Zyprexa for Schizophrenia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Dru...
• February 15, 2020

"I was on Zyprexa for 1 month and 1 week, and in that time, I gained 20+ pounds and did not help with any of the symptoms I was having. Didn't help with voices, delusions, paranoia. Nothing. Was really a complete waste of time, and to top it off, ruined how I look. (I used to be a very thin 160-pound male and am now 220...) That's from all the antipsychotics I've tried combined, Zyprexa being the worst one for weight. I give Zyprexa a 2 only because it did sedate me a bit, relieving anxiety. I'm now on Loxapine, which is supposed to be weight neutral, but I'm still putting weight on from that a bit."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 1, 2012

"I have tried many meds: Seroquel, Risperidone, Abilify. Seroquel had me peeing all night long, burning sensation like a urinary tract infection. Abilify sex was good but gave me anxiety, fast heart rate, lightheaded feeling, fainting, and insomnia. So far, Zyprexa is the best for me. Sex is okay, having a problem with sensual sensation, dizzy sometimes. Now I am on 2.5 mg, I still feel dizzy. Even without it, you feel better if you take the pill. Weight gain: 30 lb. Triglycerides high."

• elu...
• September 28, 2018

"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."

• Bel...
• April 27, 2021

"I am very grateful for Zyprexa. I had a very scary problem of not being able to sleep for a long time, resulting in psychosis. This happened twice in my life within a couple of years of each other. The first time they put me on Haldol and Depakote. I was in so much pain I could not move, and at the same time, the Depakote gave me horrible shakes and no filter when talking. Worst of all, I still had a lot of trouble sleeping. I was lucky enough to taper off them completely eventually, and my sleep returned to normal. However, two years later, I lost my job and could not sleep, the same thing happens. I was put on 5 mg Zyprexa and 10 mg Lexapro. In less than a week, I was stable and sleeping (very) well. Yes, I gained weight, but I have learned to control it. I am now doing well and down to 2.5 mg. I think the key is a smaller dosage. I read some people have 15 mg, I think I would have a lot of trouble with side effects too if it was that much. Maybe ask your doctor if you can do 5 mg or less."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2018

"While I am schizoaffective, I was put on 2.5 mg (now 5 mg) of Zyprexa for intractable insomnia after averaging 2 or 3 nights a week without sleeping. I now go without sleep only once a week. I also sleep much deeper. Unfortunately, I have gained 2.5 lbs a month on it and have gone from normal blood sugar to circling pre-diabetic. My doctor put me on 7.5 mg briefly, but my appetite was unreal. I wish I could take more, but I've already put on 30 lbs. I can't say if it has impacted my psychosis, as the other antipsychotic was working when I started on this. I think it helps with my anxiety. I sometimes take an extra pill when I have an anxiety attack. It helps, but maybe it is the placebo effect."

• bww...
• March 4, 2012

"The medicine brought my wife's symptoms under control, finally. Was very sedating to the tune of her sleeping 14 hours per day. We are trying Invega instead, but Zyprexa is always the fallback plan because it works."

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

"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."

• Czr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 17, 2019

"I was on 15 mg of Zyprexa, and it completely got rid of all my symptoms. The only complaints I have are weight gain and sedation. I gained 70 lbs in a 6-month period and slept for 14 hours every night. My cholesterol went over the maximum limit, and my blood sugar rose to a level that made me a prediabetic. Other than that, I would try this drug again."

• vos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2017

"Although it started off good, this med slowly made me develop akathisia to the point of it being unbearable. I started off on 10 mg, and it was increased to 15 mg. By the end of it, I wanted to amputate my legs just to make the feeling go away. I was 24/7 agitated, restless, constantly pacing around and fidgeting, getting into arguments, and screaming at people. My doctor prescribed clonazepam, but it did nothing to take it away. Eventually, I had enough and stopped taking Zyprexa altogether, and within only 3 days, all of these symptoms disappeared, and I was back to normal. By the end of it, even though I was only on it for 3 weeks, I had gained 30 pounds. Awful experience."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 30, 2020

"I take 10 mg of Zyprexa in the morning and at night. I use 1 mg of Cogentin morning and night to stop side effects. Then I use 50 mg of Vistaril for my anxiety. But Zyprexa makes me feel worse. The voices are still there. I'm more paranoid. I've gained 20 lbs in 1 month. My appetite has increased. I have tremors throughout the day. Plus, the Vistaril doesn't help much with my anxiety. I can't wait to see my doctor and get something else! I wouldn't recommend this medicine to nobody from my experience. But each person is different."

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

"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

"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."

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

"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

"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."

• mus...
• August 26, 2019

"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."

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

"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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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!"

• Can...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 26, 2021

"I was on Zyprexa for minor auditory hallucinations and sleep. I was on it for more than 5 months and gained 40 lbs! I was only on 5 mg, and for a few months, I was even advised to half my dose! This medication made me feel irritated, flat, and moving around was heavier than usual. I became paranoid and had delusions, but didn’t believe them. I just wanted to stay in bed or not leave the house. The voices told me unbelievable thoughts, and I worried a lot too. It did help me sleep. The voices did become more non-existent or lowered; however, at times I could still hear them lowered to an extent. The weight gain is not worth it! I used to be so active and weighed 125 before I started Zyprexa. Now I am 170 lbs! I need a new medication to help the auditory hallucinations that will not repeat my thoughts aloud or lower them. I tried Vraylar at 1.5 mg. The auditory hallucinations completely went away; however, the side effects sent me to the hospital. Please help!!!"

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2019

"I’ve taken Rexulti, Abilify, Vraylar, Risperidone, and now trying Zyprexa. It’s been about a week, and the delusions/hallucinations are still extremely there, if not worse. This stuff makes me sleepy, I get a good night's rest. I'm going to take it a few more weeks to see if it overall works, a week probably isn’t long enough for a good trial period."

• Lol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2024

"I started with 5mg for my psychosis/schizophrenia, and it helped immensely. But I'm still experiencing some auditory hallucinations, so I'm adjusting the dose to 10mg and possibly higher to see if it makes a difference. So yes, the hallucinations are more muted now, but I gained weight and feel unmotivated. That I can deal with, I am just watching what I eat now and walking."

• Joc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2021

"I was on Zyprexa for around 6 months, and when it did keep my psychosis at bay, I felt dull and unenergetic. I slept for 14 hours a day, and I didn't feel like doing anything. When I got out of the hospital, I was on 20 mgs of Zyprexa. On the process of going down to 5 mgs, I gained around 50 pounds. I'm now on Latuda 40 mgs in hopes of being more energetic and to lose the weight I have gained."