in helping me live a comparable lifestyle but without weight gain."

• Flu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "This helped me sleep, but I remain tired nearly all day. Getting out of bed in the morning is especially hard. I gained 15 lbs in less than a month! So hungry all the time, I cook and eat all the things. All of them. It doesn't even completely get rid of audio hallucinations, though, so the side effects aren't worth it for me. I can only hope the voices are getting fat too, you know? In a nutshell, this drug made me sleepy, ravenously hungry at all times, and my emotions are almost nonexistent, which feels really strange. Not an awful med for me, but certainly not good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

Olanzapine for Depression "I hate this drug so much. It made me feel so tired at work, and I couldn't focus. Almost got fired from my job thanks to Zyprexa."