Zyprexa for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• tay...
• September 7, 2010

"I take Lamictal 300 mg, Ambien 10 mg, and Zyprexa 7.5 mg daily. Until the Zyprexa was added, I still experienced bipolar breakthroughs, insomnia, and extreme anxiety and OCD on a daily basis, which exhausted me. So far, Zyprexa manages my symptoms, although I haven't been on it very long. I also have food cravings, however, no significant side effects. I'm very sensitive to medications, can only take very small doses. What works for me might be too little to help others. My doctor was very surprised to find out that a mere 15 mg Zyprexa for emergency breakthroughs would work for me. Now I don't need to carry Zyprexa with me everywhere because the nightly dose of 7.5 mg is enough."

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2018

"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."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2017

"I was on this for maybe 6 months, 2 years ago. I went from 121 to 184 in less than 3 months. I was eating constantly, even after I had dinner, I would be hungry 15 minutes later. If your doctor wants you to take this, DON'T. It's easy for the weight to come, but harder to make the weight go away."

• Sof...
• April 23, 2019

"I've put on 19 kgs taking Zyprexa. It's helped a little with my mood disorder and outbursts, however, my weight problem is out of control, hence this has caused me more stress seeing myself go from 60 kgs to 79 kgs in 6 months."

• MWH...
• July 28, 2010

"I have been on Zyprexa for over 2 months now. I take 7.5 mg daily and also take Paxil and Ativan. All I can say is I'm much better than I was 2 months ago and have learned that I will have to be on medicines for the rest of my life. Small price to pay for peace of mind. I have gained 30 lbs and need to exercise more to try and combat the weight gain. My doctor says we may go down in mg here soon. But overall, I have to say it helped pull me out of a major depression."

• sj1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2019

"I had a horrible, 6-day experience with this medication, Zyprexa. While it was prescribed to me primarily for sleep, which 5 mg was effective, it made my anxiety 10x worse with paranoia and tremors. It was the worst. It has been three nights without it now, and I still feel its effects of increased anxiety and a fog-like head. The physical symptoms ceased 48 hours post-Zyprexa. I took 20 mg of Paxil with this medication for anxiety and was noticing some improvement with Paxil alone. Zyprexa made me feel as if I was never taking Paxil AND took five steps backward. My official diagnosis is TBD, but this was the first medication I've taken where I absolutely refuse to take again at any dosage."

• Spi...
• October 14, 2019

"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

"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!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2023

"After a suicide attempt on Vraylar, I was admitted and put on Prozac and Zyprexa as I was told it only works for bipolar in combination with Zyprexa. Which was not the case. All was fine until I started having severe panic attacks like never before, with a restless energy I couldn’t shake even though I was depressed and had no motivation to do anything. My new doctor said to stop the Prozac immediately and raised my Zyprexa dosage to 10mg. Within two days of stopping Prozac and increasing Zyprexa, I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders and I could think straight. It’s been about 2 weeks and for the first time, I feel stable and not swinging from one extreme to the other. The only side effects I have noticed are a dry mouth and increased hunger. If you’ve tried everything else with no luck, this may be the one medication worth asking your doctor about. I wish I would have been on it long ago and avoided the trial and error with other meds."

• Anonymous
• March 17, 2011

"Zyprexa was prescribed to me in my early 20s after a manic episode. I took it for a year and was a complete zombie. I remember noting from that period apart from sleeping all day and raiding the cupboard at night. I gained 30% of my body weight or 60 lbs, and it took me two years to lose it."

• Sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 6, 2019

"This medication, Zyprexa, has helped me out a lot for my bipolar. The biggest downside is being tired a lot, but sleep is very important. Once I take it, I can’t do anything at all and force myself to stay in bed. I can sleep for a long time and feel very groggy in the morning. I did not gain any weight whatsoever on Zyprexa. I suggest that people listen to their doctor and give it a try. I’ve been on it for a little over 2 years and staying on 2.5 MG for 'maintenance.' I am in remission now. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much for anxiety, so you will absolutely have to continue seeking treatment for that if you have any anxiety issues."

• Kie...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2021

"I got my prescription for this drug a few days ago along with my Ativan, Zoloft, and Trileptal. Ativan doesn’t have the same effects as this, and neither does Trileptal. I took this yesterday around 11 in the morning for paranoia and anxiety, and within 30 minutes, I started feeling like a zombie. I felt super restless and more anxious than I was before, so I slept from noon yesterday until 5 this morning, on and off. Even though I drank 2 big cups of coffee, I still feel sleepy and dazed. This also caused me to have odd and extremely vivid dreams last night, and I feel angrier than usual! I woke up this morning screaming at everyone in the house for not taking out the trash, I punched the air conditioner because it was turned up too high, I cussed my boyfriend out for taking too long to say something when he called me on the phone, etc. I thought Zyprexa would be a good medication for me at FIRST, but it made everything worse! I’m not taking this ever again."

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2009

"I was confirmed with bipolar disorder in late 2008. My father is a severe case of bipolar and is medication-resistant to the point where ECT doesn't do anything. So my doctors (considering my family history) put me on Zyprexa. I had no benefits, only side effects, the worst being recurring hallucinations. I didn't gain weight (it would be good for me, I weigh about 100 lbs). It's not the miracle drug for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2016

"Was on Zyprexa for a week, 10 mgs originally prescribed for sleep and coming off of Geodon. Geodon caused anxiety eventually. Zyprexa calmed me down, but it was still hard to fall asleep without Ambien. I feel tired, slow, and hungry all the time the next day. But it did calm my nerves the next day, so it may be worth it to give it a try."

• Ale...
• July 17, 2009

"I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 8, and I'm 17 now. I got off Zyprexa about 6 years ago, and I'm still having issues with my eating habits. When I started taking this pill, I easily gained 110 lbs. in the first year."

• Bpd...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 16, 2022

"This literally stole an entire year of my life. The absolute worst medication and experience I’ve ever had. It completely took away my personality. It took away every joy in my life. I was borderline suicidal. I have never been so depressed in my entire life. I would take a manic episode over the feeling I had taking this medication any day-and I loathe and am terrified of being manic. Thank goodness I finally advocated for myself and got off of it. Run away from this med unless it’s an absolute last resort. Even then I’d choose no meds over this. I would rate -100 if I could."

• mia...
• July 29, 2010

"I lost my appetite and yet gained between 7 to 10 pounds a week until my psychiatrist took me off of it 5 weeks later, stuck with the weight. Not only did it not improve my mood, my image depressed me even more."

• Anx...
• June 12, 2022

"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."

• Cab...
• June 6, 2017

"I've had a mostly positive experience with the exception of a lot of weight gain. Definitely stopped the depression/manic cycles. Does make me sleepy, but my doctor prescribed Provigil, which really helped. I give this med a positive grade, especially for bipolar with psychotic episodes."

• Wri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2021

"This drug was absolutely horrible. I was prescribed it for treatment of supposed bipolar disorder. Within one hour of taking the first dose, I began feeling that I could not sit down or stand up. Down on the chair, stand up, down on the chair, stand up, on and on. It was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. Thank God that my niece was with me, and she called my psychiatrist on duty on a Sunday. He told her to go and get me a prescription for Ativan that he would call in to my pharmacy and to take 2 mg as soon as possible. Within 30 minutes of taking the Ativan, the horrific feeling went away. I can only say that just mentioning the word Zyprexa makes me sick."

• Len...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2022

"I had this a few days ago in the hospital for extreme mood swings and anger due to bipolar. I took half a pill that dissolves under your tongue, and it made me feel MUCH WORSE! Within 20 minutes of taking this garbage, I became insanely sleepy, dazed, I was slobbering and slurring when I was talking. It made me even more angrier and anxious. I had intense restless legs and arms and facial tics. My legs would randomly kick and jerk up in the air. I had awful dreams and couldn’t stay asleep at night. I couldn’t stop stuffing my face, and I gained 4 lbs since the day I took it, which was on Monday. I took a Xanax yesterday because I had another episode where I was irate, all because I dropped something. I took this particular medication once in 2018 and for the first time in 2013, and it always made me irrationally angry, hungry, anxious, and unreasonable. Never again."

• kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 15, 2024

"I take Zyprexa alongside Topamax, Qelbree, Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Intuniv (with propranolol and hydroxyzine as PRN meds). I have bipolar disorder, ADHD, OCD, severe GAD, complex PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and autism spectrum. This med I feel has helped with most of the above issues. It has really calmed down my anxiety and mania/mixed episodes. Yes, the weight gain is a negative, but the impact on my mood, anxiety, and hyperactivity has been worth it."

• daB...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 8, 2024

"Zyprexa has been an amazing drug. I have bipolar and psychosis, and it has worked miracles for my mental health. I have left what I thought was a mothership and have a good life here on earth. Seriously, it's a great drug and sometimes you need that little bit of help."

• Pat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 3, 2018

"I've been taking Zyprexa since 2002. At first, I was on 10 mg, and I've been on 20 mg for the last 15 years. It worked great at first, but now it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. I take it because I have bipolar 2 disorder. I need it to calm down my mind when I go to sleep. I want to know if there is anything else I can take, or does Zyprexa come in a stronger dose than 20 mg?"

• Rui...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 10, 2021

"This medication took away my mania, but it also took away the essence of my personality, what made me myself, my soul. I lost 2 years of my life to this medication. I stopped caring about anything. Stopped doing things I enjoyed. Stopped leaving the house. Could barely get out of bed. Also gained 60 pounds. Medications all affect people differently. But this medication ruined me. I’ve been off it for a month and a half, and I feel like I just woke up from a coma. Also, no matter how little I'd eat on this medication, I'd still never lose any weight."