Olanzapine and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 3)

• mit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2012

Olanzapine for Insomnia "I do have really bad insomnia (for the past 6 years), but this was prescribed to me for daytime use to help keep me calm. It in no way makes me sleepy but works great for my ADHD. I have also gained nearly 10 pounds in only 2 weeks. I'm not a normal eater, usually, I only eat dinner, but on this medicine, I seem to have doubled what I would normally eat. I'm addressing that issue now. Good calming down medicine, I must say."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2024

Olanzapine "This medicine made me gain 4 kg in the first weeks. After that, it stabilized. Now I'm happy I'm on this drug. It made me peaceful, slower in thinking, and I sleep very well. So I would recommend it definitely."

• Cho...
• July 20, 2015

Olanzapine for Depression "This medication has made me unemotional and boring, and like many others, I'm forever hungry. I have put on an insane amount of weight, admittedly needed, due to suffering anorexia, but when I started on this medication, I weighed 37 kg, and 6 months later, I nearly doubled to 65 kg. This I feel is an unnatural weight gain in such a short time, and now I don't go out due to feeling bad about how I look."

• Ola...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 30, 2020

For Schizophrenia "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."

• Ree...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2018

For Insomnia "I started Zyprexa about 5 years ago. The first time I took it, it definitely helped with sleep, but I was very groggy in the morning and had a hard time doing my chores and daily things. I took it for a while longer and learned you have to take it very early in the evening so you're not so groggy in the morning. It helped calm my mind and anxiety. I started gaining weight, so I went on a diet and exercise regime. It helped, but I still wasn't happy with my amount of weight loss. So I had my doctor put me on something else. I've been miserable for 5 years with anxiety, which I take a benzodiazepine for, and I had the racing thoughts and depression. I tried all sorts of drugs for my insomnia: doxepin, mirtazapine, and Seroquel. They all had horrible side effects. I felt like I was in outer space. So today, after a lengthy time of stress and no sleep, I asked my new doctor if I could go back on Zyprexa, so tonight I'm taking 20 mg of Zyprexa and 200 mg of trazodone. I'm a little nervous, so we will see what happens. Wish me luck!"

• Bon...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 9, 2017

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "I was put on Zyprexa after my dad got murdered. It worked okay for that medicated zombie feel. I took up to 20 mg a day. Gained so much weight that I wore a waist size 40 pants. Had to stop after 6 years. Doc told me to taper off it in 2 weeks! NO BUENO!!! Should have tapered off in a year+. Been in bed for 8+ months with horrific post-withdrawal symptoms. Never had heart problems before Zyprexa! Now I have afib and sinus tachycardia, and TD, involuntary muscle spasms are so painful! People notice when I stick my tongue out, biting it for hours a day, sexy. It's killing me slowly as Eli Lilly makes $12 million a day killing! I use melatonin for sleep. Is Z even approved for sleep? RESEARCH LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, CUZ IT DOES!!"

• mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2019

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "Zyprexa makes you gain weight so fast. I used to be anorexic and watched out with what I ate so I stayed in shape. But this medicine makes you crave sugar and makes you feel hungry 24/7. Also, you are really, really tired. It only helps with psychotic behavior if your dose is pretty high, so you can't feel anything, and because you want to sleep all day."

• Anonymous
• September 27, 2020

For Depression "Had a very bad effect with olanzapine with hair loss. I don't know if anyone had this effect, but for me, it was really bad. I'm trying to stop olanzapine now, waiting for the doctor to prescribe something else. I had weight gain too. I wish I could continue with it, but unfortunately, I have to stop. Has anyone experienced hair fall? Please advise."

• Lak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2022

For Agitation "I wanted to share my experience with 2.5 mg Olanzapine. I was having severe anxiety every day that started each morning when I woke up, and it started after I tried bupropion XL. I am also on Lexapro and Gabapentin for depression and anxiety. I stopped the bupropion XL but still had really bad anxiety. After trying clonidine that sort of worked, my doctor suggested olanzapine and warned me about potential weight gain. After reading reviews and researching the side effects, I was scared. I decided that my anxiety was bad enough that I weighed the risks and tried the medication. Within about 30 minutes, I felt a bit calmer. After a few days, I felt a greater sense of calm. I don't wake up with severe anxiety anymore. I can sleep through the night, and I just make sure to take the medicine around 7 p.m.-8 p.m., and I'm able to wake up around 7 a.m. It has only been about a week on the med, but I am happy I decided to try it because my anxiety is better."

• y-t...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 12, 2016

For Depression "This med is the only thing I tried that worked for my anxiety and depression. It might just be the way my brain is made, but every other antidepressant I tried made me worse or caused reactions. Anti-psychotics, however, help me. I've been taking olanzapine for a year and haven't noticed much side effect, no weight gain at all. It doesn't completely cure my depression, but I feel much better. Dr. suggested that I take a higher dose, but I'm a bit worried about diabetes."

• Viv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2022

For Borderline Personality Disorder "This drug completely removed my agitation/irritability episodes without making me feel like a zombie. I feel so peaceful, and I still can feel, just not to a painful degree. I highly recommend. No weight gain (2.5 mg)."

• Max...
• December 23, 2016

Olanzapine for Depression "Definitely relieved morning anxiety attacks. I'm also taking Effexor and Klonopin. I take the Zyprexa at night because it does make me sleepy. I wasn't eating anything at all before starting this drug, so I'm not worried yet about the weight gain; I'm not overdoing it with the food. I don't plan to be on this for long; my doctor told me it's not really a maintenance medication. But if it gets me through the holidays and my horrible anxiety about work, I'm fine with that."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2015

Olanzapine for Major Depressive Disorder "For the amount of calmness I got from this drug, I was still physically alert and able. That's more than I can say for most antipsychotics. It helped me sleep, and the following day my anxieties were lessened. I also found weird glimmers of hope in things, that had to be my depression lifting. It's a miracle to me. However, I gained 20 pounds in one month, and the doctor saw that as a reason to get me off the drug. Food had this crazy magnetism about it; it quickly became the most valuable thing on the planet, and I was having cravings for food unlike anything I've ever craved. If you can take the drug without binge eating, congratulations, because it works. Still, most people on this are overweight."

• Ant...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2020

For Paranoid Disorder "I think olanzapine should be the drug of last resort for people who are a danger to others. The side effects are huge and catastrophic. Muscle atrophy, trouble walking, cognitive decline, pacing, additional depression, weight gain, higher cholesterol. Since psychiatrists live on prescribing drugs, they won’t take you off them."

• Col...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 24, 2016

For Depression "This drug did horrible damage to my life! When I went on this medication, no one told me I would gain 60 pounds in a matter of months! I would have never gone on it. Even after getting off the drug, I could not lose that weight. Fortunately, after 10 years, a doctor suggested testosterone therapy in hopes it would take the weight off. It was a miracle! I lost about 45 lbs. BUT I also lost 10 years of my life. Now I have permanent damage to my skin. Excess skin on my face and body after I lost the weight. The doctors tell me it won't return to its original state because I gained the weight so fast. I was a zombie while on the drug. Don't let your loved ones take it! I want to cry when I look in the mirror at my body now!"

• sop...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 19, 2022

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "I've been on Zyprexa at 20 mg for 8 months now. I have schizoaffective bipolar type. Before this, I was on Seroquel 800 mg, 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 98 lb 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."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 25, 2020

For Schizophrenia "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 I had more energy than before. Yeah, I gained about 30 pounds, but that's okay 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, though 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 doctor changed my medication to Zyprexa, aka olanzapine. Thank you so much to whichever company created this medical miracle."

• kry...
• September 25, 2013

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "I have been on a 5 mg tablet for almost 2 years. I started off on one tablet a night, then cut my dose down to half a tablet, currently taking a 1/4 tablet during the day because I always miss my alarm if I take it at night. I oversleep way too much, always tired, brain feels foggy. I've gained 30 pounds, and it's getting harder to take it off. I'm always hungry and always thirsty. It helps with behaviors. I still flip out, but way less often."

• Tyl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 21, 2023

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Zyprexa for about three years now. It honestly saved my life. I'm no longer having delusional thoughts or manic episodes. Of course, you have to do your part by taking it when scheduled or else you won't get the full benefits. I gained some weight (healthy weight). I was unbelievably skinny and didn't realize it until this medicine put healthy weight on me. People take medication for all different reasons, so I don't see why taking a medication for your mental health is negative. You don't tell a diabetic to stop taking his insulin, do you? Treat your mental health now and you won't regret it."

• Anonymous
• April 20, 2012

For Depression "I was prescribed olanzapine as an off-label mood stabilizer for clinical depression. It took away all my positive emotions, leaving me feeling permanently 'grey' and essentially soulless. I lost interest in all activities I previously found enjoyable. In four months of 'treatment,' I'd gained 4 stone and couldn't stop eating. Only now am I coming off this, a process which has been extremely difficult due to a resurgence of the condition the medicine was treating."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2020

Olanzapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I've been trying different meds for anxiety for years. I have debilitating anxiety and depression. Zyprexa started out great, my head cleared of the perpetual fog, and I was able to function. Two weeks later, I started becoming a zombie, and my hair started falling out. It's been a month now, I'm now on Seroquel, gaining weight, and my hair is still falling out by the handful. I simply don't know what to do."

• Bip...
• March 7, 2016

For Insomnia "Success, success, success! I have been on and off olanzapine since I was 18 years old, more off, like 99% off, and I can say my sleep has been horrible. But now I take olanzapine every second night, 10 MG, and I sleep approximately 8 hours a night. No hangover effects like taking 10 MG a night. Shit, doctors say to take 10 MG a night, are they crazy? Why don't they try and take olanzapine before they dose up and ruin lives? I have taken 10 MG a night in the past nightly, and it's virtually impossible to get out of bed, and during the day you can't think or talk like a human being. I become a social introvert. Doctors want to take this? The only side effect I can say with olanzapine is appetite up/weight gain-carbs, so watch diet. *Paleo* carbs kill/weight."

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2015

Olanzapine for Schizophrenia "Was hospitalized after a psychotic break, prescribed Zyprexa 20mg. At first, the medicine was okay, my paranoia and schizophrenic thoughts went away. But after about two weeks, I started to notice the side effects. Weight gain was the most obvious, I 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. Lowered my dose to 5mg, it didn't make a difference. After about 6 months, I had enough, decided to try another medication. Now I feel much better. Bottom line: Zyprexa was the worst med I've ever tried. If you want to try this med, beware, you will gain weight."

• jam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 14, 2018

For Depression "I have been on this drug for the last several months on 5 mg/day. For most of my life, I have been underweight or at a healthy weight level (work out on a regular basis). However, with this drug, I am overweight even though I am on a caloric-restricted diet. This drug initially caused a noticeable increase in suicidal thoughts and ideation as well. Eventually, it wore off for the most part. However, I no longer feel anxious, but I also kinda feel 'empty' inside -- I don't feel fully human, almost like a robot. I am trying to get off this medication because I felt that while it did improve my depression/anxiety, it robbed me of my motivation, personality, and a fully functional brain. My cognition has taken a noticeable decline since on this medication -- I feel like I stepped back into the 7th/8th grade, mentally. Also, short-term memory has significantly declined."

• Pan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 2, 2013

Olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder "This drug did its job. It stopped any mood swings for the most part, but the biggest downside was that I bloated up and slept heavily. I put on maybe 10-20 kgs whilst on this drug (I was on it for 2 years). Effective nonetheless."